Flight Help Needed- Charlotte to Dubrovnik
 

I am trying to book tickets for a trip in May for my husband and I to Croatia. We have two small children that will be staying in the US so we are limiting our trip to a little over a week. Based on that we have decided to focus on Dubrovnik (with day trips to Mostar and Kotor) with a few days either in Hvar or Korcula.

Based on all that it seems that roundtrip to Dubrovnik is the way she would fly. I had hoped to use US Airways ff miles to book some portions but that is proving impossible for me to figure out with partner airlines. I've never booked award trips to a place us air doesn't fly. I then spent several hours researching flights from clt to Europe and then flights to Croatia.

I searched Paris, London, Rome,Venice and Munich. The cheapest option i have found is to fly direct from clt to Paris then direct to Dubrovnik. The return is the same with a connection in Zagreb. This is pricing under $1000 a person including taxes. Does this seem in line?

The caveat is that each leg would require us to spend 24 hours in Paris. Neither of us has ever been to Paris so we actually would enjoy that. I would prefer a two night on one end or the other rather than splitting it, but the airfare just isn't working that way. Knowing that we are a young 30's couple that travels with one backpack each, would this be extremely inconvenient- Paris as bookends? I know it needs much more than 24 hours each side but the focus this trip is Croatia.

This is how our itinerary would work:
Friday depart Charlotte nonstop
Saturday arrive Paris 7 am
Saturday day and night Paris
Sunday depart for Dubrovnik 11:30am
Sunday arrive Dubrovnik 1:30 pm
Spend week in Dubronik/Hvar or Korcula
Sunday depart DBV 7 am
Sunday day and night Paris
Monday depart Paris 11am

I would love any feedback. Thanks,

I tagged Croatia but it's not showing.... How do I fix that?

Easyjet (low cost airline) flies to Dubrovnic from London, Milan, Paris, Berlin, etc....
See www.easyjet.com

Yes. I checked flights wIth both them and Croatia Air. CA flights were cheaper for any flights working with the US flights.

When we went to Sarajevo last fall we had a similar problem. The cheapest flights there from the US involved overnight stops in either London or Paris on the way back. The time in these cities seemed far too short to be attractive so we paid a bit more to fly Lufthansa via Munich.

I think you will find your time in Paris to be frustrating especially since you have never seen that city before. It would certainly be better if you could have 2 nights there and I would pay extra for that.

Have you looked into flying to/from Split?

The fare, however, seems more than reasonable. We're flying in May from IAD to CDG and home to IAD from Zurich and paying a lot more per person.

I agree the airfare sounds reasonable. We traveled Boston to Sarajevo last October for $1050 and that was an unusually low fare for that Lufthansa route. The other inexpensive options were about $950

Thanks all. I played with our dates a bit and moved our trip up a week. I was able to get the exact same flight times and fares but with no layover on the way there and 2 nights the way back. Can't wait to start planning now!

You will not regret the layover in either direction.

When you get to DBV, you can take a bus into the city, or, if you are staying in a guesthouse, your host may pick you up for a fee. Expect a madhouse at the luggage carousel. Croatians are not particularly good at standing in line. That, and finding a non-smoking area on the ferries, are the only two problems you will face in Croatia. They love Americans and are wonderful people as long as you don't get them on the subject of their neighbors, the Serbs and Montenegrans.

The men are tall, dark, and handsome, and the women are tall, dark, and gorgeous. Almost everyone under 30 speaks some English, often a lot. They make the best pizza in the world. If you have a chance, taking a day trip by bus to Kotor in Montenegro is worth it, or at least a boat excursion to Cavtat just down the coast but still in Croatia.

By going in May, you will miss the heat and the crowds, or most of them, and the Bura (ask locally about the Bura). I am obviously envious!

I think it sounds great and two nights in Paris will just wet your appetite for more. But even a taste of Paris is just so yummy.

I agree with Ackislander about everything but the pizza (but then we had just been to Naples and they definitely have the best pizza in the world). I certainly agree with the "tall" part - even my husband who is over six feet said he's never seen such tall people as we did in Croatia.

We had 8 days and did 4 in Dubrovnik with day trips to Mostar and Montenegro and 2 in Korcula and 2 in Split. But if you are departing from DBV and especially with less than 8 days I think adding in Split might be rushing. But I would definitely consider going up to Korcula for a couple of nights.

Here's my trip report, might give you some ideas.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rful-weeks.cfm

Thanks, Isabel. I was actually reading your trip report last night. I think we will probably do 4 nights in Dubrovnik with day trips and then Korcula/Hvar for 3 skipping Split. I'm sure I will have more questions as I start digging deeper! Can't wait.