Slovenia & Croatia Trip Report

Old Jun 1st, 2017, 12:50 PM
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Slovenia & Croatia Trip Report

Trip Report: Ljubljana, Zagreb, Istria, Plitvice Lakes, Zadar, Split Dubrovnik

We’re just back from three weeks in Slovenia and Croatia and first want to thank Andrew, Kit, kja and our other Fodor friends for once again giving us excellent advice. Fodor’s Forum has been absolutely essential for our planning.

I like to focus on practical and logistical issues in my trip reports but will be happy to answer any questions on items I haven’t mentioned or passed over quickly.

LJUBLJANA: We loved Ljubljana. It’s one of the most congenial, compact, and delightful cities we’ve visited in our many years of travel. We arrived mid-day from the states and found our pre-booked GoOpti van right outside the Arrivals for a very convenient and economical trip into the city. We were very pleased with our stay at the Hotel Slon: excellent location, modern rooms; excellent breakfast; and very helpful and friendly staff.
We tend to cover a lot in each city—often enjoying sites beyond the most touted so two and a half (arrival) days were enough for a leisurely visit. We took a pass on the walk up to the castle (nothing there) and overheard folks at breakfast saying it was okay: nice view but that’s it. We pushed a bit beyond the end of Stari Trg and up toward the base and on the second day went into the area behind the university – hardly a big adventure but a little off the center with some engaging sites. We had the National Gallery virtually to ourselves. Upstairs to view a number of okay Slovenian artists of the 19th century. A huge golden altar was the star of the ornate and lovely grand room (these were characteristic of a certain time.) The paintings became more interesting when we saw the landscapes and genre paintings of the 19th and early 20th century. The many carved statutes (including one from the studio of Rieminschneider) were the most arresting collections of the original wing. Lovely; expressive; in great condition. In the new wing, the Slovenian Impressionists were a hit. Several were derivative of Western (French) impressionism, but Ivan Grohar, Jama, Birolla and others developed their own style. They were excellent and distinct.
The Modern Museum across the street was completely given over to an enormous retrospective called “20th Century Continuities and Ruptures.” One followed a “plan” from room to room; each with a theme: The Entry of Modernism; Expressionism; the Generation of the Independents; the Avant-Garde; the Art of Partisan Resistance; the Retro-Avant-Garde etc. The lower portion of each gallery was literally “papered” with newspapers from the 1980s and 1990s. Much of the art was political: anti-fascism; Titoism; anti-Sovietism etc. The individual paintings, sculptures and installations were in themselves typical of 20th century modernism, and the overt references to the politics of the day began to fade as the 20th century closed. Overall, an arresting and different show.
For something a little different there’s an area just off center with four or five blocks of terrific Art Nouveau buildings – mostly apartments -- each one different; and each one with wonderful motifs.(Head for Miklosicev Park and Tarcarjeva and Dalmatino Uls.) There was a strong Oriental motif with several featuring an “onion dome” on the corner; one with calligraphy-like decorations; others with flowers; beautiful doors; decorative features around windows; swags; etc. etc. We were delighted as we toured the blocks.
I do reviews on TA, and here are some abbreviated comments.
Hotel Slon – top rate (see above)
As Apertivo – casual, loud, good food and okay for a just arrived and need something to eat dinner.
Julija – terrific dinner in Old Town
Luda – gets great reviews, but we found it vastly over-rated.
Lockal – had a great lunch; would try it for dinner if we had another night.

We took the BUS TO ZAGREG. I went back and forth with my aforementioned friends, and ended up booking the bus on-line. I don’t know what it’s like after early to mid-May, but there were only about a dozen people on the 9:00 AM bus to Zagreb – which we took instead of the 10:30 because this one originated in Ljubljana and the 10:30 started in Istria and made many stops before Ljubljana. Comfortable and enjoyable bus. The only possible hitch (and I don’t know how this works with the train) is that you have to stop at border control (side by side Slovenia and Croatia booths). A tour bus was about half-way through its check before we got out and in line, so it wasn’t a problem. The driver said he got stuck at the border for two and a half hours the day before – which can happen if you get behind more than a couple of tour buses. I don’t know how this can be avoided. (And while this ought to be self-evident – keep your passport with you; not like the young fellows at the border crossing into Bosnia who had to get them out from the hold under the bus.) And take a handful of Euro coins because while you’re waiting, there’s a (turnstile) pay toilet fifty yards away from border control.

