Croatia vacation planning
 

I am in the very early stage of planning a 2 weeks vacation in Croatia. The first thoughts include 3 days in Istria, 1-2 days Plitvice Lakes, 2 days in Trogir, 2 days Hvar, 2 days Korkula, 3 days Dubrovnik. This schedule does not include the flying days.
Is this too much running around? Should we skip either Hvar or Korkula? And if so, which one? We are in our late 30s, enjoy nature, picturesque towns, the sea, good food, photography. We will be there next year, late August – early September.
If possible, would be great if we can fly into one of the Istria towns and out of Dubrovnik (to/from Newark) – need to research these options. We will probably have a car up to the time we get to the first island.
If you had a choice, which town in Istria would you base in? I am considering Rovinj or Pula or Opatija. And why?
I haven’t looked yet into transportation between Hvar – Korkula – Dubrovnik, so this might matter in having to skip one or another.
Thanks a lot

Hi
I were in Croatia and couple of years ago and spent a good part of the time in Rovinj. The town is beautiful, very Italian. The waterfront is picturesque with some very good restaurants. The seafood was especially good. Another place to consider on Istria is Porec, we spent several days there before Rovinj, also very Italian with good restaurants. We drove to Trogir, stayed 2 nights and wound up driving back to Istria, because it was less crowded. The scenary along the Adriatic was breathtaking. I believe a new freeway exists now that you can make the drive much faster than we did. It was partially completed when we were there and it took us about 7 hours each way from Istria to Trogir. It should be cut down dramatically if the freeway is completed. Enjoy it.

Ok, all I can say is what a hectic schedule. However, you truly have picked some nice spots along the adriatic. Personally Croatia is my favourite spot in the world and have travelled numerous times so am able to provide some insight.

Starting with the 3 days in Istria, I would definitely recommend Opatija as the ideal destination. Opatija was traditionally a destination for the Austrian aristocrat, enough said lol ... No it has absolutely beautiful bays and a town right on the riviera, it is very green and the architecture is simply amazing. No new resorts all traditional 'royal' hotels.

Ok next down is trogir personally I'd give it a skip, it isnt that wonderful compared to the other destinations. Yes it is a beautiful place, but Croatia has many nicer destinations many of which u have mentioned and given the time frame it doesnt seem the most appropriate move. Either spend extra time in the destinations listed or try Split. Now Split is wonderful it isnt a swimming or resort area, rather Croatia's second largest city. It provides a true taste of Croatian lifestyle, coupled with all the tourst glitz and glamour, shops and restaurants/bars all along the riviera. This destination provides the most appropriate launching point for Hvar/Kurcula/Dubrovnik, with regular Trajkt (ferries for passengers and cars) which depart for all the above mentioned destinations.

Next, is Hvar. This is definitely not a place to be missed, voted in the Conde Naste travellers guide as one of th etop 10 destinations of the world it is truly magnificent. Located approx. 2hrs from split by ferry it is an old town with wonderful nightlife and the most beautiful beaches surrounding the island, coupled with local beaches an easy boat trip away. There is a plethora of beaches clothes optional and textile t be enjoyed.

I haven't been to Korcula but what I have heard, it is also a magnificent destination. As for Dubrovnik, you will definitely enjoy your 3 day visit. It has the most magnificent medievil castles and again beautifl coast (+) with the significant boost in tourism in the last year there is a broad range of luxurious resorts hiltons etc to enjoy. As well as wonderful local restaurants.

Thats about it... You will definitely enjoy Croatia. The people are wonderful, the coastline is better. There is magnificent local cuisine and cheap drinks. Good/bad to see more people are discovering this wonderful destination.

PS. if time permits see Zagreb, the city is gorgeous and approx. 20 min out you have the mountains on the border of Slovenia, but thats a completely different recommendation.

I got back from Croatia 2 weeks ago, and I would rate Rovinj over Opatija. (We stayed 3 nights in Opatija) If you want a larger town, then Opatija, but I liked the smallness of Rovinj. Don`t miss Plitvice lakes--it was pouring when we were there, but I still thought it was worth it. We spent one night in Split and went through Diocletian`s palace. Otherwise we preferred the smaller town of Trogir. I`d go with Hvar and skip korcula, as your time is limited. I`d also skip Zagreg, another big city, but I do like the smaller cute little villages. If you can squeeze in a day trip to Montenegro, when you are in Dubrovnik, then do that too. I was amazed at the number of people visiting Croatia, especially at Plitvice lakes, so the secret is out. I heard the best time to go is in Sept. The sooner you go the better. Even inquiries on this board have increased lately.

Forgot to say, the new freeway was completed as of late last year.

Thank you all for the responses. We like smaller towns, so based on your comments, maybe Rovinj is better for us. Yes, I was afraid you would say this is a hectic schedule, and I definitely do not want that. We like to enjoy the places where we go, be able to walk on the beach (don’t care about lying on the beach), watch the people, etc. So maybe we should skip either Trogir or Korkula?
It will depend on transportation and ferry schedule. I will come back with more questions after I figure out how long it takes to get from point A to B. Thanks again.

You can`t go wrong going to either either Trogir or Korcula!