Hi Plavi,

Just had to say what a lovely thread - thanks!

BTW I'm Australian - ask me anything! :)

1. You can't see much of Zagreb in half a day, so I hope they focus on the old city.
A shame, really, Zagreb has a lot to offer.

(...)

5. Since Opatia and Rovinj are just stops, it's a shame you won't see much out of either of them. Especially the monastery/museum on the st. Katherine's island near Rovinj.

6. A must! You can just drop your camera there and the result will be a postcard quality picture :)

7. Sounds good, the less time you spend in Split the more likely it is that it will leave an impression of a "port city", a whole day gives you time to see more than just the highway/ferry route.

8./9. Dubrovnik can either be quiet and charming or just overwhelming depending on the season. Keep in mind that the prices there have jumped so high last year that restaurant owners issues id cards to locals so they can serve them at a cheaper rate (something seen as absurd by the rest of the country and hopefully abandoned since).

All in all, this tour looks very nice if your goal is indeed to see as much as possible in 11 days.
You can't really judge by locations alone, all of these places (Slovenia, Italy and Montenegro included) deserve dedicated tours, I'm sure something will tickle your interest enough to organize one the next year, but I'm also convinced you'll have a very nice time with this tour as well.

@stormbird Thanks :)

Hmm, higher prices for tourists is a good way to alienate them.

Instead of charging tourists higher prices for meals, Dubrovnik should be limiting the cruise ships. The ship crowds is the reason I will not be returning to Dubrovnik--luckily the rest of the country is gorgeous, too!

Hello Plavi!

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Croatia this summer (july/august). We were wondering if you can help us choose which islands to see, and which we can drop. We are visiting islands around Split and Dubrovnik.

We have been thinking about these islands:

Brac, Hvar, Mljet, Vis, Korcula.

Are there any islands we have forgot which we must see?
Which of these are good for spending a couple of nights, and which is it enough to just visit for a couple of hours or a day?

We are planning on spending the relaxing beach-part of our vacation on one of the islands, which one would you recommend for that? And if you know any good hotels/apartements by the beach, please do tell:)

Hope you can help us!
Thank you!

Dubrovnik prices were an isolated incident. "Discounts for locals" thing didn't last long (to the best of my knowledge) because it was ridiculed by the rest of the country.
I didn't feel any of this on my own skin, but remember the headlines from a while back.
Cruise ships are still an issue in Dubrovnik, they are aware that the "free for all" policy isn't really working out for anyone. Some positive changes will possibly come from the new government.
http://goo.gl/pSVmC


@Fantasi
You can't go wrong, really, I've never been to Vis and I plan to remedy that mistake this summer.

Perhaps you should make "headquarters" on either Brac or Hvar, and visit the neighboring islands at your own convenience (perhaps even in your own arrangement via water-taxi) to avoid packing every day.
Hvar would definitely win the beach party competition :)

I can't make any specific hotel recommendations, if you're going with privately owned apartments make sure everything is legal, good paperwork is usually also a good quality indicating factor.

Hello Plavi,
It looks like you've been rather busy, but I hope you'll have time to answer a few questions for me. First of all, I am hoping to fly into Zadar next Tuesday (24/4) then drive down to Dubrovnik. I then plan to work my way back to Zadar through Hvar and Korcula over the next week. However, I have been checking the weather and noticed that it has been quite cool and rainy in those areas over the past week and the forecast says showers all weekend and next week. I would really rather not spend my time in Croatia stuck inside because of the rain. Is it pretty common for the islands and coastal areas to receive rain daily and that is why the forecast looks this way or do you think that it will actually be raining the entire time. Thanks so much for your expertise. I really want to come to Croatia so hopefully it will work out!

Hi Plavi,

Thank you very much for the answer. I am glad to see your positive reaction about my itinerary. I heard so many good opinion abut Croatia and Slovenia, so I am sure I'll enjoy the trip and in the next years I'll return in the places I loved.
My trip now is in June (second half of the month). Hope to have no rains!

Thank you again for spending your time helping us to plan our vacations.

@ConMon89
I checked with the Brac's weather center (my aunt) and she said it's sunny and nice there.
Southern islands are pretty immune to bad weather, Hvar has the highest number of sunny days in the country.

@Marighita
You're most welcome :)

Dear Plavi

I met( back in 85)a croatian guy on the train to Athens, i was going from Austria where i was studying to my birth town, Athens
He was going to Athens for a basket ball final, of Cibona Zagreb against i can't remember whom...

We had same age, both students, and we spent 1 day in Athens, where i showed him my city. 2 days later he went back to Croatia.

