Croatia Itinerary - Help, I am out of control!
 

We will be flying into and out of Dubrovnik in March ('08) and will have 10 nights to spend in the area. My original itinerary (which I created thanks to the help of this forum) has changed quite a bit and now includes Split/Trogir, Plitvice, and Sarajevo. I got a little out of control with the planning so I wanted to repost and get some feedback on whether or not we are crazy to try to fit this all in.

Some background, we are a married couple (28 & 32) and like to fit in a lot of sights/activities on our vacations. Don't know if/when we will ever get back to this area so we want to see as much as possible.

Here goes:
<b>Montenegro (Kotor)</b> - 2 nights, with one full day to explore the area
<b>Korcula Island</b> - 2 nights, with possible day trip on Krilo catamaran to Hvar
<b>Split/Trogir</b> - 1 night, plan to take car ferry from Vela Luke on Korcula to Split (can also drive but don't want to back track down the Peljesac Peninsula)
<b>Plitvice Lakes</b> - 1 night, have seen photos and decided this is a must do since we love to hike (even though it is out of the way)
<b>Mostar/Sarajevo</b> - 2 nights, we just watched &quot;Welcome to Sarajevo&quot; and our interest in this area has increased even more so definitely want to fit this in but looks like Sarajevo is a 5 hour drive from Plitvice (yikes!), considering spending both nights in Mostar with a day trip to Sarajevo (2 1/2 hour drive)
<b>Dubrovnik</b> - 2 nights

Do the logistics and order of the places make sense? Any better suggestions? Thanks!

Where are the Croatia experts? :)

Would like to know if it's worth the 1 nighters in Trogir/Split and Plitvice? Thanks!

March can be cool ( windy) on the coast.
Are you staying in Split or Trogir?
How are you getting to Plitvice from Split?
Sarajevo is a longer drive
than it looks on the map . The roads are not very good in Bosnia .
If you decide to go to Sarajevo from Croatia, stay the night in Sarajevo, continue the next day to Mostar, stay the night, and go to Dubrovnik.
One night in Kotor may be enough.

What's the hurry? Give people a chance to reply!

We loved Kotor - got up very early to be the first on the mountainside to hike up to the fortress. The views are splendid.

ttt

danon - We will be renting a car so will be driving from Split to Plitvice. We haven't decided if we will stay the night in Split or Trogir. I have read several posts that have said Trogir is more quaint and scenic, but I believe Split is closer to the main highway that we would take to Plitvice. Input here would be helpful.

The first night in Kotor will be the day we arrive (arrive at 3pm in DBV) so we really only have one full day to explore the area and figured we should spend the 2nd night there as well since we will likely be tired (however, we usualy don't let jet-lag slow us down).

Hmm..I like the idea of one night in Sarajevo and one night in Mostar. I used Via Michelin to look up drive times. Do they take into account road conditions, etc. in their estimates?

I don't know what they take in account. If you have a bus or a slow truck ahead of you , it is very difficult to pass on those narrow roads - it may slow you down .
Also, March is just the beginning of spring so you may have a rainy day here and there.
I don't mean to sound too negative,
just keep in mind that you are in the Balkans!
I have not driven from Split to Plitvice.
I like Split a lot ( many here don't)
so if it is easier for you...
You have a tight schedule but fortunately it is not a busy time of year. Check the car ferry schedule off season!

Hi sessa,
We were in Croatia in September and had a wonderful time. We spent 3 nights in Split and visited Trogir as a day-trip, which worked well for us. Trogir is indeed very quaint, but Split is bigger and we enjoyed strolling the medieval city streets and alleys within Diocletian's 1700-year-old palace, during the day and at night. Very atmospheric(whilst standing in line in a bank, a few feet from the Peristyle, the central courtyard of the palace, I noticed a few Roman columns in the lobby. Guess they figured it would be easier - and much more appreciated by history buffs - to build the bank around the ruins, rather than tearing them down!)
We also visited Kotor and Budva in Montenegro, as part of a day trip. This was WAY too rushed, and we would have loved to spend a night in either place, especially Kotor.

