WLMIV

Hello:

Brainstorming here to see if this would be possible.

I am wondering if it would be possible to travel from Croatia to Greece by boat. I do not need to go by boat, but that would be my preferred method. I did see an overland tour from Dubrovnik to Athens which is ideal in order see something different in the mountainous countryside, but it seems they emphasize a lot of partying (which I really do not want to do - I am not a Puritan, but I prefer to enjoy the day and not be hung over), and I would prefer my own room than a shared room. I by no means need special accommodations like upscale hotels other than quiet relaxation.

I was thinking of an itinerary that would go from Zagreb to Spit. I would travel the Spit area for a week. I would then travel to Dubrovnik region and maybe spend a week around there.

I would then travel to Corfu or Patras depending on the boat service. I did read somewhere that there is no boat service from Dubrovnik to Patras and that one must take a boat to Bari Italy and then to Patras. Is this true?

From there I would continue to the Peloponnese - then Athens and then maybe out to Crete and Rhodes.

I suspect the trip would be a month and half or so. I would be a solo traveler.

I am interested in a laid-back, not overly crowded places with history and culture (I, of course, realize that I will want to see of the busy places as well such as Spit for a day or two). When I was in Greece previously, I really enjoyed Spetses and Nafplion. I am hoping to find similar in Croatia and elsewhere in Greece.

Is this possible?

thursdaysd

See Rome2Rio, but check schedules on the linked websites.

If I were doing it I would do the whole thing overland by bus. In fact I did do Sarande (Albania) to Dubrovnik by bus, but there are also buses over the border from Albania to Greece. Friends of mine took the bus from Ioannina (recommended) to Gjirokastra .You could also take a ferry to Corfu from Sarande and then one to Igoumenitsa in Greece but I don't see the point unless you particularly want to go to Corfu.

Heimdall

There are no scheduled ferries between Croatia and Greece. There are ferries from Croatia to Italy, and other ferries from Italy to Greece, as you have guessed, so that would be the way to do it by water. Personally I would rather spend the time sightseeing on land rather than long stretches at sea when you can't see anything. I would fly from Croatia to Athens, but thursdaysd has a good suggestion to do it by bus.

Incidentally, the ferry trips from Athens to Crete and Rhodes are also lengthy, but most are overnight. Better to break up the journey by stopping at other islands on the way. There are many beautiful islands in the Cyclades mid-way between both Crete and Rhodes. I assume you plan to travel in the summer? Unless I missed it, you left out that important detail.

nukesafe

Of course there is a way to do just what you want, but you would have to know boats to do it alone. You could charter a small sail or power boat, or perhaps even one with a skipper. Then just head southeast. We did it many years ago in our own sailboat, and it was a wonderful adventure.

dreamon

Which tour provider did you look at for the Dubrovnik to Athens trip? Intrepid Travel have one which I'd looked at myself as an option for the future. I've only travelled with them once and enjoyed it. There was a varied age range and it certainly wasn't lots of drinking and partying (although that may happen on some tours they run). They offer single supplement as well for this tour. But it's not particularly cheap compared with doing it yourself although sometimes it's worth paying to have someone look after the logistics and have company in an unfamiliar place. If you do go ahead with your plans, I'd love to hear how you got on so please come back and let us know.

WLMIV

To answer some questions asked of me:

I would be travelling in the summer.

I am not sure I would want to pilot a boat alone. Also, I am thinking it would be too expensive to pay for a captained boat unless you know otherwise.

The travel site I found was called Med Experience. I do believe that a guided tour from Dubrovnik to Athens would be best. I really do not want the responsibility of a car or a boat. I will look into Intrepid Travel.

Would anyone tell me specifically how I could travel from Dubrovnik, to Italy, to Corfu/Patras.

On the other side of the coin, specifically, how would one get from Dubrovnik to Sarande?

I would like to know what the logistics would be like in my mind .

If people have other suggestions please let me know.

Thank you.

thursdaysd

For Dubrovnik to Sarande you would take buses - no car or boat required. If you wanted to go on to Greece by bus, rather than taking the ferry via Corfu, you would take buses to Gjirokastra instead of Sarande.

For my trip in the opposite direction, bearing in mind I was taking it slowly see: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...in-in-saranda/ - links at the top of the page.

For Dubrovnik to Bari ferries see https://www.directferries.co.uk/dubr...bari_ferry.htm

For Bari to Corfu see: https://www.directferries.co.uk/bari_corfu_ferry.htm

panecott

thursday, is "Mytimetotravel" your blog? Very nice!

Like the OP, I am currently planning a trip to Croatia and want to wind up in Corfu. I have found that boat/air travel is not as convenient as I expected it to be but never thought about traveling overland by bus. Thanks for the info!

thursdaysd

Yes, panecott, thanks! I am really a train fan, but in the Balkans trains don't get you very far.

If you are thinking of overland travel you might want a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide book.

panecott

Yes, thx, thursday. I just switched my travel plans to this area and have yet to get a guide book -- but I will.

WLMIV

It appear that the ferry will coat something like 500 Euros to get from Dubrovnik to Bari to Corfu. It also seems somewhat time consuming.

Are there flights from Dubrovnik to Athens? I was looking at Ryan Air and they did not have any flights from Croatia to Greece. Do you know of an airline that flies between Greece and Croatia?

What is the route one takes overland through Albania to get to Greece? How many days would it take? Also what is the safety level of taking a bus through Albania? Do you know of any charter buses that follow this route. The 5 day tour listed here: https://medexperience.com/our-tours/...-pricing-table is perfect except, that I am likely too old (although I do not want to think it), and I would prefer my own room since I am travelling solo. I would rather see the sights than to spend a day hung over. The Intrepid tour from Croatia to Greece is 22 days (much longer than I would like): https://www.intrepidtravel.com/us/se...yword=Balkans. I have also been to Mt. Olympus and were I to go back, I would spend the night there.

I am wondering if it is more work than it is worth to get from Croatia to Corfu/Greece. Maybe it would be easier to cut across to Italy and walk the Amalfi and the Cinque Terra. However, I would prefer to go to the Greek Islands.

kja

I believe you've already been directed to rome2rio.com?

thursdaysd

According to skyscanner there are direct flights on Aegean and Croatia Airlines.

I never had any safety concerns in Albania, and I was a solo woman traveler.

There is no point in taking the buses through Montenegro and Albania unless you are interested in stopping off along the way.

Heimdall

You must now realise that despite their proximity, getting between Croatia and Greece is not easy. Chartering a boat is a non-starter unless you have a jet set budget. Aegean Airlines, an excellent carrier I often use for flights between the UK and Greece, flies to Athens from Dubrovnik and Split. Air fares aren't cheap, but when you consider the time you will save with a 2½ hour flight, might be worth consideration.

WLMIV

I would be interested in Albania. I use the Sygic app which shows some really interesting places there. It is just that Albania does not have the best reputation and that is why I ask. I'd like the Med Experience trip. The problem is that it is mostly for kids in their 20s.

Rome2rio.com is useful. Thank you.

Thank you for the recommendation on Aegean airlines. I flew with them once before. They were quite good.

kelly324

Great blog thursdaysd!!

thursdaysd

Thanks, kelly!

@WLMIV - never heard of the app, I use guidebooks.

WLMIV

Check out Sygic Travel. It is an amazing planner.

thursdaysd

If it were that good you wouldn't need to ask these questions! I planned my trip through the Balkans including Serbia and Macedonia as well as Albania just with guidebooks and some online timetables.