7 days trip to Croatia
 

We are planning to make a 7 days trip to Croatia in end of June beginning of July. We fly in and out of Dubrovnik. We probably will rent a car to go around. I am thinking to spend half time on islands (Hvar may be) and half time in and around Dubrovnik. This is the first time we travel to Croatia. So far we have airline tickets only. Can you please give some ideas how to plan this trip. Do we actually need a car? Will it be faster to travel? What islands to visit? How to break down between the stops? What day trips from Dubrovnik to take.
Thank you

Whether to rent a car and how to divide your time depend on your interests and preferences.

I think you'll get some great ideas from guidebooks. The ones that I thought best for that part of Croatia were the Rough Guide, Frommer's, and Fodor's, but almost any guidebook that focuses on Croatia or the Dalmatian Coast should serve you well.

Expect a lot of tourists at that time of year.

It's a beautiful part of the world - enjoy your planning!

It is not faster to travel to an island with a car, mostly because you cannot use catamarans (only ferries) and you have to wait on line to board the ferry.

That was fast. Thank you very much for replies. Do you know how often catamarans run to the islands?

Most schedules can be found at http://www.jadrolinija.hr/, but note there can be other companies. Jadrolinija is the main one and most likely what you would need for Dubrovnik.
If you want to go to Kotor and return the same day, you'll need a car or a tour. The bus will get you there but you would need to return the next day.
I think I would concentrate on the islands close to Dubrovnik rather than Hvar.
Do take a look at a guide book or some online resources, and then you will easily be able to tell what you can do in your week around Dubrovnik. good luck!