Croatia & Slovenia OR Greece???
 

My mom, aunt, and I are attempting to plan a 2 week vaca for June '07. We are deciding between Croatia & Slovenia or Greece. We enjoy culture, great towns, and great food. We love wine! We don't really want a "beach" holiday as we're not huge in to laying out all day long. But we love being on the water and near the coast. My mom and I are not museum lovers, but my aunt enjoys them. We all enjoy history and visiting different sites.
I hear wonderful things about Croatia (here is where I put on my flame-retardant suit) but what do you DO when you're there? It sounds like there are some marvelous towns, great cafes, and wonderful walkways to get lost in…. but for 12 days? I don’t want to sound ignorant and I know I need to continue researching… I was just hoping for a head start!
Also, is Greece more of a "romantic" country? Would it be better to visit with my husband?
We traveled in Germany & Salzburg last summer and it was fantastic! Just thought I would throw that in there. Visiting Berg Eltz was great as was Dachau- so those are things we enjoy.
As far as costs go, we’d like to keep lodging around 150 USD/night for all three of us. We don’t mind renting cars.
Hmmm. I think that’s it! Thanks for any help you can provide!

Greece would be my preference for you. We were there in September and the combination of great weather, great food, very interesting sights, great scenery, and not too expensive did it for us! Croatia and Slovenia are also very good, but I think Greece with its many, many old civilizations gives you more to sink your teeth into.

I agree: Greece. I've traveled in much of Europe, plus Egypt and China, and Athens remains my most impressive memeories. We were there in Oct. 2000, before the clean up for the Olympics had gotten very far, and loved it. We also went to Olympus, but not other sites like Delphi or the islands. I'm looking forward to returning.

Greece. We spent 2 1/2 wonderful weeks in Croatia this summer and have been to Greece twice. We loved Croatia so very much, but it was definatly a beach vacation.

We almost never do organized tours, but did a Key Tour on mainland Greece on one of our trips. It was a wonderful way to get around easily. We only had about 15 people on our tour, so were very lucky. From there we flew to Santorini and after a few days there, island hopped on the ferries. It was also a fantastic trip!

TXgalinGA, Thanks again for topping for me. Did you see the great info you generated for me? If you can change your trip to May, you may like what we are seriously thinking of doing. We're going to hit Slovenia and Istria and upper Croatia for 1 week to check see the natural beauty, ie. lakes, waterfalls, caves, charming villages and coastal towns. Then we'll somehow get to Venice, which is supposedly about 2 hours away by any form of transport, bus, train, or ferry. From Venice we'll board a 7 day cruise that stops in Split, Croatia and 3 Greek Islands, before stopping in Naples for the day, and then we end with Rome, where we'll fly home from. I don't know much about Katakalon or Corfu, but the shoppings great in Santorini!

Thank you very much for your suggestions!
(And zwho- you are very welcome :) ) Greece just popped into my head yesterday and now I am so very torn! I know I'll get to both places in my lifetime. I just need to figure out which would be better with my mom and aunt and which would be better with my husband.

Although it is a tough decision, I would also go with Greece. Last spring, we spent about a month in Greece, a month in Croatia, and several days in Slovenia. We thoroughly enjoyed all three countries. However, Greece is our favorite because of the tremendous culture and diversity.
We love Athens (seeing the Acropolis is beyond words) and the islands (especially the dramatic caldera on Santorini). The monasteries of Meteora are not to be missed. The Peloponnese is another favorite area with ancient sites like Epidauraus and Mycenae and stunning old towns like Mystras and Monemvasia. Greece has so much to offer, you will definitely want to return with your husband. This first trip will just leave you wanting more.

Definitely more to see in Greece but the Croatian wine is much better than the Greek wine!

It sounds like Greece would be wonderful! I'm even thinking about swinging into Istalbul. So maybe we would fly into Athens and out of Istanbul...

Do you think June would be too hot in Greece? We're coming from Texas, so we're used to heat... but we don't want 90 degree days and nights!
Thanks!

June isn't too hot except maybe in Rhodes ... but if you are thinking ONE place with mom/aunt, ANOTHER with husband, you should consider this:

-- Sounds like Mom/aunt are amenable to whichever. Reallly great Greek-going can be strenuous. With mom/aunt, in Croatia, you can travel via bus & car a lot, not too much walking. In Greece, there's lots of on/off ferries, up & down hills & mountains, stuff like that. Also on a 2 week trip in Croatia, you can be more leisurely, with maybe some laid-back time & a nap or two, for the ladies.

In GReece if you & your husband are ok with being on the move a lot, you can cover 3-4 islands plus athens in 2 weeks.. with your mom, not so much.

Just some things to consider -- best of luck!

Thanks! I should add that mom and aunt are in their 50s and are very fit ladies! So walking a lot will not be a problem. However, with the lack on air-con, being hot and sweaty the entire trip would not be something we would look forward to.

Ahhh... decisions decisions!

who mentioned lack of air-conditioning?? You really have to SEEK OUT Greek hotels who don't have A/C.

My Only problem is with your lodging budget -- I don't know any Greek hotels that are that expensive :-)). I can only recommend wonderful hotels on the water with kitchens and balconies that go for about 35-40E per double including breakfast. What to do, what to do?

Get in touch with me and maybe we can talk; too much to convey in short postings. check outmy web pages (piggybacked on a kind friend's website):
http://www.techforecast.com/Janet.htm

2 weeks is short for Greece but you can make a good start; maybe 3 islands, Athens & Nafplio.. which is a town all 3 of you would love (and a great base for visiting ancient sites).

Great! It looks like Greece is it! We have 14 days... would fitting in Istanbul be worth it? I was thinking an open jaw flight- into Athens and out of Istanbul. I don't want to be too rushed though- so maybe Turkey should be saved for another trip (??)

I just saw the last post from you TX and although I am not a big fan of Athens, I don't get it! The Acropolis is incredible, yes, but the rest of the city? I wish someone would clue me in on what I missed that makes it worth spending more then a day! Anyway, back on track, I am a big Istanbul fan and I completely think that should be left for a separate vacation when you can devote more time to seeing everything there is to enjoy there. Its got to be one of the most interesting places I've ever visited and we get around! Ofcourse I also believe you should see all you can, so if you do decide to include Istanbul, give it atleast as much time as places of interest in Greece.

Thanks zwho! It doesn't seem like many are big fans of Athens. I'm thinking 1-2 full days there max! I would love to include Turkey, but I do not want us to feel rushed. It may be better off for another trip.