I wish I needed your advice!

What's the best wine area in Croatia?

Are there beautiful seaside locations that are not changed too much by tourism?

What about the mountains (no ski resort destinations)?

Are there books or websites one can read about traditional Croatian cooking (especially seafood)?

If you were to recommend a trip to Croatia plus other countries, which countries would those be that would help a visitor understand Croatia better?

PS: Are all Croatian women as pretty as the ones I've met?

@zeppole
1. Most claim Istria, however many (if not all) islands have a strong viticulture tradition.

2. Too many to list. In a nutshell: visit any of the islands a book a boat trip (or rent one), you can easily spend a day on a "private" beach.
I'm a bit biased but I find Brac great for this, you can have the best of both worlds: the tourist center Bol, and peace and quiet everywhere else.

3. http://www.bjelolasica.hr/index.php?l=en and http://www.sljeme.hr/default.aspx?id=92
There's very little snow in the mountains outside of winter season. Sljeme is best known for the the world cup slalom (http://www.snowqueentrophy.com/) and for being minutes away from the capital, Zagreb.

4. http://www.coolinarika.com/ comes to mind, but it's in Croatian only so use google translate to navigate it. By the way, Anthony Bourdain recently shot "No reservations" here, I don't believe it aired yet.

5. Slovenia is quite beautiful, Serbia also has wonderful sites to visit and an awesome night life (in major cities), Bosnia and Montenegro have a lot to offer as well, and are a short flight away.

P.S. Yes!

Actually, I better qualify that last question. I'm not trying to encourage sex tourism to Croatia!

I only know two Croatians, and both are women who are strikingly pretty, so I threw in the question to joke because they always come to mind when I think of Croatia. But I think your answer may prove to us if you really are Croatian.

We were posting at the same time. Thanks for your answers. I hope to visit soon. I live in Italy, and it is easy to fly there.

And yes, you are obviously a real Croatian!

Split carries a strong reputation for very beautiful female citizens and I'm not just saying that because I was born there!
As a guy, I'm stamping a bold "TRUE" on that one

We were in Cavtat about 5 years ago and loved the small, friendly and scenic city. I think it was beginning to be discovered and possibly has become crowded.

We'll be in Dubrovnik next Spring and want to get to Cavtat on our own (no cruiseship tour) by boat or car.

What will we find in Cavtat now ?

@maryann Sorry, I never visited Cavtat.

A lot has improved in terms of transport since you last visited, so I can take an educated guess that their tourism improved as well.

This is a last year's local newspaper article about Cavtat:
http://goo.gl/izfVk (google translated)
They still describe the village as small and quiet, and much cheaper than Dubrovnik.

Great timing to see this. I have logistical questions. I am just visiting Rovinj this trip (we did a great trip to Dubrovik, Korcula, Split, Trogir two years ago).

I am coming from Ljubljana and see that there is a bus from 13:00 to 19:15. Is that correct, does it really take six hours? Any other ways to get from Ljubljana to Rovinj (without renting a car)?

Then I'll have two nights, so one full day, and then want to get to Trieste. I see two buses, one at 7:40 in the morning and the other not until 16:40. Are there any other options for getting from Rovinj to Trieste. It will be in July. Is there a ferry?

Thanks.

@isabel

Six hours sounds about right.
As an alternative you can take a train from Ljubljana to Rijeka (about 2.5 hours) then a bus (also 2.5 hours). You won't save much time but you'll get to take a short break and visit Rijeka.
Take this with a grain of salt though, you might end up in Rijeka longer than you plan for, don't schedule too tightly.
You can also fly, but that way you won't get to see much and you'll still have a bus trip to Rovinj.

I checked http://www.jadrolinija.hr/ and I don't see any ferries from covering Rovinj, bus seems to be your only option for Trieste

One of the best post titles, ever!

Plavi, I spent 10 days in Croatia a few years ago and I still remember it well. It was one of my most enjoyable trips and I've taken many.

I too loved Brac. While everyone was recommending to go to Hvar at the time, I chose Brac instead and I really loved it. Bol is a beautiful town and the wooden promenade through the pine trees alongside the water is beautiful, especially at night. Zlatni Rat at one end of the walk is a nice beach area too. I did go for a day to Hvar and it was nice, but bigger and more touristy.

I also enjoyed Dubrovnik very much, and so too Split and especially Trogir.

I look forward to returning to your beautiful country and exploring other areas further north.

