Hi

Myself and a friend are thinking of spending a few days in Dubrovnik and visiting some islands from there in September. We have up to two weeks. We will not have a car.

Are many islands accessible from Dubrovnik? Which islands in particular are worth a visit?

Any guidance at all much appreciated!

Thanks!

PS Also any hints on where to stay of anyone has any suggestions....!!

My friends love Korcula. You do not need a car. There is a ferry and /or bus, depending on which schedule suits you better. Be prepared for crystal clear waters and great huge platters of food. I'll have to go see what all this raving is about myself one day! Sounds fabulous.

From Dubrovnik you can easily visit the Elafiti islands (Kolocep, Lopud, & Sipan), Mljet, and Korcula. They are all very beautiful and worth a visit. Since you have two weeks, you may consider going as far north as Hvar, which can be reached by a full-day ferry from Dubrovnik (about 8 hours). In Dubrovnik and on Hvar there are lots of beautiful (but expensive) hotels and private apartments. On the other islands, there are more private apartments than hotels.

Hi ems,

You might want to try the near by Lokrum Island as well. It's closest to Dubrovnik, very cheap to get to, and a nature preserve. We bummed around for a few hours and found it pretty cool. Closes at dusk, no hotels or permanent residents. If it is hot there are a couple of great inland places to take a dip as places as well. If you're interested our Croatian adventue pictures are at: http://home.roadrunner.com/~tomshirl/CROATIA2008.HTML

I've been to all the islands clost to Dubrovnik except Mljet, and I plan to get there this October.

Lokrum is lovely but can be done in half a day unless you want to spend time swimming and sunbathing, or hiking all over.

Most people do the Elafiti Islands as a boat trip which leave the harbour in Dubrovnik around 10am. It is a nice day out, personally Sipan was my favourite, but you can also get ferries to each island individually, so if there is one you like you can always go back.

I drove to Korcula as it was on my way heading north, but there are day trips to Korcula town from Dubrovnik harbour. It is a long day however as you will be on the ferry for several hours.

Do not rule out a trip to Mostar - it was the highlight of my first visit, and the Bay of Kotor (the most southerly fjord in Europe) in Montenegro is stunning.

As for where to stay, just google somethign liek apartment in Dubrovnik, and you get websites with literally hundred of rental apartments to choose from. You need to decide whether you want to stay in the Old Twon, or up on the hill with a fabulous view. But bear in mind that the view will come with very many steps- the better the view the more steps generally!

I have stayed up on the hill, and just outside the Old Town walls behind the Minceta Tower. Both were wonderful locations, and sleep 2 people. I can post the links if you want.

Have a great time!

Great - thanks a lot for the responses!

Since you have up to 2 weeks, I agree that you can go as far as Hvar and maybe even to Split. I would suggest the Elafiti islands, Korcula, Mljet, and Hvar. You may also want to take a short trip to Kotor and Budva in Montenegro if you have a couple of extra days. They are very close.

For accommodation, I would recommend www.dubrovnikapartmentsource.com. They have a good selection of apartments and we were very happy with the apartment we rented in the Old Town.