allisoncw

Hi Fodorites.....you really impressed me with your quick and awesome responses recently.
I currently have ON HOLD an American Airlines frequent flier trip flying into Sarajevo (Bosnia) and back to see Croatia (we want to see Dubrovnik, Split and Plitvice). We tried Budapest, Split, Zagreb and Dubrovnik and they were a no go with miles. Easy Jet (out of London) only puts out their schedules a couple of months in advance and we wanted to secure our trip. Is there any logistical reason that flying in and out of Sarajevo would NOT make sense to do? Are there trains or buses to DBV or could we just rent a car? I've read rental car companies sometimes don't like the Bosnian portion. Any idea of how long a drive it is between Sarajevo and DBV? THANKS in advance for your input! Allison

Andrew

If Julia_t reads this, she'll comment no doubt - she was just in Sarajevo a few months back and drove out perhaps to Croatia, not sure (check out her trip report).

I've got Sarajevo on my list of places to visit, so if it were me I'd definitely consider a stop there - but I doubt I'd do so if the only reason you're flying there is to immediately head to Dubrovnik. You can train from Sarajevo to Ploce in Croatia and then take a bus or rent a car; there are no trains directly into Dubrovnik. Renting a car in BiH and returning in Croatia might not be cheap (ask Julia, forget if she did that or not).

Unless I wanted a few days in BiH before hitting Dubrovnik, I'd wait out easyJet or British Airways' schedule of direct flights, book AA to London, and plan on booking the flights to Croatia as soon as the schedule opens up.

yorkshire

If you have time in the trip to spend some time in Sarajevo, and maybe incorporate a stop in Mostar, then I would do it for sure. You could train to Mostar and then bus to Dbv (just a few hours from Mostar; I believe about 5 hrs from Sarajevo on bus though).

allisoncw

Thank you Andrew and Yorkshire for your prompt response....definitely great info and advice to consider!

kja

I flew into Sarajevo, took a bus to Mostar, and then a bus to Dubrovnik specifically because I wanted to visit both Sarajevo and Mostar. I'm very glad I visited both places, and if you have the time any interest in doing so, then by all means do!

scatcat

I am flying into Dubrovnik from Zurich in September. After 4 nights there, I will be taking the bus to Sarajevo for 2 nights before flying out to Nice via Vienna. So I know there is a bus from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik. I do not know how long the ride will be.

bratsandbeer

Off The Beaten Track in Bosnia and Herzegovina - julia_t explores

This is a long and wonderful trip report from Julia and how she drove to Sarajevo and back.

julia_t

Hi Allison, I only just came across this thread, hope I can help a bit!

I flew into Split, rented a car there and drove up to Sarajevo, and then back to Split. Previously I'd driven from the Croatian coast up to Mostar and back down to Dubrovnik.

Here's a link to my trip report...

julia_t

Ooops, hit wrong button!

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-explores.cfm

and an earlier one specifically about Mostar...

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...llet-holes.cfm

If you fly into Sarajevo, rent a car and drive to the Adriatic coast - you mention Dubrovnik, I've mentioned driving times in my reports. I think Sarajevo to Mostar is around 2 1/2 hours and Mostar - well worth a few hours of your time - to Dubrovnik is about the same time. Stopping in Mostar for lunch and a look round would make a nice break in the drive.

From Dubrovnik you could drive up to Split, maybe via Korcula or the Orebic Peninsula. I've never posted a trip report about that part of my time, but I have posted about getting the ferry across from Trpanji to Ploce, thus avoiding a long back-track.

Then from Split/Trogir you can proceed to Plitvice (I've not made it there yet!) and back to Sarajevo. Someone did that in reverse in March and posted a trip report - they drove the road in snow I seem to remember, and posted some fabulous pictures. I'm sure if you search here you'll find it.

I'm assuming you are flying back out of Sarajevo though.

I've always rented through www.economycarrentals.com from Croatia and they don't mind me taking the car into BiH at all.
I don't know what renting a car at Sarajevo would be like, what terms and conditions they have. You do need to make sure you get the proper paperwork so you are covered form driving in different countries, usually around 50 euros. There are other towns in BiH you could maybe drop off in, like Banja Luka.

Good luck, and if you have any more questions please ask.

allisoncw

Thank you, Julia T, for your good advice and insight!
We may take our chances and use frequent flier miles into London or (somewhere else?) and then just pay for an Easy Jet flight r/t to Split and/or DBV, so we spend less time driving and more time in the areas in which we want to concentrate. Unfortunately, Easy Jet apparently doesn't post their flights until about 2 months before flying, which may limit our ability to find frequent flier flights to London with such little notice. I don't get the impression that Easy Jet flies DAILY, so I'd hate to book a flight across the pond only to have to wait a day or two before I could take my Easy Jet flight...it's all a little cuckoo. I never imagined how limited FF flights to the Croatia and surrounding area would be - particularly on American Airlines and their partners.

julia_t

Easy jet fly from London Gatwick to both Split and Dubrovnik.

Flights are daily to Dubrovnik and Split from May to September. In the off season they are 2 or 3 times a week.

As to when EasyJet release the new flight availabilty, that seems to vary a lot. Last year I booked mid-October for flights in May, the year before I booked in January for an early October flight. You just need to check the website regularly and you can sign up for alerts.

Also, British Airways fly daily to Split and Dubrovnik for around £160 return.

Other so-called budget airlines like Flybe also fly to Dubrovnik from small airports like Exeter and Southampton so you could look at those.

allisoncw

You are the bomb, Julia! Thanks for the insight...with daily flights in May, I feel more confident that I'll be able to use Easy Jet after all....hopefully they'll release their flight schedule sooner than later. Have a great weekend!
Allison