Dad traveling to Slovenia/Croatia w/ teens - Advice
 

Hi, I'm (dad) traveling to/from Ljubljana in early July for 10 nights with my twin 14 year old sons. I'm planning to rent a car. My sons and i do NOT enjoy big cities and tend to be very activity oriented; we also dislike staying in very touristy crowded areas. Because of this, i'm planning on avoiding the bigger cities like Ljubljana and Zagreb. Instead, we'll spend time in the national parks, smaller, quaint towns, along rivers and beaches where activities are common. My proposed itinerary is below:

Day 1: Arrive in Ljubljana; pick up car and drive to Bled to explore; spend overnight in the Ratece/Kranjska Gora area
Day 2: Do a via ferrata in Mojstrana
Day 3: Hike around Triglavski National Park and drive to Bovec area
Day 4: Spend day in Bovec area (rafting, biking, canyoning, canoeing, zipling as possibilities)
Day 5: Drive to Risnjak National Park (activity that we didn't do day before) and stay in the Rijeka area
Day 6: Drive to Zadar to explore (sea kayaking)
Days 7-8: Drive to Split and stay 2 nights doing various activities (explore town, and sign up for activities)
Day 9: Drive north and stay/explore one of the northern islands (either Krk, Rab, Cres)
Day 10: head back to Ljubljana; explore city and get ready to fly back home

I'm wondering instead of staying at 3 different places from Bled to Kranjska Gora to Bovec if i should just stay in the Lake Bohinj as a base for 3 nights and drive back and forth to the destinations. Should i cross over to Italy when i'm in the Kranjska Gora area since it's so close by for any reason? Am i missing a must see along the drive from Slovenia to Split? I do hesitate in spending too long in split because i hear it can be touristy but i do think alot of the excursions/activiites are in Split. Thanks for the advice!!

Lot of driving. I’m in April late, doing Zagrab into Slovenia, Austria, and back into Ljubljana. Side trips to Varazdin, Ptuj, and WW2 sites

Not that it matters, as far as cities go, Ljubljana and Zagreb are on the smaller scale. I found Ljubljana especially to be rather quaint and not touristy, especially compared to say, Dubrovnik or Split, for example, and even Bled, actually. Things may have changed, of course.

I cannot advise on the Bohinj base as this is on my list for October 2025, but judging but what I know of the area and the research I've done so far, it would make sense to me. I hope someone can chime in to confirm.

No need to cross into Italy, I skiied (de fond) across the "border" once, so there is a walking trail if you are interested.

I would suggest staying at different places instead of driving back and forth. As for me, that would be more convenient, so that you and your kids will be able to get some rest after all your activities. However, I would also suggest to devote at least one full day to Ljubljana. Yes, there may be some crowds, but the city is lovely, and there are also some hiking trails you may want to explore, like Smarna Gora or Castle Trail (this one will reward you with a great view of Ljubljana. Besides, the city itself is also beautiful, with loads of attractions and cafes where you can rest for a while and enjoy local (and not only) food and drinks.

If you are flying from somewhere outside Europe, is somewhere where jet-lag could be a problem please do not drive on the first day, not even just to Bled, which btw is very touristy. Stay in Ljubljana for a night or even two.
Use somewhere else as a base for activities, less driving, less time wasted checking in and out, more fun time together.