24 Nights in Croatia
Jan 7th, 2017 | 12:47 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
24 Nights in Croatia
Hello everyone,
Last spring we spent 24 nights in Croatia which was part of a longer trip of 60 nights. Now that people are starting to plan their 2017 travel, I thought this would be a good time to share some tips and experiences from the Croatia part of our trip. First let me thank everyone for sharing their TR's, I always look for itinerary advice on Fodor's, especially for help with my biggest dilemma - how many nights to spend and where? It's helpful to me to see how other people have done it and their impressions. I've condensed the TR's that are on my website here, but if you want to see the pictures too it's under the Croatia topics: http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/cate...urope/croatia/
Here we go!
Croatia Itinerary:
Arriving in Croatia: Bus to Rovinj from Koper, Slovenia
7 nights in Rovinj
-- 22 day car rental starts the 3rd day in Roving (at 5pm)
2 nights in Plitvice
5 nights in Zadar
---> Out of Croatia - 2 nights in Mostar, then 5 nights in Kotor, then back to Croatia
3 nights in Dubrovnik
7 nights in Split
-- 22 day car rental ends in Split, after dropping off the luggage (before 5pm)
Leaving Croatia: Nonstop flight to Berlin
Last spring we spent 24 nights in Croatia which was part of a longer trip of 60 nights. Now that people are starting to plan their 2017 travel, I thought this would be a good time to share some tips and experiences from the Croatia part of our trip. First let me thank everyone for sharing their TR's, I always look for itinerary advice on Fodor's, especially for help with my biggest dilemma - how many nights to spend and where? It's helpful to me to see how other people have done it and their impressions. I've condensed the TR's that are on my website here, but if you want to see the pictures too it's under the Croatia topics: http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/cate...urope/croatia/
Here we go!
Croatia Itinerary:
Arriving in Croatia: Bus to Rovinj from Koper, Slovenia
7 nights in Rovinj
-- 22 day car rental starts the 3rd day in Roving (at 5pm)
2 nights in Plitvice
5 nights in Zadar
---> Out of Croatia - 2 nights in Mostar, then 5 nights in Kotor, then back to Croatia
3 nights in Dubrovnik
7 nights in Split
-- 22 day car rental ends in Split, after dropping off the luggage (before 5pm)
Leaving Croatia: Nonstop flight to Berlin
Jan 7th, 2017 | 12:53 PM
#2
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
7 Nights in Romantic Rovinj - Biking, Excursions, and Non-Stop Charm
A wonderful tangle of tiny streets, busy in the daytime and delightfully quiet at night, it’s hard to imagine a more romantic medieval town than Rovinj.
Arriving in Rovinj:
We were in Piran, Slovenia for 3 nights before heading to Rovinj on a bus. The Piran to Rovinj bus route doesn’t start until July, but we could get a bus to Rovinj from the nearby city of Koper. Our CRNJ bus schedule was leaving Koper at 9:34 am, and for me the easiest and most stress free way to get to the Koper bus station was to take a A 20-30 minute €30 taxi ride from Piran. There are other bus lines that leave in the afternoon, which you can find on the GetByBus website, and there are public buses that go cheaply from Piran to Koper for those who don't want to take a taxi. Our CRNJ Tours Bus #2336 left Koper promptly at 9:34 in the morning and got in to Rovinj close on the schedule of 11:50 am. From the bus station, the Rovinj harbor is an easy and short downhill walk.
Top Rovinj Experiences
- Biking the Golden Cape
- Wandering the quiet streets in the early mornings and evenings
Top Day Trip Experiences
- Exploring Roman Amphitheater and Roman Ruins in Pula
- Istrian Hill Towns
Wandering Around Rovinj
Rovinj is immensely popular and busy, but with 7 nights in this lovely Istrian town I had the pure pleasure of early morning walks before everyone was out and about their business for the day. The main street through the middle of the island is lovely Grisia Street. Packed with shops, galleries, and tourists most of the day, it’s delightful to walk this long stepped street early in the morning before it's crowded with people. Quiet mornings before everyone was out was a wonderful way to get to know my way around Rovinj, but my favorite time for walks were the lovely evenings. Every night led to new discoveries of alleys, stairs and little corners of this delightful town.
Biking in Rovinj
Biking is big in Rovinj, people were biking carefree through Tito square and down around the harbor having a great time. Our second day in Rovinj we joined the ranks of bikers and zipped over to the famous Golden Cape Forest Park. That is, we would have zipped if there weren’t so many beautiful views that required a photo stop! The third day we biked again, this time exploring north to another beach. Not nearly as interesting or fun as the ride the day before, we went back…and did the fabulous Golden Cape all over again.
