Early Itinerary Munich to Croatia
 

Hello All,

It looks like my boys (8 and 10) and I will be in Bavaria for a wedding in the summer of 2018. I know it's early, but I'd like to have an idea of places to stay and book as early as I can once things become available.

We are well-travelled. This will be their 3rd trip to Europe from Southern California. I've found that open air museums, hiking, water, ruins, castles, animals, and some museums (natural history, technology, etc) are key to our enjoyment of Europe together. That and the bribery of a daily ice cream has served us well in our past trips.

We will be renting a car and we will fly in and out of Munich, as the wedding will be about an hour and a half from Munich and I've found, with kids, that the freedom of a rental car is something I can't do without. I have had Croatia and Slovenia on my bucket list for years and this may be the trip for it. While I'd prefer not to travel to Croatia with the hordes of summer tourists, kids' school schedules don't allow me much leeway. I am also giving us an entire day every time we move to a new destination if the trip is over 3 hours.

It looks like we will have 3 weeks. Until I book flights, I won't know the exact number of days on the ground.

Here goes:

Day 1-5: Base in Memmingen. This seems to be a good spot for a base. The wedding will be about 30 minutes away.

Day 6: Travel to Vintgar Gorge/Lake Bled: I would LOVE to get this done in one day of driving, but it may be too ambitious.

Day 7-9: Lake Bled/Lake Bohinj/Vintgar Gorge area: Three full days in area for?

Day 10: Travel to Zagreb with stop in Ljubljana? I have no idea if this is even a decent destination. I don't know that Ljubljana lends itself to a stop with kids.

Day 11-12: Zagreb. Is there a better destination than Zagreb that would get me between Lake Bled and Plitvice?

Day 13: Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes

Day 14-15: Plitvice Lakes

Day 16: Plitvice Lakes to Rovinj: I feel like I REALLY want to see the coast.....this seems like a decent base in terms of driving distances and location. Thoughts?

Day 17-19: Rovinj

Days 20-21: Transport back to Munich....not sure if I can pull this off in one shot with kids. I hate just one night in a location, but perhaps an overnight in Austria once we hit the border. Or overnight in Ljubljana.

Obviously the end of the trip is questionable depending on departure, etc. Thoughts on this itinerary?

I am open to getting rid of a destination. I don't love crowds, but the kids don't ever seem to notice them. Unfortunately, the suggestions I've seen on here encourage seeing towns after the cruise ships have departed. That doesn't always work with kids, as we are often up at the crack of dawn and crabby and tired by the time dinner rolls around.

I appreciate any insight you may have.

"Day 10: Travel to Zagreb with stop in Ljubljana? I have no idea if this is even a decent destination. I don't know that Ljubljana lends itself to a stop with kids."

Ljubljana has a funicular to its castle perched above the town, a great idea with young boys. If you're dropping in on a Friday, the Open Kitchen in the square might be a fun (but terribly crowded) choice for dinner.

"Days 20-21: Transport back to Munich....not sure if I can pull this off in one shot with kids. I hate just one night in a location, but perhaps an overnight in Austria once we hit the border. Or overnight in Ljubljana."

I would, personally, not do this long of a drive in one day. In summer you could have long wait times to cross the border (Croatia to Slovenia), plus there is always construction somewhere to add to the delays. Maybe stop in/near Klagenfurt? The Minimundus attraction might appeal to your children; we, and our then 13 year old daughter found it rather enjoyable. minimundus.at

Some comments on your itinerary.

-3 nights in Lake Bled is sufficient.(you have 4)

-No need to go to Zagreb.( 3 nights better spent elsewhere)

-Ljubljana is worth it with kids.Could day trip while there.

-2 nights, 1 full day, is sufficient for Plitvice.(you have 3 nights)

-3 nights Rovinj is more than enough for Rovinj.(you have 4 nights)

-If you do not visit Dalmatia you have not seen Croatia. You have more than enough days available to see Dalmatia and make day trips to islands.

-You have 1 night stopover on your way to Munich.(you have days available to slow down and make wonderful stops)

-Cruise ships are not an issue for your locations.

Then a possible itinerary could look like this:
Memmingen (5) nights
Lake Bled (3)
Rovinj (3)
Trogir or other (3) for Dalmatia
Plitvice (2)
Ljubljana (2)
Berchtesgaden(2)
Munich(1)

Outbound https://goo.gl/maps/ZUAJDmF5PjE2

Inbound https://goo.gl/maps/23wFwNj4yQy

Ljubljana is a nice place for kids. The city center has a very manageable size and besides the castle, there's also the zoo, plenty of parks and playgrounds, as well as cycling opportunities - it's one of the most popular means of transport in the city.

