MYOBlady

Hi Fodorites,

I am planning a month in Croatia and Slovenia in May this year and am just in the throes of organizing it. Could I have some feedback on my itinerary please?

My husband and I are in our early 60s and quite fit. We love natural beauty and are happy to do 1-2 hour walks but not massive hikes, we like markets and food, beaches (although being from Australia, they have to be pretty good to impress us), wandering through interesting towns and just having a coffee and watching the passing parade. I enjoy the history too, but we are not too much into art and I have seen enough cathedrals to last us a long time. We enjoy small towns to big cities and prefer to stay longer in one place and look around than to move constantly. Our family, who have been to Croatia and Slovenia, have suggested to not spend time in Zagreb and Split as they don’t think we will like these cities. I realise that there are some fabulous things to see there, but am happy to follow this advice.

6th May – Arrive in Zagreb (1 night)

7th- 9th May - Flight to Dubrovnik, stay in Dubrovnik with one day trip to Kotor (3 nights)

10th-11th May – Korcula (2 nights)

12th-14th May – Vis (3 nights)

15th to 17th May – Brac (3 nights)

18th to 20th May – Pick up car in Split and drive to Sibenik and Krka (3 nights)

21st to 22nd May – Zadar (2nights)

23rd to 24th May – Rastoke (and Plitvice) (2 nights)

25th to 27th May – Rovinj (3 nights)

28th to 30th May – Ljubljana (3 nights)

31st May to 1st June – Vintgar Gorge, Lake Bled (2 nights)

2nd June – Zagreb (1 night)

3rd June – fly out

Would I be better consolidating the time on the islands to one island, and travelling to the others from that base? Am I spending too much time on the islands when there may be other places to go explore? Should I spend more time in Slovenia and if so, where would you recommend?

Many thanks! I am REALLY looking forward to any replies.
Pam

kja

Have you already booked your flights? If not, consider flying “open jaw”—into one city and out of another. I can’t imagine that you would be able to fly straight into Dubrovnik, but if you book through on the same ticket, you won’t necessarily have to spend a night in Zagreb at the start.

Am I correct in thinking that you are flying out of Zagreb, rather than Ljubljana, so you don’t have to pay the extra fee for picking up a rental car in Croatia and dropping in Slovenia? If so, I think you could return the car in Rijeka or elsewhere in/near Istria, take public transportation to Ljubljana, and then pick up a car when you’re ready to leave Ljubljana. (BTW, if you do keep the car when crossing into Slovenia, make sure your rental company knows you are going to do that and make sure the car has the vignette you will need ASAP upon crossing the border.) Also, I trust you realize that you don’t need a car until you leave Zadar?

Otherwise, sounds to me like a great trip, and May is a delightful time to be in the area! Do check the ferry schedules carefully, as the schedules usually change on/about 1 June.

Given your interests, I think your allocation of time makes sense, but I can’t really speak to it directly, as my interests are quite different.

One little thing to consider: I know you aren’t interests in cathedrals, but the one in Split is unique, having once been Diocletian’s Palace. Just something to consider.

4driano

Slovenia offers amazing nature.

Some Slovenians told me that the Bled lake was man made with the only purpose to attract tourists. And while it looks nice () it actually became too touristic, at the point that the so many tourists actually destroy part of its artificial beauty. Instead of spending 3 nights in Ljubljana and 2 nights in Bled, I would spend 1 night in Ljubljana, 2 nights in Bohinj and 2 nights in Logarska Dolina. Bohinj lake and Logarska valley are both natural "jewels" of Slovenia and because not many foreigners know about them their beauty goes far beyond what is man made and remains well preserved.

dreamon

I'm planning our own trip to Croatia and Slovenia in May and as we've yet to visit many of the places you mention I won't comment too much on your itinerary. But if you could get a single ticket all the way to Dubrovnik with reasonable connections I'd do that and possibly have a couple of nights in Zagreb before returning home. I know it means an even longer journey to get there but travelling from Zagreb airport to your hotel and back again the next day doesn't sound very appealing. There are also flights between Rome and Dubrovnik if that suits. btw I loved Ljubljana when we visited a few years ago and look forward to returning. It seems many people suggest only a day there but I think it deserves more - but then so do many places in Slovenia and it's hard to fit everything in. We also visited both Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj and both were lovely - and quite different. I'd check the ferry timetables carefully for Vis as when I looked a while ago, the only services were between Split and Vis (not Korcula).

kja

I'm not sure I believe the claim that Lake Bled is artificial, although it does look to beautiful to be true.

PolSmit

Lake Bled is definitely not artificial!

MYOBlady

Thank you for your replies. I have made some changes to my itinerary in light of your suggestions and a bit more thought. We ARE booked to and from Zagreb (it was much cheaper) but we will fly out from Zagreb the same day as we arrive to Dubrovnik.
We will now do the following:
Dubrovnik - 4 nights
Korcula - 2 nights
Hvar - 4 nights
Trogir - 2 nights (seeing Split as we travel there)
Sibenik - 1 night
Rastock - 2 nights
Rovinj -3 nights
Postonja - 1 night
in the lake bled region - possibly half way between Ljubljana and Lake Bled to be able to go to the city or the lakes or the gorge or the mountains - 7 nights (or we might move and stay 3 of these nights in Ljubljana)
Zagreb - 1 night.

I will look at the ferries and see whether I can do this. If not, I will take a water taxi or join a tour. Dreamon, we might cross paths on our trip!
Cheers
Pam

MYOBlady

Great suggestion, thank you...I will look into Logarska Dolina. Even if it is a day trip, we will go there so thank you.
Pam

kja

BTW, can we assume that you mean Rastoke, not Rastock, and that you have some particular reason for going there? Otherwise, just stay in / around the Plitvice Lakes!

For your time in Slovenia, note that the roads are largely on a hub-and-spoke in and out of Ljubljana. The further you stay from it, the more time you will spend driving in and out.

I thought 3 nights in Dubrovnik a lot; now you are planning on 4? To each his/her own!

I don't think I understand your time in / around Sibenik -- are you now skipping Zadar and the Krka National Park?

Are you sure that water taxis and tours will work if ferry schedules don't?

Good luck!