Croatia and Slovenia - Itinerary Help
Apr 29th, 2024, 10:03 AM
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Croatia and Slovenia - Itinerary Help
Hi -
My family and I are planning a trip to Croatia and Slovenia in August. We have not bought tickets yet but plan on flying into Ljubijana on August 12 and out of Zagreb on August 23. This is of course flexible, these connections just seem to be the most efficient at the moment.
We have four kids under the age of 12 and have been traveling abroad with them about once a year since they were born. They have been all over and are generally ok with doing whatever (and their favorite part is always the plane ride).
I have done several rushed itinerary type trips and would like help balancing between not being rushed and making good use of time. I think we'd be most interested in scenario and small towns.
I have read through all the recent posts on these countries as well as RS and Lonely Planet. I have mapped out a little itinerary but hoping to get some boots-on-the-ground feedback of maybe some smaller out of the way places to stay near the towns I mentioned. Any and all other advice is much appreciated!
The tentative plan is as follows:
Fly in to Ljubljana
then to Trieste
then make way down to Zadar area
then up through Plitice Lakes
then to Zagreb
I figured this would be a good swatch for 12-13 days-ish but not really sure practically. Thanks again for your help!
My family and I are planning a trip to Croatia and Slovenia in August. We have not bought tickets yet but plan on flying into Ljubijana on August 12 and out of Zagreb on August 23. This is of course flexible, these connections just seem to be the most efficient at the moment.
We have four kids under the age of 12 and have been traveling abroad with them about once a year since they were born. They have been all over and are generally ok with doing whatever (and their favorite part is always the plane ride).
I have done several rushed itinerary type trips and would like help balancing between not being rushed and making good use of time. I think we'd be most interested in scenario and small towns.
I have read through all the recent posts on these countries as well as RS and Lonely Planet. I have mapped out a little itinerary but hoping to get some boots-on-the-ground feedback of maybe some smaller out of the way places to stay near the towns I mentioned. Any and all other advice is much appreciated!
The tentative plan is as follows:
Fly in to Ljubljana
then to Trieste
then make way down to Zadar area
then up through Plitice Lakes
then to Zagreb
I figured this would be a good swatch for 12-13 days-ish but not really sure practically. Thanks again for your help!
Apr 29th, 2024, 11:06 AM
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A few questions: how are all of you going to be traveling? Car? Train? Ferry? Be wary that there might be a drop off fee into one country and out of another if you rent a car. It would be helpful to know more about all (six?) of you and your interests to provide suggestions. Ages of the littles?
One impression: all three airports are generally very close to each other. You could, theoretically, if it works from your home airport to Trieste for example. On the topic of Trieste - is there a particular site or landmark you are hoping to see there? Personally, while I have been to Trieste and did (mostly) enjoy the town, I also would have preferred to have spent my time elsewhere. It is one of the few places I have ever traveled to that disappointed me. YMMV.
Are you just traveling to Ljubljana or are you planning on visiting more of Slovenia? Same with Zagreb - are you planning on visiting Zagreb? If so, it would be a bit rushed for my taste given everything else you are wanting to also include.
I have done a similar itinerary as yours to my first trip to Slovenia and Croatia (with both Venice and Trieste) but did not include Zadar until a later trip. Zadar is a bit of an outlier to your itinerary given its location.
If it were me, I'd want to spend more time along the Istrian coast. But that is me and my interests. Pula, Croatia has a Roman arena for example. It is still in use and is actually better preserved than the Colosseum in Rome (albeit smaller). In August they do a little skit in the arena with actors as Romans. It is in English and a little corny, but entertaining (I did not buy a ticket, just watched from the outside) - it is a very popular event. Depending on yours and your kids' interests, the Istria region might be a better use of your time than Trieste (which also might be considered to be part of Istria, technically). Again, absolutely your decision and YMMV.
One word of caution. It will be horrendously busy in this area during this time of year. I absolutely despised Zadar in August and will never return to that city during the month of August. I did like the town, though, and will gladly return...another time of year!
One impression: all three airports are generally very close to each other. You could, theoretically, if it works from your home airport to Trieste for example. On the topic of Trieste - is there a particular site or landmark you are hoping to see there? Personally, while I have been to Trieste and did (mostly) enjoy the town, I also would have preferred to have spent my time elsewhere. It is one of the few places I have ever traveled to that disappointed me. YMMV.
Are you just traveling to Ljubljana or are you planning on visiting more of Slovenia? Same with Zagreb - are you planning on visiting Zagreb? If so, it would be a bit rushed for my taste given everything else you are wanting to also include.
