wky123

Hi,
I am planning a July trip to Croatia for two families (four adults and two kids - 9 and 5 years old) After researching on this board, have come up with the following tentative itinerary. Wonder if I can get some advice.
Day 1 - Arrive Dubrovnik early in the morning (9am) from Prague
Day 2-4 Dubrovnik, including day trip to Montenegro
Day 5 Ferry to Hvar
Day 6 Hvar
Day 7 Hvar, afternoon ferry to Split, pick up rental car, stay at Trogir
Day 8 Trogir, afternoon drive to Plitvice
Day 9 Plitivce, late afternoon drive to Rovnij
Day 10 - 11 Rovnij, day tripping to Porec/Pula/Motovun
Day 12 Ferry to Venice

Here are some of my questions:
1) Including the arrival day, we get four full days in Dubrovnik, or three full days excluding the planned day trip to Montenegro. Given we are not beach persons, I'm debating if I should cut it short by a day and give it somewhere. My options would be: 1) do another day trip to Mljet or Lopud; 2) add a day in Trogir/Split; 3) add a day in Istria. Any thoughts?
2) I am debating if we should pick up our rental car before departing for Hvar in Dubrovnik or after HVar at Split. We do plan to drive around the island in Hvar but don't want to worry about the logistics of getting a car onto the ferry. Any thoughts? Would that be easy to rent a car just for a day in Hvar?
3) Any other advice on the itinerary or accommodation would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

nbujic

hi, July is a very busy time in Croatia. The locals take holidays at that time as well as many Europeans.

The roads and ferries will be crowded which can prolong the travel time you had planned.
You are traveling with small children so make sure you have air-con . car and rooms. It is a hot place!

MikeBuckley

wky123,

As for the rental car, I suggest makng arrangements in advance for the car on Hvar simply because you're going in July when there are lots more people than other times of the year. If you stick with your plan to ferry to Hvar, you won't need a car until you get to there.

If you take a catamaran to Hvar as opposed to a ferry, you'll get there in half the time and you'll pay no more. The other benefit is that the catamaran will take you directly to Hvar Town. The ferries drop you off in Stari Grad, requiring you to take a bus, taxi or rental car to Hvar Town.

However, I also recommend considering whether you'll need a car. Depending on your travel style and especially considering that you're traveling with children, you'll probably have plenty to do just staying in Hvar Town the entire time and not needing a car to get to other parts of the island.

If you rent a car in Split, be aware that there are many agencies within easy walking distance of where you'll depart from the ferry. Be sure to pick an agency that is close by so you avoid the hassle of a taxi.

Have a great trip! It'll be difficult not to.

wky123

Thank you all for the advice.
Mikebuckley, you suggested we stay the whole time in Hvar town. Is the rest of the island worth to see? Also, right now, I have budgeted three full days in Dubrovnik (excluding a day trip to Montenegro), would you say it's too much? Thanks

tcreath

wky123, we had two days in Dubrovnik and one full day in Montenegro and we felt that it was a good use of time. Dubrovnik isn't very big, so you can see most of the main sights in a day. However, part of the appeal of Dubrovnik is simply being there, so we spent the extra day just meandering through the town. We were there in November; I'm sure it will be a lot more crowded in July so the additional day may be necessary for your family to see any of the sights you missed the day before.

If it were me, I would spend two full days in Dubrovnik, one full day in Montenegro, and then tack on the extra day somewhere else in your trip, as it looks a little rushed.

Good luck!
Tracy

issy

You won't need a car in Trogir. Trogir is about a 25 minute ride from Split. I'd just take a cab, but you can take a bus. Trogir is next to the airport, so when you are ready to go to Plitvice (great choice!), you could easily pick up your rental car then.

Given the ages of the children, you may want to reconsider your day trip to Montenegro. It's really beautiful, but might be difficult for the kids. Many hours in the car. Perhaps a day trip to Mljet would be nice. You can rent bikes on the island and go swimming in the lakes.

