I'm thinking a great trip would be Venice to Zagreb, and a famous national park near by, the name escapes me, and then Split. But how do you get from Split to Dubrovnik??? And where do you go from there? Do you return to Venice? Is there a ferry? Any ideas are welcome.

Plitvice Lakes National Park (Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera) is wonderful. Photos and trip report in link below.

Zagreb to Plitvice is a couple of hours. Plitvice to Split is about three hours. Driving from Split to Dubrovnik takes about four hours.

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...C_Croatia.html

Very modern, low cost, and comfortable buses leave frequently from Split. They take a bit over four hours for the journey to Dubrovnik, and if you sit on the right hand side of the bus you will see some of the most magnificent scenery you can imagine.

You can get from Split to Dubrovnik easily by bus, car or ferry. You can fly on Croatia Air as well.

Which option you choose depends on how much time you have, how much money you want to spend, and your own personal preference.

Dubrovnik back to Venice, probably the quickest and easiest option is to fly. But yes, there is a ferry. You can find ferry info at

http://www.jadrolinija.hr/default.aspx?lang=2

The best way to go from Split to Dubrovnik is to island hop by boat. You can take a catamaran from Split to Hvar and/or Korcula. From Korcula you can catch a bus to Dubrovnik or, if it fits your schedule, the Jadrolinija coastal boat.

This all works best in high season. Sailings start to tail off in the shoulder season.

Wow, I'm really impressed with the information I've received. Thanks so much. A ferry from Dubrovnik to Bari sounds like it would be fun and not too much time. Then maybe a train up to Venice.

You'll probably find the bus from Kocula to Dubrovnik departs Korcula very early in the morning (as I recall - I took it the other direction from Korcula to Dubrovnik). And if the catamaran arrives late in the evening, you'll have to spend the night there, but you'd have only limited time in Korcula anyway. So taking a bus from Split directly to Dubrovnik may be more practical unless you wish to spend at least two nights in Korcula.

You will probably pass through Ljubljana, Slovenia on the way to Zagreb. I visited both cities on the way down through Plitvice. Zagreb was OK but Ljubljana was a wonderful little city I hope to visit again - beautiful architecture, lovely for strolling in the compact core. Stop in Ljubljana if you get the chance.