ZAGREB. We love cities and realize that the outskirts are often less than appealing. So coming into the a bit gritty Zagreb bus station is a bit jarring after lovely Ljubljana. But we got some Kuna out of the ATM on the second floor where there is a TI for a good map and good info – along with some fast food restaurants. From there we took a taxi to the Hotel Jagerhorn. The cabbie dropped us in front of the hotel in the pedestrian zone (which the hotel staff said was illegal – so if your hotel is in that area, you might have to pull your luggage a couple of blocks – which we did on the way out.)
We liked Zagreb a lot. It’s very different from Ljubljana, but that’s why we visited it. It’s more belle époque grand and large compared to Ljubljana’s compact and quaint. But there are many squares with countless cafes and restaurants that get you away from the bustle of the main street. And Zagreb has a lot of art. The Stossmayer Gallery has some nice Renaissance paintings, but the Modern Art Museum right across the street has a large collection of Croatian artists largely from the 1920s and 1930s (excellent and work we’ve never seen). The Miramar was the other museum that had a very good collection (a lot of gothic and Romanesque works). If you had to choose two, we suggest the Modern and the Miramar.
We ducked into the Botanic Garden, but it’s mostly a nice urban park, not a destination.
The Upper Town is nice, but the contemporary stained glass windows in the Franciscan Church are extraordinary: just a couple of hundred yards beyond the cathedral and a “not to miss.”
Two and a half days in Zagreb was just about right for us.
Short-hand reviews:
The Hotel Jagerhorn. Good, not great. Quiet. Excellent location.
Lanterna na Doluc on a quiet street in the Upper Town:. Passed on the outside tables and went a few steps down to the “cave” a pleasant brick-lined barrel vaulted room An interesting take on traditional dishes. A very pleasant evening.
Vinodol: Nice room, contemporary and very good food. Waiter pushed “service not included” – which since I haven’t mentioned it before gets trotted out in a couple of places – and will certainly get a “no,” if you ask. Service is included in the bill. A couple of menus had “Tips not included.” So, like France or most other European countries, you can round up or leave a little extra as a tip for good service, but don’t feel intimidated or cheap if you simply pay the bill.
Stari Fijaker 900: Good solid traditional Croatian and relatively inexpensive.

ZAGREG TO ROVINJ
We arranged a taxi to the airport to pick up our rental car from Budget (More on this later but the story has a “good” ending.) Got a new Renault Clio. Very helpful and pleasant folks. The roadway area around the new airport has been completely changed so don’t believe the Google map. It’s a series of new roundabouts before you get to the A-1. Thanks to Andrew et al., I used Google Maps off-line even though I got a very good data package from T-Mobile in Zagreb. Got us around Rijeka okay and to our hotel – Villa Dobravac – where I backed into a low stone “structure” and put a “medium dent” (more on this later) in the back of the car. Rats. First accident in scores of driving trips. But everything was still working. Took photos and went on to enjoy our stay in Rovinj.

ROVINJ. It’s a lovely sea-side town with cafes and restaurants lining the harbor. The climb up the most slippery cobblestones in Europe to St. Euphemia gets you a nice view of the town and Adriatic although the church is nice but not remarkable. Streets lined with the same shops we’d see in every town. Otherwise, there’s not much else in Rovinj but from Villa Dobravac on the edge, convenient to other places in Istria.

POREC: A wonderful day in this extraordinary town, but first a word about Google Maps GPS. Google Maps took us the long and twisty way to Porec, around the fjord. We probably should have paid more attention to previewing the route, but as we did on the way back, the toll road is much quicker and safer. Porec was one of the high points of the entire trip. We knew about the mosaics in the Euphrasian Basilica, but even though my wife pores over guides for months before each trip, we weren’t prepared for the extent and amazing complex in which the cathedral is located. It is an absolute don’t miss! You don’t see magnificent 4th and 5th century mosaics like these outside of Ravenna or Cefalu. We spent so much time in the Bishop’s complex and then the rest of this beautiful town ,we didn’t have time for Motovun. Back to Rovinj.