There's the Museum of Illusions, the House of Experiments, a puppet theatre and museum, as well as the Minicity in the BTC shopping area. In the summer, there's loads of activity in the old town, with street performers and the like - in early July there's a four-day street theatre festival. The Technical Museum in Bistra, a few miles outside Ljubljana is also interesting.

The kids might also enjoy a visit to the caves in Postojna and the nearby castle in Predjama with its incredible setting, built into a cliff on top of a cave.

Otherwise, there are many activities available in the wider Bled area, so three days is a good amount of time to explore and for the boys to enjoy themselves.

Thank you fourfortravel on the advice regarding border crossing. I wouldn't have thought of that all. The funicular looks like a great idea. I've looked at Klagenfurt as a stopover in the past so I may revisit that. Minimundus sounds similar to the attraction at the Atomium in Brussels. That was something we had planned to see but had missed last summer.

There is a chance that I put too many nights at many of the places, dugi_otok. Our last Europe trip plans were switched last minute because we were all so tired of driving. That being said I don't want to spend any long days wondering what to do if we don't have to. I would love to do the Dalmatian Coast. What are your thoughts on Rovinj? I only added it because two friends were there fairly recently and really enjoyed it. Trogir VS. Zadar? Berchtesgaden has always been on my list and I have yet to make it there the last 12 times I was in Germany so maybe this is the right time.

Rtt0921, Ljubljana really does sound like a kid friendly place so maybe I do need to add some nights there. Predjama and Postonja both sound right up our alley as well.

Thank you all.

If there is <b>any</b> chance that you will have jet lag, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for your first night or two. Although many people are not aware of it, there is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and <b>nothing</b> you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit. Seriously -- NOT a good idea, no matter your other constraints and no matter your prior experience!

Some specific comments on your plans:

Ljubljana is an unusually charming city, IMO. I would think that children would like walking around and visiting some very fanciful architecture, taking a boat ride on the river, exploring the small castle, etc. (I wrote this sentence before reading the feedback others have provided -- I'm glad they agree!)

I loved Zagreb; not everyone does. Given the interests you describe, you might find some things that match your interests (e.g., the museum of the history of the city in the upper town has excavations dating to much earlier times), but you might be hard-pressed to fill 2 days there. I think you’ll need to do a bit of research with some of the more comprehensive guidebooks to decide. The guidebook I found MOST comprehensive was the Rough Guide; you might be able to consult it in your local library.

An alternative, just a bit off your route, would be Varazdin – castle, entomology museum….

Yes, Rovinj would be a good choice for your itinerary and interests. Be sure you decide, in advance, where to park your car while there, as the town itself is essentially car-free.

If you haven’t already booked your flights, I would encourage you to fly “open jaw” – into one city and out of another. The cost of backtracking rarely matches any difference in price, and your time is, as they say, priceless.

I must admit that despite my inexperience with children, I am a bit skeptical of dubi_otok’s estimates of times. You certainly COULD move at the pace he suggests; I’m just not sure it would be your best choice – but I could be wrong! So here’s what I recommend: Get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting lost and oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.

Like rrt, I think you might consider visiting one of Slovenia’s magnificent caves. I didn’t visit Postojna, instead opting for the Škocjan Caves – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But either would probably be worth considering, or (as rtt noted) Predjama Castle.

Personally, I would NOT extend your trip as far south as Trogir, not only because I think you have enough on your itinerary already, but also because then you would be adding Trogir and Split and perhaps an island or two and Sibenik and the Krka National Park and… well, I’m sure you get it. My recommendation – JMO – would be to hold off on Trogir and Split until you can include Dubrovnik and other points south of Split.

Zadar? Maybe …

But I honestly think you would be stretching to get there. Don’t forget that from Rovinj, you have Pula and Porec and lots and lots of hill towns, and if you find that you are looking for options to fill your time (which I find difficult to believe), you could always go to the glorious Lungomare from Lovran to Volosko. And posters are suggesting some wonderful options for Slovenia. And there are castles galore in northern Croatia – I think Frommer’s covers those in better depth than most guidebooks.

Hope that helps!

Wow, so much info. I appreciate details and agree that focusing on specific places I want to see and their hours, days, etc is a good idea.