Driving Excursions from Rovinj
With a week in Rovinj we had time for 3 driving excursions – the Roman ruins in Pula, a self-driving tour around the Istrian Hill towns, and a trip over to un-typical Croatian beach resort town of Opatija. If you only have time for one excursion, go to Pula! If you’re fascinated by all things Roman of course you have to see this, the 6th largest Roman amphitheatre in the world still surviving from that long ago Imperial Roman age in the 1st Century.
Rovinj with a Car
My first choice for a place to stay is always right in the heart of the town or city that I want to visit. But like any other medieval pedestrian town, having a car is a problem in Rovinj. The most hassle free and economical way to deal with a car is by staying at place that offers parking or a discount on parking. Although the parking lot for our Trevisol apartment was a good 20 minute walk from the apartment, it was worth the walk to not have to worry about the parking restrictions in the Zone lots where you pay by the hour.
--> Car Rental: Our 22 day car rental was perfectly hassle free with no surprises, an Enterprise rental through the car rental broker AutoEurope, picking up in Rovinj and dropping off in Split. The additional countries we drove to were Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro.
Leaving Rovinj
It doesn’t take long to see the sights in Rovinj, but to go biking and experience the charm of this delightful town in the quiet mornings and evenings you need at least 2 nights. With a great apartment to come back to that included parking, Rovinj made a terrific sightseeing base for our 7 night stay.
Next stop: Plitvice National Park for 2 nights, an easy 4 hour drive from Rovinj through plenty of tunnels and on again off again rain.
A wonderful tangle of tiny streets, busy in the daytime and delightfully quiet at night, it’s hard to imagine a more romantic medieval town than Rovinj.
Arriving in Rovinj:
We were in Piran, Slovenia for 3 nights before heading to Rovinj on a bus. The Piran to Rovinj bus route doesn’t start until July, but we could get a bus to Rovinj from the nearby city of Koper. Our CRNJ bus schedule was leaving Koper at 9:34 am, and for me the easiest and most stress free way to get to the Koper bus station was to take a A 20-30 minute €30 taxi ride from Piran. There are other bus lines that leave in the afternoon, which you can find on the GetByBus website, and there are public buses that go cheaply from Piran to Koper for those who don't want to take a taxi. Our CRNJ Tours Bus #2336 left Koper promptly at 9:34 in the morning and got in to Rovinj close on the schedule of 11:50 am. From the bus station, the Rovinj harbor is an easy and short downhill walk.
Top Rovinj Experiences
- Biking the Golden Cape
- Wandering the quiet streets in the early mornings and evenings
Top Day Trip Experiences
- Exploring Roman Amphitheater and Roman Ruins in Pula
- Istrian Hill Towns
Wandering Around Rovinj
Rovinj is immensely popular and busy, but with 7 nights in this lovely Istrian town I had the pure pleasure of early morning walks before everyone was out and about their business for the day. The main street through the middle of the island is lovely Grisia Street. Packed with shops, galleries, and tourists most of the day, it’s delightful to walk this long stepped street early in the morning before it's crowded with people. Quiet mornings before everyone was out was a wonderful way to get to know my way around Rovinj, but my favorite time for walks were the lovely evenings. Every night led to new discoveries of alleys, stairs and little corners of this delightful town.
Biking in Rovinj
Biking is big in Rovinj, people were biking carefree through Tito square and down around the harbor having a great time. Our second day in Rovinj we joined the ranks of bikers and zipped over to the famous Golden Cape Forest Park. That is, we would have zipped if there weren’t so many beautiful views that required a photo stop! The third day we biked again, this time exploring north to another beach. Not nearly as interesting or fun as the ride the day before, we went back…and did the fabulous Golden Cape all over again.
Driving Excursions from Rovinj
With a week in Rovinj we had time for 3 driving excursions – the Roman ruins in Pula, a self-driving tour around the Istrian Hill towns, and a trip over to un-typical Croatian beach resort town of Opatija. If you only have time for one excursion, go to Pula! If you’re fascinated by all things Roman of course you have to see this, the 6th largest Roman amphitheatre in the world still surviving from that long ago Imperial Roman age in the 1st Century.
Rovinj with a Car
My first choice for a place to stay is always right in the heart of the town or city that I want to visit. But like any other medieval pedestrian town, having a car is a problem in Rovinj. The most hassle free and economical way to deal with a car is by staying at place that offers parking or a discount on parking. Although the parking lot for our Trevisol apartment was a good 20 minute walk from the apartment, it was worth the walk to not have to worry about the parking restrictions in the Zone lots where you pay by the hour.
