Croatia - Rovinj vs. Pula
 

My brother and I (we are 21 and 22) are traveling throughout Europe in May and June and plan on going to Croatia. We like just about everything from food, beaches, and shopping to history, scenic views, and culture.

We plan to take the ferry from Venice. I need help deciding between Rovinj and Pula and we truthfully probably only have time for one or the other. Any suggestions? What are the pros and cons to each? Are the hostels better in one city or the other? We are interested in all opinions!

Thanks in advance :)

I won't be of too much help, since I decided (reluctantly) to skip Pula when I visited Istria, but if it helps, you might consider what else you want to do in the area. For example, if you want to visit Porec, as I did, then Rovinj would be a better base. I'm sure you know that Pula is much larger and that the two cities offer different options for what to see and experience. And if your time is limited, then you might want to explore your transportation options to see if one fits your schedule better.

I don't think there's a wrong answer here. :-)

We didn't see very much of Pula but I would say that Rovinj is much prettier. A lovely town. Don't know about hostels.

Would rate Rovinj well above Pula as a destination.
Characterful old town that you wander through as you climb up to the church of St Euphemia.
Great outdoor options for walking in Punta Corrente park just south of the town, plus lots of cycling trails with plenty of bike rental shops.

I found Pula off-putting, more of a city than a town, kind of gritty and industrial-feeling. The Roman amphitheater is worth a visit, and there are a few other odd Roman ruins. But we regretted the time we spent there. Wished we'd gone to Porec instead.

We did stay in Rovinj, which we very much enjoyed.

Most people would go first choice Rovinj because it is a really beautiful town. Pula comes second best visually but it more than makes up for it with everything else it has to offer. Accommodation in Pula is more plentiful and less costly than in Rovinj, it also a far better bus service. Whichever you choose, it's only 40 minutes by bus between both towns so easy to fit in to a short visit.

Rovinj is a fabulous place to stay, truly lovely. And it's easy to see either Pula or Porec (or any number of other places) as a side-trip from there.

Here's our trip report from a couple years ago. Scroll down to days 3 thru 7.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...d-slovenia.cfm

And here are our Rovinj photos:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p961512809

Hope this helps.

"We plan to take the ferry from Venice. I need help deciding between Rovinj and Pula"
There is no ferry along this itinerary, but only catamarans.
There wouldn't be any Pula bound catamaran until June 9th (and then every Tuesday only; fare 75 EUR/pax) anyway.

Thank you so much for your responses! We are only there for about 2.5 days so we don't plan on taking trips to any different cities.

Any opinions on which one has better beaches or dining options?

Do you now want to go to Pula by bus, Afaul?

Along with what has been said already, both have good beaches and restaurants. Rovinj is more compact and will have more tourists. Pula depends less on tourism and a place where you can see the locals go about their daily/nightly lives.
Where are you going afterwards and will you use the bus?

Oh ok I definitely thought that the Pula ferry ran in May like the Rovinj one does. Thank you for pointing that out @neckervd!

That might affect our plans if we would ferry and then need to bus to Pula.

We plan to ferry back again and train through Italy up to Switzerland afterward @Malvacya We haven't looked into buses but are willing to try!

I suppose you know that there are frequent buses from both, Rovinj and Pula to Zagreb where could board a Switzerland bound overnight train (sleeping cars and couchettes).
From Pula you could also travel via Rijeka - train - Ljubljana and board the overnight train there.

I didn't realize they had overnight trains to switzerland from croatia thank you for the heads up we might just do that now.