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- - Croatia (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/croatia-82291/)

Has anyone been to Croatia lately? I'd love to go to Split and Dubrovnic. Has anyone been there? Is it safe for Americans? It seems awfully close to Yugoslavia and I think it's safe to say they don't care for us there. How do the Bosnians feel about Americans? I'd like to hear from anyone who has toured Croatia about their experiences. Thanks!

We made a car tour in Slovenia and norhern Croatia in July and enjoyed our trip. We didn't drive as far as Split and Dubrovnic because we are from Finland and there was enough driving all though Sweden, Germany and Austria. In Croatia we visited Opatija, Zagreb and Varazdin. Opatija was a BEAUTIFUL town on the norhern coast of Croatia. It was something like a miniature Salzburg placed on the Adriatic see. Opatija used to be a resort where the Habsburgian court of Austria spent their holidays and that could be seen very well from the architecture. Zagreb was also interesting. It had a kind of small town atmosphere. Also a lot of very beautiful buildings. Varazdin was a small town close to the border between Croatia and Hungary. Interesting baroque architecture. Well worth a stop if you are in the area, but perhaps not worth going if you only think of staying in southern Croatia. I've never been to Split or Dubrovnic, but my grandparents went to Dubrovnic and Hvar island many times in the 70s and they really loved those places. We didn't even think that it would be unsafe in Croatia. The roads were in good condition, food was great. Try cevapcici and rasnizi (sorry my spelling). One of them is local meat balls and the other is meat skewer.

My grandmother went to Split and Dubrovnic, too! That's why I want to go. Thanks for the info on other towns.

Hi Paige You will love it in Dubrovnik and Split. We traveled the whole coast of Croatia this spring - it is VERY SAFE. My favorite places were Dubrovnik and Trogir, needless to say a lot of history. Make sure to take a tour of the old city of Dubrovnik (jewel of the Adriatic)you will not regret it. As for the roads, they were in good condition - although the drivers are quite fast and like to tail gate. My only regret is that we didn't have time to travel to some of the many interesting islands.

We took a week long trip to Croatia after our stay in Italy and it was wonderful! We arrived in Split after an overnight ferry from Ancona and arrived just in time for sunrise. The town boarders the harbor and is lined with palm trees. We stayed at the Hotel Bellevue which was a great location but no air conditioning (and we needed it in the heaaat wave!). I would recommend staying at the Hotel Split next time for that reason. Took a day trip to Trogir which I would highly recommend! Next stop was the island of Hvar. This is where they grow lavendar so the island smells wonderful. We stayed 4 nights on Hvar and wandered the harbor town, ate wonderful fresh seafood dinners for next to nothing and was able to take a day trip to the island of Brac. Zlatni Rat beach is the most photographed beach in all of Croatia and I can see why. Its in the shape of a tongue and it changes shape depending upon the winds. Next stop Dubrovnik. A wonderful walled old city with little or no damage visible from the war. The Croatians have really made an effort to fix things up. Beatutiful hotels along the coast (Elizabeth Taylor stayed at the Argentina on her honeymoon!) and inexpensive, modern hotels about 5 minutes outside (by bus) the old town. We stayed at the Grant Park Hotel with all the creature comforts, including a marble bathroom and breakfast, for about $55/night. Took the evening flight (50 minutes) to Zagreb where we visited some friends. Zagreb is a very manageable city with lots of wonderful buildings and parks. We were able to see an Opera. Their Opera house was small, but filled with old world charm. All in all a wonderful trip and we hope to discover more of this country in the future. Go before it gets rediscovered! The Germans, Italians and British are already back in full force. And being an American is quite a novelty and we are made to feel welcome unlike in some other European countries.

Thanks for the info, Julia. How did you get around? Is it possible to go everywhere by train and ferry? Thanks!

From Italy (Ancona) we took the overnight ferry to Split, and I think you can take one from Brindisi to Dubrovnik as well. From Split you can take ferries or hydrofoils to the islands. The hydrofoils are much faster, but it depends upon what time of year you go as to the schedules. Hydrofoils - from Split to Hvar from Split to Brac Ferry (7 hours) - from Hvar to Dubrovnik, with a stop in Korcula (looked neat also) We flew from Dubrovnik to Zagreb - Crotian Air - which was fine and not expensive. So if you are only going to Croatia (and not Italy) I would recommend flying to Zagreb and then onto Split or Dubrovnik or Brac (one of the islands). Get a copy of the Lonely Planet's guide to Croatia also.

I went to Croatia in September 1999 and it was terrific. Very safe. Most of my trip was along the Dalmatian coast, including Split and Dubrovnic. Both were beautiful. Dubrovnic was a beautiful walled town. From the walls you get great views of the old town, and the harbor. Split is unique in the way the city is built from the Roman palace. I was on a tour for much of the time (like you, I felt just a little insecure about how safe things were, but my worries were groundless, things were very safe), so I don't really know about the transportation system. However, we rode on several ferries as part of the trip, so I believe you wouldn't find it a problem to visit the many off-shore islands by ferry. Also, if you're going to be in Zagreb, think about visiting the Plitvice Lakes, a UNESCO site and a National Park. It's a series of lakes joined by waterfalls and surrounded by forest. It was truly beautiful.

Some airlines fly directly into Split - rather than transfering in Zagreb - check it out. Also Split airport is located between the cities of Trogir and Split.

Paige - Here are some good web sites to check out. http://www.dalmatianet.com/ http://city.net/countries/croatia/ http://www.dalmacija.net/ http://islands.zems.fer.hr/index.html http://www.htz.hr/home.htm http://www.dalmatia-mid.com/hotels.htm As for hotels: Split - try Hotel Split http://www.dalmatia-mid.com/split/h_split.htm Hvar - Palace or Adriatic http://www.dalmacija.net/hvar/hvar_3h.htm Brac - stay in the town of Bol - Bretanide Hotel http://www.bol.hr/bretanide.htm Dubrovnik - walking distance to the city ( a little more expensive) - Argentina or Excelsior. Outside the city - Grant Park Dubrovnik Hotels - http://dubrovnik.laus.hr/dubrovnik3/html/hotels.html

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