This was back in 85, and that was the start of long lasting friendship. I always made a break every time i went to Athens, stayed at his ( parents) house , enjoyed the nightlife and the beauty of Zagreb and above all, i experienced the hospitality of the family ( my friend, his sister and parents), something that i will never forget as long as i live.

We exchanged visits in all the years, and i am proud to count them as my friends.
Through them i discovered the true face of Croatia, a country that i love very much.
I would like to recommend to all of you reading this post, to try and contact locals when visiting Croatia.
Don't be shy or afraid to talk to people, learning to know locals will help you to discover Croatia much better, and you may win some friends for life.
A country isn't just nice cities, sandy beaches or museums.... but it's people

@clausar
Wonderful story, thank you for sharing it!

Hi,

Myself and a friend are planning an Italy/Croatia 3 week adventure in August this year. We have tried to do a lot of research to find the best way of getting from Italy to Croatia and our Italy itinerary is starting at Milan - Venice - Florence - Rome - Naples. We are now stuck as to how best to get to Croatia and then potentially squeeze in Austria as flights seem cheaper back to the UK from there rather than Croatia. Could you advise us on the route from Naples over to Croatia?

Thank you! :)

@pipsipop
Sorry for the delay.

I'm not sure, honestly. I'd probably fly or organize something on the Naples -> Bari ->(ferry)-> Dubrovnik route, depending on how much time you are willing to spend on this part of your journey and how much more of Italy you wish to see.

We've discussed EasyJet as a good Croatia/UK link, so if the ticket price is the only reason you want to make Austria your last stop, you might want to put it all on paper and re-calculate with EasyJet in mind :)

Thanks Plavi! I'll continue looking, wanted to check we weren't missing something obvious!

This thread is such a find, great info!

I will be in Croatia in May and I live in New Zealand. What money do I bring and where do I get that? I have Euros for France and Italy. I have never heard of getting Croatian money from our banks.

@Grateful
Not sure how things work in New Zealand but you can usually "order" foreign currency in all major banks, it takes a few days and you pay the current exchange rate + a fee.

On the other hand you can exchange your cash (Euros included, naturally) in all banks in Croatia, but I would recommend bringing a debit/credit card instead, one that's usable world wide (usually with a visa/master/amex logo) simply for the peace of mind.

We're using Croatian Kunas (Hrvatska kuna, iso: HRK), but we'll switch to Euros soon-ish (in a couple of years) as a part of our EU membership.

Hmm, wonder if prices will go up when they switch to the Euro.

hi Plavi - I have one. :)
I am taking the bus from Trieste to Rovinj next month, and I MUST get my passport stamped - to show that I have left the EU. Do you think it will be a problem to get it stamped on a bus?

I know this is a weird question, so understandable if you don't know the answer.

@rialtogrl
I'm not positive, but I'm sure the border police will make sure you're taken care of (usually an officer enters the bus so you don't even have to exit).

We have very strict border controls, I doubt you can sneak in that easily :)

Excellent! Many thanks!

Hi Plavi,

My husband and I will be on a cruise in August that stops in Kotor, Split, Dubrovnik and Koper. We'll have a full day in each city. What are the must-sees in your opinion?

Also, we were in Dubrovnik one day a few years ago and did the walk around the old city walls. What else would you recommend doing there?

Finally, in Koper I was thinking it would be a good idea to rent a car and head to Ljubljana. Does that make sense to you?

Thanks for your help
Linda

@lvs
In Split, Diocletian's Palace is a must see, Marjan forest, beaches.

In Dubrovnik, among other things, you can take the cable car to the mountain for a very nice overview of the city.
There's also a place under the old wall many tourists mistake for a botanic garden, it's actually a private property who's owner lets people take a look inside for free :)

As for renting a car in Koper, makes sense indeed, Slovenia has great roads and it's always nice to be able to stop/take a break when ever you feel like it.

Hi, going to Croatia in July...what is the tipping protocol? For meals, taxi, hotel?

Hey Plavi, Can you recommend a good place to get a hire car in Zagreb and Dubrovnik?

@Sunseeqr
Tips are always welcome, but not required.
We usually just round up, if you really liked someone's service then tip more.

We don't have any unspoken __% rules, and you'll only find a place to write down your tip amount in restaurant bills.

@rebelrebel
Read the first post please :)

Me again, Plavi. We are considering staying at the Art Hotel (a Best Western property, the address says it's in Ulica Slobode which is probably Slobode Street translated) The hotel reviews say it's about a 15-20 minute walk to the downtown area. Does the airport shuttle run anywhere close to this street/area or does it just stop and pick up passengers from the main bus station? If we are to take a taxi to the bus station, do you have any idea how far this hotel is to the station and about how much taxi is going to cost more or less? i wonder if we are going to take the taxi to the bus station, it might be better for us to take the taxi all the way to the airport.