@nyse All credit goes to Reddit's "AMA"s

@Mathieu I'm glad you enjoyed your holiday!
Zlatni Rat really is amazing, but it can get crowded. Great thing about Brac is it's versatility, you can spend the day hiking on Vidova Gora and the evening swimming on the beach that's usually a few steps away from your hotel room or apartment.

Thanks Plavi, When we were last in Cavtat, I remember some small boats in the harbor advertising taking you over (around a headland) to Dubrovnik for around 10E.

I'm sure the price has gone up but that kind of trip to & from is what I hope is still offered there.

Nice article about the town.

I'm visiting Croatia for the first time with my wife next month. What customs or formalities should we know when visiting to make a good impression with the locals. We will mostly be in Istria and parts of Slovenia.

Hi Plavi!

Thank you for your offer to answer any questions we have about travelling to Croatia.

I wanted to ask your opinion about the island of Rab. How is it compared to Hvar? We have been to Hvar, and touristy as it is, we loved our time there....swimming in hidden coves, visiting villages around the island and hanging around the beautiful Riva. I was wondering if we can find a similar feel in Rab, or should we try Brac?

Kind regards.

Where were you when I could have used you last year.

@nolinenowait
I like to believe we're very understanding towards foreigners, so just bring some common sense and wear a smile
Perhaps not related to your question, but I read someone mentioning people holding "Rooms!" or "Sobe" signs. If you decide to venture their way and use their services make absolutely sure you're being registered. Hotel and apartment owners need to register their clients (tourists) to the police, and people holding those signs usually don't to avoid taxes, that can cause problems to both parties.

@JoyC
You should definitely try Brac. Unlike Hvar and Rab almost all tourism on Brac is accommodated by private owners (families renting their own houses and apartments), meaning the island looks and feels authentic even mid season.
It's great both if you're outgoing and adventurous and if you're looking for a place to relax, but I must say it's a bad call if you're looking for parties/night life, since most of that kind of entertainment is focused on one village, Bol.

Rab has it's own charm, there's a lot of "tourist villages", great road connectivity, everything feels close and within reach (unlike Brac).
But it's very tourism oriented, like most of Istria, whether that's good or not depends on your preferences.

@Percy
Right here, hehe

Hi Plavi,

would you recommend booking transportation from the US or just booking it when I'm there?
Also, are there any short cruises going along the Coast? I'm a student on a budget.

Do you have a favorite food or dish from Split or elsewhwere in Croatia?

@rebelrebel
Bus reservations are usually free, so it's not a bad idea to have one, but I don't believe you'll have any problems buying a ticket on-site, even during season.
When you arrive it's best to call a day before your trip just to check if any tickets are available, and make a free phone reservation for the desired time.
This somewhat applies to flights as well, but be prepared to pay extra if you're buying the last available seat on the plane.

Yes, there are plenty cruises available, most appear during season and are only active for a couple months. We call them tourists boats, loosely translated, they travel very close to the shore (law permitting). They are easy to get into, some are party-focused, some are floating restaurants.
You can even rent a taxi-boat (with a skipper)and make a mini-cruise of your own, with friends.

@suz24
Njoki, it's a traditional dish in Split (and Dalmatia), with special "pasta" made out of potatoes with bolognese sauce.
http://www.coolinarika.com/recept/juneci-saft-a-la-pasticada-sa-njokama/

Plavi, you are awesome! Thank you. As for the ferries to Italy, do you think 3 days in Italy from Croatia is ok?

@rebelrebel You can see a lot in 3 days, there are regular ferry lines to Ancona.
Keep in mind that Italians have a collective vacation in mid August called "Ferragosto", and a lot of them spend their holidays in Croatia, overloading the traffic in the respective dates

Plavi, as RebelRebel has said, you are awesome.
Thanks for being so helpful to so many here.

As I said earlier, I really loved my time in Croatia and look forward to returning soon.

"Njoki, it's a traditional dish in Split (and Dalmatia), with special "pasta" made out of potatoes with bolognese sauce"

I have visited Dalmatia ( and Split)a number of times , did not have the impression that gnocchi is a traditional dish.

@Mathieu Thanks, looking forward to having you back!

