I'm looking for buses from Split to Plitvice Lakes on June 1, 2022. A Google search discloses only two bus companies, one of which states it's not operating due to Covid and the other one, GetByBus, shows only one vaguely workable departure but states that tickets are not available online. I'm afraid that if I wait till I'm there, none will be available.
There seem to be several daily departures generally but when checking for my date, only two late afternoon departures are available which arrive late at night and are really not workable.

Does it sound right that buses are booked so far in advance? Does anyone know of additional companies that operate this route? Buses seem to be the only available public transportation between these two places so I'm thinking that better or more plentiful service should be available. I found a great place to stay that's two minutes from the bus stop but that won't do me any good if there is no bus!

Any information would be appreciated! Help!!

Honestly, panecott, I have never taken the bus, but I know people do because I see them waiting on the side of the road with their luggage or walking along the road with it. I do not think there are a lot of buses. Maybe you should ask the place where you are staying, they will know more than anyone here…

this is one route I do not want to attempt, and I go to Croatia a lot.

for sure, buses are not booked that far in advance.

Thank you, rialtogirl. I was going to check with my Inn and probably still will but I found a link for support from GetMyBus and sent the question to them. The response said they are not really a bus company but rather, a booking agent for bus companies. She said that I should check back in a couple of weeks because it's possible that the bus company did not yet provide them with the June schedule. So that's encouraging, at least, although it's a bit confusing because I did see tickets available for other dates, e.g., departing Plitvice for Zagreb on June 3rd. So it appears that I'll be able to leave Plitvice without a problem, even if I can't get there. I was very encouraged by the reviews for my Inn, many of which commented on how close it is to both the bus stop and the parks entrance, which is so important without a car.

Is there a specific reason why you would not use this particular bus route? I looked into renting a car but the info I got doesn't look very convenient. I thought I'd like to visit Una Park while I'm there but a car seems to be necessary for this. Have you ever been there?

Hi Panecott, I have never been to Una park. But I have heard it is very beautiful.

I think the inn is the best place to check for the bus. The reason I don’t want to do it is, I’ve seen too many people waiting and also, why? For me it is just better to have a car.

going from Split to Dubrovnik, station to station? No problem Waiting for some phantom bus in the middle of no where? No thanks.

But your inn will know ask them..

Bus stations in Dalmatia are one big chaos. Try flixbus online, but it ‘s best when you first arrive in Split ,just ask at the station,there will be buses,I m sure,they just don t have the schedule now. Personally I would rent a car, roads are nice. 1st June is perfect time,warm but not crowded, July and August are hell on earth in Split/Plitvice.

Thank you, ivson. I have considered a car rental but have had difficulty trying to find something. AutoEurope shows nothing and several links from a google search also showed nothing, e.g., Kayak and Expedia. The very limited selection I found all had pickups and dropoffs at the airport. If I have to schlep to and from airports with my luggage I might as well take the bus.
I finally found Europcar that has several availabilities but the cost for two days is $566. I don't want to spend that much for two days - that's crazy! I could probably get a private driver for that $$.

If you or anyone else has any suggestions on car rentals, I'd appreciate it. Ideally, I'd like to rent in Split port and return in Plitvice, but I will go to Zagreb if necessary.

There is no car rental return in Plitvice. How would you get out of there?

Please check with your inn about the bus.

Hi, rialtogirl. I did check with the inn. She said there is bus service that stops just a few minutes walk from the inn, which I already knew, but she didn't know when tickets will be available. I will check when I get to Split and I'm confident I will find something. If worse comes to worst I'll hire a private driver, which I know will cost a fortune.

I know there is no car return in Plitvice as I've learned from my searches. Oddly enough, a Google search produces several rental possibilities in Plitvice, although when I checked further, "no results" always comes up.
A couple of people said the car return in Zagreb was very difficult so I wanted to avoid that. I will probably wind up taking the bus from Split and I will also take the bus to Zagreb.

I am sure it will all work out!

Yes. I'm an experienced traveler and don't usually stress about such things!

Yes, getbybus is an aggregator for bus companies. On their site, I see two bus services available for 1st June, plus some which can't be booked through getbybus. There is also an earlier bus from Zadar, if you look to break the journey down, but that may mean staying overnight in Zadar (not a hardship if you've time). I looked from Sibenik too but there didn't seem to be any extra services from there. Is there a problem with arriving in the early evening (one arrives about 6pm and the other 8pm)? You could also check Flixbus closer to the time to see if their timetables have changed. My experience of buses in Croatia is that people don't generally book a long way ahead. We found bus services in Croatia to be good. Of course, covid means that things may not be back to normal yet, I have no idea about that.

Interestingly, there are a lot more services from Plitvice to Zagreb. Where are those buses coming from? They won't be originating in Plitvice so it may pay to check the timetables for those bus companies to see if anything else turns up. It's a long journey, no matter how you do it, from Split to Plitvice so breaking the journey might be a good option.

I'd also check whether there is more than one bus stop in Plitvice. https://getbybus.com/en/bus-from-plitvice-lakes

Hi, dreamon, thank you for your research. I was actually planning a day trip to Zadar from Split so instead I will cut off one night from Split and spend it in Zadar. Less time on the bus! And I have 3 full days in Split so it should be fine.
The problem with arriving in Plitvice in the evening is that it's a wasted day. I'm staying 2 nights in Plitvice and was planning to do Entrance 1 the day of arrival and entrance 2 the following morning. If I can somehow work it out and if time permits, I'd like to see Una Park on the last afternoon, otherwise, more time in Plitvice Park.
I've booked my bus tickets so I'm all set from Split/Zadar/Plitvice/Zagreb and I can forget about it. This is all making me feel very old as I never usually plan anything but my hotels in advance but, as I said, I can relax and forget about it.
All I need to worry about now is staying Covid free so I will be allowed into Croatia!! TY again.

That sounds like a smart idea, panecott. You'll be able to spend longer at Plitvice on your first day; avoid a long bus ride; and Zadar is great at night, with the light installation on the waterfront. One thing to be aware of is that the main bus station in Zadar is at some distance from the centre of town and, if you're like us, you may wish to catch a local bus into town. It's easily done if you know to expect it (which we didn't).

I really enjoyed the glass museum in Zadar and a drink on the waterfront in the early evening is really pleasant. You risk attempting too much but if you make an early start from Split you could perhaps stop briefly at Sibenik. We had a couple of nights there because we also visited Krka NP from there but Sibenik is compact and easily walked. But that might give you travel indigestion?

Hi, dreamon, I have a Croatian friend who is actually from Zadar and it was she who first told me about it so I will ask her about the bus into town. She is already teaching me Croatian - at least the proper pronunciation, which should save me from sounding like a total fool. Thx for the tip about the bus.

I think I will probably skip Sibenik and see that another time. I'm already thinking of a return trip to see Istria and fill in some gaps. I am taking a small yacht cruise from Dubrovnik to Split and we have an optional excursion to Krka Park, which I'm planning to take.
Thx again for your help.