My husband and I are planning a trip to Croatia beginning April 21. We'd like to fly into Dubrovnik, spend 4 days there then move on to Hvar.

The ferry schedules which we can see now are, obviously, not going to be in effect next April....we are assuming there will be fewer ferries running that early in the season.

We cannot decide whether we'd be better off (1)renting a car as we leave Dubrovnik, driving to Split and hoping there is an afternoon car ferry to Hvar, (2) renting a car and taking a ferry from Dubrovnik to Hvar or (3) taking a bus to Split then passenger ferry to Hvar and pick up a car on return to Split for the remainder of our trip.

Can anyone who has been to Hvar tell us whether a car was necessary to enjoy the island? Is there public transportation in Hvar? We plan on 3 nights or 2 full days there.

I should mention that I am not interested in the option of ferry to Sucaraj and the necessary drive from there to Hvar Town, although husband would love it.....I don't do well without guardrails.

Thanks for any information to help us make this decision.

The ferries will basically be running winter schedules in April, and they don't seem to be on Jadrolinija's web site yet.
The coastal service from Dubrovnik to Stari Grad (Hvar) ran twice weekly last winter. Local ferries from Split to Stari Grad run three times a day, all year.
On the quayside at Stari Grad, there are always buses as well as taxis for Hvar town, Jelsa and other places on the island.

IMO, a car in Hvar for only 2 days is not necessary. I spent 4 nights there last September and was totally amused without needing a car. As a matter of fact, if staying in the town, a car would be a nuisance. If you were staying longer on the island I would recommend a car. I took the bus from Split to Dubrovnik and back to Split. The scenery is lovely and a car would be nice. However, the buses were easy and not a horror story as I had read in several trip reports prior to my trip. Not having a car, for me, was easier and in hindsight the right decision. When I return again (and I will as I fell in love with Croatia), I will rent a car after a stay in Dubrovnik and travel down to Montenegro. Have a wonderful time. Croatia is just wonderful.

It sounds like travel without a car, whether ferry from Dubrovnik works with our schedule or bus to Split if not, makes sense.

Thank you GeoffHamer & Dee Dee.

In two days on Hvar you could be satisfied with a car or crave one, depending on your interests and how active you are, so tell us more.
In one day you could easily see the main sights of Hvar Grad and Stari Grad. I'm not sure if boat trips to the Pakleni islands will be daily at that point, but that's another possibility (not swimming yet, but some nice walks). Walking along the coast is a nice way to spend a day.
I found the bus service (other than to Stari Grad) unreliable, so I'd consider a one-day rental to explore the island--perhaps the lavendar fields will be in bloom, you'd need a car to see that. Plus, the views are gorgeous.
I agree with the previous poster that getting from place to place is simple without a car, it's exploring within an area or on an island that does sometime warrant a rental. If you are very relaxed and leisurely though, you can sit in a cafe half the day and not feel deprived.

yorkshire, we really enjoy walking a lot when we travel....a walk up the coast might be very pleasant.

If there is a place where we can get a rental car by the day, that might be our best option if we find, for whatever reason, that we want one.

It doesn't make sense, as I think about it, to bring a car "just in case." Our expectations for a Hvar visit are simply to find a beautiful place for a few days.

The walk we found very memorable was along the coast to Milna. There is a path for a while, then you walk on rocks. There are some ruins near Milna, which we never found, but it was still a great day. We had lunch in Milna and ended up being offerred a ride back to Hvar, but I met a couple older than us who has walked there and back so that's doable.
If you spend time in Stari Grad, you may want to rent a bicycle, as I have read that there is a nice flat path between there and Jelsa.
enjoy!

Thank you, yorkshire, the walk sounds wonderful!

Milna is a true fishing village and
not to be missed. The whole village
is related--aunts, uncles, cousins,
etc. I spent the night there after visiting it during the day. Our
room overlooked the water and we
watched the fishermen bring in the
catch of the day.

Thanks, Katiemay, Milna is definitely on our list now!

The ruins near Milna is an old village
that the people from Milna abandoned.
I am not sure why, I think because of
lack of water, etc.