@danon I guess you got the wrong impression, you're missing out

About Cavtat: My husband, a friend and I had dinner there about a year and a half ago, in early October 2010. WE were staying in Plat, a small town a little bit north of Cavtat. We had planned to take a bus from Dubrovnik to Cavtat, then back to Plat. (We had a car but wanted to be able to drink at dinner) Then as we were getting ready to leave Dubrovnik, we realized there were water taxis in the harbor that would take us to Cavtat so we went that way. it is a beautiful trip down the coast. I can't remember how much it cost but I am quite sure no more than 10Euros.

Unless it has changed drastically in the past 18 months, Cavtat is a charming small city quite popular with people traveling along the coast by boat.

hi plavi,

we will be going to croatia, our first time, july 3-7. will start in dubrovnik then take the bus or train to split for 1 night then catch 8:15 am easyjet flight next day to venice. i think we have to be at SPU by 6 am since easyjet does not have any assigned seating and we are checking in luggage. would you suggest that we stay in trogir or split for early morning transfer to SPU? is there an airport shuttle we can catch or do we have to take the taxi, if so around how much is the fare to either split or trogir and how much time should we allow to get to the airport from either town?

thanks in advance for your input.

@flyme2themoon
There's a regular bus line dedicated to airport passengers leaving from Split, trip to the airport takes about 45 minutes.
http://www.plesoprijevoz.hr/vozniredst.htm
You're probably interested in the 5:30am departure.
Last time I used them (last year) the price was 50kn (~8$) and I payed inside the bus.

They don't cover Trogir so I recommend you stay in Split that night for better connectivity.
I believe ordering a taxi is possible in Trogir but prices are outrageously high during season.

@flyme2themoon
The price for the airport shuttle from Split is 30kn (~6$), free for children under 6.
http://www.plesoprijevoz.hr/kartezagreb.htm

Thank you so much Plavi. There's not too many posters on here for Croatia, so glad you posted your availability for questions. If you don't mind, i have a couple more:

1. Our easyjet flight to Milan leaves at 8:15 am. If we take the 5:45 am bus, we should be in SPU by around 6:30. Will this give us enough time to check in luggage and get to the easyjet boarding gate? We got a fantastic rate of about $55 pp incld tax and 1 pc of checked in luggage with easyjet, but of course, it comes with a some restrictions, incld no assigned seating. And the planner in me is wondering, in the dire event that we are not able to board this flight, what are our options to get to Florence (our final destination)and the ensuing $$$damage?

2. From Dubrovik to Split, in July is it better/faster to take the train or bus? We want to arrive in Split before noon to give us time to explore and wander around the Diocletian Palace.

3. What is the best way to day trip Montenegro? I have read hiring a taxi or private driver to take us there and back and act as a guide too, is practical but I've also read public transportation will do. There's 3 of us, all adults, in this trip. For the taxi/private driver option, what is a reasonable amount to pay for this service?

Thanks again Plavi.

Thanks again.

correction:

...i meant the 5:30 am airport shuttle, approx arriving SPU at 6:15

...dayrtrip to montenegro from dubrovnik

Is it easy for English-speakers to manage?

Presumably they are interested in attracting international tourists and English is almost the lingua franca.

Are there sites to avoid? I've heard that there may be still be land mines in various places in the Balkans from the '90s.

In general, probably not a good idea to bring up the war as a topic of conversation?

@flyme2themoon
1. You should have plenty of time, I've never flown with EasyJet but I know people who did, and their experiences were positive.
Worst case scenario, there are regular Croatian Airlines flights on the SPU-FLR route, however very expensive: 450$/person (375 to Milan)
http://www.croatiaairlines.com/Plan-Book

2. Bus definitely, it's much more convenient. You ca catch a bus at 5am, 6am or 7am just make sure to call a day earlier to confirm and make a reservation:
http://libertasdubrovnik.hr/

3. I have no idea, sorry.
I do however see this as far as the buses go (libertas):
HERCEG NOVI
10:00 15:00 15:30 20:30* (*Monday, Wednesday & Saturday)

PODGORICA
15:00 ("every other day", they didn't mention what days)


@scrb11
Yes.
A foreign language is mandatory in our school system, most kids pick English (with German as a popular second choice).

That's a sad fact, yes. There are still landmines in the continental Croatia, and great effort is being put into removing them.
Thankfully those are areas are now small, rare and very well marked.

If you're genuinely curious, I don't see why you shouldn't discuss the war with a local. It's getting a bit "old" though, I doubt you'll run into someone with first hand experience, everyone else will probably know as much as you can find out from the interwebz right now.

thanks again plavi. did you spend some time in the US or did you learn english in school, as you suggested earlier. your English is impeccable. excuse my asking, just curious.

