Istria and northern Croatia OR Calabria and Sicily
 

Hello all,

We have narrowed our 18 day summer vacation destinations to either Istria and northern Croatia or Calabria and Sicily.

We enjoy history, art, medieval hill towns and seaside villages with beautiful beaches.

For Croatia, we would fly into Venice and drive to the Istrian Peninsula, where we would stay in various villages, both by the sea and more inland, then drive through northern Croatia towards Zagreb.

For Calabria, we would fly into Naples, then drive down the Calabrian coast, stopping in some of the more beautiful seaside villages, then cross into Sicily, visiting Syracuse, Agrigento and Palermo.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-18-days.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-16-days.cfm

Thanks for the links. I read them, among many others here on Fodors, but they are not what I asked in this post.

They are postings about Croatia as a whole and Sicily as a whole. I am asking about Istria and northern Croatia compared to Calabria and Sicily.

So, what would be your choice?

Neither.

Great, so now you do not have to respond to my post any longer.

Sorry that I was called away from my desk momentarily.

Neither, as, IMO, you would not have enough time for Sicily and conversely, you would, IMO, have too much time in Istria.

As always, the graciousness with which you receive freely given input is impressive.

I do not want YOUR advice. Look at your responses to my other posts and you will know why.

For everyone else, we think that in 18 days we can do both Istria and parts of northern Croatia and also have time for the drive down the Calabrian coast into Sicily.

Thanks.

Because of summer heat, I would pick Istria over Sicily.

Hi MBB,

It seems you are being stalked by kja, who has done the same thing to me on my postings. I think she really does have way too much time on her hands.

With regard to your question, I have been to Istria and I have driven down the Calabrian coast, but I have not been to Sicily or any other parts of Croatia.

In 18 days there, you could do a trip to Istria and see some parts of northern Croatia as you drive to Zagreb. You also have enough time to drive down the Calabrian coast and see certain parts of Sicily, but you would have to leave from Palermo as you would not have enough time to drive back to Naples to fly home. The same goes for Croatia, where you should fly home from Zagreb and not Venice.

Although we adored Calabria, I would recommend you going to Croatia, especially if you have seen other parts of Italy during your other trips. It does have an Italian flavour to it, but is different enough to make you feel that you really are someplace else. The hilltop villages, the seaside towns, the beaches, the people, and the scenery make this one of my favourite places. And it is still fairly undiscovered (I was there in 2013). Rent a car and drive.

I also agree with HappyTrvlr. Istria in the summer has great weather. It is warm and sunny but you are not overwhelmed by the heat.

Let me know if you need anything else.

I do not want YOUR advice

Kja is a very valuable poster, and somebody a lot of regulars like.

By constantly picking on her, you not only show your great character, but you also alienate yourself from such grumpy posters as myself, who do tell you and some others, who will not tell you.

I don't understand people like you.
You come to ask for advice and you shoot down the first one who does so.

So, just a question. Imagine you are in Kja's shoes, how would you answer posts like you wrote ?
Just asking.

WoinParis,

Don't worry, I will not give you any advice.

And before you start badmouthing me, read kja's answers on my other posts and you will see that she is not the "wonderful" person you claim she is. She has been after me and a few other people for many, many months for no apparent reason.

I have asked her nicely to just pretend I am not here and to not answer my posts but she keeps on posting.

Just answering.

I would add Slovenia to Istria and Northern Croatia. 18 days does seem generous if you won't be spending a lot of time at the beach.

I do not stalk this poster, under whatever name she posts -- AirBalloon, MyBeautifulBalloon, or SoFarAway. I do not stalk ANY poster.

@ Woipnparis -- thanks!

Yes, Kia, you do. You are obsessed and a stalker and full of delusional ideas.

I will ask you once more. Please do not answer my posts any longer.

To rtt0921:
That is a great idea. We have read and heard so many great things about Slovenia.
How long should we allocate to Slovenia apart from Istria and northern Croatia? Where in Slovenia should we visit?
Thanks

SoFar you should not answer for MyBalloon - we might think you are the one and same person and it is not accepted to post under two names at the same time.

I think I also explained to you in the past that this is a PUBLIC forum.
No way to select who answers. no way to select what one answers.

Actually the whole idea is that you get answers. Useful ones. Do you ?

Ps : I post much too frequently, and I can observe who stalks and who does not. No regular is a stalker... Kja answers a lot of posts, and her advice is valued. You are the only one who doesn't like her. Ok. You're entitled to not liking everybody. But constantly attacking her and behabing like a spoilt princess of the school is not a helpful attitude on a forum. Grow up, learn to live with everybody, learn to ignore others.

I have been to both Istria and Sicily, but not in Calabria or other parts of Croatia. Sicily in the summer is very hot, while Istria is much more pleasant weather wise.

They are very different, but remember, if you enjoy beaches Sicily has gorgeous sandy ones throughout the island while Istria's are more rocky, but with clear warm waters. As well, Sicily is more rugged and not as lush.

If you have been to other regions of Italy before, I would choose Istria.

Hi MichaelAndrews,

Thank you very much for your ideas and suggestions. I am leaning towards Istria as I have traveled through other regions of Italy and we are looking for something different but a place that stills retains a little Italian character :)

How long were you in Istria and where did you base yourself? Are there any must see towns and villages you would recommend? Which beaches did you find beautiful?

Thanks again.

I would do 5-7 days in Istria, 5-7 days in Slovenia and the rest in other parts of Northern Croatia and on the beach.

In Slovenia, I'd probably spend a few days in the western part, which is more Italian-influenced - Piran, a stay at a rural agriturismo on the Karst, the Vipava Valley, or in Goriska Brda, a visit to one of the caves (Skocjan or Postojna), the Soca Valley and the Julian Alps and then continue into central Slovenia, visiting lakes Bled and/or Bohinj on the eastern side of the Julian Alps and the capital Ljubljana, which although very Austrian in character, has seen plenty of Italian influence in its architecture and art.

Forgot to mention that some of the nicest beaches in Istria can be found on the Kamenjak peninsula south of Pula.

You also might like spending a couple of nights on the islands of Cres or Losinj in the Kvarner Gulf. Different to Istria, with nice beaches, but still quite Italian in character. Followed by a visit to Opatija and Rijeka (both can really be seen in a day), Plitvice Lakes and Zagreb it would nicely round out your stay in Northern Croatia.

Hi rtt,

So much great information. Your itinerary sounds wonderful (I also want to visit Predjama Castle, which looks so "cool").

Now time to look for the best places to base ourselves in both Istria and Slovenia without having to move around too much.

Any ideas?

Thanks so much.