Planning on two weeks in Eastern Europe on my own and I am considering Prague through Vienna and on to Croatia. Any advice for me on how feasible this is with transportation into Croatia and any issues with language? Your favorite places in Croatia? Thanks!

There aren't any problems traveling from Vienna to Croatia (Zagreb). You can travel by air/train/bus or car. There are two trains Vienna-Zagreb every day, leaving Vienna at 8.04 AM and 4.04 PM. There are also daily flights from Vienna to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik. Several buses a day connect Vienna and Zagreb. <BR>In Croatia many people speak some English, at least all younger people and those working in hotels/restaurants/bars/post offices/banks/shops/information services etc. Plus many speak German and Italian.You will not have problems considering language. <BR> <BR>Here's my top 10 favorite places in Croatia: <BR>1. Dubrovnik- simply, one of the most beautiful places in the world! Don't miss surrounding islands. It's worth it. There are regularly taxi boats leaving from Dubrovnik's harbor. <BR>2. Hvar island- charming old town, smell of lavender that you never forget, beautiful (naturist) beaches <BR>3. Opatija- somebody said it is like small Salzburg on the Adriatic. It's true. <BR>4. Plitvice lakes- spectacular nature, group of mountain lakes connected by series of waterfalls, surrounded by lush woods, a must see. <BR>5. Rovinj- charming little town with interesting surroundings <BR>6. Korcula- it's like a small Dubrovnik <BR>7. Zagreb- It's not Vienna or Budapest, but still... Zagreb is charming, lively city, many museums, art galleries, beautiful architecture and cafes on every step. <BR>8. Split- Diocletian's palace is stunning. Visit Marjan hill above the city-it serves as a city park and you can enjoy walking among some very pleasant homes. <BR>9. Zadar- another beautiful coastal town <BR>10. Rab island- beautiful island, sandy beaches

Jon, <BR>Thanks for the great information. To get to all your favorite places, does that require travel by car? It sounds like you might reccommend flying to Dubrovnik instead of going into Zagreb because I believe many of the your top places are to the south, True?

Deborah, <BR>Well, yes, probably the best it would be to travel by plaine directly from Vienna to Dubrovnik or Split. <BR>The coast is really the most beautiful part of Croatia. <BR>You can travel between coastal towns by car or you can try island hopping by a boat. There are really good boat/ferry connections between all major islands/towns. <BR>For timetables and prices please visit Jadrolinija web site-major ferry company in Croatia: <BR>http://www.tel.hr/jadrolinija <BR> <BR>As I said renting a car is another option. Adriatic highway is just a two lane road and in the summer traffic can be very heavy, especially on weekends. But the highway is in a very good condition and goes directly trough many towns and villages. Views are spectacular so it is a very enjoyable ride. <BR>Maybe combining car and boat/ferry is the best way to travel along the coast. <BR> <BR> <BR>Here are few links for you: <BR>Croatia in general: <BR>http://www.htz.hr/ <BR>Rovinj: <BR>http://www.istra.com/rovinj/ <BR>Rab island: <BR>http://www.multilink.hr/rab/e_index.html <BR>Hvar island: <BR>http://www.hvar.hr/ <BR>Zadar: <BR>http://www.zadar.hr/ <BR>Korcula island: <BR>http://www.korcula.net/ <BR>Dubrovnik: <BR>http://dubrovnik.laus.hr/index.shtml <BR>Plitvice lakes: <BR>http://www.np-plitvice.tel.hr/np-plitvice/welcomee.htm <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR>

I absolutely love Croatia. Will you be there in the winter? summer? If you are going in the winter, I would like to suggest staying a few days in Zagreb. It's incredible around the Xmas time, they decorate the city. <BR> <BR>If you are going in the summer, going to Dubrovnik is a must. The city is beautiful and the Adriatic is crystal clear! Some of my other favorite places are Zadar, Split (Omis area, Trogir).... If you can go to an island, I would also suggest Hvar. <BR>

I forgot to add... knowing the language really shouldn't be a problem. Most everyone (except some of the old grandmothers) know English. The younger people are very muli-lingual... Like in a previous post if by chance they do not know English. then many know German or Italian. <BR> <BR>The people there are VERY friendly and are a bit shy talking english but are more than willing to help! Have a great trip!

Nina, I will be going this summer, May or June. Did you find alot to do there in addition to beach stuff? I love the beach when I am in the caribbean but when I am Europe I prefer the museums, cafes, wandering neighborhoods etc. Did you also travel by car? I am a little hesitant to do that on my own but the freedon would be nice.

