Croatia, Italy and Switzerland in 2 weeks
 

We are a couple in our mid-20s doing a 14- 18 day trip to Croatia, Italy and Switzerland . Budget is $3000-3500 per person including flight (about $1200). May 8-May 12 we are spending in Split, Croatia and surrounding islands. All plans for this portion of the trip have been determined. The rest we are unsure about.

May 13-May 16 We would like to take an overnight ferry from Split to Venice and spend 3-4 full days in Italy. Neither one of us has been to Italy before and would like some suggestions on the best areas to see in such a short period of time. Don't need to see big cities, although Florence would be great if it's possible.

May 17- May 21: We would travel by train (possibly overnight) to central Switzerland. Renting a car would probably be best at this point. We both snowboard, so it would be ideal to find a region where snowboarding is still a possibility at that time of year. Then we would drive to Zurich from where we can take our return flight. Also thinking about doing a layover to Amsterdam for 6-7 hrs for lunch before returning to northeastern US.

I know that this is a lot to do in two weeks but we are both young and energetic and are avoiding big cities with a lot of sightseeing. Any suggestions on what to do/ where to go in Italy and Switzerland would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Have you checked to see that there IS an overnight ferry from Split to Venice? It's quite a long way, really. Your options might be limited to a ferry from Split to the backside of Italy (Bari-Brindisi-Ancona) and train to Venice, thus adding considerably to travel time. Or, think about flying – Split and Venice both have airports.

With your three (probably) net days in Venice, you could easily spend it all there, as there is much to see. Or, alternatively, two days in Venice, then train to one of the northern Italian lakes (perhaps Como) and spend one day there before moving on to Switzerland, also by train. The town of Como is probably your best bet – pretty, easy to get to via train and not too big. George Clooney's villa is not too far up the lake from Como!

In Switzerland, Interlaken might be a good center, as there are high mountains nearby that would still have snow in May. If you wanted something smaller, there is a really sweet village, Iseltwald, northeast of Interlaken. It is right on the lake (Brienz) and there's a pretty and comfortable three-star hotel-restaurant, the Bellevue, that could serve as a base for exploring the area by car. www.‪bellevue-iseltwald.ch‬‎.

With that budget I would skip CH---very expensive.

Hi pulcinella,

Well, it's a mistake imo to rent a car for the Swiss portion of your trip. Several reasons --

The best places don't even allow cars (all the mountaintops and the sweetest villages). Especially if you'll be on the slopes snowboarding, I'm guessing your rental will just sit in an expensive parking lot for the duration of your visit there.

It's a hassle to have a car in a Swiss city; Swiss cities are hundreds of years old and were designed and developed before motor traffic. The streets are winding and narrow, and you'll be navigating while trying to dodge trams, busses, other traffic, and pedestrians. The inner, historical parts of all the cities are pedestrian anyway. Parking is expensive and hard to find.

Trains run frequently and are very convenient -- there is even a train station in the basement of the Zurich airport, with frequent connections to get there.

Trains are a lot more fun than driving -- no worries about traffic jams, speed limits, avoiding pedestrian zones, road construction. Instead, you are whisked from city center to your destination with no stres and no worries, mumching on a delicous picnic, enjoying the scenery, sharing a conversation or chatting with your seat neighbors.

And finally, trains are more green, of course. You may love yourself for helping to save the beauty you came to see. You can take a road trip just about anywhere in the world, but using the trains is still a rare-ish thing. It's a good idea to take advantage of it when you can!

Having said all that, I would be cautious about the ability to ski in the Jungfrau in May. If there is enough snow, it may be so thin that boarding won't be much fun.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Snowboarding at that time of year means going to Zermatt, maybe Saas Fee, or one of the glaciers in Austria/Italy/France. Keep in mind that Switzerland is extremely expensive.

If you have time to visit Florence, be sure to make your museum reservations ahead of time (and keep in mind that museums are closed on Mondays), the uffizi and the accademia are always packed and you can skip lines and save time by purchasing tickets online through the official museum website (www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en/orari/). Near the Accademia there is a great ice cream shop called "Carabe" on via Ricasoli with genuine products that are home made and delicious. My favorite restaurant is "La Pentola dell'Oro" (via di Mezzo, 24, no sign outside) for traditional dishes and unpretentious atmosphere, and my favorite place for accommodations is at the Johanna & Johlea apartments and B&B's throughout the city (tasteful Tuscan style and prices which vary depending on the level you choose, from basic to fancy).

I agree with bobthenavigator and the others...your budget does not allow for the cost of getting to, and staying in, Switzerland.

Given your starting location, budget and interests this is what I recommend.

After your 4 days in the Split area rent a car and drive to Plitvice Jezera for a few days of hiking.

Then head north into Slovina where you can visit the Skocjan Caves Regional Park, Lake Bled and the Julian Alps. I am not sure if there will still be snow there that time of year but they are the closest alps to you and very beautiful.

From there you can drive to Rovinj on the Istria Peninsula of Croatia visiting hill towns along the way. You should have no trouble finding hiking opportunities.

From Rovinj you can take a ferry to Venice. Spend a few days then fly home from there.

This will minimize your travel costs optimizing your time while satiating your sense of adventure without big city sightseeing.

In your mid-20s. eh? I envy you.

I agree---stay close and see the best of Istria and Slovenia, perhaps ending in Venice. Why make it complex?

I understand you want to go snowboarding and how great Swtiz is - but you can;t do it on the budget. Assume everything in Switz - hotel, meals, train, entrance fees etc - cots TWICE what it will in the US. (A big Mac meal is about $17 for example - not that you should eat it - but for perspective.)

If you must snowboard find a place that still has snow that late in Austria - which is generally much less expensive.