I spent a week in southern Croatia in October. I didn't have time to go to Plitvice but I did spend a night in Mostar. I would have liked to go on to Sarajevo but again there wasn't time as I felt Sarajevo deserved/needed more than an overnight. Here's the link to my Mostar report, if you missed it.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35086450

I stayed one night in Trogir. It is only about 20 minutes drive from Split, so if you really would like to stay there it is not much further to travel, and by the time you have driven into Split and found your accommodation, the time taken is probably about the same. I spent 5 hours in Split and had plenty of time to see the main sights.

From Dubrovnik I drove up the Peljesac peninsula to Orebic, then went over to Korcula. Before I went I had researched ferries, and I think the Vela Luka one wasn't running as it was off season - maybe you should check that. So what I did was drive ACROSS the peninsula to Trpanj and take a 1 hour crossing to Ploce on the mainland. This was easy, avoided back-tracking, and suited me very well.

I found viamichelin driving times slightly underestimated. The speed limits on some roads, mainly in Bosnia, seemed to be painfully slow. I kept pretty much to the 50mph limit, but was constantly overtaken. Split to Mostar took me 4 hours, then Mostar to Dubrovnik just under 3 hours. Dubrovnik to Orebic was 2 hours, Ploce to Split was 2 1/2 hours.

If you enjoyed Welcome to Sarajevo, another excellent film set in Sarajevo is A Shot Through the Heart.

Thanks to everyone for the great info.

Julia - I have checked the ferry schedules for March, and it looks like the ferry from Vela Luke up to Split departs at 6am which means a VERY early departure from Korcula Town to get there. Thanks for the tip on the ferry from Trpanj, as that may be a better option.

I read your fantastic Mostar report...great info! I think we are going to stay at the same place (Kriva Cuprija), and I am still debating staying 2 nights in Mostar and doing a day trip to Sarajevo. The folks at Kriva Cuprija said to expect a 2 1/2 hour drive each way. As you said, though, I don't know if that will be enough time to do the city justice. Then again, when will I have the chance to go back to Bosnia?!

Larz - We are excited to be able to spend a couple of nights in Kotor so that we have the chance to explore a little more than a day trip would allow. I am worried we are cramming too much in to our 10 nights, but I think/hope it will be worth it!

I'd be curious to hear from anyone that has visited Plitvice. Is it worth the detour?

Here are the off-season ferry times for the Trpanj-Ploce crossing...

http://www.korculainfo.com/ferries/ploce-trpanj.htm

It cost 100 kuna for the car plus 10kn per person.

Korcula-Orebic sails mostly hourly on the hour.

It took me about half an hour to drive across the peninsula. Up and down round hairpin bends, a little scary. They pack the cars in VERY tightly on the ferry!

I came across a really good trip report from a young couple, who really drove through Montenegro and Bosnia and saw a LOT in a week - you might find it interesting. Wonderful pics anyway, and it's well worth a look!

http://kardrew.50megs.com/

thanks, julia. that was a great trip report. nice to know we aren't the only ones trying to cram it all in! i love seeing pictures of the places we're planning to visit. a little over 3 months, and we'll be on our way!

I would forget Kotor and add an extra night onto Split/Trogir and Plitvice (especially as it is out of the way for you - 1 night hardly seems worth it). We went to Montenengro in September after staying in Cavtat and Ston (on Peljesac Peninsula). As soon as we crossed the border, we wanted to turn around and go back, and although we had planned to spend 5 nights there we only stayed 3. It seemed to take forever to get to Kotor. Traffic was busy and very, very slow. Thought Kotor was dirty and scruffy, and the scenery only okay (in my opinion). Apologies to everyone who thinks it's spectacular.

evostick - where did you stay in Kotor? most folks on this board seem to have done day trips. many do seem to think it's a great place, but everyone has differing opinions.

did you got to Plitvice? the only thing i am concerned about is having bad weather (since it's March) after driving all the way up there. but i guess we can always play it by ear once we are in Croatia.

