Dubrovnik to Kotor
 

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Europe in June. We have most of our stay already booked thanks to info on this site. But I still had some major questions about Dubrovnik. We will be in Dubvronik from 1 PM on 6/4 until 2 PM 6/6. That makes it two full days. I have heard soo much about Kotor and would really like to visit it, but wanted to get some opinions from other travelers.

- Is it worth to go Kotor since we have only two days in Dubrovnik?
- Is there a half day trip/tour to Kotor?
- I dont like tours at all, so want to see if we can just get ferry in the morning and come back by late afternoon?
- Any other suggestions?

Please let me know. Thank you for your help!

I visited Kotor on my southern trip through the Western Balkans last August, but that was after spending a few full days in Dubrovnik. There are buses (not ferries) between Dubrovnik and Kotor, but a roundtrip would exhaust the better part of one day (I think the trip was around three hours or so). Even if you left at 8:00am, you wouldn't arrive in Kotor until 11:00am, and with a few hours sightseeing, you could return at 2:00pm, but not get back to Dubrovnik until 5:00pm (to me, its not worth sacrificing half of your sightseeing time, time that can be better spend in Dubrovnik, where there is a lot more to see).

Plus, now that I have more closely checked your arrival and departure times, you would only be able to visit Kotor on 6/5, your only full day in Dubrovnik (I would not spend that day on a long bus ride to and from Kotor).

Michael

Hmmm...tough question! I absolutely loved both Dubrovnik and Kotor. I think that Dubrovnik is more than worth 2 days (we spent three days there in November) because its so beautiful and charming. Kotor is also fabulous, and the Bay of Kotor is one of the most amazing sights I have seen. So I think its basically up to you. Is there any way you can add a day onto Dubrovnik?

We were supposed to take an Atlas tour but long story short they never showed up. We ended up taking a private tour with another couple and it ended up being a highlight of our trip. Although Kotor is lovely, having someone there to answer questions and give some history and information was wonderful for us. I'm not a tour person either but I'm so glad we went this route. As an added bonus our driver took us to the fort high above Dubrovnik which offered some of the best views I have ever seen, and was able to get us into the fort which is supposed to be closed to tourists.

If you only wanted a half day I would consider finding a cab driver who could give you a short tour. Most cab drivers in the area are born and raised there so they can shed some light on history and some of the things you are seeing. As a bonus you wouldn't have to drive there and I think it would be faster than a ferry. Just an idea.

Good luck and happy planning!
Tracy

I am travelling to Kotor this May, but it is my second visit to Dubrovnik. If it was my first visit, and I only had two days, I would definitely stay in Dbv.
I walked the city walls all three days I was there in 2003 and wandered all over the (small) city just taking it all in. You can also take a short boat trip over to Lokrum Island for some nature and swimming.
If you decide to go to Kotor independently, it is nearly 3 hours on a bus I believe. There is not a ferry to Kotor from Dbv. I don't know that you'd be able to get a bus back the same day, so an excursion would be your best bet.

Kotor can't even come close to Dubrovnik. Stay in Dubrovnik!!

I concur with those telling you to stay in Dubrovnik! It's not called the "Pearl of the Adriatic" for nothing!

http://www.worldtravelerjournal.com

Stay in Dubrovnik. Kotor is nice. Dubrovnik is wonderful if not magical.

Hmmm ! Tough call--both are terrific !
Here are shots of both--do not miss the Kotor shots on page 2.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3882

I thought that both were perfectly magical. Kotor felt similar to Dubrovnik but the views of the Bay, as I mentioned above, are nothing short of spectacular. Montenegro itself is a great country and I am already planning on another Croatia visit that includes several nights in Kotor because I loved it there. So I think both Dubrovnik and Kotor are worthy of a few days. But, given your situation, maybe it would be best to skip Kotor for this time around since your stay in Dubrovnik will be so short.

By the way, if you want to see my pictures click on www.kodakgallery.com/tracybates. My pictures are broken up mostly by trip and by country.

Tracy

http://tinyurl.com/p4jcb

Tracy, very nice photos (funny, I took the same photo of the UNESCO site in Kotor when I visited last August). My photos are of an overland trip from Sarajevo to Ohrid, Macedonia, via Dubrovnik, Montenegro and Albania.