WinterTravel

We are thinking about a self-driving trip to Croatia this summer. It may be a little late to plan this we fear, given some of the other postings about how popular the coast of Crotia is getting with travelers. We are wondering if it is so crowded on the roads and in towns in summer that we are better advised to wait until early September if we can. Can anyone comment on whether roads get clogged with holiday-makers, and whether charming towns are overrun with tourists at every site in the height of summer? Also, we'd love input on the temperature in July/August -- are the coastal areas very hot at that time of year? Many thanks in advance for the help!

ReddVelvet

Spent 3 weeks in Croatia 2 summers ago. Drove from Italy along the coast to Zadar, toured some islands then drove to Trogir then on to Split. It's usually quite hot in the summer colling a bit in Sept. Yes it is very busy on the road. The Croatian coast is very popular with the Italians. It's still cheap there but not for long. My Mother in law runs a B&B on one of the islands and she is always booked up until late in August then it tapers off. Late august or early Sept. would be a good time to go. Definitely less traffic and the climate might be more enjoyable for you. ANd if your'e talking about charming places then you must go to Trogir. It is quaint and charming.

sssteve

We were in Croatia last August.
Check out our trip on my webpage;

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/57...ia/croatia.htm

It was crowded and hot, but we enjoyed the trip just the same. On the other hand, there's little doubt that September is much better. Hope the web page helps.

GeoffHamer

I've been there in early July when it's not too busy. The peak season starts in the middle of July. I spent a night in Hvar and the hotel's rates increased by about 50% in the following week. Looking at ferry fares and hotel rates gives a good indication of exactly when places will be busiest. Early September is a very good time to go: the crowds have gone and it's easy to find accommodation.

WinterTravel

ReddVelvet - a B&B on one of the islands sounds lovely. Would you be open to sharing contact information for your mother-in-law's place?

Thanks to sssteve and GeoffHamer as well for your input. If any of you have suggestions on lovely hotels along the route from Dubrovnik to Split (or in Istria near Pula or Rovinj) we would be grateful for suggestions. We are open to splurging for the nicest available, so "top-end" would be great to know about. Thanks!