PULA. Another great day out. This time my wife spent a lot of time looking at her trusty Michelin map (which she’ll never give up) and decided that the Google Map GPS that didn’t go via the toll road was actually the best route. Sorry to belabor what most of you probably know, but make sure to specify your destination exactly – the location of the parking closest to the arena – not just Pula. It’s a big city and there are many turns before you get to the arena. And one more driving tip. The traffic lights are not easy to see: smaller than most and hung out from stanchions from the side of the road. I almost missed a couple. The arena is great, and the rest of the center of town is very nice: Temple of Augustus and the Cathedral.
We stopped at BALE on the way back to Rovinj. Quaint. Worth a short detour off the road back to Rovinj.

Abbreviated reviews:
Villa Dobrovac: A terrific hotel—3 minutes to parking at the edge of the old town, very convenient for day trips out of town.
Balbi a terrific dinner; one of the best of the trip.
Giannino Very good.
Scuba Very good.

And now for the awful GPS guided ride to Plitvice Lakes. We did look at the map, and the GPS route we previewed appeared to be the most direct. But shortly after we left, the Miric Inn outside Plitvice Lakes had emailed us to warn us to NOT take Route 42 over the mountains. I’ve driven in many challenging places in Greece, Turkey, Sicily etc. but there wasn’t a worse and more dangerous road in all those trips. It should never be on Google GPS. But we got there.

PLITVICE LAKES: It is definitely worth the trip, but we found that one full day was enough to see almost all the waterfalls near Entrances 1 and 2 – but no other hikes in the park. We (my wife) read the guides etc. and was still a little confused about the plan. Once in the area we got four different suggested routes from the waitress at a restaurant; the waitress at breakfast; the woman at the desk, and I think all might work depending. Here’s what we did and were very happy. We went to Entrance 1 (plenty of parking) got our one day ticket and walked a hundred yards or so to the viewing area overlooking the big falls below. From here many go way DOWN to view the falls and I believe then take the boat to the area around Entrance 2. We got back in the car and drove the couple of miles back to Entrance 2 – where there is much less parking, and headed for the falls in this area.
We think of ourselves as being fit, but there is A LOT OF WALKING UP AND DOWN BEFORE YOU GET TO THE FALLS. Please excuse the caps, but this is not a place for you if you have any mobility challenges, heart or breathing problems. You walk up and over the road, several hundred yards down to the road to where you get the “bus” that takes you way up to the top. (I believe you can do a shorter route by taking the short ferry ride across and doing a shorter route around the lower falls in this area – but it’s still a bit challenging.)
Once at the top, the first couple of hundred yards are over narrow half-round log walkways that were slippery after the morning rain. (More of these in places later on.) Then on Route H (and check in at the info booth at the top to get straight what route to take) it’s down along narrow, often rocky, gravel paths – about 2 plus hours to reach the bottom. Once you start, there’s no going back. Once at the bottom, you take a ferry two minutes across the end of the lake and then you have to repeat the above – a long hike back up the road and steps before you get to the parking lot. The entire experience is spectacular, and I hope this account doesn’t scare you off, but be prepared to do a lot of strenuous walking. Of course, wear good shoes for this.

OFF TO ZADAR

ZADAR: The drive to Zadar was a treat compared to the nightmare the day before. Down Route 1. Small towns, but the very wide valleys with no apparent crops or pasture surprised us. Later we drove between very high and craggy mountains; and still little sign of agriculture in the valley.
We got onto the A1 for a relatively easy ride to the Zadar exit. Exurban Zadar is un-presupposing but Google got us right to the lovely Hotel Adriana. This half-board hotel was terrific – on a park-like setting and a not bad ride into central Zadar (where there is a big parking lot near the eastern gate. (Keep a supply of kn. Coins since most parking lots/ and street parking have gone to coin-operated tickets placed on dashboards.) And go to the bigger parking lots on the periphery since on-street parking inside the walls of Zadar, Porec, Trogir or any other of these towns is impossible.)
We enjoyed our stay in Zadar. We spend a lot of time at each site, and Zadar can be done easily in one day.
Abbreviated reviews:
Hotel Adriana: A wonderful oasis, and the half-board meals are great.
Riva: Lunch at this well-reviewed restaurant on the riva was very good. Pizza to all else.