Thanks to everyone for their input. I just wanted to re-post with our new (and hopefully improved!) itinerary:

<b>Dubrovnik (3 nights)</b> - day trip to Montenegro. We really wanted to spend a few nights in Kotor, but it made the trip too hectic. The gentleman I have been in contact with regarding our accommodations in DBV suggested car rental is MUCH cheaper that a private driver. I also tried contacting tcreath's suggestion (Nikola Serkovic), but he hasn't responded.

<b>Korcula Island (2 nights)</b> - early morning ferry to Split from Vela Luke (yes, have checked schedules). Spend a few hours in Split and then head to Plitvice.

<b>Plitvice Lakes (2 nights)</b>

<b>Sarajevo (1 night)</b>

<b>back to Dubrovnik (2 nights)</b> - stop in Mostar and possibly Medugorje on the way back to Dubrovnik.

I have accommodations booked everywhere except Plitvice. Only 3 1/2 months to go!

You are wise to spend 2 nights in Plitvice!

Enjoy your trip.

What's wrong with the website today? I'm trying to email this thread and it won't do it.

Cancel that. Now it has worked

Hi seesa, I have been trying to get a response from KNEZEVIC GUEST HOUSE for my stay in PLivitvice park. No response at all, I have emailed him in the last 2 weeks, 4 different time.

I know you were looking into the same b/b have you had any contact?

Anyway I booked here, and the reviews have been very good TCMarko, here is the email, very prompt too and courteous
[email protected]
website www.tc-marko.com

good luck and keep me posted!

Thanks for the info pjs. I have e-mailed Knezevic a few times, too, with no response. I was also looking into the Plitvice Hotel, but the website says no rooms available for March which seems odd. TC Marko looks nice and their prices seems good, will have to check it out. Hope your planning is coming along well!

Sorry I hadnt seen this earlier or havent done my trip report up to this destination. From Italy we went on a tour to
Sarajevo-2 nights at The Holiday Inn
Mostar- A day visit on the way to
Dubronik- 2 nights
Split- 1 night
Trogir- Day visit on way to
Plitvice Lakes- 1 night
Opatija- on way to
Postojna Caves- on way to
Bled -2 nights
We left the tour and travelled back to Venice by train.
Loved everywhere! Enjoy your trip

We stayed a month in Dubrovnik, but I am not sure that you need to stay 5 nights there on your short trip.

We loved bay of Kotor and Plitvice, so glad to see them in your itinerary and I hope you can time your Korcula experience with the sword dance which is special.We drove from Trogir to Plitvice in a small Rv...no problem, but then the weather was great for us.

We thought Rovinj was absolutely one of the highlights of Croatia, so it is a shame that you are missing it. When we left Plitvice we drove to Rovinj as we were much more interested in it and Istria than Sarajevo and were headed up to Lake Bled ( which is also spectacular).

The drive from Dubrovnik to Split on the coast was magnificent in September, so another highlight, but I am not sure what your weather will be like in March.

We stayed near Trogir on the water for a week and saw a lot of Split, but did not care for it and agree that the highlights can be seen in just hours ( the palace and harbor). Hvar is also nice, but not sure where you would fit it in.

I hope the weather is nice in Plitvice as it is great for hiking and one of the prettiest parks around ( reminded me of some of the great ones in the U.S.). It will be miserable in rain though as will the driving, so keep that in mind ( maybe have tentative plans to leave early).

We found Kotor easy as a day trip. We were open to staying longer, but felt that was enough for us. It is beautiful, but a little funky. It still feels like a communist country, where as Croatia does not.

You should have no problems booking anything on the spot ( lodging) at that time of year. We booked a few things on the spot in early September with no problems.

Amanda - Nice to hear from someone that has been to Sarajevo. We are very interested in the history so are excited for that portion of the trip.

WTnow - I very much enjoyed your report on Croatia. We thought 5 nights in Dubrovnik might be a bit much, but it's really only two fulls days when you factor in the night of arrival, day trip to Montenegro, and travel day back from Bosnia.

If we have time, we might take a detour to Trogir on the way to Plitvice. Unfortunately we are round trip to/from Dubrovnik so that's why we are traveling in a circle (and skipping Istria).

We know the weather can be questionable in March so we are prepared to be flexible but hoping for the best!