I've decided to brave Croatia on my own but need your help
Mar 28th, 2018, 06:06 PM
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I've decided to brave Croatia on my own but need your help
I had posted a few weeks back that I was going on an expensive tour and many kind people suggested that Croatia is easy to do on my own. I have an itinerary and hotels but now I need general info. I am off season from Apr 14-28th. I won't have jet lag because I'll be coming from a few days in Italy, flying into Dubrovnik. What is the best way to get from the airport into town? How do I get city to city? Can I arrange transportation once I'm there? Can I arrange other group tours once there or do I need to plan in advance? I will be traveling with the Fodor's book only but plan to research on line too. I have looked at the weather for April but still would like suggestions on what to wear. I don't like nightlife but of course would like to go out to dinner. Are there any towns with great food tours (I did one in Istanbul and loved it) But I'm not a huge foodie and I don't drink so not interested in wine tours. I love all kinds of local markets. I love the outdoors but not in shape for strenuous hikes. Will I need one dressy outfit? I have two pieces of jewelry that I travel with for good luck worth a few thousand dollars. Should I leave it at home? What kind of toiletries do I need to bring? How do I get to the Lake Plitivace town and how do I get to the park? Are there local travel offices in the towns? What activities do you suggest in the places I'm visiting? Should I try to go to Montegro? Lake Bled and Istria sound nice. Also, Mostar. I like history but not modern history. Medieval castles to me are dreamy. No detail too small to mention. I relax when I travel but feel better if I'm well prepared for the trip, If you offer lots of info I promise to go back and read other threads and trip reports. I am 61 and in good health but live in flat old FL so not a mountain climber
Itinerary: 3 nights in Dubrovnk, 2 nights in Hvar, 1 night Split, 3 nights Ronvij, 3 nights Ljubljana, 1 night Zargreb.
Itinerary: 3 nights in Dubrovnk, 2 nights in Hvar, 1 night Split, 3 nights Ronvij, 3 nights Ljubljana, 1 night Zargreb.
Mar 28th, 2018, 06:57 PM
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I would personally not want to bring pricey jewelry on a trip with me. I do travel with expensive camera equipment sometimes worth more than your jewelry, but I tend to be using it when it's not packed up or not locked back in my room!
I assume you are not renting a car? If not, plan the public transportation connections carefully so you can make realistic connections from place to place. Try the website GetByBus for bus connections. Try Rome2Rio too.
Create a document for your whole trip - maybe online (MS Word or Excel). Write down your list of cities. Then edit - and start making notes under each city for what you want to do there and the bus connections between each. This process is part of my trip planning for any trip. Sometimes I change it up when I realize a connection isn't realistic.
I don't know how to get from Dubrovnik airport into town - I'd just google "Dubrovnik airport shuttle" and see what comes up...does the Fodor's book not even suggest how? This is the kind of thing I'd seek out in my Rick Steves book, too, though I could find the info without a travel book (it can change time to time). There are public buses as well - I assume they take longer than a private shuttle service. Check Rome2Rio as well and see what comes up.
Plitvice Lakes National Park isn't in a town (or much of one) - but the park has a lot of infrastructure. Personally, if traveling by bus, I'd stay at one of the hotels that is right in the park (book soon - even in April these see to be filling up early, I hear. Try Booking.com).
I assume you are not renting a car? If not, plan the public transportation connections carefully so you can make realistic connections from place to place. Try the website GetByBus for bus connections. Try Rome2Rio too.
Create a document for your whole trip - maybe online (MS Word or Excel). Write down your list of cities. Then edit - and start making notes under each city for what you want to do there and the bus connections between each. This process is part of my trip planning for any trip. Sometimes I change it up when I realize a connection isn't realistic.
I don't know how to get from Dubrovnik airport into town - I'd just google "Dubrovnik airport shuttle" and see what comes up...does the Fodor's book not even suggest how? This is the kind of thing I'd seek out in my Rick Steves book, too, though I could find the info without a travel book (it can change time to time). There are public buses as well - I assume they take longer than a private shuttle service. Check Rome2Rio as well and see what comes up.