@flyme2themoon
Thanks! No, I never visited the States
I'm a programmer, so my English is probably a (positive) professional deformation, however my spoken English is still far from perfect: I need to Skype more

You were so kind and helped with suggestions and good advices a lot of people here.
I have a question to you: we have 11 days and want to see as much is possible from Croatia and Slovenia. We think that the best option to cover a lot of area in a short time and to not be stressed by driving, is an organized tour. We found this tour , we like it but it will be great to hear your opinion about it.

Thank you very much.

1. The tour starts at midday. Zagreb, Bled area
Visit both parts of the city Zagreb.. After the tour cross the border to Slovenia, to the hotel in Bled

2. Bled, Canyon and Vintgar, Bohinj, Krupa and , if time permitted, go by cable car up the mountain and look out over the Triglav

3. Julian Alps , crossing the mountain travelling in National nature reserve Triglab, continue to the magnificent river valley in Sochi. Later arrival in the Italian town Treviso

4. Ljubljana, Postojna

5. Istria Peninsula _ Opatjia - Rovinji

6. National Park Plitvice

7. Zadar, Trogir, Split

8. Split, Dubrovnik

9. Dubrovnik

10. Day trip to Montenegro – Kotor, Niigoshi, Cetinje

11th. Dubrovnik – in the evening flight home

Hi Plavi,

Just had to say what a lovely thread - thanks!

BTW I'm Australian - ask me anything!

1. You can't see much of Zagreb in half a day, so I hope they focus on the old city.
A shame, really, Zagreb has a lot to offer.

(...)

5. Since Opatia and Rovinj are just stops, it's a shame you won't see much out of either of them. Especially the monastery/museum on the st. Katherine's island near Rovinj.

6. A must! You can just drop your camera there and the result will be a postcard quality picture

7. Sounds good, the less time you spend in Split the more likely it is that it will leave an impression of a "port city", a whole day gives you time to see more than just the highway/ferry route.

8./9. Dubrovnik can either be quiet and charming or just overwhelming depending on the season. Keep in mind that the prices there have jumped so high last year that restaurant owners issues id cards to locals so they can serve them at a cheaper rate (something seen as absurd by the rest of the country and hopefully abandoned since).

All in all, this tour looks very nice if your goal is indeed to see as much as possible in 11 days.
You can't really judge by locations alone, all of these places (Slovenia, Italy and Montenegro included) deserve dedicated tours, I'm sure something will tickle your interest enough to organize one the next year, but I'm also convinced you'll have a very nice time with this tour as well.

@stormbird Thanks

Hmm, higher prices for tourists is a good way to alienate them.

Instead of charging tourists higher prices for meals, Dubrovnik should be limiting the cruise ships. The ship crowds is the reason I will not be returning to Dubrovnik--luckily the rest of the country is gorgeous, too!

Hello Plavi!

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Croatia this summer (july/august). We were wondering if you can help us choose which islands to see, and which we can drop. We are visiting islands around Split and Dubrovnik.

We have been thinking about these islands:

Brac, Hvar, Mljet, Vis, Korcula.

Are there any islands we have forgot which we must see?
Which of these are good for spending a couple of nights, and which is it enough to just visit for a couple of hours or a day?

We are planning on spending the relaxing beach-part of our vacation on one of the islands, which one would you recommend for that? And if you know any good hotels/apartements by the beach, please do tell

Hope you can help us!
Thank you!

Dubrovnik prices were an isolated incident. "Discounts for locals" thing didn't last long (to the best of my knowledge) because it was ridiculed by the rest of the country.
I didn't feel any of this on my own skin, but remember the headlines from a while back.
Cruise ships are still an issue in Dubrovnik, they are aware that the "free for all" policy isn't really working out for anyone. Some positive changes will possibly come from the new government.
http://goo.gl/pSVmC


@Fantasi
You can't go wrong, really, I've never been to Vis and I plan to remedy that mistake this summer.

Perhaps you should make "headquarters" on either Brac or Hvar, and visit the neighboring islands at your own convenience (perhaps even in your own arrangement via water-taxi) to avoid packing every day.
Hvar would definitely win the beach party competition

I can't make any specific hotel recommendations, if you're going with privately owned apartments make sure everything is legal, good paperwork is usually also a good quality indicating factor.