--> Car Rental: Our 22 day car rental was perfectly hassle free with no surprises, an Enterprise rental through the car rental broker AutoEurope, picking up in Rovinj and dropping off in Split. The additional countries we drove to were Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro.
Leaving Rovinj
It doesn’t take long to see the sights in Rovinj, but to go biking and experience the charm of this delightful town in the quiet mornings and evenings you need at least 2 nights. With a great apartment to come back to that included parking, Rovinj made a terrific sightseeing base for our 7 night stay.
Next stop: Plitvice National Park for 2 nights, an easy 4 hour drive from Rovinj through plenty of tunnels and on again off again rain.
Jan 7th, 2017 | 12:55 PM
#3
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
2 Nights in Plitvice
Even after all the wonderful experiences on our trip, visiting this famous National Park is still one of my Top Experiences. It was simply enchanting in the spring with the volumes of water from the spring rain, and the manageable amount of visitors. Staying 2 nights was a terrific strategy to be out in the park in the late afternoon and early morning. I loved it, if you're interested please look at my TR Enchanting Watery Walks in Magical Plitvice Lakes.
Leaving Plitvice
Next stop: Zadar for 5 nights, an easy 2 hour drive from Plitvice on excellent roads and through many tunnels.
Even after all the wonderful experiences on our trip, visiting this famous National Park is still one of my Top Experiences. It was simply enchanting in the spring with the volumes of water from the spring rain, and the manageable amount of visitors. Staying 2 nights was a terrific strategy to be out in the park in the late afternoon and early morning. I loved it, if you're interested please look at my TR Enchanting Watery Walks in Magical Plitvice Lakes.
Leaving Plitvice
Next stop: Zadar for 5 nights, an easy 2 hour drive from Plitvice on excellent roads and through many tunnels.
Jan 7th, 2017 | 01:38 PM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
5 Nights in Old/New Zadar – Roman Ruins, Relics, and Day Trips
The historical center of Dalmatia, Zadar isn’t a delightful medieval town, it was bombed and mostly destroyed in World War II. What you see today is a mix, ancient Roman Ruins and relics, historic palaces and churches, and big blocky Communist era buildings.
You can see the main sights in Zadar in one super speedy or a more leisurely couple of days, but with 5 nights and a car, we had the chance to explore some of the surrounding countryside and return to our beautiful apartment right in the historic center.
Top Zadar Experiences
- Sea Organ and Greetings to the Sun
- Archaeological Museum
- Self Guided Walk Around Zadar
Top Day Trip Experiences
- Krka National Park
- Šibenik
The top two activities in Zadar are along the wide seafront Riva promenade – the Sea Organ and the Greetings to the Sun. Under the steps of the promenade, the Sea Organ is a system of tubes and cavities that resonate with deep melodious sounds produced by the action of the waves, as ever changing as the sea itself. After dark the Greetings to the Sun solar art installation slowly comes alive with colorful lights powered by the solar cells under the glass panels and connected to the Sea Organs, whose sound is transformed into random patterns in the huge circle.
Archaeological Museum
The next day started out rainy, REALLY rainy. Perfect for some R&R time in the beautiful apartment, and what else do you do as a tourist on rainy days? – Visit a museum! Zadar’s excellent Archaeological Museum fit the bill. There are 3 floors, start on the most interesting 2nd floor for the ancient Roman relics.
Driving Excursions from Zadar
With a car and 5 nights in Zadar, we had time for 2 driving excursions - a visit to Pag and Nin, and Krka National Park and Šibenik. If you only have time for one excursion - go to Krka National Park and then Šibenik! You can spend more time in Krka NP than we did, but I really enjoyed interesting, pretty Šibenik and was happy we spent the time there after the NP.
Last Day in Zadar
At first we thought it strange that Zadar was elected Best European Destination in 2016. Zadar doesn’t have the immediate eye candy appeal that Rovinj or Piran has, but with easy transportation, lots of restaurants and accommodations and fascinating historical sites, it makes sense.
Zadar really grew on me and I enjoyed the town a lot. Our last day we wandered through some parts of the old town we hadn’t visited before, loving the energy and vibe in the section near lots of hostels, and checked out more points of interest on the walking tour map. If your host didn’t provide a map, get one at the Tourist Info office on the main street at the big square Narodni trg (People’s Square).
Zadar with a Car
You can drive around the perimeter of the old town of Zadar, not in the pedestrian center. But watch out where you park, there’s very little free parking (check with your accommodation) but there are plenty of Zone lots. The closer to the center, the more expensive the Zone rates are per hour. The cheapest parking is in a Zone 4 lot, a walk through the park to the old town.
