My husband and I would like to plan a trip to Croatia. We have been to Italy and France, which we love and have been eagerly reading about Croatia. We like to walk, like good food, wine, European atmosphere, the beach, cities, nature, etc.
We will be able to spend about two weeks and are thinking about going on May 20. I have a few questions to start:
What is the typical weather at the end of May? I read that May is the upper 60's and June the lower 70's. I would like to spend a few days at the beach, so I hope that this time of year would be good for that. We had hoped to go in mid-June but that won't work out with work schedules.
Our itinerary to date would be to go to the Istria area, Split and Hvar as well as Dubrovnik. I will do some more research about this and firm up some other questions. In the meanwhile, any help/info will be greatly appreciated to help us with our Croatian adventure. Kathe

the weather is warm and lovely on the coast.
The water temperature thought may not be like in Mexico.

Kathe - You're in luck! Croatia seemed to be the 'it' destination last year among Fodorites (myself included). Simply type in Croatia, Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar (you get the picture) in Search and you'll get numerous posts about this beautiful country that should answer some of your questions and relive wonderful memories for us! You'll be traveling at a beautiful time (our trip to Dubrovnik was late May/early June), and as I recall, the weather was in the high 70's, low-80's and only one rainy day. ENJOY!

Croatia is fabulous! We too went last year and had such a wonderful time. I have a trip report, that I'm still shamelessly behind on, but if you are interested you can click on my name to find it. Its titled something like "tcreaths trip to amazing Croatia and Slovenia".

We didn't make it all the way up to Istria but loved loved loved Dubrovnik and the coast! The views and scenery just took our breath away time and time again.

Tracy

Who can predict weather anywhere in the world anymore? There is still very little snow in the Alps this year, and it has been a very warm winter in Croatia overall. I have swam in the Adriatic off the island of Losinj (a favorite spot) in late May two years in a row. My sister visited Hvar in May last year and although her husband braved a swim, she thought it was too brisk. It can also be rainy in May. That said, I always recommend May and October as the best months to visit Croatia. There will be a distinct difference in water temperature between Istria and Dubrovnik. So plan beach time for the Southern part of your journey, and anticipate you will be alone on the beaches for the most part. Also, you are probably aware that the beaches in Croatia are rocky, and not sand. You will most likely be sun bathing and swimming off of rocks, which is really great because it increases the clarity and visibility of the beautiful water. You will be able to see little fish swimming 30+ feet below you! But you will need water shoes for sure.

For information about Istria be sure to check www.istra.com, it is the best web site for the region.

Have fun planning! Cid.

Hello Kathe! I've lived and worked in the wider region for years now, and have a house in Istria where I spend mostly weekends until I can retire.
There would be a lot of ground to cover between Istria and Dubrovnik in two weeks, especially if you include islands. Weather can be a deciding factor in May - normally it would be excellent, but the past couple of years have been quite unpredictable.
Dubrovnik, in the extreme south, can be a little warmer, but Istria's microclimate keeps it more on par with the rest of the coast and always nicer than the nearby Veneto region.
The Dalmatian coast has more dramatic scenery [include the Bay of Kotor - my favorite] but Istria is much greener and agricultural. For us as avid cyclists, Istria provides many beautiful quiet roads and more varied terrain than Dalmatia. My region of Istria is often called "Istrian Toscana", including Italian as an official language, except that the Istrian/AustroHungarian/Croatian/Balkan influences make it all the more interesting.
I've had friends fly from Atlanta into Venice, then using Istria as a base, take a boat trip hopping down the islands and coast [all the way down to Dubrovnik and Kotor] with bikes on board. They loved it.
The most comprehensive and least touristic site about Istria is at http://istrianet.org
My own various pics are at http://photos.yahoo.com/uaz04
I'll answer any questions you have, or help in any way I can. You can probably tell that I love this part of the world - for me it is the perfect mix of history and culture[at the crossroads of empires], food and wines, sea and mountains, cycling and other outdoor activities, and very friendly people.
Hope this helps you for now, and feel free to email with any specific questions.
ciao
michael

Marking..

I am definitely feeling more confident about a May trip now. Thank you for your help. I am hoping that we will be able to cover the Dubrovnick, Hvar/Split area and Istria in the two weeks but if it is too ambitious, I am willing to alter things.
As I am just beginning to plan things out, I am not sure which places we should stay at in Istria and also whether we can use one as a base and do day trips, how far it is from Istria to Split and how many days to devote to each area. Also, does one go to a hotel or to a bed and breakfast type of place more typically? Any and all input is greatly appreciated. Kathe

Hotels are quite expensive, especially for what you get. The private rooms, or sobe, can be much nicer, include kichens, and provide entertaining hosts. Oh, and at a third of the price. We would just go to the nearest tourist information office, and they would find us a soba to meet our needs. In May this should be no problem.

Two weeks is better than nothing. See how others made their way up or down the coast. We did a combo of ferries, buses, planes and autos. But we took a month and weren't in a hurry.

My husband and I did a very similar trip on the Dalmation coast a few years ago in the last two weeks of May and the weather was wonderful-sunny and low to mid 70s if I recall correctly. We spent most of our time in Hvar and Dubrovnik and spent time on the beach at both places (short boat ride to good beaches for swimming from Hvar) Water was ok for swimming, but not extremely warm. The water is beautiful, clear, multi-colored. Every day we were there was sunny. Great food-fresh seafood and many dishes have an Italian flavor (for want of a better comparison). Service is very gracious, even at sidewalk cafes, and restaurants and hotels relatively inexpensive. The drive from Split down the coast to Dubrovnik is very scenic. However, on Hvar the drive from the ferry landing in Stari Grad to Hvar was one of the most anxiety inducing drives I've ever made. Narrow road on steep hills, no shoulders, no railings, steep drops, switchbacks. Not for the faint of heart. Anyway, except for that 15 mile drive,this was one of my favorite European trips ever. You'll love it.

If you're into food & wine , must try is restaurant Le Mandrac ( www.lemandrac.com )in Opatija-Volosko , region Kvarner on your way down to Dalmatia from Istria . Best meal we had on whole trip.

Hello we have a perfect holliday last year with
www.dubrovnik-excursion.com

They have a verry nice apartment with a garden 5 min from Old Town and they organize transfer from the airport


loveDubrovnik