Hello Plavi,
It looks like you've been rather busy, but I hope you'll have time to answer a few questions for me. First of all, I am hoping to fly into Zadar next Tuesday (24/4) then drive down to Dubrovnik. I then plan to work my way back to Zadar through Hvar and Korcula over the next week. However, I have been checking the weather and noticed that it has been quite cool and rainy in those areas over the past week and the forecast says showers all weekend and next week. I would really rather not spend my time in Croatia stuck inside because of the rain. Is it pretty common for the islands and coastal areas to receive rain daily and that is why the forecast looks this way or do you think that it will actually be raining the entire time. Thanks so much for your expertise. I really want to come to Croatia so hopefully it will work out!

Hi Plavi,

Thank you very much for the answer. I am glad to see your positive reaction about my itinerary. I heard so many good opinion abut Croatia and Slovenia, so I am sure I'll enjoy the trip and in the next years I'll return in the places I loved.
My trip now is in June (second half of the month). Hope to have no rains!

Thank you again for spending your time helping us to plan our vacations.

@ConMon89
I checked with the Brac's weather center (my aunt) and she said it's sunny and nice there.
Southern islands are pretty immune to bad weather, Hvar has the highest number of sunny days in the country.

@Marighita
You're most welcome

Dear Plavi

I met( back in 85)a croatian guy on the train to Athens, i was going from Austria where i was studying to my birth town, Athens
He was going to Athens for a basket ball final, of Cibona Zagreb against i can't remember whom...

We had same age, both students, and we spent 1 day in Athens, where i showed him my city. 2 days later he went back to Croatia.

This was back in 85, and that was the start of long lasting friendship. I always made a break every time i went to Athens, stayed at his ( parents) house , enjoyed the nightlife and the beauty of Zagreb and above all, i experienced the hospitality of the family ( my friend, his sister and parents), something that i will never forget as long as i live.

We exchanged visits in all the years, and i am proud to count them as my friends.
Through them i discovered the true face of Croatia, a country that i love very much.
I would like to recommend to all of you reading this post, to try and contact locals when visiting Croatia.
Don't be shy or afraid to talk to people, learning to know locals will help you to discover Croatia much better, and you may win some friends for life.
A country isn't just nice cities, sandy beaches or museums.... but it's people

@clausar
Wonderful story, thank you for sharing it!

Hi,

Myself and a friend are planning an Italy/Croatia 3 week adventure in August this year. We have tried to do a lot of research to find the best way of getting from Italy to Croatia and our Italy itinerary is starting at Milan - Venice - Florence - Rome - Naples. We are now stuck as to how best to get to Croatia and then potentially squeeze in Austria as flights seem cheaper back to the UK from there rather than Croatia. Could you advise us on the route from Naples over to Croatia?

Thank you!

@pipsipop
Sorry for the delay.

I'm not sure, honestly. I'd probably fly or organize something on the Naples -> Bari ->(ferry)-> Dubrovnik route, depending on how much time you are willing to spend on this part of your journey and how much more of Italy you wish to see.

We've discussed EasyJet as a good Croatia/UK link, so if the ticket price is the only reason you want to make Austria your last stop, you might want to put it all on paper and re-calculate with EasyJet in mind

Thanks Plavi! I'll continue looking, wanted to check we weren't missing something obvious!

This thread is such a find, great info!

I will be in Croatia in May and I live in New Zealand. What money do I bring and where do I get that? I have Euros for France and Italy. I have never heard of getting Croatian money from our banks.

@Grateful
Not sure how things work in New Zealand but you can usually "order" foreign currency in all major banks, it takes a few days and you pay the current exchange rate + a fee.

On the other hand you can exchange your cash (Euros included, naturally) in all banks in Croatia, but I would recommend bringing a debit/credit card instead, one that's usable world wide (usually with a visa/master/amex logo) simply for the peace of mind.

We're using Croatian Kunas (Hrvatska kuna, iso: HRK), but we'll switch to Euros soon-ish (in a couple of years) as a part of our EU membership.

Hmm, wonder if prices will go up when they switch to the Euro.

hi Plavi - I have one.
I am taking the bus from Trieste to Rovinj next month, and I MUST get my passport stamped - to show that I have left the EU. Do you think it will be a problem to get it stamped on a bus?

I know this is a weird question, so understandable if you don't know the answer.

@rialtogrl
I'm not positive, but I'm sure the border police will make sure you're taken care of (usually an officer enters the bus so you don't even have to exit).

