P_M

I will be going on a tour where I will fly into Venice but the tour begins in Opatija. I will be arriving a day early and spending my first night in Venice, so if all goes on schedule I will have an afternoon and evening in Venice on my arrival date. The next day I have a choice between 2 transfer times to Opatija. The early bus leaves at 11am and the later one leaves at 3pm. I was planning to take the later bus so I will have the morning in Venice. But if I take the early bus it will give me more time in Opatija. I've been to Venice a few times but never to Opatija. I was looking forward to seeing Venice again but now I'm wondering if my time would be better spent in Opatija. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Grassshopper

I think my answer would depend on where your tour goes once you arrive in Opatija. It's not my favorite spot in Croatia so if you're going to be seeing other Croatian spots, I might suggest the later bus since you want to spend time in Venice.

P_M

Thanks for your reply Grasshopper. The tour doesn't start until the next day so my first day in Opatija would be free.

Grassshopper

Where do you go from there? I spent two weeks in Croatia a few years ago. I started in Rovinj, from where I took day trips and then took a bus through Opatija to Reijka where I caught a ferry to Dubrovnik. I had originally thought about staying in Opatija and when I saw it was glad I had stayed in Rovinj. I felt it didn't represent what Croatia has to offer very well. I hope you will be seeing more of that wonderful country.

P_M

Oh yes, I'll be seeing Split, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Plitvice, then a few days in Slovenia, as well as a day trip to Rovinj. I can't wait, I've been wanting to see Croatia for a long time.

Grassshopper

Sounds great. Then don't worry too much about Opatija. You take some really good trips! Will you go to Ljubljiana (sp?) and Bled? I really liked both of them too.

Be sure to go to Buza Bar in Dubrovnik. It hangs off the front of the Wall and is a must stop for sunsets.

P_M

Ljubljiana and Bled are on the list of things to do, and I'll add the Buza Bar. Thanks for the good info.

KayF

We had a holiday in Croatia last year and stayed in Rovinj which we absolutely loved, then moved on to Opatija. At first sight I didn't think much of it but it did grow on me and we ended up enjoying our few days there.

A highlight was the walk along the sea, called the Lungomare, it's a 12km walk that follows the sea, you can walk as much or as little as you like. It's a flat, easy walk with lovely views and we saw people sunbathing and swimming here and there. There are a couple of cafes along the way you can stop at. We walked the whole way and caught the bus back from Lovran.

The other thing we liked were the grand old buildings in Opatija, most of which were now hotels and apartments. They were painted pastel colours and gave the town an elegant, old-fashioned feel. Also, because of the Austrian influence, there are some great places that serve fantastic cakes and coffee.

I think if you've seen Venice a few times, give a new place a try.

Kay

P_M

Thanks for your input KayF. I do love grand old buildings, as well as Austrian cakes and coffee.

Ackislander

Opatija was a seaside resort when the Austrians controlled Croatia. The Austrian upper crust took holidays there, so there are many late 19th and early 20th century hotels and grand houses. I think I remember that the Von Trapps holidayed there. Promenading along the seafront was a major activity, each walk requiring a change of costume for a different time of day. Thus, it is a bit different from other places you will visit in Croatia.

There are good hotels and plenty to see in the area, so it is a popular place for higher end tour companies.

We were there in the fall when things were very quiet. We had a very delicious dinner in a seaside restaurant, which gradually filled with Russian mafiosi and their underage girlfriends as the evening went on. All quite safe and with a certain frisson. My sister had observed the same crowd, the new oligarchs of central Europe, in Karlovy Vary.

Byrd

As others have said, Opatija is an old seaside resort, with a very pretty walkway along the water.

We spent two nights last May at Hotel Milenij which is located on the waterfront. We had a corner room with wonder views of the sea.

On our last night there we had dinner at a restaurant in what was originally Coco Chanel's house. Fun and good!

We took a daytrip to Pula (wonderful Roman amphitheatre) and Rovinj.

Loved Croatia!

And absolutely do not miss Buza Bar! If you can't find it, keep asking people. It really is a hole in The Wall.

Byrd

P_M

Good morning all and thanks for the added input. It sounds like no matter which way I go I will have an enjoyable day.

And I WILL find the Buza Bar when I reach Dubrovnik!!

kja

I enjoyed walking the Lungomare between Lovran and Opatija - lovely! When I was there last May, Opatija was quite crowded with tourists and had what seemed to be a lively evening scene. (I stayed in the much quieter town of Lovran.) This part of Croatia had a very different feel to it than your other destinations and might provide a nice contrast.

P_M

Thank kja and everyone else. I still haven't decided what to do yet. But isn't it great to be faced with a decision like this?

AMV

Has anyone been to Opatija recently? We are trying to decide between using Opatija or Rovinj as a base for a few days in Istria. Suggestions?

kja

I haven't been there since 2009, but if your goal is to visit Istria, I think Rovinj -- which is actually in Istria -- would be a better base.

P_M

Thanks kja but I took this trip in March 2010.

Kevina

Rovinj is a smaller town and the cutest, it is ideal for visiting Pula and Porec areas, the inland area is easily accessible from both Opatija and Rovinj.
Opatija has better transport links with lovely fishing villages nearby and is better placed for Plitvice, Krka etc.

AMV

Thinking of Opatija as stopover tween Plitvice and Rovinj. Or simply staying a few days in Opatija and making day trips. Not sure if that is a practical base for Istria. Thank you!

kja

AMV - personally, I did not like Opatija. If you are looking for a stop between the Plitvice Lakes and Rovinj, you might want to consider Lovran, but be forewarned that it is long past its prime. I liked it a lot, though -- at least when I was there, it was a bit off the beaten tourist trail (which was a plus in my opinion) and it had an authenticity about it that I really appreciated, even if it was a bit in need of some cosmetic upgrades.

When I was there, traffic in and around Opatija was very bad, so even had I liked it, I would not have thought it a good base for exploring Istria.