A week in Croatia
 

DH and I are in the early stages of planning a trip for September/October 2009 and would like to spend a week in Croatia, perhaps Dubrovnik, Split and one of the islands. I have been searching for hotels and B&B and many of them are listing as rooms not available. Does this mean they are not listing those dates yet (too early) or are they booked so far in advance that we are too late. We are looking for budget accommodation hopefully in the $100 US range per night. Any suggestions??

What a fabulous time of the year for Croatia! We love the country so much we recently bought a house there and cannot wait to move. :)

One place we like to stay in Dubrovnik is just outside the old town with no stairs is Dubrovnik Dream, the Ragusa Apartment. It is a sweet little place with A/C (you just may need it then), one bedroom down and one up on a loft. It is 50 euros per night and very close to a little rocky alcove area where you can hear the pounding surf. The drawback is there are no views; however, if you do not plan to spend much time in your room this won't matter as there are views to die for elsewhere.

You can easily see Mljet and/or Lokrum from there. My favourite islands are Mljet and Vis as they are less touristy than Hvar, for example. Korcula is lovely as well. Lokrum makes a glorious day trip. Will post accommodation spots once I look them up.

We have yet to overnight in Split as we prefer to stay in Trogir, a UNESCO world heritage town - charming and lovely. Therefore I personally cannot recommend rooms in Split.

i doubt you will need to book
we didnt in june
there were so many rooms ( sobje/ zimmer) on the roadsides available

i think it gets very busy later in july and august but sept oct would be fine - the hols are over

we just went into any tourist bureau and they got us a cute apartment - like a bedsitter every time for about70 aud a night- cheap as chips

we stayed at ivankas aparment in dubrovnik -right in the old town which is a must for us
she and her husband own the pizza shop - everyone knows everyone in dubrovnik
staying right in the old town was no dearer than the apartments offered outside the old town
but im sure youd not be stuck for rooms -every second place you drive past on the coast room was offering rooms for about 25 euros back in 06

it was really cheap back in 06
even the parking fine we copped was only 25 aud ( they clamp your wheels -so beware if youre getting a car - read all the signs)

split is nice but not spectacular - check out trogir which is nearer the airport anyway and really quaint
hvar island is a great island if you only have time for one
rent a car or a scooter for the day
great little villages on hvar

We rented a room in Dubrovnik (we were there in Nov 2007) that is literally right outside the main gate of the old town and overlooks the harbor. I found it through this forum and we could not have had a better location. If I recall it was about $70 a night perhaps a bit more. It stays booked all year due to its fabulous location. Maybe others could tell you the name of it. I had to mail the owner a check in advance but the location was absolutely perfect!!!

I really liked Split too and staying in a small hotel within the palace walls. I would also recommend seeing Solon if you like Greek ruins, just outside Split.

I think the apartment Sega51 was referring to in Dubrovnik is
VILLA ADRIATICA. The location sounds right.
We are booked there in late April for 4 nights.
The price is 60 Euros for Rm#1. 5 euros less for the others.
www.dubrovnik-online.com/villa_adriatica
Take a look and there are also other pictures posted on the views by others that have stayed there.
it looks like the view is absolutely stunning.

We loved Croatia--you will too. Here are some images to give you a sneak preview.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3882

Snowflake25:
One should be careful in selecting a private room in Stari Grad in Dubrovnik. Some of the places are near to the Stradun (main promenade) and the noise level at 3am from the late night party group of folks can be loud. Rooms just outside the Pile or Ploce gates are so much better and views can take your breath away. One very important question to ask is "How many steps?"
I live in an area of town which is 176 steps above Stari Grad. Although the steps are no problem going down, the return walk can be difficult.
With only one week in Croatia, you must plan your itinerary carefully. I've been living in Dubrovnik for the past year and I am still finding special sights every week.
The Dalmatian coast has a total of 1185 islands, many of them are uninhabited, but so lovely to visit. Trogir is a special town and much nicer than Split, do stay there.

Dobrodosli u Dubrovnik

An American in Dubrovnik

Thanks for all your recommendations. One more question....which month would be better? We are looking for reasonable weather, smaller crowds, but don't want to have difficulty finding places to eat etc because its off season. Would you say late September or early to mid October?

Snowflake25:

September is still very crowded as the Europeans are still here. Mid October is wonderful as the crowds are begining to depart and the mega cruisers begin to slow down. The weather will be comfortable and you could probably use a sweater in the early morning and late evening, but it is absolutely beautiful in Dubrovnik. Restaurants are still open, shops have not begun to close down and our children are back in school. This past October we had a bit of rain, but it passed quicly. It is the very best time to visit Dubrovnik.

Dobrodosli

An American in Dubrovnik