We have very strict border controls, I doubt you can sneak in that easily

Excellent! Many thanks!

Hi Plavi,

My husband and I will be on a cruise in August that stops in Kotor, Split, Dubrovnik and Koper. We'll have a full day in each city. What are the must-sees in your opinion?

Also, we were in Dubrovnik one day a few years ago and did the walk around the old city walls. What else would you recommend doing there?

Finally, in Koper I was thinking it would be a good idea to rent a car and head to Ljubljana. Does that make sense to you?

Thanks for your help
Linda

@lvs
In Split, Diocletian's Palace is a must see, Marjan forest, beaches.

In Dubrovnik, among other things, you can take the cable car to the mountain for a very nice overview of the city.
There's also a place under the old wall many tourists mistake for a botanic garden, it's actually a private property who's owner lets people take a look inside for free

As for renting a car in Koper, makes sense indeed, Slovenia has great roads and it's always nice to be able to stop/take a break when ever you feel like it.

Hi, going to Croatia in July...what is the tipping protocol? For meals, taxi, hotel?

Hey Plavi, Can you recommend a good place to get a hire car in Zagreb and Dubrovnik?

@Sunseeqr
Tips are always welcome, but not required.
We usually just round up, if you really liked someone's service then tip more.

We don't have any unspoken __% rules, and you'll only find a place to write down your tip amount in restaurant bills.

@rebelrebel
Read the first post please

Me again, Plavi. We are considering staying at the Art Hotel (a Best Western property, the address says it's in Ulica Slobode which is probably Slobode Street translated) The hotel reviews say it's about a 15-20 minute walk to the downtown area. Does the airport shuttle run anywhere close to this street/area or does it just stop and pick up passengers from the main bus station? If we are to take a taxi to the bus station, do you have any idea how far this hotel is to the station and about how much taxi is going to cost more or less? i wonder if we are going to take the taxi to the bus station, it might be better for us to take the taxi all the way to the airport.

I also read that the Marjan Hotel was acquired by Hilton Hotel in 2009 but I am not seeing it in Hilton's website. Do you know if Marjan Hilton in Split has opened yet or maybe opening very, very soon in time for our visit in the first week of July? is the marjan hotel closer to the downtown area and convenient for airport transfer?

thanks again!

I can still remember (although it is a hazy recollection) my first (and last) shot of Slivovitz (at Plitvice in 2008). Do you have a favorite that I can try on a future trip?

Yes, a great post title!

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/Tom_%26_Tracy_Home/Central_Europe_%26_Venice_2008/Central_Europe_%26_Venice_2008.html

Plavi: I love the thread title!

Do you have a favorite "off-the-tourist-trail" place in or near Istria? We'll be spending 5 days/nights in Rovinj, and we love to drive around and explore (and hike!).

@flyme2themoon
About a 20 minute walk looks about right (from the hotel), and yes, she shuttle is in that area.
The main airport bus stop is at the port, if you look at the map it's at the north of the "Obala Kneza Domagoja" street.
It does make a few stops inside the city on it's way, but I'm not sure where.

Split has a small taxi service competition so prices are a bit high, taking one all the way to the airport would cost a lot.

AFAIK, hotel Marjan is still under construction and still being sold.
Whole story is a political mess, here's a fresh a article if you're really interested: http://goo.gl/vpbWz (person on the photo there is the polar opposite of everything Croatian people are about, hehe)


@maitaitom
Wonderful photos!
Favourite what, place? Spirit? I don't drink so I'll go with place
This will probably sound odd because I didn't actually visit the place yet:
http://tzg-krapina.hr/muzej_pracovjeka
http://www.culturenet.hr/default.aspx?id=23639&pregled=1&datum=9.1.2009%2015:00:13
The redecorated museum in Krapina, "The World's Largest Neanderthal Finding Site", I've been planning to visit since before it was redecorated.


@mr_go
Don't make believe the thread title has more value than thread contents!
I don't know of any particular ones, but I do know that geocaching is a great little tool to find out about... unusual but reachable places to go where other tourists have already been, even if you're not into the "sport".
http://www.geocaching.com/map/default.aspx?ll=45.08192,13.6419

Hi Plavi and thanks for all the info. In your opinion should I stay two nights in Brac and day trip to Hvar or should I stay in in both Brac and Hvar for two nights each? I have the time to do so. WHat do you think?

@randydarr
I don't like packing, I would probably stay put in either Brac or Hvar and day trip.

