Castellanese

Hi everybody,

If you had to pick one of these areas for a Summer trip, which one would you choose? I've just bought a Croatia guidebook with the intention of preparing a trip to Istria, but Dalmatia seems gorgeous as well.

I count on two weeks and my main interests are strolling through historic cities/towns, hiking easy trails, and spending time at the beach. I won't count on a car (I don't drive) and will rely only on public transportation.

Thanks for your always valuable opinion,

Castellanese

Sher

Well. Tough choice. I had the same one in January when I planned my trip. I think you will get many votes for Dalmatia, but I picked Istria.
We only have a week and didn't want to spread ourselves too thin. You have two and probably could do both. But I know for the North there is plenty to see.
If I had two weeks with Istria, I would group it with Slovenia.
Saving Dalamatia for the next trip and there is plenty for two weeks there too.
Also. I am bringing this to the top.

bobthenavigator

In 2 weeks you can do both.

SeeDee

I have been exploring the possibility of combining Istria with Dubrovnik, over a two week trip. Any advice on making the internal connection between north and south. There doesn't appear to be any direct flights between Dubrovnik and Pula; travelling by ferry would presumably take ages. Train?

Judy

I would rent a car and stop at Plitvice Lakes for two nights, leaving one full day to enjoy the park, cutting one day off of each Istria and Dubrovnik.

Mimar

Judy, the OP doesn't drive.

To the OP, I would pick the Dalmatian coast. Istria lends itself more to driving. And Dalmatia has more historic cities.

There is no train to Dubrovnik. There is a bus between Split and Dubrovnik, but I would check the Jadrolinija boat schedule and island hop between Split and Dubrovnik.

We flew into Dubrovnik, spent time there. There are several daytrip options like Mostar and the Bay of Kotor. Then we took the Jadrolinija boat to Korcula, a small historic town supposedly the birthplace of Marco Polo; we loved it there. After a few days we took the catamaran to Split stopping in Hvar en route. Do you know Split, site of a Roman palace built for the retirement of the Emperor Diocletian? The town moved into the palace and it now flows in and out of the palace ruins.

Split makes a good transportation hub. There are buses to Trogir and Plitvice, trains to the historic towns of Sibenik and Zadar as well as inland to Zagreb. And boats to the islands.

I envy you those 2 weeks you have to look forward to.

Castellanese

Hi everybody,

Thanks for your opinion.

Dalmatia seems beautiful, but it seems like a complicated trip. I cannot afford to travel directly to Dalmatia, so Istria seems like the place to go considering my budget. Traveling from Istria to Dalmatia seems a bit of a drag.

I'm currently working on a Istria itinerary. I am also working on a Galicia itinerary. I'll decide between the two of them depending on my budget.

Thanks again for your valuable input,

Castellanese.

yorkshire

I may be wasting my breath, as you have either decided or are considering Spain as well, but it is quite simple to get from Istria to southern Dalmatia. You could take a ferry (long, yes, but partially overnight and gorgeous in the day part). Or, you make your way there slowly. If you move from north to south, you could fly from Dubrovnik or Split to Zagreb at the end for a departure flight if no other flights are available. Or, you'll be close to northern Istria from Rovinj anyway, so you can have a bit of both worlds.

To answer the original question, I rarely rent a car on my own travels, and I have not yet been to Istria but have traveled throughout Dalmatia. While with two weeks it could be done, the public transportation system is not as extensive in Istria as it is in Dalmatia (where you rarely need a car). The appeal of Istria is small hill towns, so you might need a car to best enjoy that region. But you could still of course take your time and focus on finding bus connections. The main coastal towns of Istria are quite well connected by bus, just the interior is less so. Just something to consider.
You could also explore northern Dalmatia after Istria--see the ferry connections at www.jadrolinija.hr.
Enjoy!

Ramblero

We just returned from 31 days in Italy, the Balkans and Greece. 11 days were spent in N. Croatia (Istria - 3 days) and S. Croatia (Dalmatia - 8 days).

First....do you mean you don't want to drive...or you actually don't drive? Not driving will make the trip more complex and way more time-consuming.

We flew into Split, got a car and drove to Plitvice Lakes (1 night). The Lakes are mildly interesting. We did a major walk thru, and, frankly, after you've seen the first 50 waterfalls and pools, there isn't anything else but the same. I'd recommend a 2 hr walk at most.

We then drove thru Opatija (lunch; would have been happy to stay overnight) and on to Ravinj (2 nights). Ravinj was WONDERFUL!!!! A must see! Then on thru Porec (also worth a night) on our way to Lake Bled, Slovenia. Regretfully someone (and I won't name names) was opposed to going to Motovun (a medieval hill town in N. Central Istria) because it required a long, arduous hike up a 800' hill.

After 3 days in Lake Bled & Ljubljana (the best surprise of the trip) we dropped our car in Zagreb (a dark, ugly, depressing Soviet flash-back of countless 50's concrete block 10 story apartment buildings) and flew to Dubrovnik, got our car at the airport, and spent for 4 days, including 2 day trips to Mostor, Boznia-Herzegovina and Kotor, Montenegro.

Dropped off our car and took the ferry from Dubrovnik to Hvar for 2 nights (loved Hvar!!). Interesting aside. When you ask whether the ferry goes to "Hvar" , they will say "yes". Be aware that when THEY say "Hvar", they mean the island, NOT the town. (the ferry lands at Stari Grad, a 25 kuna taxi ride to Hvar (the town)).

Then took the ferry to Split (2 nights). Would have loved to stay 2 or 3 more nights. Split is the largest town/city we were in in Croatia, Zagreb excepted, and tehre's a lot to explore.

Having said all this, 2 weeks is sufficient to cover Croatia...well...Istria and Dalmatia.....IF you drove. Having to rely on buses/ferries would seem to me to be problematic....and, I suspect, would reduce your 2 weeks by 20% just for transportation.

Bottom line....Croatia (and Slovenia) are wonderful!!! We're so glad we went. It wouldn't take much arm-twisting to get me back. There's still places to see/go.

Ackislander

For me, it depends a lot on where you have been before and how much you like novelty.

Istria is an awful lot like Italy, but cheaper and less developed.

Dalmatia is dry, rocky, and rugged, like Southern California or Southern Spain without the development (if you can imagine such a thing). It won't be long before it is overdeveloped, however.

Does that help you decide?

Mimar

Ackislander, the OP has already made his decision. But to others who might read this thread, I think your description of Dalmatia as "dry, rocky, and rugged" is a bit inaccurate and misleading. Sounds like a desert badlands. The Dalmatian coast borders the Adriatic sea with beautiful sandy beaches and a number of (green) islands. Places like the Peljesac peninsula or Krka National Park are quite green and fertile.

And the less developed aspect of Croatia is what appeals so much to me. Lovely little towns in quiet settings on the water, uninhabited islands. Enjoy it while you can.

Ackislander

Actually, I thought the OP was trying to choose between Galicia and Istria. My point was that Dalmatia is wonderful now but is very likely to become overdeveloped soon, so one should see it before that happens.

As to topography, to describe something as "dry, rocky, and rugged" is not to be critical. Monument Valley is dry, rocky, and rugged, but thousands travel to see it because it is beautiful. The islands, inland Croatia, and even Kotor in Montenegro are very different. These differences are what make the Dalmatian coast so interesting to visit.