I have done a similar itinerary as yours to my first trip to Slovenia and Croatia (with both Venice and Trieste) but did not include Zadar until a later trip. Zadar is a bit of an outlier to your itinerary given its location.
If it were me, I'd want to spend more time along the Istrian coast. But that is me and my interests. Pula, Croatia has a Roman arena for example. It is still in use and is actually better preserved than the Colosseum in Rome (albeit smaller). In August they do a little skit in the arena with actors as Romans. It is in English and a little corny, but entertaining (I did not buy a ticket, just watched from the outside) - it is a very popular event. Depending on yours and your kids' interests, the Istria region might be a better use of your time than Trieste (which also might be considered to be part of Istria, technically). Again, absolutely your decision and YMMV.
One word of caution. It will be horrendously busy in this area during this time of year. I absolutely despised Zadar in August and will never return to that city during the month of August. I did like the town, though, and will gladly return...another time of year!
Last edited by Travel_Nerd; Apr 29th, 2024 at 11:09 AM.
Apr 29th, 2024, 12:34 PM
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A few questions: how are all of you going to be traveling? Car? Train? Ferry? Be wary that there might be a drop off fee into one country and out of another if you rent a car. It would be helpful to know more about all (six?) of you and your interests to provide suggestions. Ages of the littles?
One impression: all three airports are generally very close to each other. You could, theoretically, if it works from your home airport to Trieste for example. On the topic of Trieste - is there a particular site or landmark you are hoping to see there? Personally, while I have been to Trieste and did (mostly) enjoy the town, I also would have preferred to have spent my time elsewhere. It is one of the few places I have ever traveled to that disappointed me. YMMV.
Are you just traveling to Ljubljana or are you planning on visiting more of Slovenia? Same with Zagreb - are you planning on visiting Zagreb? If so, it would be a bit rushed for my taste given everything else you are wanting to also include.
I have done a similar itinerary as yours to my first trip to Slovenia and Croatia (with both Venice and Trieste) but did not include Zadar until a later trip. Zadar is a bit of an outlier to your itinerary given its location.
If it were me, I'd want to spend more time along the Istrian coast. But that is me and my interests. Pula, Croatia has a Roman arena for example. It is still in use and is actually better preserved than the Colosseum in Rome (albeit smaller). In August they do a little skit in the arena with actors as Romans. It is in English and a little corny, but entertaining (I did not buy a ticket, just watched from the outside) - it is a very popular event. Depending on yours and your kids' interests, the Istria region might be a better use of your time than Trieste (which also might be considered to be part of Istria, technically). Again, absolutely your decision and YMMV.
One word of caution. It will be horrendously busy in this area during this time of year. I absolutely despised Zadar in August and will never return to that city during the month of August. I did like the town, though, and will gladly return...another time of year!
One impression: all three airports are generally very close to each other. You could, theoretically, if it works from your home airport to Trieste for example. On the topic of Trieste - is there a particular site or landmark you are hoping to see there? Personally, while I have been to Trieste and did (mostly) enjoy the town, I also would have preferred to have spent my time elsewhere. It is one of the few places I have ever traveled to that disappointed me. YMMV.
Are you just traveling to Ljubljana or are you planning on visiting more of Slovenia? Same with Zagreb - are you planning on visiting Zagreb? If so, it would be a bit rushed for my taste given everything else you are wanting to also include.
I have done a similar itinerary as yours to my first trip to Slovenia and Croatia (with both Venice and Trieste) but did not include Zadar until a later trip. Zadar is a bit of an outlier to your itinerary given its location.
If it were me, I'd want to spend more time along the Istrian coast. But that is me and my interests. Pula, Croatia has a Roman arena for example. It is still in use and is actually better preserved than the Colosseum in Rome (albeit smaller). In August they do a little skit in the arena with actors as Romans. It is in English and a little corny, but entertaining (I did not buy a ticket, just watched from the outside) - it is a very popular event. Depending on yours and your kids' interests, the Istria region might be a better use of your time than Trieste (which also might be considered to be part of Istria, technically). Again, absolutely your decision and YMMV.
One word of caution. It will be horrendously busy in this area during this time of year. I absolutely despised Zadar in August and will never return to that city during the month of August. I did like the town, though, and will gladly return...another time of year!
I was intending on renting a car as it typically gives us a little more freedom. If there's a long stretch that's better off by train I would be open to that but I generally just pay the extra fees and drive.