Thanks! That's exactly what my fiancé said.

OK Plavi- another question. We're looking at Dubrovnik apartments. What part of the city/region would you suggest so that we have easy access to the sea for swimming, easy access to Historic Center, but relatively quiet enough to sleep? ANy ideas? Thanks!!!

Hi Plavi,
We'll be traveling to Croatia for the first time in June and can't wait to get there! I've been having trouble figuring out some of our transportation connections. We'll be spending one night in Mostar and then need to be in Korcula the next night. We've looked into the train to Ploce, the bus to Split, and the bus to Dubrovnik as possible routes. Which do you think is the best for connecting to a fast catamaran to Korcula town? And do you know how the bus or train schedule matches up with the catamaran schedule?

@randydarr
I don't know Dubrovnik that well.
You'll be able to sleep anywhere because clubs in urban areas have strict operating hours imposed (something people are complaining about, and a restriction they want lifted, mind you).

@SueSpons
This link might help, you have multiple options for getting on the island:
http://www.korcula.net/grad/pitanja/index.html
(look under "LOCAL FERRY and CATAMARAN LINES")

I would appreciate your local knowledge to help us plan 7 days in Coroatia....I know it is not long enough. We arrive on the overnight ferry from Bari Italy into Dubrovnik at 6.30am end of October - date is a little flexible. We are a middle age couple and have a lease car which we plan to drive through to Venice. Like to see as much as possible in the time frame, scenery, culture, good wine and food.
Whats your favourite places? How would you plan a week in Coroatia for friends from New Zealand?
Really look forward to your reply.

Plavi

I am flying into Zagerb and going to Ljubljana first then meeting friends back in Zagerb. What is the easiest way to get from Zagerb to Ljubljana--car,plane,bus? I did not want to rent the car in Zagerb, because parking is an issue in Ljubljana.
Thanks
Gail

We are considering an escorted tour of Croatia with one fee day in Opajita. Would like to rent car to spend a full day in Plitvice Lakes. Can you tell us about the cost of car rental and how the roads are to the Lakes? How much time should we plan on spending there? Most tours only allow about 3 hours. Doesn't seem like enough time.

Thank you

We are considering our first trip to Croatia in Sept. or early Oct. of this year. Would probably only have time for Dubrovnik, Split and Trogir. How is the weather there at this time? Thanks for helping all of us.

Hi Plavi,

Thanks for your offer of help! Just like @mr_go, we're planning on spending five days in Istria, with Rovinj as our base. We'll have a rental car, and already plan to visit Porec, Pula, and maybe Motovun. What else? One of the islands maybe? Husband loves history. Wife loves wine and food.

@mr_go, would you share your itinerary once you've decided on it?

Many thanks!

My husband and I are at the end of a month long trip in Croatia, with 4 nights left in Istria. We'd like to locate ourselves in one place and do day trips (we have a car). We've done cities, nature, islands, Dalmatian coast. Any ideas for the perfect location to stay in a Penzion or B & B or small hotel?? Also not opposed to apartments.

trulyscrumptious: @mr_go, would you share your itinerary once you've decided on it?

We're flying into Zagreb and driving straight to Ljubljana, where we're staying for 2 nights.

The second day will probably be a daytrip around Bled & the lake & that area.

After that, we're driving down to Istria and staying 5 nights in an apartment in the 'old town' area of Rovinj. Our Lonely Planet book features about twice as many notable spots in Istria as we have time for, so it'll be a busy 5 days.

The next two nights will be spent at a little B&B bungalow near Plitvice National Park, which we plan to explore extensively on foot.

Following that, we're heading back to Zagreb and staying in the heart of the city (Pansion Jagerhorn on the Ilica) for a couple of nights, then flying home again.

@mr_go - thanks for sharing - it sounds absolutely wonderful!

Plavi--

What a wonderful service you are providing!

My husband and I have a few days left at the end of a visit to friends in Sicily. We had the bright idea of spending them in Croatia; Dubrovnik, where my husband's grandparents were born in the 19th century, and Split, where I have long wanted to see Diocletian's Palace. I know we will miss a lot, but I was wondering if the "best" way to get from Dubrovnik to Split is by bus or ferry. I mean, in your opinion, which is the way that will be either most scenic, or will give us the opportunity to make the best use of our short time in Croatia?

Sadly, Plavi is no longer on Fodors. Clicking on his name brings up the "Page not Found" message.