Zadar to TROGIR TO SPLIT

We considered a stop in Sibinek but wanted to make sure we got to Trogir before the St. Lawrence cathedral closed at noon – as pointed out in several guides. (It’s open all day.). Still we had a not bad drive into Trogir going by the parking lots on the east of town, by the busy market and on to the parking lot near the exit to Split airport. Again, I had this specifically as my GPS destination, and the lot had more open spaces than the ones we passed – and it was very close to the entrance into the city. Trogir was an excellent stop. The portal of the cathedral is a smash. The rest of the town was very nice: a relaxing visit before going on to drop our (damaged) rental car at the airport.

SPLIT AIRPORT (and my rental car experience)

From Trogir, the Split airport is just a few kms. – but I can’t remember any airport with fewer signs. Not seeing any for rental car return, the roaming security guards told us to just park the car anywhere in parking, take your ticket and go inside the terminal to find the offices.
We’d managed to put my damage of the car out of our minds and deal with it at the airport. I anticipated a complicated situation. I found the Budget/Avis desk, told them about the damage, and they sent me out with a fellow to take photos. Back inside, a manager was at the desk, and I have rarely had as efficient, pleasant, and successful transaction as this one. I filled out an accident report (fortunately no injuries etc., just my fault in a parking lot); the manager up-loaded the photos to somewhere (Budget central in Zagreb?), and within minutes he got a determination that my “medium dent” would cost me 344 Euros – which I could accept and settle right there. It was a lot less than what I expected; signed the papers; paid the rental cost and damage costs and were DONE. I’ve had simple rentals take longer. So a big thanks to the Budget/Avis folks at the Split Airport. (I had the collision damage waiver from Budget, and my credit card company says they’ll pay the damage costs once they get the official paperwork is filed.) I hope my long story is useful. I’m not going to make a commercial for Budget/Avis, but I wonder if one of the several “local” renters could have handled this as well or better.

SPLIT AIRPORT TO SPLIT

Taxis to central Split run about 45 to 50 Euros. The modern, large and comfortable airport bus out and to the left of the terminal goes to Split Bus Station every 30 minutes for 60 kn for two. The taxi from the bus station to the Hotel Cornaro was about $5.

SPLIT

We’d budgeted two full days in Split in addition to the late afternoon walk-about on our arrival. We think the afternoon and one full day would have been enough. The Diocletian Palace complex was full but not impossibly over-run with visitors – in mid-May. Still it’s more compact than we’d imagined and can be comfortably seen in a couple of hours – including at least 45 minutes in the excellent exhibition of historical drawings and artifacts.
We had lunch, poked around the rest of the central city, walked the riva, and still had time.
On day two, we took a taxi to the Museum of the Croatian Archeological Monuments where we were literally the only visitors for almost two hours. It’s a terrific museum with great architectural pieces (arches and ciborium); very good descriptions of population movements; and other gold and grave goods. From this museum , it’s a 200 yard walk to the Mestrovic Gallery and the wonderful display of his sculptures in a lovely villa overlooking the sea. From there its’ another 200 yards to the chapel with splendid wood panel carvings and another spectacular overlook of the sea.
With these fairly long visits, it was still only a little past one. The buses run every hour, so we had the woman at the Mestrovic gift shop call us a taxi for a quick ride to the end of the riva. We checked out boat rides, and scheduled one for 2:30; grabbed a couple of very good sandwiches and had a relaxing 90 minute boat ride along the coast (about 50E for two). It was nice but not a must-do. The larger point is that we could have done the Diocletian Palace and one, maybe two, of the museums in one day – and that’s allowing for poking around the city when you arrive in the afternoon. By this time, we’d seen every variation of shop and restaurant on the Dalmatian coast.