I also read that the Marjan Hotel was acquired by Hilton Hotel in 2009 but I am not seeing it in Hilton's website. Do you know if Marjan Hilton in Split has opened yet or maybe opening very, very soon in time for our visit in the first week of July? is the marjan hotel closer to the downtown area and convenient for airport transfer?

thanks again!

I can still remember (although it is a hazy recollection) my first (and last) shot of Slivovitz (at Plitvice in 2008). Do you have a favorite that I can try on a future trip?

Yes, a great post title!

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...nice_2008.html

((H))

Plavi: I love the thread title!

Do you have a favorite "off-the-tourist-trail" place in or near Istria? We'll be spending 5 days/nights in Rovinj, and we love to drive around and explore (and hike!).

@flyme2themoon
About a 20 minute walk looks about right (from the hotel), and yes, she shuttle is in that area.
The main airport bus stop is at the port, if you look at the map it's at the north of the "Obala Kneza Domagoja" street.
It does make a few stops inside the city on it's way, but I'm not sure where.

Split has a small taxi service competition so prices are a bit high, taking one all the way to the airport would cost a lot.

AFAIK, hotel Marjan is still under construction and still being sold.
Whole story is a political mess, here's a fresh a article if you're really interested: http://goo.gl/vpbWz (person on the photo there is the polar opposite of everything Croatian people are about, hehe)


@maitaitom
Wonderful photos!
Favourite what, place? Spirit? I don't drink so I'll go with place :)
This will probably sound odd because I didn't actually visit the place yet:
http://tzg-krapina.hr/muzej_pracovjeka
http://www.culturenet.hr/default.asp...009%2015:00:13
The redecorated museum in Krapina, "The World's Largest Neanderthal Finding Site", I've been planning to visit since before it was redecorated.


@mr_go
Don't make believe the thread title has more value than thread contents! :)
I don't know of any particular ones, but I do know that geocaching is a great little tool to find out about... unusual but reachable places to go where other tourists have already been, even if you're not into the "sport".
http://www.geocaching.com/map/defaul....08192,13.6419

Hi Plavi and thanks for all the info. In your opinion should I stay two nights in Brac and day trip to Hvar or should I stay in in both Brac and Hvar for two nights each? I have the time to do so. WHat do you think?

@randydarr
I don't like packing, I would probably stay put in either Brac or Hvar and day trip.

Thanks! That's exactly what my fiancé said.

OK Plavi- another question. We're looking at Dubrovnik apartments. What part of the city/region would you suggest so that we have easy access to the sea for swimming, easy access to Historic Center, but relatively quiet enough to sleep? ANy ideas? Thanks!!!

Hi Plavi,
We'll be traveling to Croatia for the first time in June and can't wait to get there! I've been having trouble figuring out some of our transportation connections. We'll be spending one night in Mostar and then need to be in Korcula the next night. We've looked into the train to Ploce, the bus to Split, and the bus to Dubrovnik as possible routes. Which do you think is the best for connecting to a fast catamaran to Korcula town? And do you know how the bus or train schedule matches up with the catamaran schedule?

@randydarr
I don't know Dubrovnik that well.
You'll be able to sleep anywhere because clubs in urban areas have strict operating hours imposed (something people are complaining about, and a restriction they want lifted, mind you).

@SueSpons
This link might help, you have multiple options for getting on the island:
http://www.korcula.net/grad/pitanja/index.html
(look under "LOCAL FERRY and CATAMARAN LINES")

I would appreciate your local knowledge to help us plan 7 days in Coroatia....I know it is not long enough. We arrive on the overnight ferry from Bari Italy into Dubrovnik at 6.30am end of October - date is a little flexible. We are a middle age couple and have a lease car which we plan to drive through to Venice. Like to see as much as possible in the time frame, scenery, culture, good wine and food.
Whats your favourite places? How would you plan a week in Coroatia for friends from New Zealand?
Really look forward to your reply.

Plavi

I am flying into Zagerb and going to Ljubljana first then meeting friends back in Zagerb. What is the easiest way to get from Zagerb to Ljubljana--car,plane,bus? I did not want to rent the car in Zagerb, because parking is an issue in Ljubljana.
Thanks
Gail

We are considering an escorted tour of Croatia with one fee day in Opajita. Would like to rent car to spend a full day in Plitvice Lakes. Can you tell us about the cost of car rental and how the roads are to the Lakes? How much time should we plan on spending there? Most tours only allow about 3 hours. Doesn't seem like enough time.

Thank you

We are considering our first trip to Croatia in Sept. or early Oct. of this year. Would probably only have time for Dubrovnik, Split and Trogir. How is the weather there at this time? Thanks for helping all of us.