inskor

I'll be traveling solo from Istria down the coast for 2 weeks in mid-July and I was wondering if it's totally crazy to go without making reservations for places to stay. I'm a guy in my 50's and I can't comfortably crash on a couch anymore. I can budget $150./night so it's not all about money; I'm filming buskers/street performers for a project and it would be really nice to just follow my nose and not get locked into an intinerary...

Any advice for good places to see street performers/buskers?

Thanks!!

Andrew

Mid-July is pretty much high season in Croatia in the coastal areas. I personally wouldn't wing it especially if you like a comfortable place (don't want to sleep on a "couch"). Instead, I'd book a few places now, with a tentative plan, but don't book anything you can't cancel a few days ahead of time. booking.com is a good website for booking places with flexible cancellation policies - just read the policies CAREFULLY. Some places charge you a first night if you cancel - you hvave to read the fine print.

You can also book places with some of the hostel booking websites to book private rooms that aren't necessarily "hostels" at all but "sobe" - rooms in peoples' homes, a very popular option in Croatia. Mostly you'll pay a small non-refundable deposit to book these places (again, read the cancellation policies carefully), but it may be worth it to have a few places lined up ahead of time in July.

Read the reviews carefully. I've found the reviews on the hostel-booking website pretty helpful actually but I always check TripAdvisor's reviews as well if they are available.

inskor

Thanks Andrew! That's super helpful. The combination of flexible cancellation policies and deposits could work well, particularly if the deposits aren't onerous. I could factor in a couple of lost deposits into my budget.

Mimar

Sobe are often mini-apartments, with a small kitchen, more money-saving.

Will you be driving? Otherwise you need to pay close attention to the bus and boat schedules. But, in July, public transportation will be at its most frequent.

SloJan2

July is crazy in Croatia. I wouldn't do it unless I was ready to rough it.

qwovadis

Have done this a few times. Balkanology.com a wonderful site.
Usually fly www.wizzair.com into Zagreb then bus train Plitvice NP Trogir Split Dubrovnik some islands. Always get best deals negotiating direct there never too cheap. Buskers I have seen around Diocletian's Palace in Split and Dubrovnik.

Happy Trails!

qwovadis

Have also done the bus ride and car down the coast from Istria. It is a long scenic windy slog quite pretty rocky beaches though. Plitvice NP is the prettiest place from Zadar.
a do not miss for me. Flights car always preferable to bus for me.

inskor

Wow, thanks for the information!
@Mimar: I've been planning to use buses and boats. I'll definitely look at schedules, good point.
Sobe sounds like the way to go - can you suggest a good site to book them?
@qwovadis: the Balkanology.com website is great, especially the details about the coastal towns. I'm curious why you prefer renting a car and flying. Are the buses comfortable?
Plitvice NP is definitely on my list!
Thanks for the information about buskers in Split and Dubrovnik!
@SloJan2: I like Andrew's suggestion to book places that have a good cancellation policy or a reasonable deposit...

yorkshire

Buses are perfectly comfortable. I've spent (collectively) a month in the country and always relied on boats and buses. I have not traveled in July, but with the plan to rely on places that allow cancellation, you should be fine. Dubrovnik is usually the toughest place to book, along with Hvar. Other than that it should be okay, adn the next town is almost always close by. Also keep in mind really small places like Trogir island can be tough to find a room in, but just over the bridge (walkable) is Ciovo. It is also best to visit a tourist office and let them book your sobe--I think that you are more guaranteed to get a good room than relying on on-the-spot rentals that way.

Andrew

You can still use the hostel booking sites (hostelworld, hostelbookers, etc.) to book Sobe. I did when I traveled through Croatia. Don't get hung up on the word "hostel" - the meaning of that is somewhat flexible. You can book private rooms and sometimes even private apartments or hotels on the "hostel" booking sites. Of course, some of them may be conventional hostels that are dorm-like with shared rooms. Just read the reviews.

I tend to look at two or three sites when booking, finding some of the same properties on several sites. If you find a property on one of the hostel-booking sites (10% non-refundable deposit to book it generally), look on Booking.com for it too and you may be able to book it there for no deposit. Again, read the cancellation policies CAREFULLY. Read the Trip Advisor reviews, too, before booking something with a non-refundable deposit.

Expect to pay in cash in local currency when you arrive at these places for the balance not paid in the deposit, unless stated otherwise when you booked.

inskor

Thanks once again. This is all incredibly helpful. Here's what I get from this round of responses:
- It should be fine to use public transportation; maybe more boats/ferries than buses because there will be a lot of traffic on the roads during the busy tourist season.
- Book Sobe via booking.com, croatiaapartmentsguide.com/en/ or a hostel booking site. Read the cancellation policies very carefully.
- Don't miss the Dubrovnik summer festival - I won't!

Ok, so now I'm ready to tackle an itinerary. I'm going to read a bunch more posts and then propose a sample itinerary. You guys have been amazing!