The kids are 12, 10, 6 an 4. Their main concerns are the flight and hotels. They are generally ok with anything else. I am thinking mostly of scenery, beaches an small towns.
Nothing particular about Trieste. A couple people on here have commented it is lovely and underrated and it was near where we were going so I threw it in, not married to the idea.
As far as Ljubljana and Zagreb, those were just the airports so they were necessary bookends of the trip. I am more interested in smaller towns/countryside then spending most of it in a city. I was hoping to have maybe four places to stay several nights each.
Thank you for your advice on Istrian coast. Exactly what I was looking for! Yes, I am trying to find areas (if any) that will be less busy. We have always traveled during shoulder season but my wife does not want to take the kids out of school this year so I had to reluctantly agree to August. Any tips on less busy areas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Apr 29th, 2024, 12:54 PM
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Unfortunately, August is when most Europeans take their vacations. This region is extremely popular with Germans, but also with French, Italians, etc. If you can do your vacation at any other time like June or July, that would be when I'd go. It will still be busy, but less so.
Don't get me wrong about Trieste - it is perfectly lovely and I'd agree it might be underrated. But, given your goals for more scenic areas and whatnot, I'd not focus on going to a city. It is busier than what one might expect, but it is an university town and not sure what the landscape might be during the summer. FWIW, I was there early September and just after Venice (assuming classes were in session when I went). I'd really take a look at some guidebooks, look at google maps (and google images) if this or any other area would be an interest as to what you and your family want to do/see.
It is actually a shame you won't be spending any time in Ljubljana itself - to me, this city is truly overlooked and underrated as most people ignore it in favor of Bled. It is a relatively "small" city in scheme of things, 300k inhabitants and surrounded by mountains/hills.
Piran, Slovenia on the coast might be enjoyable enough. I was, personally, bored (solo trip) after my first full day. Given that I was there in mid-August 2022 I did not feel it was overwhelming and might give your kids some beach time if they want some. I do not recall much of an actual beach in the town (there might be one nearby) but there is water access with nearby cafes/bars. There are some historical areas in and around it as well.
If you rent a car, you would have to check 1) if you can take it from one country to another and 2) if you are even allowed to drop it off in another country and 3) how much that one-way might cost - it might be hefty unless you plan to rent more than one car. You will need a vignette to drive in Slovenia. Might need to check to see if International Driving Permits are required by the respective nations. Also, someone just posted on here that they got stopped at the motorway border between Croatia and Slovenia. Despite that these countries are both in Schengen/EU Zone now, that might be something you may have to contend with and might need paperwork for (insurance, approval across borders, etc.). I don't personally drive in Europe and prefer bus and ferry (which is common in this region over train in most instances).
Don't get me wrong about Trieste - it is perfectly lovely and I'd agree it might be underrated. But, given your goals for more scenic areas and whatnot, I'd not focus on going to a city. It is busier than what one might expect, but it is an university town and not sure what the landscape might be during the summer. FWIW, I was there early September and just after Venice (assuming classes were in session when I went). I'd really take a look at some guidebooks, look at google maps (and google images) if this or any other area would be an interest as to what you and your family want to do/see.
It is actually a shame you won't be spending any time in Ljubljana itself - to me, this city is truly overlooked and underrated as most people ignore it in favor of Bled. It is a relatively "small" city in scheme of things, 300k inhabitants and surrounded by mountains/hills.
Piran, Slovenia on the coast might be enjoyable enough. I was, personally, bored (solo trip) after my first full day. Given that I was there in mid-August 2022 I did not feel it was overwhelming and might give your kids some beach time if they want some. I do not recall much of an actual beach in the town (there might be one nearby) but there is water access with nearby cafes/bars. There are some historical areas in and around it as well.
If you rent a car, you would have to check 1) if you can take it from one country to another and 2) if you are even allowed to drop it off in another country and 3) how much that one-way might cost - it might be hefty unless you plan to rent more than one car. You will need a vignette to drive in Slovenia. Might need to check to see if International Driving Permits are required by the respective nations. Also, someone just posted on here that they got stopped at the motorway border between Croatia and Slovenia. Despite that these countries are both in Schengen/EU Zone now, that might be something you may have to contend with and might need paperwork for (insurance, approval across borders, etc.). I don't personally drive in Europe and prefer bus and ferry (which is common in this region over train in most instances).
Apr 29th, 2024, 01:14 PM
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Great stuff thank you! If Ljubljana is worth it then I'm all for spending a few nights there. Piran seems our speed. Thanks for the heads up on driving. I've driven throughout most of Europe and there's always something to be mindful of and they do hit you with fees but I typically enjoy it (excluding the major cities of course!)
