We would like to rent a car in Dubrovnik, go into Kotor for an overnight, then we would like to see a little of Bosnia-Herzegovina and back to Zagreb. Hoping it is the best place to plan to depart for USA from.
1) What is the latest on the driving between Croatia and Bosnia? How do I make sure I get it right when renting the car to pick up in Dubrovnik?
2) Can anyone give me ideas re which route to take to Sarajevo - I will have seen Mostar already.
3) Are a couple of days in each of Sarajevo and Zagreb sufficient?
Thank you

Read my Croatia/Bosnia trip report from 2015. Click on my name to find it. I drove two weeks south from Istria to Dubrovnik and Kotor, then north through BiH from Trebinje through Mostar (where I had also been before), Sarajevo, then Travnik, Jajce, and (stopping at Plitvice Lakes National Park) flew out of Zagreb.

Driving in Bosnia was quite easy. If you read trip reports from past years complaining about bad roads, they are mostly out of date. The roads in Croatia are still much better, but I had no trouble at all in Bosnia. The roads are much improved from the past.

To drive cross border out of the EU (Croatia is in the EU now; Bosnia isn't), you need a "cross border card" or an insurance (green) card. Each car company has a different policy about this card, but they all will charge something. The fee varies by the car company.

I used EconomyCarRentals in 2015 to book my car (through Oryx), and I was able to choose the cross border card while making my reservation. Oryx charged a flat fee of 40 Euros for the cross border card at the time (including VAT I think). Fleet, another car company I had reserved with for a while, charged 5 Euros per day, up to a maximum of 50 Euros. Again - varies by the company. Find the best price for a car first, then find out their cross border fee and work from there.

Zagreb is probably your most likely city to get a decent flight connection out of to fly home to the US. Sometimes it's easier if you can stage in some other European city for a night or two before flying home - that is, book your own flight from Croatia to say Paris or Amsterdam or London, then fly home a day or two later from there. You may wind up saving more in airfare costs than the cost of a hotel for a few nights in the staging city. All depends where you are flying to and when.

I don't know what your interests are so I don't know how many days you would need in Sarajevo and Zagreb. I didn't care that much for Zagreb or Sarajevo, honestly, but Sarajevo has must-see history (for me, anyway) which does take some time to absorb, especially the Bosnian War stuff. Zagreb was not worth more than a day to me but some people love it and stay longer. I spent three nights in Sarajevo which sufficient for me.

Do stop in Jajce especially driving back to Zagreb - a unique town with a stunning waterfall right below the town. Travnik on the way there is worth a stop too. Both towns have old ruined fortresses above the towns, if that sort of thing interests you.

I drove the most obvious route from Mostar to Sarajevo, because I had heard the scenery along the river there was beautiful, and it certainly was. Not sure if that's the fastest way, but if you've never driven it, that's certainly how I would go, just for the scenery.

Hi, nanael -- Nice to see you again.

Depends on your interests!

I flew into Sarajevo, where I had 2 nights -- just about 48 hours -- and I thought that time WAY too little. I lost several hours to jet lag, but even if I hadn't I would have wanted more time in this delightful city. I sincerely regret that I didn't give it at least one more day.

I then took a train to Mostar, where I stayed one night, and left just about 24 hours later (by bus) for Dubrovnik. That amount of time was perfect for my interests in Mostar, and I was very glad that I spent a night there, as it is much more pleasant after day-trippers leave. I was fortunate enough to have a seat at a cafe/restaurant in the gorge, with a view of the Stari Most to one side and mosques to the other for late afternoon / evening. My experience as the sun set, and the muezzins calls rang out, and the lights changed, was among the most magical of my travel experiences. And I've had some pretty magical travel experiences!

I stayed in Dubrovnik for 3 nights -- 2.5 days -- but one full day of that time (from early morning until mid-evening) was for a trip to Montenegro. I rented a car just for that day, because the bus schedules and group tours offered when I was there didn't suit my purposes. I stopped in Perast and then spent the rest of the day in Kotor. Unfortunately, I hit an unexpected road closure on the way back -- it took HOURS to backtrack and re-route, but I'd take that day trip again despite the problems!

As for Zagreb -- I loved it! (But not everyone does.) I spent 3 nights -- 2.5 days -- there, and seriously wish I'd had more time. But it depends on your interests, and (of course) what else you intend to include in this trip.

To be honest, I'm surprised that you are asking about Zagreb -- with an itinerary that includes Sarajevo, Mostar, Kotor, and Dubrovnik -- and nothing else (that you've mentioned so far), I wouldn't have thought you would be thinking of Zagreb. But maybe I'm not understanding your aspirations for this trip?

Hope that helps!

Thank you both for your input��
I am adding Zagreb because after trying to find flights to return home there seemed to be more options! We are using AA mile awards ...
Others mentioned the difficulties with getting to Kotor using public transport so we decided to rent a car and also spend a night there. Less rushed too!
While we were in the area we thought it a good idea to check out Sarajevo...

Even if you choose to rent a car for Kotor, you might consider making it a one or two day rental and use public transportation for the rest of your trip. There is some absolutely stunning scenery in that part of the world, and IMO, it is a shame to ask someone to give up the chance to see it so that s/he can watch the road -- and yes, much of the driving is on roads that really, seriously, require one's full attention!

kja, this is a great tidbit! Most of my reading seems to give "the no big deal" driving idea.
Do you have any recommendations for alternate travel?

I really do think driving was no big deal, plus it added greatly to my freedom to stop and explore. I would have hated not to be able to stop and take pictures both along the Bay of Kotor and along the drive between Mostar and Sarajevo. I also enjoyed making stops in little towns along the way - e.g. I stopped in the town of Konjic on the way to Sarajevo for about an hour.

The bus ride between Dubrovnik and Split provides spectacular views of the Dalmatian coast and is, IMO, among the most scenic routes any where in the world. So, bus from Dubrovnik to Mostar, then train or bus from Mostar to Sarajevo. Because my routing was very different, I didn't travel directly between Sarajevo and Zagreb; check rome2rio.com for a preliminary sense of your options.

Although I visited Kotor by car, I wish I'd taken the bus, again, so that I could have truly allowed myself the luxury of appreciating the scenery more fully.

With some exceptions that don't involve the route you are contemplating, I didn't find the driving particularly hard. While there are some crazy drivers on those roads, and you have to be prepared to see a car zipping around a blind turn in the center of the road (or even on your side), the main roads are good. My primary reason for urging a car in these areas really is because there are huge, incredibly scenic stretches that a driver can't safely appreciate. Some people would rather pull over and jump out every few miles; I'd rather sit back and enjoy the ride! And taking buses or trains sometimes give you wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions. I'm willing to drive when it gives me a substantial advantage; otherwise, I far prefer public transportation. No right or wrong answers -- just personal preference.

I definitely agree there are no right or wrong answers! It is good to have different perspectives to consider and thus be able to make more informed decisions. I am thankful for all these. And my DH and I then have to chew on all of it and try to come to our compromises��. You both are making me very excited about traveling in this area. Again, many thanks!
kja- no pictures for me to look at??��

Sorry -- none of my pics are available on line. But there sure are a lot out there, and most of them beat anything I took! ;-)