I agree about renting a car in advance for Hvar.

Near Porec, the kids (and adults) would enjoy the Baredine caves. Bring a sweater!

Images2

Day 1 - Arrive Dubrovnik early in the morning (9am) from Prague
Day 2-4 Dubrovnik, including day trip to Montenegro
Day 5 Ferry to Hvar
Day 6 Hvar
Day 7 Hvar, afternoon ferry to Split, pick up rental car, stay at Trogir
Day 8 Trogir, afternoon drive to Plitvice
Day 9 Plitivce, late afternoon drive to Rovnij
Day 10 - 11 Rovnij, day tripping to Porec/Pula/Motovun
Day 12 Ferry to Venice

We spent 2 weeks in Croatia this summer so I hope I can be a bit of a help.

The day trip to Montenegro will be very long for the kids, probably not worth it.

They probably would love Cavtat. There are areas where the water is very shallow, in a protective cove, but then you can walk out to the ocean, past the rocks, for older kids. Kids were having a fabulous time there. There is a wonderful, paved walkway around this area. Just walk along it until you find a good spot for you. There are shaded areas also.

Walking the walls in Dubrovnik is a must for everyone!

A trip to Sunj Beach is great by ferry. It's all sand there, and there is a great cafe along the beach there.

I would take the public bus to Split, then the catamaran to Hvar. We loved Hvar. I would reserve a car with Avis before you get there, and pick it up on the island. One of the travel offices, Pelegrini, right on the harbor handles the rentals. There isn't a seperate Avis office. We enjoyed having a car just one day and it was easy to drive on the island. Not many gas stations though.

I know you said you don't car about beaches, but a day trip to Brac, from Hvar is wonderful. I'd sped a day there over Trogir.

Don't miss out seeing Split itself. You can easily spend 1/2 day here. The area around the palace and the outdoor markets here are wonderful.

We rented a car in Split to drive to Plitivce. The rental car company was National, and it was horrible. Don't use them. Something to note is that there is no rental car return office in Rovnij. You'll have to pay extra for a pickup of your car. We returned ours in Porec and then took the bus back to Rovnij, where we were staying. The return office was in the bottom of a private home, and almost impossible to find. Don't do this!

Trogir is nice, but not necessary to see. Plitivce is exceptional. Don't cut your time here short. Krka waterfalls, on the way to Plitivce are very nice also. I'm glad we went to both areas.

Consider a day trip from Rovnij to Piran, Slovenia. I think everyone would enjoy that town. Crossing the border is no problem.

The ferry to Venice doesn't leave from Rovnij every day. You can also take a public bus from Rovnij to Venice. We ended up doing this. The direct bus does leave very early, but the drive was so easy and we arrived in Venice with lots of time to enjoy that day.

Have a wonderful trip!

wky123

Thank you all for the suggestions so far. Looks like I'm going to reduce Dubrovnik by one day (to three days) with a day trip to either Montenegro or Mljet and add it somewhere. I really want to go to Montenegro but am concerned about doing an organized tour with two children in the group. Anyone know any private drivers who would do the trip?

Right now I have two days to see Istria (Rovinj, Porec, Pula and Motovun), should I add one day there? They look small and close to each other to me. Just not sure in reality, how long does it take to go from one place to another and how much to see.

Another thing is about the suggestion to go to Brac. Seems to be a nice place. Any one been there? Any comments on the place? Thank you again

MikeBuckley

<i>Mikebuckley, you suggested we stay the whole time in Hvar town. Is the rest of the island worth to see?</i>

Your itinerary calls for spending essentially just 1 1/2 days in Hvar. I think the only reason to rent a car is to spend a full day seeing the rest of the island. That would leave only half of a day in Hvar Town. By comparison, we thoroughly enjoyed a full 1 1/2 days in Hvar town.

As I mentioned in my first post, it really depends on your travel style and how easy it is to travel with the young children.

