Jenyan

Hi all, we will be flying into Dubrovnik and staying in Croatia for 12 days. We were hoping to find an itinerary that would be suitable for two 30+year old girls. We will be flying into and out of Dubrovnik. We would like to island hop but would like to spend some time on each island. Any suggestions?

Andrew

What are you interested in? When will you be there? Croatia (Dalmatian Coast, anyway) is very different in August (very busy) than it is in October (winding down for the season). There are more ferry options in the summer between islands, too.

You could visit Korcula from Dubrovnik (by bus if there are no good ferry options - Croatia has an excellent bus system) and catamaran to Hvar from there if you want a few days on each island. You could also travel into Bosnia and Herzegovina up to Mostar for example (fairly easy to do as a day trip from Dubrovnik by bus, but if you have time consider spending a night) or down into Montenegro.

Jenyan

Thank you for your quick response. We are going mid August, and would like to travel the Dalmatian Coast. We aren't sure of the best way to get from island to island and we still haven't booked anywhere to stay. I think we are going to pass on the Bosnia, Herzegovina, Mostar section. If we have time Montenegro sounds interesting. We do need help island picking. I keep reading mixed reviews on Split and thought that may be as far north as we wanted to go. Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
J

Andrew

I guess Mostar isn't for everyone, but I'm so glad I added it to my itinerary. The Old Town was a bit more touristy than I expected, but I found exotic-seeming Mostar a great contrast to Croatia's vacation destinations. I wish now I'd gone on to Sarajevo, too. Next time.

Split is much more of a "real city" than Dubrovnik, which I'm told largely closes down in the winter months once the temperature cools and the tourists stop coming. (The owner of the Soba where I stayed in Dubrovnik told me he goes to Miami every winter and closes down.) Split didn't exactly charm me - if doing it again, I'd take it or leave it. It does have its champions. If you want more of the "vacation experience" you might consider nearby Trogir instead of Split.

There are plenty of older posts here about Croatia - do some browsing, lots of great info here from past posters!

Do book your accommodations soon, since August is high season and only a few weeks away!

Mira_Malatestinic

there are some things to consider -- time of year ( may to oct ) much more is available
check out this sight if you're into activity and island hopping http://www.islandhopping.com/

I was there for 6 weeks this year (but up north only as far down as Zadar; which you would probably like to get to) as there are some wonderful things there; architecture, the solar installation on the pier (greetings to the sun) and sea organ another installation on the pier.
Novalje is on the island of Pag very close to Zadar if you're interested. There are some "party" destinations very close to Novalje.

It's very hard to recommend what to do in only 12 days as there are hundreds of islands in Croatia. If you stick to the south this time make time for the north next time: Krk, Cres, Losinj, Rab are all great islands and Istra is amazing to explore as well.

Have fun!!

Mira_Malatestinic

p.s. I noticed your comment about Split -- Dubrovnik to Split is close and not at all unreasonable to include going as far up as Zadar or even further north.
Everything is close there -- I've been going every year for the last 10 years and think nothing of the 3-4 hour drive from our island Krk to Zadar (where we have relatives).

Giuseppa

Jenyan, my husband and I are in the planning stages for a trip to Croatia. We are thinking of first flying from Miami to Paris and Paris to Dubrovnik...What city are you departing from to fly into Dubrovnik...It seems like a destination very difficult to get to. If I may ask, which airline are you flying on? I believe Air France does fly to Zagreb, but we are not sure if we want to fly into Zagreb..

Thank you.

Andrew

Giuseppa, in 2009, I also found flying into and out of Croatia from the States in a single day a bit challenging without many stops or bad connections. I wound up flying into Milan and working my way over to Ljubljana and Zagreb by bus and train and then driving down to Dubrovnik, then flying back to Paris from Split and then (after a few days there) from Paris home. But I had the time for the extra days in Italy and Paris at the beginning and end. It did work out fine for me.