SPLIT TO DUBROVNIK BUS

Here’s where my more experienced Fodor friends might add a clarification or correction. I thought I’d booked the “only” public transportation way from Split to Dubrovnik through GoByBus – Cazmatrans Dalmacija -- the same bus company that gave us a comfortable ride from Ljubljana to Zagreb. Not so here. The bus was 45 minutes late (after a long time of no info and then a series of “ten more minutes.” They charged 7kn per bag to stow underneath – hardly a big cost but another delay as everyone was groping for change. And the bus was two steps down from the one we took from Ljubljana (very cramped seats; sketchy AC; a rattling frame) – and a four and a half hour ride on the coast road with at least four or five stops. Yes, the scenery was lovely – but that got a bit old after an hour or so. Did I miss something? Are there “express” buses that take the A-1 from Split to Dubrovnik? I’d do it if there was because you get enough sea-side scenery everywhere else and don’t need a four and a half bus ride to get it. [I’m not including the hour and half wait for an accident to clear both lanes because I hope this was a rare event.] Well, we got there. Took a taxi to the Hotel Bellevue for a much needed drink on the terrace overlooking the sea.

DUBROVNIK

We arrived too late in the afternoon to do our planned late afternoon walk-about. The next morning we got to the Pile Gate around 9:00 and went in to collect our one day Dubrovnik Pass from the TI the website said was inside the gate. It wasn’t. I back-tracked to the “I” virtually hidden around the corner from the bus stop. (Croatia is a bit signage-challenged.). Okay. Got the passes and then the tickets for the walls. No tours or cruise ships around so we CLIMBED the steep steps and did the walls around to the first exit over the harbor. It was a very warm and bright day and the breeze took the edge off the sun. We hopscotched around singles, couples and a few foursomes and had no problems with back-ups. (Just met someone who said they ran into huge jams when a couple of cruise boats came in. I don’t know if there is any way to know when they typically arrive, and I guess we got lucky.)
I expect a storm of protest, but for us Dubrovnik is worth only one full day – and that’s with taking a lot of time in the Sponza Palace where restoration of pre-12th century archives were excellent. Otherwise, the Cathedral, St. Blaise, the Dominican Monastery, and Franciscan Monastery each have something to interesting to see – but in Italy or France or Spain, they might not (?) make one star in Michelin. It’s an overall experience.
We got a car and driver to pick us up at 5:00 AM for the 20 or so mile ride to the airport.
Abbreviated reviews.
Hotel Bellevue: Worth the money. Great terrace views; elevator to the beach; great staff.
Magellan Restaurant: Terrific. Great and imaginative dinner.
Rozario: near Dominican Monastery – very good.
El Toro: great casual with a variety of options.


Overall, we enjoyed the trip. I hope I don’t sound like I’m damning some places with faint praise, but there was no place where we left saying, “I wish I had another day or more.”
PaoloCast2 is offline  
Old Jun 1st, 2017, 01:10 PM
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Nice report. FYI, I was in Ljubljana for a few days in mid-May, too. (May 10-13.) But I headed in the opposite direction from there - to Italy and France. I took a bus to Trieste from Ljubljana. It was a Flixbus. It came from Zagreb and was about 50 minutes late in arriving. What was helpful, at least, was that the Flixbus app notified me of the delays twice - supposedly a message directly from the driver. Maybe that border crossing into Slovenia was what caused the delay. We were stopped at the Italian border by the border police, who took our passports off the bus and inspected them in their car for 20 minutes, causing further delays.

I'm glad you loved Ljubljana, too - this was my fourth visit to the city, and I enjoyed doing day trips for the few days I was there and coming back to Ljubljana at night.

I'm confused about why it was such a long drive from Rovinj to Plitvice. Isn't it mostly the fast toll roads, until you get closer to the park, then just the two lane D1 that goes to the park entrance? I haven't done that drive directly but have in pieces. I do rely on Google Maps for GPS and driving, but I also do consult maps ahead of time and do a sanity check on proposed routes.

I knew about the luggage fee for the Croatia buses and do mention it sometimes. I've not taken that bus from Split to Dubrovnik, but I know there are numerous buses between the two cities, and some have longer travel times than others; I assume the quicker buses take the A1 and have fewer stops.