Leaving Zadar
Zadar’s location makes it a terrific choice for a couple of nights between Plitvice National Park and destinations further south. If I were doing it again, I would have skipped the daytrip to Pag and Nin and added another night to Dubrovnik.
Next stop: 2 nights in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina. The drive should have been about 4 hours, but we were turned around at the border on the road to Medagorje due to some demonstration. Backtracking, we took a little road to the alternate route through Pocitelj, the closure plus the torrential downpour added about an hour to the trip.
Followed by: 5 nights in Kotor, Montenegro
Then: Back to Croatia for 13 more nights.
The historical center of Dalmatia, Zadar isn’t a delightful medieval town, it was bombed and mostly destroyed in World War II. What you see today is a mix, ancient Roman Ruins and relics, historic palaces and churches, and big blocky Communist era buildings.
You can see the main sights in Zadar in one super speedy or a more leisurely couple of days, but with 5 nights and a car, we had the chance to explore some of the surrounding countryside and return to our beautiful apartment right in the historic center.
Top Zadar Experiences
- Sea Organ and Greetings to the Sun
- Archaeological Museum
- Self Guided Walk Around Zadar
Top Day Trip Experiences
- Krka National Park
- Šibenik
The top two activities in Zadar are along the wide seafront Riva promenade – the Sea Organ and the Greetings to the Sun. Under the steps of the promenade, the Sea Organ is a system of tubes and cavities that resonate with deep melodious sounds produced by the action of the waves, as ever changing as the sea itself. After dark the Greetings to the Sun solar art installation slowly comes alive with colorful lights powered by the solar cells under the glass panels and connected to the Sea Organs, whose sound is transformed into random patterns in the huge circle.
Archaeological Museum
The next day started out rainy, REALLY rainy. Perfect for some R&R time in the beautiful apartment, and what else do you do as a tourist on rainy days? – Visit a museum! Zadar’s excellent Archaeological Museum fit the bill. There are 3 floors, start on the most interesting 2nd floor for the ancient Roman relics.
Driving Excursions from Zadar
With a car and 5 nights in Zadar, we had time for 2 driving excursions - a visit to Pag and Nin, and Krka National Park and Šibenik. If you only have time for one excursion - go to Krka National Park and then Šibenik! You can spend more time in Krka NP than we did, but I really enjoyed interesting, pretty Šibenik and was happy we spent the time there after the NP.
Last Day in Zadar
At first we thought it strange that Zadar was elected Best European Destination in 2016. Zadar doesn’t have the immediate eye candy appeal that Rovinj or Piran has, but with easy transportation, lots of restaurants and accommodations and fascinating historical sites, it makes sense.
Zadar really grew on me and I enjoyed the town a lot. Our last day we wandered through some parts of the old town we hadn’t visited before, loving the energy and vibe in the section near lots of hostels, and checked out more points of interest on the walking tour map. If your host didn’t provide a map, get one at the Tourist Info office on the main street at the big square Narodni trg (People’s Square).
Zadar with a Car
You can drive around the perimeter of the old town of Zadar, not in the pedestrian center. But watch out where you park, there’s very little free parking (check with your accommodation) but there are plenty of Zone lots. The closer to the center, the more expensive the Zone rates are per hour. The cheapest parking is in a Zone 4 lot, a walk through the park to the old town.
Leaving Zadar
Zadar’s location makes it a terrific choice for a couple of nights between Plitvice National Park and destinations further south. If I were doing it again, I would have skipped the daytrip to Pag and Nin and added another night to Dubrovnik.
Next stop: 2 nights in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina. The drive should have been about 4 hours, but we were turned around at the border on the road to Medagorje due to some demonstration. Backtracking, we took a little road to the alternate route through Pocitelj, the closure plus the torrential downpour added about an hour to the trip.
Followed by: 5 nights in Kotor, Montenegro
Then: Back to Croatia for 13 more nights.
Jan 7th, 2017 | 02:00 PM
#7
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
3 Nights in Beautiful Busy Dubrovnik
I’d been apprehensive about the busy Dubrovnik reputation and planned on only 3 nights, and yes the town was busy the last week of May, but despite the amount of people I could easily have spent another night. There’s plenty to do in Dubrovnik that we didn’t get to.
Arriving in Dubrovnik
An easy 2 hour drive from our 5 nights in Kotor, Montenegro. We didn’t have any border issues or traffic problems on the main route (Highway 8) from the Bay of Kotor to Dubrovnik.
