Critique my 3 week Balkans Itinerary + Budget
Apr 22nd, 2015 | 05:03 PM
#41
Original Poster
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 19
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I'm surprised to hear that Mostar tends to be mobbed with tourists! I always thought that only Split and Dubrovnik in the Balkans would be filled with tourists. We could stay in Mostar for the night and leave around 11:00 am for Sarajevo (should get us there at 1:30PM).
And good point about Trieste being more expensive! I've been to Italy before and wanted to take a day trip from Venice to Trieste but we skipped due to lack of time. So it would be nice to visit it now. It does look like the bus journey isn't that great, though. A 40 minute drive, but 2.5 hour train ride?
How much time should we schedule for the caves?
And good point about Trieste being more expensive! I've been to Italy before and wanted to take a day trip from Venice to Trieste but we skipped due to lack of time. So it would be nice to visit it now. It does look like the bus journey isn't that great, though. A 40 minute drive, but 2.5 hour train ride?
How much time should we schedule for the caves?
Apr 22nd, 2015 | 05:28 PM
#42
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 25,715
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"I always thought that only Split and Dubrovnik in the Balkans would be filled with tourists."
Not so! During high season, many places -- and many of these are SMALL places -- see a (how shall I say?) <b>robust</b> tourist presence. With little space, tourists can seem quite inescapable. And with limited supply and large demand, they can drive quite a large increase in prices beyond even shoulder-season rates (as aleksander and I discussed above). Major cities, and especially those not heavily dependent on tourism, can accommodate the crowds a bit more easily.
Not so! During high season, many places -- and many of these are SMALL places -- see a (how shall I say?) <b>robust</b> tourist presence. With little space, tourists can seem quite inescapable. And with limited supply and large demand, they can drive quite a large increase in prices beyond even shoulder-season rates (as aleksander and I discussed above). Major cities, and especially those not heavily dependent on tourism, can accommodate the crowds a bit more easily.
Apr 22nd, 2015 | 06:04 PM
#43
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,369
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I visited the Škocjan caves, not Postojna. Postojna is apparently easier to do by public transportation than Škocjan (I had a car).
I popped open my Rick Steves book. He says: tours of the Postojna caves take 1.5 hours, and in high season you may have to wait up to 40 minutes for morning tours (lots of tour buses) or 15 minutes otherwise. Tours supposedly leave at the top of every hour but you can check the online schedule on the web.
Also, according to RS, it's supposedly a 5 min walk from the bus stop to the caves entrance vs. a 20 min walk from the train station in town.
As to Predjama Castle he says, "If you're using public transportation, it's not too difficult to reach the caves, but expensive and/or time consuming to see the castle." (5.5 miles from the caves entrance) - so your only options are taking a taxi or hitching a ride with someone you might make friends with on the tour. ;-)
I popped open my Rick Steves book. He says: tours of the Postojna caves take 1.5 hours, and in high season you may have to wait up to 40 minutes for morning tours (lots of tour buses) or 15 minutes otherwise. Tours supposedly leave at the top of every hour but you can check the online schedule on the web.
Also, according to RS, it's supposedly a 5 min walk from the bus stop to the caves entrance vs. a 20 min walk from the train station in town.
As to Predjama Castle he says, "If you're using public transportation, it's not too difficult to reach the caves, but expensive and/or time consuming to see the castle." (5.5 miles from the caves entrance) - so your only options are taking a taxi or hitching a ride with someone you might make friends with on the tour. ;-)
Apr 22nd, 2015 | 06:19 PM
#44
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 25,715
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"Postojna is apparently easier to do by public transportation than Škocjan"
Maybe -- but as I noted above, the Škocjan caves should be easy to visit by public transportation. But like Andrew, I had a car when I visited them.
Maybe -- but as I noted above, the Škocjan caves should be easy to visit by public transportation. But like Andrew, I had a car when I visited them.
Apr 22nd, 2015 | 11:45 PM
#45
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 73
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Postojna is much easier to do by public transport and in main season you can buy ticket which include also Predjama Castle with free shuttle bus between them.
I was there last August and it was very busy, many tour buses, but still manageable. Slovenia is luckily less known tourist destination, with far less tourists than Croatia, so for me much more enjoyable.
I was there last August and it was very busy, many tour buses, but still manageable. Slovenia is luckily less known tourist destination, with far less tourists than Croatia, so for me much more enjoyable.