Croatia Air does have some direct flights between Paris and Split and between Paris and Dubrovnik but only a few times a week. If you can plan a night in Paris ahead of time that might work. My original flight from Split to Paris on Croatia Air was supposed to be direct in the afternoon, but for some unknown reason it was canceled a week prior and I was re-booked on a connecting flight via Zagreb - leaving Split at 6:00!!! (So get up at about 3am in Split to catch the bus to get to the airport.) So don't count on those direct flights a few times a week if planning your itinerary.

easyJet also flies into Dubrovnik seasonally from several European cities.

Jenyan

Guiseppa, We are flying out of New York and into Germany. We got our flight through a travel agent. You are right saying that it was a very difficult place to get to.

Andrew

Croatia air flights from Paris (and other cities) direct to Split and Dubrovnik are not dirt cheap. You could consider the Europe by Air option ($99 + tax/fees per ticket per segment) because they work with Croatia Air. For example, the advertised one-way fare from Paris to Dubrovnik on 9/11/2011 is $366 with tax, but with Europe by Air it would be $99 + $20 Fed Ex fee plus probably about $60 tax - so a savings of about $180 per ticket each way.

I used Europe By Air in 2009 to fly from Split to Paris using one of their $99 flight passes. They FedEX you the pass before you leave on your trip and make the reservation at the time you pay for it. Then you have to pay the taxes (in cash, local currency) at the airport right before you depart from the origin airport (Split in my case). I had a hassle because my flight was canceled and rebooked as two segments, but I worked it out.

You do have to check your flight status on your own - they won't even contact you to tell you a flight was canceled/changed. It may seem a hassle to some, but it can save you a ton of money.

Giuseppa

Thank you everyone for all your advice regarding flying into Croatia. I was also wondering about a "home based" destination in Croatia. Is it better to fly into Split, Dubrovnik, or Zagreb? From viewing a map of Croatia, it appears that Split may be in the middle of the country and this may be advantageous. We will be renting a car. We plan to travel in September, 2011 and we will have about 2 weeks in Croatia. I'm beginning to wonder if the American tourist has yet "discovered" Croatia since it is a country very difficult to get to unless you are on a cruise or you fly in from another European country.

Elizabeth_S

We flew Dubrovnik to Frankfurt/Frankfurt to Toronto in one day via Croatia Air/Lufthansa - connections were simple and fast.

SeeDee

Aer Lingus flies daily Dublin - Dubrovnik.
The Dublin hub has a number of transatlantic connections with JFK, Boston and other US cities.

yorkshire

Giuseppa, you'll encounter Americans all over Croatia.
I like Zagreb myself, but if you are interested in the coast then there is no reason to fly there unless you want to stop at Plitvice Park on your way to the coast, which is convenient if you are flying out of Dubrovnik (or into Dbv and out of Zagreb). By "home based" do you mean staying in one place and doing day trips? Explore the distances--Split is 4 hours from Dubrovnik.

Jenyan, I recommend the typical first trip of Split/Trogir-Hvar-Korcula-Dubrovnik. About 3 days per place is good. You can find the ferry schedules at http://www.jadrolinija.hr/default.aspx?lang=2 and you can take a bus back to Dbv for your return flight. Or, depending on what time you arrive, you might want to leave right away and return to spend your last few nights in Dbv.
Do you mean this August?--if so you better start looking for accommodation in Dubrovnik yesterday.

LittleVicky

I consider Venice to be a good entry point for Croatia.

Jenyan

Yorkshire, thank you for your first trip suggestion as well as the ferry schedule. We are still looking for somewhere to stay in Dubrovnik. And yes we are going this August

easytraveler

Split is much easier to get into and out of. It has train connections (which Dubrovnik does not) and there are several budget airlines that fly into Split as well as into Dubrovnik.

I'd base in Split and bus to Dubrovnik, then take the ferry out to the islands, return and fly/train out of Split.