Split in mid-May - Day trip to Hvar?
Apr 14th, 2016, 07:43 AM
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Split in mid-May - Day trip to Hvar?
Hello,
Our first trip to Croatia, leaving May 12th, spending 2 weeks travelling and am still planning.
I’ve been reading some trip reports and following this forum to get further ideas for our trip to Croatia next month which is coming up fast. We plan to stay in a few places for at least 3-4 days each, the first being Zagreb and the 2nd destination is Split, travelling by bus.
I have two questions.
Should we buy a bus ticket in advance for Zagreb to Split online or is it fine to buy the day before? The travel day will be a Sunday and I’ve checked the schedule; there are buses leaving every half hour, so I think it should be okay to buy when we get there, but I thought I would ask.
Second, we (spouse and myself) would like to take a day trip to Hvar and I’ve checked the catamaran schedules for mid May for both of the ferry lines. (Krilo and Jadr…) They don’t appear to go very often before May31st. Can anyone on this forum confirm my reading of the Krilo timetable that there is a catamaran which leaves 7.40 am and returns to Split at either 18.35 or 19.35, but nothing on Wednesday or Thursday.
Has anyone done this day trip to an island during the “slow” season?
Thanks for your help…. Still trip planning and if anyone has stayed in a nice airBnB in Rovinj, please pass it along.
Our first trip to Croatia, leaving May 12th, spending 2 weeks travelling and am still planning.
I’ve been reading some trip reports and following this forum to get further ideas for our trip to Croatia next month which is coming up fast. We plan to stay in a few places for at least 3-4 days each, the first being Zagreb and the 2nd destination is Split, travelling by bus.
I have two questions.
Should we buy a bus ticket in advance for Zagreb to Split online or is it fine to buy the day before? The travel day will be a Sunday and I’ve checked the schedule; there are buses leaving every half hour, so I think it should be okay to buy when we get there, but I thought I would ask.
Second, we (spouse and myself) would like to take a day trip to Hvar and I’ve checked the catamaran schedules for mid May for both of the ferry lines. (Krilo and Jadr…) They don’t appear to go very often before May31st. Can anyone on this forum confirm my reading of the Krilo timetable that there is a catamaran which leaves 7.40 am and returns to Split at either 18.35 or 19.35, but nothing on Wednesday or Thursday.
Has anyone done this day trip to an island during the “slow” season?
Thanks for your help…. Still trip planning and if anyone has stayed in a nice airBnB in Rovinj, please pass it along.
Apr 14th, 2016, 07:30 PM
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Re: the bus ticket, Zagreb to Split -- I can't make any guarantees, but I wouldn't think you would need to buy your ticket particularly far in advance. If you are hoping for a specific time, you might want to buy it as soon as it is convenient for you to do so after arriving in Zagreb.
Ferries between Split and Hvar are more limited before June than afterwards, but haven't attempted to fully verify your time information. (I didn't see anything obvious that you are missing, but I didn't do a complete or exhaustive search.) You might be able to route though Stari Grad -- another city on the island of Hvar -- but would then need to ensure you can get to Hvar Town and back in time for your return ferry. I think the buses are timed to coordinate with the ferries, and that my "failed" connection
was an unusual event.
If you can't make it to Hvar Town, you might consider visiting Trogir from Split. It's only about 1/2 hour away by frequent bus, and although it is much smaller than Hvar, it has some similarities in the style of its architecture, and Trogir may even have higher quality stonework. The entire island (peninsula?) can be visited in a leisurely half-day.
BTW, it doesn't sound like you are planning to visit the Plitvice Lakes National Park, which is -- IMO -- the single most spectacular place of all of Croatia's magnificent offerings. Have you ruled it out? It can be a bit more difficult to visit by bus than some other destinations in Croatia, but it isn't impossible.
As for Rovinj, it isn't airBnB, but you might give a look at the Casa Garzotto:
http://casa-garzotto.com/index.php
Hope that helps!
Ferries between Split and Hvar are more limited before June than afterwards, but haven't attempted to fully verify your time information. (I didn't see anything obvious that you are missing, but I didn't do a complete or exhaustive search.) You might be able to route though Stari Grad -- another city on the island of Hvar -- but would then need to ensure you can get to Hvar Town and back in time for your return ferry. I think the buses are timed to coordinate with the ferries, and that my "failed" connection
was an unusual event. If you can't make it to Hvar Town, you might consider visiting Trogir from Split. It's only about 1/2 hour away by frequent bus, and although it is much smaller than Hvar, it has some similarities in the style of its architecture, and Trogir may even have higher quality stonework. The entire island (peninsula?) can be visited in a leisurely half-day.
BTW, it doesn't sound like you are planning to visit the Plitvice Lakes National Park, which is -- IMO -- the single most spectacular place of all of Croatia's magnificent offerings. Have you ruled it out? It can be a bit more difficult to visit by bus than some other destinations in Croatia, but it isn't impossible.
As for Rovinj, it isn't airBnB, but you might give a look at the Casa Garzotto:
http://casa-garzotto.com/index.php
Hope that helps!