Plitvice Lakes National Park isn't in a town (or much of one) - but the park has a lot of infrastructure. Personally, if traveling by bus, I'd stay at one of the hotels that is right in the park (book soon - even in April these see to be filling up early, I hear. Try Booking.com).
Mar 28th, 2018, 07:49 PM
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Good for you! I’m sure it will be a wonderful trip!
Rome2rio.com should prove invaluable to you for your transportation options -- just be sure to follow through with the links to which it directs you. Check that, or your hotel’s web-site, for information about how to get to your Dubrovnik hotel from the airport. And check it for your ferry options from Dubronik to Hvar and then on to Split; note that ferries leave from multiple cities on Hvar Island – check the connections for Hvar Town and Stari Grad; you can travel between them by buses that are timed to the major ferries, but again, check rome2rio or your guidebook for more information. At that time of year, I would think you should be able to arrange most of your transporation once there.
The exception would be if you decide to rent a car, in which case I would recommend that you make arrangements as soon as possible. I would think a car would be most useful if picked up when leaving Split, use the car for the Plitvice Lakes and Rovinj, and then drop it off in Zagreb, from which you could then take a train to Ljubljana and back. (I’m assuming you already have your flights? If not, consider flying out of Ljubljana instead.) If you decide to consider renting a car, I strongly recommend that you check gemut.com for its excellent information on renting cars in Europe.
I would think you would want a night between Split and Rovinj for the Plitvice Lakes? IMO, the best way to see the Plitvice Lakes National Park is to make a single, long loop through the park -- something on the order of 6 hours or more (including time for the boat that connects the lower and upper lakes), and by all means, start at the lowest part of the park so you are facing the falls as you proceed. I would NOT describe it as a strenuous walk -- more of a leisurely stroll.
I’m not sure what group tours you would want, but as a rule, you can arrange them through your hotel or city tourist information offices once there.
Plan to dress in layers. I doubt that you would need anything particularly dressy unless you plan to go to a exceptionally high-end or exclusive restaurant. I usually pack something I can use to dress up a “day time” outfit to suit a nice restaurant (e.g., a scarf and/or a very lightweight jacket); you are unlikely to need anything more dressy than business casual. Comfortable shoes are a must. Packing as lightly as you can will pay off in numerous ways! Your guidebook should have a section on what to pack; if it doesn’t, go to your local library or bookstore and consult some that do. I don’t travel with anything I’m not prepared to lose; whether you do is entirely up to you. If you choose to take valuable jewelry, consider travel insurance, which you might want for other reasons (e.g., medical coverage, evacuation coverage) – check your options on insuremytrip.com.
From your other post, I gathered you’ve chosen some rather high end hotels, so my guess is that you won’t need much in the way of basic toiletries -- even most lower-end hotels provide soap, shampoo, and hand cream. If you have particular needs or preferences, take what you think you’ll need, or e-mail your hotel to find out what they offer. You can, of course, buy toiletries once there -- I don't like to bother spending the time on that, nor do I want to end up with large bottles of things when all I need is an ounce or two. Again, ANY basic guidebook should cover what to take.
A good guidebook will also specify the location of tourist offices and, of course, provide information about activites and options. Only you can decide which to pursue. With 3 nights in Dubrovnik, you have time to visit Montenegro if you want, or you can skip it if other things call more strongly. Mostar is an option, but IMO, it is much more magical after day-trippers leave and so best if you can spend a night there.
My favorite market in Croatia was in Split; Ljubljana had some great markets, too.
Do, please, spend some time with your guidebook – it should answer all of these questions and more! And it will have information about which you don’t know to ask, and you can’t google it if you don’t know to ask!
Hope that helps!
Rome2rio.com should prove invaluable to you for your transportation options -- just be sure to follow through with the links to which it directs you. Check that, or your hotel’s web-site, for information about how to get to your Dubrovnik hotel from the airport. And check it for your ferry options from Dubronik to Hvar and then on to Split; note that ferries leave from multiple cities on Hvar Island – check the connections for Hvar Town and Stari Grad; you can travel between them by buses that are timed to the major ferries, but again, check rome2rio or your guidebook for more information. At that time of year, I would think you should be able to arrange most of your transporation once there.