Top Dubrovnik Experiences
- Walking the fabulous Walls
- Relaxing at Sveti Jakov beach
Dubrovnik Walls
The top activity in Dubrovnik is walking the massive town walls. Dubrovnik Old Town is big and these amazing walls are 6,360 feet long, soaring to a height of over 80 feet on the land side. Tip: Get to the walls entrance near the Ploče Gate before they open at 8:00 am, the right strategy if you want to enjoy the fabulous walk around Dubrovnik with only a few other people. Tip: The walk along the walls is counter-clockwise and there are 3 entrances, if you start at the Ploče Gate entrance you get the best views first as you climb to the highest part of the walls. Tip: When you start early you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery before the cruise ship crowds get off the boat.
Walking the walls can take a speedy 1 hour to a leisurely 2 hours. We took our time and ended up closer to two and then stopped for an espresso break on the Stradun, the main promenade that runs through the heart of the Old Town, watching the ebb and flow of the tour groups as they hustled purposefully along following the leader.
As we headed to the Pile Gate to go to St. Lawrence fortress (included in the walls ticket) it was amazing to see the amount of people going up and down the steps of the walls entrance at the Pile Gate. We congratulated ourselves that we had a terrific time walking the walls early!
Sveti Jakov Beach Break
By the time we’d finished our morning walls walk and the St. Lawrence Fortress, the amount of people in the town seemed extreme for the one cruise ship we could see from the walls – we got out of town and had a leisurely 20 some minute walk to Sveti Jakov beach. That is, it would have been 20 minutes but there are beautiful views and at least one enticing detour down some stairs and rocks that slowed us up along the way. At the end of the walk was picture perfect Sveti Jakov beach and better yet – a great beach bar. Nothing says Holiday more than sipping a Mojito in the shade with a gorgeous view of the Adriatic and Dubrovnik.
Lokrum Island
Staying out of Dubrovnik in the busy part of the day seemed like the right idea – on our last day we packed a picnic and got the 10:00 ferry to rocky Lokrum Island for a look around and a little nature break. Tip: In busy Dubrovnik you’ll want to get to the ferry a half hour early to buy your round trip ticket to the island.
The ferry was full going over and coming back, but on the island everyone spread out. An unexpected bonus was the Game of Thrones museum with film clips and info on all the GOT sites shot in and around Dubrovnik. Four hours was plenty of time to see the museum, walk up to the fort at the top of the island, walk all around, picnic, and still have time to sit and stare at the beautiful water of the Adriatic.
Dubrovnik with a Car
A car is a hassle in Dubrovnik – your best bet for piece of mind parking is staying in an apartment that comes with it’s own parking place.
Leaving Dubrovnik
Next stop: Split Croatia, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Dubrovnik.
I’d been apprehensive about the busy Dubrovnik reputation and planned on only 3 nights, and yes the town was busy the last week of May, but despite the amount of people I could easily have spent another night. There’s plenty to do in Dubrovnik that we didn’t get to.
Arriving in Dubrovnik
An easy 2 hour drive from our 5 nights in Kotor, Montenegro. We didn’t have any border issues or traffic problems on the main route (Highway 8) from the Bay of Kotor to Dubrovnik.
Top Dubrovnik Experiences
- Walking the fabulous Walls
- Relaxing at Sveti Jakov beach
Dubrovnik Walls
The top activity in Dubrovnik is walking the massive town walls. Dubrovnik Old Town is big and these amazing walls are 6,360 feet long, soaring to a height of over 80 feet on the land side. Tip: Get to the walls entrance near the Ploče Gate before they open at 8:00 am, the right strategy if you want to enjoy the fabulous walk around Dubrovnik with only a few other people. Tip: The walk along the walls is counter-clockwise and there are 3 entrances, if you start at the Ploče Gate entrance you get the best views first as you climb to the highest part of the walls. Tip: When you start early you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery before the cruise ship crowds get off the boat.
Walking the walls can take a speedy 1 hour to a leisurely 2 hours. We took our time and ended up closer to two and then stopped for an espresso break on the Stradun, the main promenade that runs through the heart of the Old Town, watching the ebb and flow of the tour groups as they hustled purposefully along following the leader.
As we headed to the Pile Gate to go to St. Lawrence fortress (included in the walls ticket) it was amazing to see the amount of people going up and down the steps of the walls entrance at the Pile Gate. We congratulated ourselves that we had a terrific time walking the walls early!
Sveti Jakov Beach Break
By the time we’d finished our morning walls walk and the St. Lawrence Fortress, the amount of people in the town seemed extreme for the one cruise ship we could see from the walls – we got out of town and had a leisurely 20 some minute walk to Sveti Jakov beach. That is, it would have been 20 minutes but there are beautiful views and at least one enticing detour down some stairs and rocks that slowed us up along the way. At the end of the walk was picture perfect Sveti Jakov beach and better yet – a great beach bar. Nothing says Holiday more than sipping a Mojito in the shade with a gorgeous view of the Adriatic and Dubrovnik.