I agree that Dubrovnik doesn't really need much time. It's a lovely city but small. It's a great place to come back to at night, when it is all lit up and less crowded, but actual time needed to explore it isn't much. (Did you get to the Buza Bar?)

Your rental car accident experience was better than mine, it seems. A few years ago in Croatia, I rented through Oryx (via EconomyCarRentals) and was supposedly covered by my Amex "Premium Rental Car Insurance," so I thought I was covered when I had a little one-car scrape. But Amex's "Assurance" insurance company made only a perfunctory effort to contact Oryx, and Oryx had no incentive to cooperate with them (having already been paid by me), so my claim was never covered. I rented a car in Slovenia just for day on this recent trip and simply paid a little extra for the full insurance coverage directly from the car company.
Andrew is offline  
Old Jun 1st, 2017, 02:54 PM
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Thanks so much for your trip report. We will be traveling for a month in this area this coming September. I am taking notes!
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Old Jun 1st, 2017, 10:54 PM
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Thanks for your trip report - really informative. What was the weather like in May?
dreamon is offline  
Old Jun 2nd, 2017, 10:58 PM
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Thanks for your trip report.
We will be in Ljubljana fro 4 nights in June and then on to Plitvice Lakes, then Split 3 nights, and then Dubrovnik for 4 nights. Hoping to maybe do a day trip to Kotor with a private driver.
aussie_10 is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2017, 05:52 PM
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Great trip report Paolo!

We enjoyed Ljubljana as well. Such a tidy, fun little city.

I think we enjoyed Split a bit more than you, but we had just come from Bosnia y Herzigovina, so if was a pleasant contrast.

Regarding the 'most slippery cobblestones', I would like to suggest another 'contestant'...the stones on the old Mostar bridge. Slide, bump into the edge of the next stone, slide, bump into the edge of the next stone...and continue.


I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip to the Balkans.
geenance is offline  
Old Jun 4th, 2017, 10:06 PM
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We're right behind you - were in Plitvice a week ago then Ljubljana for 2 nights.

Agree about Plitvice - I read a lot before we arrived in an attempt to plan out our day visit but still didn't feel I had a good sense of it. Our charming apartment landlord recommended parking at Entrance 1 and immediately taking the bus from Station 1 (about a 10 minute walk) to the top (Station 3) then walking down, taking the longer boat ride. We got to Entrance 1 about 8:30am and walked to Station 1 (flat) then rode the bus up (that took a while as the bus sat at Station 2 for quite a long time). At the top (Station 3) we asked the information person which path to take (we didn't want one of the longer hikes). She recommended H which we followed. It was virtually all downhill with some dicey bits as there was flooding. Part of H was closed due to flooding with a detour.

When we got to the boat dock there were a lot of people crushed into a small space and a lack of good signage regarding which boat to take.

Overall we found the signage poor in the park. The H detour signage was simply photo copy paper that was missing in some places and the general "you are here" signs were worn by people touching them to the point they could not be understood.

I'm going into detail not to complain (we had a great day!) but to help others. aussie_10 - the route we took above took about 4 hours in total ... not counting waiting for the bus but including a stop for cold beer after the boat ride! We didn't have to wait for the boat. We moved at a normal pace I would say. Suggest you get there even earlier (first bus is at 8am) as it was very crowded. Can't imagine what it must be like in July and August.

Re Ljubljana - we had two excellent meals. One at a restaurant called MOST right by the Butcher's Bridge. And the other at Na Gradu which is in the Castle courtyard. AT the latter we had the tasting menu which was excellent value and delicious.
Elizabeth_S is offline  
Old Jun 4th, 2017, 10:25 PM
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When I visited Plitvice last, in May two years ago, I parked at Entrance #2 and walked down the hill past the hotels into the park to the boat launch (P1) for the short boat ride across to start the Upper Lakes trails at P2 (I had been there before). I got into the park about 7:30, right after it opened. The boats were already running from P1 to P2 (short ride) but I was the only one on the boat, waiting to cross! The park was that empty in mid-May a few years ago. Finally after about ten minutes of waiting, they took me across to P2 alone (about a 5 minute ride).

