Croatia - April, 2026 - Thoughts
 

We are independent, intrepid travelers in our mid-70s in good health, but not the biggest hikers. We can walk 6-7 miles/day and enjoy exploring towns, cuisine, historic sites on a slower pace than when we were younger. We would like to be 3-4 nights in each destination and can take public transportation, as we travel light. Also, can rent a car. We would like to be away about 2 weeks mid-to end of April, 2026. Any ideas gratefully appreciated.

We really liked staying in Rovinj, an attractive small town on the sea. You could also look into Opatija, the town wasn't quite as nice as Rovinj but the walk along the Lungomare was lovely. We caught the bus one way and walked back. Dubrovnik, of course, is special. Rovinj felt Venetian in look, Opatija felt Austrian, reflecting their history.

We spent 2 weeks in Croatia in September 2019. At that time we were 69 and 72, so similar in age to you and your husband. You don't have to do a lot of hiking to enjoy Croatia. This was our itinerary, and it worked out well for us.

We spent 3 nights in Dubrovnik, and that included a daytrip to the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro with a private driver. Friends of ours spent 4 nights in Dubrovnik. There is plenty to do; I don't think you would be bored with 4 nights in Dubrovnik if that is what you prefer.

We picked up our rental car the morning we left Dubrovnik, and then we drove to Split for 4 nights. In addition to exploring Split, we visited Hvar for a day, and we also spent 3/4 of a day in Trogir.

Then we drove to Plitvice Lakes NP where we spent one night. It's best to visit the lakes in the later afternoon on arrival day, and then again the next morning. This is the best way to avoid the daytripping crowds.

We then drove to Zagreb, where we spent 2 nights. I don't know if you are interested in Ljubljana in Slovenia, but from Zagreb (where we returned our car), we took the train to Ljubljana for 3 nights. We rented a car for a day to drive to Lake Bled.

My husband does all the driving. Driving in Croatia is very easy. We didn't encounter any traffic at all.

What I liked about our itinerary is that we had variety. Dubrovnik and Split are very different from Zagreb. Zagreb reminded me a little bit of Prague but not as crowded. And Ljubljana was very different from all of them.

We didn't have time to visit Korcula, but I know a lot of people like Korcula, so that's an option, too.

Here is the link to my TR in case you are interested in reading it.
Trip Report Croatia, Slovenia, and a day in Montenegro! Wow!! So Many Beautiful Places!! - Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

My favorite cities in Croatia are Split, Zagreb, and Dubrovnik, with Sibenik, Varazdin, and Porec in the running. I wasn't as enamored of Rovinj as many Fodorites, though I'm glad I visited it. It might be a bit on the quiet side in April; I trust those with more knowledge will weigh in. For the Lungomare KayF mentioned, consider Lovran rather than Opatija -- when I was there, Opatija was a completely filled with noisy, drunken Brits and Germans. In contrast, Lovran was a bit worn, but very charming. A stay of 3 or 4 nights might be a bit much there.

The Rough Guide to Croatia beats all the other available guidebooks, IME, and is well worth the investment.

I was posting at the same time as KarenWoo!

Four nights would be one to many for me in Dubrovnik, even with a day trip to Montenegro; YMMV. Korcula is delightful, but again, April might be too early and a stay of 3 or 4 nights might be too much for non-hikers. Trogir is a splendid day trip from Split. The Plitvice Lakes are among Croatia's gems; I agree with KarenWoo that it's best to plan to visit half the park one day, stay the night, then visit the other falls the next morning. Zagreb offers a lot; a stay of 3 or 4 nights could be quite rewarding. Should you decide to add Slovenia, Lljubljiana is delightful and Lakes Bled and Bohinj (easy day trips from Lljubljiana) are stunning.

We last visited Croatia in 2019, our last international trips before Covid! Our itinerary (we had >2 weeks) may give you some ideas, though a guidebook or two would help narrow it down, with limited time.

We flew open jaw into Zagreb, out of Dubrovnik. We rented a car leaving Zagreb, with bases (listed sequentially) in Rovinj (the Istrian wine region is beautiful), Plitvice (fabulous), Split (also visiting Sibenik, Trogir), Hvar (for an island experience), Mostar (Bosnia), Kotor (Montenegro) eventually returning the car at Dubrovnik.