I would love to fly in and out of different cities. We fly with rewards from our credit card which gives me $1000 credit per ticket and I usually get whatever price is the best deal and that usually isn't an open jaw, but I always check into them.

We have a local thrift store with an amazing selection of newer guide books so I will check them out.

>>What are your thoughts on Rovinj?<<

Rovinj is very nice, a star attraction.Every one who goes there really likes it. Trying to and succeeding to become upscale-restaurants and hotels. Artist colony.Has a Italian flavor-houses and piazzas. Many Italians still live there. Best day trip is nearby hill towns(Not much interest to 8 and 10 year old boys).

Trogir VS. Zadar? My father was born on Dugi Otok(Long Island), a large island off the coast of Zadar. So I have not stayed in Zadar as a tourist. I just pass through taking the Ferry from Zadar to Dugi Otok. Pag Island is the beautiful island that most tourists go to.Zadar has an International airport and draws its share of tourists. It has a marble traffic free old town with a Roman street plan, ancient and medieval. Summer concerts and festivals, cafes, and good restaurants. There are two memorable contemporary attractions-The Sea Organ and Greeting to the Sun which appeal to all ages.

Zadar would be an excellent introduction to Croatia. There are National Parks nearby to visit as a day trip.

Trogir , 20 km north of Split gives you access to more famous attractions and islands. Trogir, itself,has a cluster of palaces, belfries, and cobbled stone alleys fanning out from a central square. A Seaside promenade for strolling. Romanesque and Renaissance architecture with a magnificent cathedral. You could day trip to Split to see the Diocletian's Palace. From Split there are ferries to the famous islands Hvar and Korcula.

My mother was born in Sigmaringen which is 1-1/2hr drive west from Memmingen. Where is the wedding you are going to? I spent a summer in Sigmaringen.. Sigmaringen has a fine castle, with a famous armor collection. This would be a good day trip for your boys. I drove Zadar to Munich with a stop in Salzburg with my 7 and 12 year old grandsons(and their parents).I am also from SoCal. We are used to driving. Its doable.

"Rovinj is very nice, a star attraction.Every one who goes there really likes it"

Generally true ... but honestly, it wasn't among my favorites in Croatia. But then, I didn't think it would be.... Just me...

Memmingen (5) nights
Lake Bled (3) 4h48
Rovinj (3) 2h34
Plitvice (2) 3h05
Zadar (3) 2h04
Ljubljana (2) 3h54
Berchtesgaden(2) 2h59
Munich(1) 1h46

Outbound https://goo.gl/maps/owzWZjVkC1z

Inbound https://goo.gl/maps/HJn4ETpefkL2

Personally, I would leave Dalmatia to another trip as I think it would be too rushed to include it. There is heaps to see and do in Slovenia that would appeal to your children. Caves, castles, hiking, Lipica horse stud, kayaking. I'm another one who really enjoyed Rovinj and with a car you could explore something of Istria.

You also ask whether you need to go via Zagreb to get to Plitvice. I would investigate travelling from Ljubljana via Novo Mesto and Karlovac instead. I haven't done that journey but have investigated doing it by public transport (for my own travels) and seems possible.

I would definitely break the journey back to Germany and if you could avoid returning so far north I would. Venice might make a good departure point instead. Not sure about drop off fees for the car though.

Thank you all. I have lots of research to do. I will take a look at open jaw, as I agree, I don't really want to drive back to Munich, especially at the tail end of a trip with kids.

Every time I hear a new suggestion, I check it out and it seems each place is just as beautiful as the last.

>>Thank you all. I have lots of research to do. I will take a look at open jaw, as I agree, I don't really want to drive back to Munich, especially at the tail end of a trip with kids.<<

Some open jaw food for thought.

You will need to find out if you can return your German rental car in Croatia. Even if you can I think it will be cost prohibitive. Assuming you can't, you will have to return your car in Germany and then take an all day train to Zagreb where you can rent a car. The good news you could spend the next 14-16 days in Croatia. Fly home from Zagreb, or Split, or Dubrovnik.

dugi_otok, yes, I will have to look into that......an all day train seems a bit overwhelming. Maybe an interior flight would be reasonable enough to consider.

Yes, an interior flight could work.Look into flying Munich to Dubrovnik or Split or Zagreb. Excellent itineraries could be designed for any of the above with flying Munich to Dubrovnik probably the best. You would not need a car in Dubrovnik, islands, or Split. Car would be required only after leaving Split to perhaps Rovinj, Plitvice,Zagreb.