Apr 15th, 2016, 12:23 PM
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Hi kja,
Thanks for your reply and your suggestions. I did more online searching and found there is a catamaran that leaves Split early around 7.30 and comes back in the evening. So that's good news.
While we are in Split, we would like to take a day trip to Omis (hope to do a day hike there), and also visit Trogir on another day. We'll be in Split for 4 days and I am now thinking that after Split, we will stop in Zadar for a few days before going onto Rovinj. This trip is a work in progress. I wasn't sure whether to go to Sibenik or Zadar for a couple of nights after Split, and yesterday found a blog that highly recommended Zadar, as an easier place from which to visit either Plitvice or Krka. Both look beautiful.
This will be our first trip to Croatia, and I suspect it won't be our last, so next time we will look into renting a car.
Casa Garzotto looks lovely and I got the Bradt Guide to Istria to give me some ideas as well.
Thank you & Hvala !
Thanks for your reply and your suggestions. I did more online searching and found there is a catamaran that leaves Split early around 7.30 and comes back in the evening. So that's good news.
While we are in Split, we would like to take a day trip to Omis (hope to do a day hike there), and also visit Trogir on another day. We'll be in Split for 4 days and I am now thinking that after Split, we will stop in Zadar for a few days before going onto Rovinj. This trip is a work in progress. I wasn't sure whether to go to Sibenik or Zadar for a couple of nights after Split, and yesterday found a blog that highly recommended Zadar, as an easier place from which to visit either Plitvice or Krka. Both look beautiful.
This will be our first trip to Croatia, and I suspect it won't be our last, so next time we will look into renting a car.
Casa Garzotto looks lovely and I got the Bradt Guide to Istria to give me some ideas as well.
Thank you & Hvala !
Apr 15th, 2016, 05:39 PM
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For a thread in which I provided my observations about the differences between Zadar and Sibenik, see
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-10-nights.cfm
The questions I was answering were different than yours, but you still might find my comments of value.
FWIW, I would think 3 or 4 days quite a lot for either Zadar or Sibenik (much as I enjoyed each).
And here are some comments on the differences between the Plitvice Lakes National Park and the Krka National Park:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tvice-krka.cfm
I must admit that I'm a bit surprised that you are hearing that it would be easier to reach the Krka National Park from Zadar than from Sibenik -- when I checked in preparation for my trip in 2009, it was faster and more convenient to visit from Sibenik. Maybe things have changed?
If it helps, I found the <i>Rough Guide</i> to Croatia by far the best of the half-dozen or so guidebooks I used when planning my time in the area.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-10-nights.cfm
The questions I was answering were different than yours, but you still might find my comments of value.
FWIW, I would think 3 or 4 days quite a lot for either Zadar or Sibenik (much as I enjoyed each).
And here are some comments on the differences between the Plitvice Lakes National Park and the Krka National Park:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tvice-krka.cfm
I must admit that I'm a bit surprised that you are hearing that it would be easier to reach the Krka National Park from Zadar than from Sibenik -- when I checked in preparation for my trip in 2009, it was faster and more convenient to visit from Sibenik. Maybe things have changed?
If it helps, I found the <i>Rough Guide</i> to Croatia by far the best of the half-dozen or so guidebooks I used when planning my time in the area.
Apr 17th, 2016, 06:32 PM
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Hi kja,
Thanks for the links. So many places to see in that area of the coastline and not enough time.
Yes, you are right and I see that Sibenik is the closest place from which to visit Krka. When I planned our next stop after Split, I found a travel blog in which the writer spent a week in Zadar and visited Krka from there, with instructions on how to get there. I copied the essential info from it and will refer to it when we get there. I am hoping the weather will be good then for visiting a national park.
And we decided to spend 2 days in Zadar and then head up to Rijeka.
Thanks!
Thanks for the links. So many places to see in that area of the coastline and not enough time.
Yes, you are right and I see that Sibenik is the closest place from which to visit Krka. When I planned our next stop after Split, I found a travel blog in which the writer spent a week in Zadar and visited Krka from there, with instructions on how to get there. I copied the essential info from it and will refer to it when we get there. I am hoping the weather will be good then for visiting a national park.
And we decided to spend 2 days in Zadar and then head up to Rijeka.
Thanks!
Apr 19th, 2016, 04:19 PM
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I enjoyed Lovran very much! When I was there (2009), it showed a bit of wear and tear -- it doesn't get the tourist dollars it did during its heyday -- but I found an honesty and authenticity to it that I don't always feel in places that are more fully on the beaten path.
And the Lungomare that stretches from Lovran to Volosko is an absolute delight. As I recall, I spent about 2 hours, with LOTS of stops for pictures, to walk from Lovran to Opatija, where I caught the bus back to Lovran. (Before leaving Lovran, ask your hotel staff how to get the bus.)
Enjoy!
And the Lungomare that stretches from Lovran to Volosko is an absolute delight. As I recall, I spent about 2 hours, with LOTS of stops for pictures, to walk from Lovran to Opatija, where I caught the bus back to Lovran. (Before leaving Lovran, ask your hotel staff how to get the bus.)
Enjoy!