Deborah, <BR>Yes, I think there is a lot to do there. Tons of cafes, walking around in the cities, old churches, museums, concerts, window shopping ….. We also had a car, so whichever city we were in we would drive out to smaller towns and check them out and have lunch or something there. <BR> <BR>It would definitely be nicer to have a car there. That way you can get around a lot easier. There isn’t a metro in the cities. Only Zagreb has a tram system. <BR>

Here is a posting from our trip to Croatia last June. <BR> <BR>We took a week long trip to Croatia after our stay in Italy and it was wonderful! <BR> <BR>We arrived in Split after an overnight ferry from Ancona and arrived just in time for sunrise. The town boarders the harbor and is lined with palm trees. We stayed at the Hotel Bellevue which was a great location but no air conditioning (and we needed it in the heaaat wave!). I would recommend staying at the Hotel Split next time for that reason, although it is a bit outside of the town. Took a day trip to Trogir which I would highly recommend! <BR> <BR>Next stop was the island of Hvar. This is where they grow lavendar so the island smells wonderful. We stayed 4 nights on Hvar and wandered the harbor town, ate wonderful fresh seafood dinners for next to nothing and was able to take a day trip to the island of Brac. Zlatni Rat beach is the most photographed beach in all of Croatia and I can see why. Its in the shape of a tongue and it changes shape depending upon the winds. <BR> <BR>Next stop Dubrovnik. A wonderful walled old city with little or no damage visible from the war. The Croatians have really made an effort to fix things up. Beatutiful hotels along the coast (Elizabeth Taylor stayed at the Argentina on her honeymoon!) and inexpensive, modern hotels about 5 minutes outside (by bus) the old town. We stayed at the Grant Park Hotel with all the creature comforts, including a marble bathroom and breakfast, for about $55/night. <BR> <BR>Took the evening flight (50 minutes) to Zagreb where we visited some friends. Zagreb is a very manageable city with lots of wonderful buildings and parks. We were able to see an Opera. Their Opera house was small, but filled with old world charm. <BR> <BR>All in all a wonderful trip and we hope to discover more of this country in the future. Go before it gets rediscovered! The Germans, Italians and British are already back in full force. And being an American is quite a novelty and we were made to feel welcome unlike in some other European countries. <BR> <BR>Here are some good web sites to check out. <BR> <BR>http://www.dalmatianet.com/ <BR> <BR>http://city.net/countries/croatia/ <BR> <BR>http://www.dalmacija.net/ <BR> <BR>http://islands.zems.fer.hr/index.html <BR> <BR>http://www.htz.hr/home.htm <BR> <BR>http://www.dalmatia-mid.com/hotels.htm <BR> <BR>As for hotels: <BR> <BR>Split - try Hotel Split <BR> <BR>http://www.dalmatia-mid.com/split/h_split.htm <BR> <BR>Hvar - Palace or Adriatic <BR>http://www.dalmacija.net/hvar/hvar_3h.htm <BR> <BR>Brac - stay in the town of Bol - Bretanide Hotel <BR> <BR>http://www.bol.hr/bretanide.htm <BR> <BR>Dubrovnik - walking distance to the city ( a little more expensive) - Argentina or Excelsior. Outside the city - Grand Park <BR> <BR>Dubrovnik Hotels - <BR>http://dubrovnik.laus.hr/dubrovnik3/html/hotels.html <BR>

Have been doing some research but can't seem to figure out the question of getting around without renting a car. If I fly into Split and focus on the islands between Split and Dubrovnik, I am thinking of making the trip between the two cities on Jadrolinija. Is there a place to leave my luggage or do I have to do daytrips from Split? Don's suggestions were Korcula and Hvar as the best islands in the south, I would love to do Opitija and the lakes but not enough time or transportation to do that. Any other advice for me?

I'm having the same problems with how to get around. If we go to Italy and then take the ferry from Anconia to Split, would it be a good idea to fly from Split to Zagreb, visit the city, and then fly back to Split? It's a question because of the way the country is shaped, I think. Thanks for any help.

We travelled around by ferry and then flew from Dubrovnik to Zagreb. If you start in Split, you can stay at a hotel there and do a day trip to Trogir (by bus 45 min.) and also take a day trip to Brac via the hydrofoil (maybe 30 min.). We also took the hydrofoil from Split to Hvar and it was no more than one hour but we stayed on the island rather than doing a day trip, but people did that as well. <BR> <BR>If you are in Italy, if it is north, you can take a train from Trieste to Zagreb and start there. I think Zagreb - Venice by car is less than 4 hours also. <BR>

Rebecca, <BR>Just a suggestion - you can also take the bus. I've used their bus system many times. Never had any problems and a lot cheaper than flying if you are to do a lot of travelling between big towns. <BR> <BR>May I suggest going from Ancona to Zadar - visit that town - absolutely charming and beautiful. From there you can take a bus/plane to Zagreb and then from Zagreb you can bus/plane to Split. <BR> <BR>Or you can go from Split to Zadar to Zagreb and then back.... Just a thought. <BR> <BR>I remember Zadar to Split bus fair was like ranged from 55kuna to 65kuna ($7-$8) depending on the bus line and their route. Takes about 3 hours.

Julia and Nina, thank you. Those are good ideas I hadn't thought of. Nina, one question - when you say bus/plane, do you mean bus or plane or bus plus plane? Thanks.

Rebecca: <BR> <BR>I meant Bus OR Plane... Let me know if you have any more questions. <BR> <BR>Nina

Nina, do you know how long the bus ride from Zadar to Zagreb is? Also, in general, do you recommend taking a bus instead of renting a car to get around? Thanks.

Rebecca: <BR> <BR>Zadar to Zagreb took about 4 ½ hours by bus. By plane it is about 30-40 minutes. <BR> <BR>Getting around town I would recommend getting a car rather than the city buses. That way you can do things on your own schedule. And you can also take day trips to other towns. <BR> <BR>Let me know if you have any other questions. <BR> <BR>Nina <BR>