Lokrum Island
Staying out of Dubrovnik in the busy part of the day seemed like the right idea – on our last day we packed a picnic and got the 10:00 ferry to rocky Lokrum Island for a look around and a little nature break. Tip: In busy Dubrovnik you’ll want to get to the ferry a half hour early to buy your round trip ticket to the island.
The ferry was full going over and coming back, but on the island everyone spread out. An unexpected bonus was the Game of Thrones museum with film clips and info on all the GOT sites shot in and around Dubrovnik. Four hours was plenty of time to see the museum, walk up to the fort at the top of the island, walk all around, picnic, and still have time to sit and stare at the beautiful water of the Adriatic.
Dubrovnik with a Car
A car is a hassle in Dubrovnik – your best bet for piece of mind parking is staying in an apartment that comes with it’s own parking place.
Leaving Dubrovnik
Next stop: Split Croatia, about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Dubrovnik.
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Jan 7th, 2017 | 02:57 PM
#8
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
7 Nights in Fascinating Split
7 nights was a great length of time to get to know Split a little bit, go biking in Split’s big park playground on the Marjan peninsula, day trip to the island of Hvar, explore nearby Trogir, and spend a good deal of time over the week in and out of fascinating Diocletian’s Palace.
Top Experiences
- Diocletian’s Palace Cellars
- Exploring the maze of streets of Diocletian’s Palace
- Biking Marjan Peninsula
Top Day Trip Experiences
- Visit to Hvar Town on Hvar Island
- Excursion to nearby Trogir
Arriving in Split
An easy 3 1/4 hour drive from Dubrovnik, we dropped off our luggage at our Split apartment and returned our 22 day Enterprise rental car without a hitch. Due to the road construction outside of the rental office which was next to all the transportation services, it was a bit of a rush affair because we had no place to park the car, but... "No Problem" our rental return guy said, "I know this car." And sure enough, it wasn't a problem and there weren't any surprises.
Exploring Diocletian's Palace
This place fascinated me. Over the next week we were in and around the huge Palace/fortress complex at least once a day. Easy to do because the Palace is incorporated into the city of Split, you can wander around the shops, services, restaurants and bars freely. There are sights that you need an entrance ticket to, and we did several of those - the fascinating Cellars (Underground Halls), The Cathedral, Crypt, Bell Tower and Jupiter's Temple, and the Ethnographic museum.
Biking Around Split – the Marjan Peninsula
With beautiful views and interesting places to visit, biking Split’s huge park playground – the Marjan Peninsula – is a terrific chance to get out in nature and get some exercise. You can walk to the Marjan Park viewpoint from the Veli Varos neighborhood where we were staying, but the most fun was renting a couple of bikes and biking all around it. We loved this so much we did it twice!
7 nights was a great length of time to get to know Split a little bit, go biking in Split’s big park playground on the Marjan peninsula, day trip to the island of Hvar, explore nearby Trogir, and spend a good deal of time over the week in and out of fascinating Diocletian’s Palace.
Top Experiences
- Diocletian’s Palace Cellars
- Exploring the maze of streets of Diocletian’s Palace
- Biking Marjan Peninsula
Top Day Trip Experiences
- Visit to Hvar Town on Hvar Island
- Excursion to nearby Trogir
Arriving in Split
An easy 3 1/4 hour drive from Dubrovnik, we dropped off our luggage at our Split apartment and returned our 22 day Enterprise rental car without a hitch. Due to the road construction outside of the rental office which was next to all the transportation services, it was a bit of a rush affair because we had no place to park the car, but... "No Problem" our rental return guy said, "I know this car." And sure enough, it wasn't a problem and there weren't any surprises.
Exploring Diocletian's Palace
This place fascinated me. Over the next week we were in and around the huge Palace/fortress complex at least once a day. Easy to do because the Palace is incorporated into the city of Split, you can wander around the shops, services, restaurants and bars freely. There are sights that you need an entrance ticket to, and we did several of those - the fascinating Cellars (Underground Halls), The Cathedral, Crypt, Bell Tower and Jupiter's Temple, and the Ethnographic museum.
Biking Around Split – the Marjan Peninsula
With beautiful views and interesting places to visit, biking Split’s huge park playground – the Marjan Peninsula – is a terrific chance to get out in nature and get some exercise. You can walk to the Marjan Park viewpoint from the Veli Varos neighborhood where we were staying, but the most fun was renting a couple of bikes and biking all around it. We loved this so much we did it twice!