The exception would be if you decide to rent a car, in which case I would recommend that you make arrangements as soon as possible. I would think a car would be most useful if picked up when leaving Split, use the car for the Plitvice Lakes and Rovinj, and then drop it off in Zagreb, from which you could then take a train to Ljubljana and back. (I’m assuming you already have your flights? If not, consider flying out of Ljubljana instead.) If you decide to consider renting a car, I strongly recommend that you check gemut.com for its excellent information on renting cars in Europe.
I would think you would want a night between Split and Rovinj for the Plitvice Lakes? IMO, the best way to see the Plitvice Lakes National Park is to make a single, long loop through the park -- something on the order of 6 hours or more (including time for the boat that connects the lower and upper lakes), and by all means, start at the lowest part of the park so you are facing the falls as you proceed. I would NOT describe it as a strenuous walk -- more of a leisurely stroll.
I’m not sure what group tours you would want, but as a rule, you can arrange them through your hotel or city tourist information offices once there.
Plan to dress in layers. I doubt that you would need anything particularly dressy unless you plan to go to a exceptionally high-end or exclusive restaurant. I usually pack something I can use to dress up a “day time” outfit to suit a nice restaurant (e.g., a scarf and/or a very lightweight jacket); you are unlikely to need anything more dressy than business casual. Comfortable shoes are a must. Packing as lightly as you can will pay off in numerous ways! Your guidebook should have a section on what to pack; if it doesn’t, go to your local library or bookstore and consult some that do. I don’t travel with anything I’m not prepared to lose; whether you do is entirely up to you. If you choose to take valuable jewelry, consider travel insurance, which you might want for other reasons (e.g., medical coverage, evacuation coverage) – check your options on insuremytrip.com.
From your other post, I gathered you’ve chosen some rather high end hotels, so my guess is that you won’t need much in the way of basic toiletries -- even most lower-end hotels provide soap, shampoo, and hand cream. If you have particular needs or preferences, take what you think you’ll need, or e-mail your hotel to find out what they offer. You can, of course, buy toiletries once there -- I don't like to bother spending the time on that, nor do I want to end up with large bottles of things when all I need is an ounce or two. Again, ANY basic guidebook should cover what to take.
A good guidebook will also specify the location of tourist offices and, of course, provide information about activites and options. Only you can decide which to pursue. With 3 nights in Dubrovnik, you have time to visit Montenegro if you want, or you can skip it if other things call more strongly. Mostar is an option, but IMO, it is much more magical after day-trippers leave and so best if you can spend a night there.
My favorite market in Croatia was in Split; Ljubljana had some great markets, too.
Do, please, spend some time with your guidebook – it should answer all of these questions and more! And it will have information about which you don’t know to ask, and you can’t google it if you don’t know to ask!
Hope that helps!
Mar 29th, 2018, 01:14 AM
#4
1) Ditch the fodors and get a Rough Guide for the area
2) Airport use a shuttle bus
3) Getting around, use buses as above rome2rio is the best place to start
4) Dress casual to eat out, if by the water you will need a wrap, inside the walls less so
5) You'll find that most hotels will have an area covered in local tour information, car hire etc, if timing is bad ask the hotel staff or go find TInformation. Even in April there will be stuff on.
6) Car hire, I've had some "interesting" rentals in the area, I'd always use Auto Europe now to broker the deal and solve any problems.
7) DO NOT take anything on this type of holiday you would miss if it went missing
8) ferry time tables are vital dig into google for them
9) Rome2rio is getting pretty good now, but don't trust the detail. Timetables change but R2R takes time to catch up
2) Airport use a shuttle bus
3) Getting around, use buses as above rome2rio is the best place to start
4) Dress casual to eat out, if by the water you will need a wrap, inside the walls less so
5) You'll find that most hotels will have an area covered in local tour information, car hire etc, if timing is bad ask the hotel staff or go find TInformation. Even in April there will be stuff on.
6) Car hire, I've had some "interesting" rentals in the area, I'd always use Auto Europe now to broker the deal and solve any problems.
7) DO NOT take anything on this type of holiday you would miss if it went missing
8) ferry time tables are vital dig into google for them
9) Rome2rio is getting pretty good now, but don't trust the detail. Timetables change but R2R takes time to catch up
