Itinerary planning for Croatia; Split to Istria
 

We are 3 friends flying into Split and renting a car.

Here is our 1st try at our itinerary-

-arrive in Split, spend 2 nights

-drive to Sibenik for a couple of hours, then on to Zadar

-Zadar for 2 nights

-drive to Plitvice Jezera National Park- spend afternoon and next morning, then drive to Istria Pennisula; overnight in Opatija or Lovran

-1 night in Rovinj, return car and ferry to Venice

Does the timing look right?

Is the ferry from Rovinj to Venice still Wed, Fri and Sat in May? If so, we will have one extra day to plug in anywhere.

Any suggestions for lodgings?

Thanks!

> drive to Sibenik for a couple of hours

Only a couple of hours? I suppose that could make sense, depending on what you want to see and experience....

> then on to Zadar [with a car rented in Split]

You might want to consider using buses from Split through Zadar. Buses are frequent and easy to use, whereas trying to find parking in Sibenik and Zadar could greatly complicate your trip and limit your time in these locations.

> drive to Plitvice Jezera National Park- spend afternoon and next morning

If you can plan your trip so that your time in the Plitvice Lakes is in one solid block, either the day before or the day after your overnight, I think it will be more rewarding because reaching some parts of the lakes take more time than is possible in shorter visits. With 2 short visits, you can make loops from either end, but would have to skip the middle. With a longer visit, you can make a single, large loop through all the major lakes and falls. I believe the larger circuit generally takes 6 - 8 hours. It really is a very special place and well worth the time IMHO!

> overnight in Opatija or Lovran

These are VERY different places. Opatija is a resort community with lots of high end hotels and lively bars and restaurants. Lovran is a very small, quiet town with a tiny, tiny medieval core and some lake-shore hotels that were probably once quite special and can be be quite pleasant if you are willing to embrace their signs of faded elegance. Whichever you choose for your stay, consider walking the Lungomare between them!

> 1 night in Rovinj, return car and ferry to Venice

How much time does that give you in Rovinj? And are you comfortable skipping the rest of Istria?

Hope that helps!

Thanks for all of your input! Is parking a problem even in May? I thought having a car would give us greater freedom. If we do the bus, should we also take a bus to Plitvicka and Istria?
We are planning 2 nights in Rovinj so that will allow an extra day exploring Istria. It is hard to cover so much area in only 8 days.
Thanks again for your suggestions!

> If we do the bus, should we also take a bus to Plitvicka and Istria?

For the Plitvice Lakes and Istria, I think having the car will be to your advantage. You'll need to find a place to park your car in Rovinj, but there are large parking lots just outside of the main tourist area.

I don't think you'll regret an extra night in Rovinj.

Enjoy.

I agree with Kja that Plitvice and Istria are good places for a car. While the centre of Sibinek is not car friendly, being practically vertical, we found a public lot within walking distance, even in July. And in Zadar, I would say it depends on where you stay. A lot of the accomodations are along the "beaches"' where there is parking, but getting into the old city by car is another issue.
BTW, I'm glad to see some love for Zadar. some guidebooks don't even mention it, but we really liked it.

nfldbeothuk= tell me what you liked about Zadar and how long you were there and any side trips?
thanks

Well...
We were there 2 nights, & stayed at one of the beachside apartments, which was called Villa Gravic. I say "one of", because that area of town(called Diklo)is a pebbly beach lined with apartments for rent. Ours was modern and comfortable, and most of them looked similar, the area has obviously boomed in the past 10 years.

What we liked was that there were a variety of options. It's a fair sized modern industrial city with shopping, it has a beach area, and it also has a historic centre with many interesting spots: the remains of the Roman forum, the 9th c. round church, the cathedral, the "Gold & Silver of Zadar" (which is a collection of bizarrely fascinating reliquaries). There are also recently built tourist attractions, the "Greeting to the Sun" is an arrangement of photo-voltaic solar panels set in a circle which change colour as people walk across them. It sounds weird, but at sunset with children skipping around as a saxophone player performed in the centre, it was charming. The "Sea Organ" is an arrangement of underwater pipes which produce echoing tones as the tide moves in or out.

The beaches were crowded with tourists, although many US guidebooks ignore it, because Croatians and other Europeans come there for an inexpensive beach holiday (prices were more reasonable than in Dubrovnik or Split).

Our only nearby stop (75 km S, according to my notes) was Sibenik, which is a smaller town with a beautiful coastal setting and a UNESCO heritage site 15th c. cathedral.

But really, we thought Croatia was beautiful and there are a lot of lovely spots on the southern coastline.

Thank you. Did you go to Mostar by the way?

No, we had thought about it, but we dropped off our rental car when we reached Split, and the buses didn't jibe with our time there.