Apr 29th, 2024, 03:27 PM
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IMO, Ljubljana is absolutely worth it. It’s a beautiful city architecturally with a river running through it and some very pretty bridges. There is a castle the kids might enjoy. We did one of the “free” walking tours where you tip the guide at the end. Well worth it.
Your family might like Lake Bled, too. It’s beautiful and you would be able to swim there. However, I think it will be extremely crowded. It was very busy when we were there in September 2019. If you are interested, you could spend 3 nights in Ljubljana and 2 or 3 nights in Lake Bled.
Your kids will love the hike around Plitvice Lake NP. I recommend spending one night there. Visit the upper lakes in the afternoon and the lower lakes the next morning (or vice versa) to avoid the worse of the day tripper crowds.
Have you researched more of Slovenia? I know there are caves (we didn’t visit) that your kids might enjoy.
And Zagreb is worth 2 nights. It’s a very interesting city and architecturally it’s very different from Ljubljana and other parts of Croatia. Reminds me of a smaller version of Prague.
Your family might like Lake Bled, too. It’s beautiful and you would be able to swim there. However, I think it will be extremely crowded. It was very busy when we were there in September 2019. If you are interested, you could spend 3 nights in Ljubljana and 2 or 3 nights in Lake Bled.
Your kids will love the hike around Plitvice Lake NP. I recommend spending one night there. Visit the upper lakes in the afternoon and the lower lakes the next morning (or vice versa) to avoid the worse of the day tripper crowds.
Have you researched more of Slovenia? I know there are caves (we didn’t visit) that your kids might enjoy.
And Zagreb is worth 2 nights. It’s a very interesting city and architecturally it’s very different from Ljubljana and other parts of Croatia. Reminds me of a smaller version of Prague.
Apr 29th, 2024, 03:58 PM
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IMO, Ljubljana is absolutely worth it. It’s a beautiful city architecturally with a river running through it and some very pretty bridges. There is a castle the kids might enjoy. We did one of the “free” walking tours where you tip the guide at the end. Well worth it.
Your family might like Lake Bled, too. It’s beautiful and you would be able to swim there. However, I think it will be extremely crowded. It was very busy when we were there in September 2019. If you are interested, you could spend 3 nights in Ljubljana and 2 or 3 nights in Lake Bled.
Your kids will love the hike around Plitvice Lake NP. I recommend spending one night there. Visit the upper lakes in the afternoon and the lower lakes the next morning (or vice versa) to avoid the worse of the day tripper crowds.
Have you researched more of Slovenia? I know there are caves (we didn’t visit) that your kids might enjoy.
And Zagreb is worth 2 nights. It’s a very interesting city and architecturally it’s very different from Ljubljana and other parts of Croatia. Reminds me of a smaller version of Prague.
Your family might like Lake Bled, too. It’s beautiful and you would be able to swim there. However, I think it will be extremely crowded. It was very busy when we were there in September 2019. If you are interested, you could spend 3 nights in Ljubljana and 2 or 3 nights in Lake Bled.
Your kids will love the hike around Plitvice Lake NP. I recommend spending one night there. Visit the upper lakes in the afternoon and the lower lakes the next morning (or vice versa) to avoid the worse of the day tripper crowds.
Have you researched more of Slovenia? I know there are caves (we didn’t visit) that your kids might enjoy.
And Zagreb is worth 2 nights. It’s a very interesting city and architecturally it’s very different from Ljubljana and other parts of Croatia. Reminds me of a smaller version of Prague.
Apr 30th, 2024, 02:43 PM
#8
We loved our time in Piran although it was quite some time ago - Tito was busy dying and it was still Yugoslavia. It is a walled, medieval town and had a lot of character. I Thought the statue of the violinist Tartini in the main square was a nice touch instead of the usual General with sword. When we were there one had to park outside the walls and walk in. One could bring in the car only to unload luggage and passengers and then had to leave. Our son then about 10 was with us and he liked Piran.
Last edited by basingstoke2; Apr 30th, 2024 at 02:47 PM.
Apr 30th, 2024, 03:18 PM
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I am certainly not an expert on Slovenia. Regarding crowds, I guess it depends on where you are. I do remember that Lake Bled was very, very crowded in September. We visited for a day from Ljubljana, and we had to drive around and around to find a parking spot by the lake. We had a nice lunch overlooking Lake Bled. People were still swimming. I imagine that August would be even more crowded at Lake Bled. Not sure about other places in Slovenia.
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