Croatia being Croatia, I would always encourage anyone to err on the side of having too much relaxing time as opposed to too much rushing around. Croatia is all about soaking in the ambiance. If you don't take the time to soak it in, you might be disappointed.

tower

MikeBuckley:

Well said...pay attention to this, WKY 123...it's the ambience that makes Croatia what it is...a very special place...never rush through it...be sure to spend enough time at the Plitvice Lakes..kids will love hiking around there.

Stu T.

christycruz

We took our 3 year old daughter to Croatia, and did your itinerary in about a month! And we were still worn out.

Bol on Brac island was a highlight. There's hundreds of little private swimming coves perfect for families. There's three playgrounds (rare), and two of them were the nicest we saw in Croatia. But if you aren't beach people, there's not much else to do BUT the beach.

Lopud is also primarily a beach town. No cars--only golf carts.

Definitely agree with pp about the catamaran to Hvar. Fast.

People rave about Hvar town. But we liked Jelsa on the other side more (bus), with Bol a ferry ride away.

I see that you are traveling from Trogir to Rovijn via Plitvice. I'm not even sure this is feasible. This is a LOT of driving. The children are sure to sleep in the car, keeping the rest of you up that night.

That extra day might best be used spending the night near Plitvice.

tcreath

wky123, I just saw your post again. I took a private guide on a day tour of Montenegro and it was the highlight of our trip. His name is Nikola Serkovnic. His phone number is 385/0/98 243-305 abnd his email address is [email protected].

We found him when our Atlas bus never showed up, despite our reservation. We ran into another couple who also had reservations. We decided to take the daytrip together and split the cost. They were staying at the Imperial Hilton, and the Hilton arranged for our daytrip. He was a wonderful guide; he answered lots of questions and really knew his stuff. He also took us to the fort high above Dubrovnik. Your kids would probably love that, and the views are out of this world.

Good luck!
Tracy

Laurie

Hi Tracey,
Do you remember what Nikolo charged for a tour? My family of 4 will be in Dubrovnik in June 2007. I would like to take a trip to Montenegro but Atlas's prices for 4 people are pretty high.

Also, how long did your daytrip last? Was it very early morning to evening?

Thanks for the information. Laurie

tcreath

Laurie,

Nikolo charged 200 euro for the four of us. Not really too cheap, but we had him for the whole day and he gave some excellent commentary. I think our Atlas trip was supposed to cost about 50 euro per person, so we spent the same amount of money but got a private tour. He took us to an interesting town in Bosnia called Trsteno because we were all interested in crossing the Bosnian border, and then we went into Montenegro from there. He stopped often, as requested, so we could take some pictures. He also gave us an hour or so in both Kotor (wonderful town) and Budva. All in all it was a wonderful day and he was so knowledgeable. I think that the Atlas tour being cancelled was a blessing in disguise.

We met at the Hilton Imperial, where the other couple was staying, at 9:00 to leave, and were back in Dubrovnik at approximately 7:00 or 7:30 that night. It sounds like a long day but it went rather fast.

Montenegro is stunningly beautiful, so I highly suggest you go if you can afford it or make it. When we got to Dubrovnik we couldn't imagine anythwhere being more beautiful so needless to say Montengro blew us away.

You will love Croatia. It is so incredibly wonderful. We are already planning on going back to Croatia in a few years and will spend a few nights in Kotor, Montenegro as well.

Tracy

Laurie

Thanks for the information, Tracey. I will look into this. I am trying to decide between a daytrip to Mljet or Montenegro.

I really appreciate your advice.

Laurie

uaz04

A few thoughts for you...at random.
The Bay of Kotor is one of the most spectacularly beautiful spots on earth and not to miss if you are only a short distance away in Dubrovnik.
The Plitvice to Rovinj drive will take longer than you think.
The border crossing at Croatia/Slovenia may be a very long nightmare in July, especially this year as Slovenia becomes part of the EU visa regime. The past few years have seen traffic backed up for...25kms!!!! Makes the ferry or faster hydrofoil a much better choice from Istria to Venice. [The Hydrofoil also leaves from Isola, next to Piran, if you want to cross the border only once]
I have my vacation house close to this border, but avoid it on all summer days or cross only by bike.
Istria is special, very special, and you might find that you want to spend more time to explore it. The worthwhile places are not concentrated, like along the Dalmatian coast, as it is more spread out and less crowded, with many small but lovely hilltop Venitian towns with panoramic views, along with the better known coastal towns.
You will have a great trip this time, and probably spend the next one exploring more of Istria..