Late April/May would be better, if possible.

I forgot to add that our flights were open-jaw. We flew into Dubrovnik, and we flew home from Ljubljana.

Thanks all of you for your helpful, quick responses! We are going to sort through some information and be back with questions (I am sure) in a little time.

For guidebooks, I used Rough Guides and Fodors to plan our trip.

We have the guidebooks and are ready to dig into this, but here is a concern. We are good, independent travelers, but not quite a steady on our feet as when we were younger. I read this and am hesitant now:Cobbled streets in Croatian old towns (e.g., Dubrovnik, Split) are notoriously slippery, uneven, and often steep, making them difficult for heavy suitcases and potentially hazardous for walking. The polished limestone can become dangerous, especially when wet. Comments?

Almost all European cities and towns have cobbled streets, especially in the historic center.

Dubrovnik and Split are no different, and I agree pulling a suitcase on those streets is difficult and inconvenient. We were in both these cities last May and saw some rain in the former. The walls were closed due to heavy rain when we were there in 2014. Luckily this time it was mostly bright and sunny, though you do need to watch your step when it rains. Actually, even otherwise, as you can easily twist your ankle on the uneven cobblestones.

IMO Split is easier as the historic center is pretty small and compact, you could find accommodation outside so that you aren’t hampered with your bags. I also suggest restricting yourself to a carry-on size suitcase which can be managed without much trouble. We’ve learned to travel this way over the years, with just a week’s worth of clothes. Works perfectly fine.

However, I don’t know this would be a dealbreaker for me, I would continue to visit Europe as long as I can. But it’s your vacation, your call, I’m sure you’ll make the best decision.

There is a bid difference between cobble stone and polished limestone. Streets in Split and Dubrovnik are not especially “cobbly.” Where did you read that?

Streets in the old town of both can be slippery when wet. But certainly you can plan your accommodation outside so you do not have to roll suitcases in. Both cities have new, modern parts with hotels that have elevators. Other places have more uneven surfaces than these two cities, but it is not difficult to avoid dragging a suitcase up a hill, so don’t worry about that.

As rialtogrl notes, cobbles and polished limestone are entirely different beasts. My memory of the main streets through Dubrovnik's inner city and Split's Diocletian Palace and lungomare are of polished stone -- slippery when wet, but very easy to navigate. I remember some cobbled bits here and there ... but nothing that should pose a major difficulty.

Dubrovnik's main drag:
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4629c92ca.jpeg

Split's lungomare:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...008a09c9e.jpeg

An entrance to Split's Diocletian Palace:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eb64e35dd.jpeg

I would not let this stop me from visiting Croatia, including Dubrovnik and Split. As kja's photos show, the main areas are flat. Split was very easy for walking. I honestly don't remember any hills. Dubrovnik does have hills on the sides. Think of it as a valley, I guess. Flat in the middle, but hilly on the sides. You can find accommodations inside the walls that are NOT on the hills. We stayed at Karmen Apartments, where it is flat. There were about 4 or 5 steps to get into the building.
Apartments within medieval walls - Home

I was 69 when we were in Croatia. This was September 2019. In May 2019 I had my right hip replaced. And I was ready to go by September. I brought a walking stick but I didn't need it. Our trip was originally scheduled for May 2019, but my arthritis worsened, and I needed the surgery, so we cancelled and rescheduled for September.

Just make sure you have good sturdy walking shoes, which I am sure you do since you travel a lot.

There are hills around Split, and many people choose to climb to an overlook in Marjan -- the view of Split from there is impressive! But you don't need to do that. And there are some cobbled and stepped areas within Dubrovnik's walls -- what I showed in post # 13 is the main area. But as rialtogrl noted, even the cobbled areas of Dubrovnik aren't particularly rounded and so aren't difficult to walk, or at least, that was my experience. Here's a shot of one of the alleys inside the walls, near the walls.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...32d71a67e.jpeg

The problem with some of the steps up to the Dubrovnik walls is they do not all have railings. And they can be steep. But they are easily avoided if necessary. The ground level is flat.