Anyway, if you start that early, you don't have to wait for the bus to start running. Not sure about hiking uphill vs. downhill or what exact route I took after that. (My main interest was photographing some of the waterfalls with my tripod before too many people showed up.) It is good to start as early as you can to get some hiking in before the crowds arrive.
Andrew is offline  
Old Jun 5th, 2017, 12:09 AM
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Andrew - my biggest complaint about Plitvice is the poor "way finding". E.g. Entrances 1 and 2. Stations 1, 2 and 3. P1 and P2.... All overlapping and so similar and important in planning your visit.

I did some consulting this year with a way finding company. They do airports and transit systems mainly. I came to appreciate the art and science of good crowd control. Plitvice would be well served to improve theirs.
Elizabeth_S is offline  
Old Jun 8th, 2017, 06:34 PM
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Despite some less than perfect moments, it sounds like you had some great experiences! I’m very glad that my comments proved helpful to you and thank you for saying so.

It is very nice to read comments from another poster who enjoys museums. And yes, Porec is a gem, isn’t it?
kja is offline  
Old Aug 7th, 2017, 07:29 AM
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Thanks for the nice report. We are planning to doing somewhat similar route. You mentioned driving from rovinj to plitvice lakes on route 42 over the mountains was not a good idea. Can you please give more details - are the roads too winding? What are the alternative routes?
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 10:21 AM
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Bring up the route in Google Maps. Without traffic, the fastest route it suggests is mostly over toll highways (not route 42). Sometimes these roads have different names, but Google calls them E751 (the "Ipsilon" toll road out of Istria), E65, and E71. I've driven most of those roads though not directly from Rovinj to Plitvice.

I'm not sure why Paolo wound up taking route 42. Google Maps has a mode to avoid toll roads, so if you have that option on, it would avoid them. Route 42, as I see it oh Google Maps, is more direct but obviously a very slow road. If you use a GPS or phone to navigate, just figure out ahead of time the basic route you want to take; don't let a GPS guide you over a slow road if you were expecting to take the toll roads.
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 10:26 AM
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I think rialtogrl has driven this route more than once - maybe she can chime in with more specific suggestions and route tips from Rovinj to Plitvice.
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 11:13 AM
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I would say, don't rely on GPS for this route at all. Use a paper map its pretty easy - from Rovinj head to Rijeka (I think it is the A8.) In Rijeka, follow the signs to Karlovac/Zagreb. It is highway to Karlovac, but when you get to Karlovac, you will exit for the road that will take you down to Plitvice. The exit is marked. I believe the road to Plitvice from Karlovac is route 1. There will be a traffic light in Karlovac where you must make a turn to get on the right road, but again, it is well marked. Once you are out of Karlovac it is a two lane road and it can be slow especially if there are a lot of trucks.

It should take about four hours or so.
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 11:17 AM
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"(Did you get to the Buza Bar?)"

I'm thinking of renting a table there to live.

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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 12:35 PM
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That's pretty much the same route I described above suggested by Google Maps. These are all toll roads until you get to Karlovac (the toll roads are well worth the time savings in my opinion; you can pay tolls with US chipped credit cards - I did, anyway - or of course in Kuna cash.) I think the local road between Karlovac and Plitvice is the D1 on maps- the "old highway" before the fast freeway went in.
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 03:51 PM
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maitaitom - One of the Top 10 best bars for us
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 05:24 PM
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Thanks, rialtogrl, for your clear response to the question!

I must admit that I'm always puzzled when someone who doesn't actually have an answer jumps in to answer a question directed to an OP. JMO
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 06:00 PM
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I confess that I never actually patronized the Buza Bar(!), because I don't drink and was alone. I guess I could have ordered a soda there - but I just stood by the bar for a few minutes and took pictures. Nobody seemed to care. The view is amazing especially at sunset!
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 06:33 PM
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Andrew, this is true, they do not care at either Buza bar if someone sits or doesn't sit or orders or doesn't order or just takes pictures. They have so much business. It is insane.

If you go in the daytime you can take a table and order a coffee or water and sit there for hours. You could read Brave New World in one sitting. They will not care. Seriously.
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