I'll be traveling from Venice, and figured I would just do Istria, and maybe Pltvice, but everyone says dubrovnik is a must do. I only have 5-6 days in Croatia, so I can't fit in both,

I would rather have a more relaxed time in Istria than rush, rush, rush to get to Dubrovnik.

Nothing is a must, unless you define it that way.

You can <b>not</b> see Istria, the Plitvice Lades, and Dubrovnik in any meaningful way in just 5 or 6 days. Make your choices based on what YOU want to do.

Good luck!

Where do you head to after Croatia? That will also make a difference to how much you can fit in the time you have available. A few years ago we had 4 nights in Rovinj, 2 on Rab and 2 on Krk. The island stays felt particularly rushed and we would have liked to have seen more of Istria. Travel from Istria to Plitvice takes time, especially if you are using public transport.

I would probably just visit Istria if I had 5-6 days - plenty to see and do. You have the choice of ferry from Venice or train/bus around the coast (which obviously takes much longer).

If you want to be on the move a lot, you could visit (for example) Venice-Trieste-Piran-Rovinj-Venice. Bus and ferry services between these places are not frequent so you'd need to check schedules carefully.

Whichever service you use to travel to Istria, you won't find a big difference in travel time. The so called ferry boat (you are not allowed on deck) takes 3/5 hours depending on your destination port. The train to Trieste and bus onwards can be done in 4.5 hours. Direct bus Venice to Istria can be 4.5 hours also.
With such little time you should skip Dubrovnik.

I spent 3 weeks in Croatia. Have been to those places.Could have spent more. Just do less and do it well.They are all fabulous.If you drop Istria,spend more time in Dubrovnik/Mostar/Montenegro. If you drop Dubrovnik, days travelling through Istria/Plitvice will take your time. Great decisions!!

PolSmit, I'm interesting in your information about travelling between Venice and Croatia via Trieste as I plan to visit again. I can only find very infrequent buses from Trieste heading south. If you could send me a link to online timetables I'd really appreciate it. I'm particularly interested in Trieste or Koper to Piran and then onward to Rovinj.

I spent 3 weeks in Croatia. Have been to those places.Could have spent more. Just do less and do it well.They are all fabulous.If you drop Istria,spend more time in Dubrovnik/Mostar/Montenegro. If you drop Dubrovnik, days travelling through Istria/Plitvice will take your time. Great decisions!!

What's good to see in Montenegro?

So, between yesterday and today you've spent 3 weeks in Croatia? I'm confused!

Plan another trip in the future to see Dubrovnik, more of Dalmatia, maybe Montenegro and Bosnia. Or add more time to this trip to see more after Venice besides Istria and Plitvice.

I am planning a holiday to Croatia and am, very reluctantly, considering skipping Dubrovnik because of the crowds of people from the cruise ships (some of which have thousands of people aboard, or so I have heard). I don't know whether that's cutting off my nose to spite my face but it's definitely a factor in my thinking.

@ dreamon: Although the crowds from cruise ships can be daunting, they are now limited to at least some extent, and Dubrovnik can be glorious after they leave. Before you finalize a decision, be sure to consult the ship schedule.

There are so many beautiful places on mentioned road that I would suggest to come more times. Definetly should not rush to Dubrovnik just forit's name. Enjoy Istria, Rijeka, ... and after you will see Dubrovnik one day (it is a must nevertheless), you will return to Croatian islands and Istria.
Kind regrads from Slovenia!
JK

The schedule for cruise ship arrivals in Dubrovnik is here:

http://www.portdubrovnik.hr/girica1.php

Plan carefully!

dreamon, remember that like many touristy places, Dubrovnik will be most crowded during the day but much quieter at night. Instead of skipping Dubrovnik (if you will be anywhere nearby), why not plan a day trip or two during the day and come back in the evening when it's quiet? Dubrovnik is magical at dusk and at night when everything is lit up.

If you go, try to have a drink at the Buza Bar or at least walk down to the entrance! Great place to watch the sunset.

Thank you for the information.

Bus timetables are www.autostazionetrieste.it and www.buscroatia.com
Check links on these sites for complete routes and stops.

IN Dubrovnik the cruise ships are not the only problem, there are also a lot of big buses full of people on tours. It can get so crowded, it is really and truly uncomfortable. But you can always walk up some steps to escape. 90 percent of the visitors never walk up any steps.

Since you don't really have time for it anyway, save it for another trip, preferably after late September or before mid May. Less hordes then.