If one is worried about slippery surfaces I would avoid staying in the old town of either city, because if it rains, you have no choice but to walk on them.

We didn't have the time to walk to the overlook in Marjan, and it's not necessary to do this to enjoy Split, as kja says.

You all are helping us so very much and we are very appreciative. We are still considering. My husband had a fall late November with internal bleeding and is still recovering strength-wise and with PT. This is why we are waffling so... I will keep you posted as your posts have been so useful as we make this decision.

I'd forgotten about how slippery the paving can be in Dubrovnik. It's not all slippery when wet, only certain areas. I looked at some old photos and there are a lot of stairs there as well. If photos would help your decision, I'm happy to post some here.

Please do!

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...721866589e.jpg
Dubrovnik old town

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dbe8675d15.jpg
old town stairs

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fab3eca5ed.jpg
Beyond the walls are newer buildings

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c79a7329bd.jpg
In the old town, a small market

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...25327dff4d.jpg
old town stairs

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bfa172b617.jpg
Dubrovnik, climbing up to the walls. The walls won't have changed but the entrance, exit and fees will have changed by now. Fantastic views.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f2d539e341.jpg
Up on the walls

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bf4f1f5375.jpg
Taken from outside the city walls

Agree with KayF, the views from the walls are fabulous, but the stairs are quite steep in parts. However, my husband did perfectly well despite his double knee replacement, so do consider the trip. Of course you know best what your husband would be able to handle and the decision is yours.

Re tickets, I believe we bought a consolidated ticket for about €32 which gave us access to the walls and some museums in the old town. Also the bus service, though we didn’t use it. The actual wall ticket costs almost the same, but with this one we got to see other places too.

I cannot thank all of you enough for your helpful and thoughtful comments and suggestions! Just read the amazing trip report and these pictures are extremely helpful. We are no longer concerned about the walking/surfaces/hikes etc. with this information. Honestly, we are torn between this destination and going to Japan. For either, we are thinking this is a little too close timing and we need to research both more and aim for Fall. Although, at 76, sometimes postponing is not a good idea. We love the Fodorite community and appreciate you. I will stay in touch;).

virginiafish,
My husband and I loved Croatia when we went in the 2021, just as the world was opening up during the pandemic era. My TR is on the board, too (and I did find KarenWoo’s TR to be very helpful!).

We were lucky in that the cruise ships had barely started up again , so a place like Dubrovnik, which can get very crowded, was blissfully manageable. We enjoyed Split, doing day trips from there to Hvar (thanks KarenWoo!) and Trogir. We absolutely loved Rovinj and the region though I don’t know what April would be like. But we had one of our favorite meals in Motovun and the views form there were splendiferous! And we loved Korcula - a beautiful island, and pretty happening at the end of September.

But honestly, if it was me and it was a choice between Croatia and Japan, we also loved (loved!) Japan and as the travel gets harder as we get older, I’d recommend doing the harder trips first.

"But honestly, if it was me and it was a choice between Croatia and Japan, we also loved (loved!) Japan and as the travel gets harder as we get older, I’d recommend doing the harder trips first."

Thanks for this sage advice. We are processing the options and progol, I am going to read your Japan reports.

I also loved both.
And I always try to do harder trips before easier ones.
Whether Croatia or Japan is easier depends, I think, on exactly what one wants to see and do.

Hi, virginiafish, I’m embarrassed to say I never finished my second Japan TR but my first one is, I think, really a good overview for a first time visitor. Feel free to contact me if you have additional questions; there are a lot of good TRs on the Asia board but I’m not on it as much as I used to be.

kja makes a good point as to which trip would be more difficult but, for me, those long haul trips are harder because of both the time it takes to travel and adjusting to the time difference. We found Croatia very easy especially since we did rent a car for a good part of the trip and driving was very easy.

what part of Croatia?

Dear fellow Fodorites, I appreciate all the time and thoughts you shared on this thread. You have helped us so much over many years. I wanted to share that due to health issues and the challenges of travel with the state of the world right now, we have put a pause on any big trips for a time. We were gifted a week in April to Hilton Head and we are just going to head there and then see if we want an adventure, which would be very last minute, in May. Wishing well to all.