Jan 7th, 2017 | 03:00 PM
#9
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Excursions from Split
With 7 nights in Split, we had time for a couple of excursions – a day trip to Hvar Town on Hvar Island and a visit to the historic town of Trogir.
Excursion #1 – Hvar Island
I can see why people love Hvar…even though our visit was only 4 hours, it was worth the effort to make the trip to see this beautiful town. What do you do in 4 hours? A visit to the fortress, a self-guided walking tour all around the tiny town, and time out for a beer and a people watching break before heading back. Despite the short time there, THIS was my favorite of our 2 excursions from Split.
Getting there and back: Easy enough to do by taking only the high speed ferries – the morning high speed Krilo Star ferry directly to Hvar Town, and the afternoon high speed Jadrolinija ferry back, 2 different ferry companies. We bought the tickets the day before, and you should get your tickets in advance – these speedy ferries fill up fast. The high speed ferry takes about an hour.
Excursion #2 – Trogir
With buses every 30-60 minutes to the historic town of Trogir, it’s easy to go for a quick visit…and that’s just what we did from Split. The 3 hours we were in Trogir was enough time to see the some sights, do a self-guided walking tour, have a cafe break and a bite, and wander around some of the tiny picturesque streets admiring the centuries old Romanesque-Gothic architecture. The top sight for me was the magnificent 13th century Romanesque Portal of the St. Lawrence Cathedral, called Radovan’s Portal after Trogir’s own master sculptor and architect Radovan. You can see the portal through the bars of the entrance gate but it’s worth it to pay the entrance fee to examine all the amazing figures up close, followed by a climb up the Bell Tower.
Getting there and back: Easy to get there on a very nice nonstop bus that left from the bus terminal near the cruise ship docks and rolled into Trogir 30 minutes later. When we were ready to head back to Split, the best option was the public bus, a 50 minute ride with some stops that (surprising to us!) ended a short walk north of Diocletian’s Palace.
With 7 nights in Split, we had time for a couple of excursions – a day trip to Hvar Town on Hvar Island and a visit to the historic town of Trogir.
Excursion #1 – Hvar Island
I can see why people love Hvar…even though our visit was only 4 hours, it was worth the effort to make the trip to see this beautiful town. What do you do in 4 hours? A visit to the fortress, a self-guided walking tour all around the tiny town, and time out for a beer and a people watching break before heading back. Despite the short time there, THIS was my favorite of our 2 excursions from Split.
Getting there and back: Easy enough to do by taking only the high speed ferries – the morning high speed Krilo Star ferry directly to Hvar Town, and the afternoon high speed Jadrolinija ferry back, 2 different ferry companies. We bought the tickets the day before, and you should get your tickets in advance – these speedy ferries fill up fast. The high speed ferry takes about an hour.
Excursion #2 – Trogir
With buses every 30-60 minutes to the historic town of Trogir, it’s easy to go for a quick visit…and that’s just what we did from Split. The 3 hours we were in Trogir was enough time to see the some sights, do a self-guided walking tour, have a cafe break and a bite, and wander around some of the tiny picturesque streets admiring the centuries old Romanesque-Gothic architecture. The top sight for me was the magnificent 13th century Romanesque Portal of the St. Lawrence Cathedral, called Radovan’s Portal after Trogir’s own master sculptor and architect Radovan. You can see the portal through the bars of the entrance gate but it’s worth it to pay the entrance fee to examine all the amazing figures up close, followed by a climb up the Bell Tower.
Getting there and back: Easy to get there on a very nice nonstop bus that left from the bus terminal near the cruise ship docks and rolled into Trogir 30 minutes later. When we were ready to head back to Split, the best option was the public bus, a 50 minute ride with some stops that (surprising to us!) ended a short walk north of Diocletian’s Palace.
Jan 7th, 2017 | 03:03 PM
#10
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Leaving Split
Fascinating history, interesting museums, great excursions, terrific friendly people, there’s a lot to love about Split. With easy transportation to other places and other European countries, Split’s a city I could really see living in and getting to know better.
To the Split airport: A quick and easy 20 minute Taxi ride to the Split airport, a long wait for our delayed flight and then an uneventful 2 hour nonstop flight to Berlin, our the last stop on this trip.
Fascinating history, interesting museums, great excursions, terrific friendly people, there’s a lot to love about Split. With easy transportation to other places and other European countries, Split’s a city I could really see living in and getting to know better.
To the Split airport: A quick and easy 20 minute Taxi ride to the Split airport, a long wait for our delayed flight and then an uneventful 2 hour nonstop flight to Berlin, our the last stop on this trip.