Laurie

Hi Tracey,
I emailed Nicola to get some information about a daytrip to Montenegro. Thank you very much for suggesting him.

Can you tell me how long you spent in the car for this trip? My &quot;kids&quot; are 21 and 18 so driving should not be too much of a problem. But I would like to know how much driving to expect.

Thanks so much for the information.
Laurie

tcreath

Laurie,

I think it probably depends a little on what your interests are. Because we all expressed an interest in going into a town in Bosnia it probably took longer to reach Montenegro than it would have had we just went straight there from Dubrovnik.

That being said, I don't recall us being in the car too long between stops; maybe an hour or so? Some of the roads are slow-moving, which is probably why. The longest drive was from Sveti Stephan back to Dubrovnik. We took a ferry across the bay to save some time, and we were on the ferry just as the sun was setting which was delightful!

If it helps, here is a basic rundown of our itinerary with Nikola:

-Pick up at Hilton at 9:00 am. Drive to fort above Dubrovnik (I can't recommend this enough; he got us in the fort, which he said was not open to the general public. The fort itself is interesting, especially its use in the recent war, and the views of Dubrovnik are just unbelievable)
-Drive to Trsteno, Bosnia; walked around town for about 20 minutes while he waited for us
-Drive to Perast, Montenegro, a picture-perfect town on the Bay; walked around town for about 15-20 minutes (its a tiny town)
- Drive to Kotor, Montenegro (my favorite); we had an hour to walk around, although I wish we would have requested more time because we all loved it
- Drive to Budva, Montenegro; we had another hour to wander around town (the views from the city wall are quite nice, and there is a model ship museum near the entrance to the city walls that your kids may find of interest)
- Drive to Sveti Stephan, Montenegro; there isn't much to do here except take pictures because the &quot;island&quot; is now a luxury hotel and it was closed for the season when we got there. Still, the pics are amazing and we spent about 20 minutes here
- Drive back to Dubrovnik, crossing the ferry
- Arrived back in Dubrovnik around 7:00 pm

Although these were the stops we made, Nikola still stopped for us when we wanted to take pictures. For instance, as we were traveling to Montenegro from Bosnia we were high in the mountains so we got our first glance of the Bay of Kotor from high above Hercegnovi, the large town at the Montenegro border. The views were amazing so he stopped at our request so we could get some pics.

If you are interested in seeing pictures of the areas we visited, please feel free to visit www.kodakgallery.com/tracybates to see them. Our pictures are broken up by country, and I have an album for Montenegro. To be honest I think the pictures turned out good but Montenegro is better seen in person because, unlike say Dubrovnik, its much harder to capture the beauty in a photograph. But the pictures will give you a good look at the areas we visited and may help you if you are still undecided.

Good luck, and if I can be of further help please just let me know!!

Tracy

tcreath

Oops, I made one mistake! The town in Bosnia that was stopped in was Trebinje, not Trsteno. Sorry for that!

Tracy

Cid_5080

Hi,
I was thinking the drive from Rovinj to Plivice would be 3-4 hours, so I double checked ViaMichelin and it says 3.5 hours, 281 km. As I thought, they recommend you drive direction Zagreb, and turn off near Karlovac. Check out ViaMichelin for driving directions, it is a great site and I have never gone wrong with it. You do not cross into Slovenia to make this drive, it goes by way of Rijeka, then over the mountain. A nice new highway, you will pay for in tolls. The tunnel between Istria and Rijeka is also about $5. A very scenic drive.