He was so helpful to everyone and a great Ambassador for Croatia.
I hope he is ok and that we see him here again soon.

My wife and I are taking a ferry from Dubrovnik to Split where we arrive 18:40. How can we find a car service to drive us to Zagreb?
Thank you

Sorry to hear Plavi isn't on Fodor's anymore. Much gratitude to him for his efforts.

Maybe someone else will know the answer to my question. Does Croatia have a Yelp equivalent? Where people crowdsource restaurant and other recommendations?

Hello guys,
I apologize for my absence, work has been hectic and on top of that I managed to mess up my forum account (but Fodors promptly took care of it!)

Long story short, I'm back.

@trulyscrumptious
Kind of: http://www.pauza.hr/?lang=en
First time I visited the site, never searched for anything similar before so I can't say I verified any of those ratings personally, but the site definitely looks legit.

Hello Plavi!
Welcome back Great to see you again. You've been so helpful to everyone and so charming, we missed you.
Cheers from sunny Sydney (Australia)

glad you're back plavi. hope all's well.

Woo hoo! Plavi's back!

Thanks guys
Everything is great!

We're currently in a middle of a heat wave, temperatures up to 40C on the sun and trend will continue at least until the end of the week.

Great news if you're on the shore or one of the islands, bad news if you're stuck in an office under AC.

We have a holiday on Friday and Monday, and school's over for kids meaning a lot of Croatians will be taking their vacation and roads will probably be crowded today. Imagine being stuck in a car on a highway on 40C? Sad but I expect to see a lot of accidents reported, mostly people who find it difficult to take a bottle of water with them.

Here's a site you should keep an eye on:
http://www.meteoalarm.eu/index2.php?country=HR&day=0

Extreme weather (like today's) is promptly reported/updated there.

thanks for the weather update. we are leaving in about 10 days.

we will be leaving croatia from SPU on a very early morning easyjet flight. in the event that we have some purchases that qualify for VAT refund, is there a tax refund counter at SPU that can process the paperwork? and if there is, do they typically open early if there are very early, as in 6 or 7 am early, flights departing for another country? thanks.

@flyme2themoon

Honestly the only thing I saw in Split airport over the years was the exit and the bus terminal, I've never flown from it, only to it.

But according to their website they do have a bank that opens at 6 am:
http://www.split-airport.hr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161&Itemid=113&lang=en
They might be able to handle it, or at least point you in the right direction.

I know there's a dedicated terminal that stamps the bills for you in the Zagreb airport, not quite sure if you can get the cash here or do you pick it up when you land home, post office handles payouts for us.

I hope you're having a great holiday, weather is smiling at you for the next 10 days as well
http://prognoza.hr/sedam.php?id=sedam&param=Hrvatska&code=14472

thanks for the link. great interactive airport map of SPU, btw. it looks like there is a duty free refund counter located between the domestic and international terminals.

SPU looks like a small airport, which is great. i like small airports!!!

a} driving from vienna to dubrovnik. how is the trip, can i do in one drive or do i need to have overnite on way.
b) spending a week in Croatia. Dubrovnic is on plan, what would you recommend as second site
c} middle of October, do i need hotel reservations or can i be flexible

Hi Plavi,

me and a friend are coming to split the first week of August. the best place we can find for our buget is in Stobrec, is this a good place to visit for 2 men in their 20's? also is there a good transport link's to Split and how are the beaches in Stobrec?

Cheers,

I'll be in Piran this August with my my son's family - parents & 3 teens(8,11,14.)

On Sunday morning, Aug 19 we intend to go for one day to Istria (by car).
Please suggest places to visit (including boat trips, island hop, attractions, events), taking in account that we'll have teenagers on board!

We will be attending a friends wedding on September 1, 2012 in Perast Montenegro. While we will be travelling from GA, we are flying to Zagreb, then Split and are looking for suggestions on modes of transportation to visit as follows:

Aug 28 Arrive Zagreb (thinking of 9 hour layover or spend the night)
Fly to Split, staying in Dombrovnik at the Hilton.
Aug 30 take a day trip to Medjugorie, Bosnia
September 1 is the wedding which will take place in Perast
Returning to Zagreb from Split on September 2, then GA the next morning.

Is there public transportation or should we rent a car and if so, is driving pretty easy there? The roads and traffic, I mean. Should we just keep the base as the Hilton in Dombrovnik or try to get a hotel around Perast?

Thank you for any suggestions!!