Jan 7th, 2017 | 03:28 PM
#11
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Croatia Summary
When I first heard about Croatia and decided to go, well...I knew I'd like it, but I wasn't sure how MUCH I'd like it because I don't spend hours on a beach or in the sun or in bars. The more I learned about it, and then once I was actually there, I was totally smitten. The Adriatic and the landscape are beautiful and the historic sights are just unbelievably stunning. The roads were in great condition and it was easy driving. Parking was understandably a problem next to medieval cities but that was to be expected and I planned for that. Now that I've been I know I'd change a couple of things, like take a night from Zadar and add it to Dubrovnik, but overall I loved the variety of this itinerary. 4 apartments, 1 hotel, 24 nights.
Thanks for reading this huge Trip Report! If you have any questions on driving, car rental, or on our itinerary, just let me know and I'll try to help.
When I first heard about Croatia and decided to go, well...I knew I'd like it, but I wasn't sure how MUCH I'd like it because I don't spend hours on a beach or in the sun or in bars. The more I learned about it, and then once I was actually there, I was totally smitten. The Adriatic and the landscape are beautiful and the historic sights are just unbelievably stunning. The roads were in great condition and it was easy driving. Parking was understandably a problem next to medieval cities but that was to be expected and I planned for that. Now that I've been I know I'd change a couple of things, like take a night from Zadar and add it to Dubrovnik, but overall I loved the variety of this itinerary. 4 apartments, 1 hotel, 24 nights.
Thanks for reading this huge Trip Report! If you have any questions on driving, car rental, or on our itinerary, just let me know and I'll try to help.
Jan 7th, 2017 | 03:55 PM
#12
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,196
Likes: 0
I love your photos. My daughter went to Croatia in the summer of 2015. She enjoyed going in the summer because they could go swimming. Is it warm enough in the spring to swim and enjoy the beaches? We don't like to spend all day on a beach while on vacation, but part of a day or just one day would be nice and relaxing. But we also enjoy traveling when there are fewer people. What were the temps like in May?
Did you have any problems renting apartments? Such as the owner not meeting you at the apartment at the appointed time? I've heard that can be a problem sometimes when renting apartments.
Thanks
Did you have any problems renting apartments? Such as the owner not meeting you at the apartment at the appointed time? I've heard that can be a problem sometimes when renting apartments.
Thanks
Jan 7th, 2017 | 04:40 PM
#13
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
@KarenWoo Thanks so much for the compliment!
Swimming in May - for me, it has to be really HOT in the sunshine to make me want to go swimming in an ocean. So, with that caveat, people WERE swimming when it was nice out where ever we were. Around the Golden Cape in Rovinj (early May). In Zadar (middle of May) I only saw a few guys swimming but the weather was overcast. The end of May in Dubrovnik we actually had our suits on when we went to Lokrum, and people were swimming there but after sticking a foot in the water...nope, not warm enough for me!
We did spend down time in Dubrovnik, wonderful hours at Sveti Jakov beach and on the rocky shore of Lokrum, but just relaxing, not swimming.
Apartment rental - I had terrific experiences at all of our rentals, it's important to read reviews to get first hand experiences. All the hosts I dealt with had great communication via text messaging. They would typically ask me to text when I was 20 minutes away to give them notice so they could be at the apartment (or meeting place) on time. This worked great. Then if I ended up being early, I would text them and let them know I was there. If they got held up for a few minutes due to traffic, they would just text and let me know. No worries.
Hope that helps!
Swimming in May - for me, it has to be really HOT in the sunshine to make me want to go swimming in an ocean. So, with that caveat, people WERE swimming when it was nice out where ever we were. Around the Golden Cape in Rovinj (early May). In Zadar (middle of May) I only saw a few guys swimming but the weather was overcast. The end of May in Dubrovnik we actually had our suits on when we went to Lokrum, and people were swimming there but after sticking a foot in the water...nope, not warm enough for me!
We did spend down time in Dubrovnik, wonderful hours at Sveti Jakov beach and on the rocky shore of Lokrum, but just relaxing, not swimming.
Apartment rental - I had terrific experiences at all of our rentals, it's important to read reviews to get first hand experiences. All the hosts I dealt with had great communication via text messaging. They would typically ask me to text when I was 20 minutes away to give them notice so they could be at the apartment (or meeting place) on time. This worked great. Then if I ended up being early, I would text them and let them know I was there. If they got held up for a few minutes due to traffic, they would just text and let me know. No worries.
Hope that helps!
May 7th, 2018 | 04:56 PM
#14
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 475
Likes: 0
@rebeccahs I just saw this trip report and wanted to thank you since it will be so helpful for our upcoming trip to Croatia. And thanks for validating that it will likely be much too cold for me to go swimming -- we will be there end of May/first week of June.
