Lisbon/Porto or Split/Dubrovnik
 

We are looking at possibly traveling next May for about two weeks. We just cannot decide between either Portugal (Lisbon/Porto) or Croatia (Split/Dubrovnik). Appreciate any ideas or advice.

Thanks!
Elaine

Elaine,
I'm surprised no one has replied to this yet...
Well, I've been to Lisbon, Split and Dubrovnik but not Porto, though I hear it's lovely. Personally I'd opt for Portugal which we loved but it depends a lot on your interests. We very much liked Split and enjoyed visiting the Roman sites which are built into the fabric of the city. It's easy to fly into Split and take the ferries down through the islands to Dubrovnik.

The issue we had with Croatia is that the coastal areas seem to have been given over to tourism. For example Dubrovnik feels like very few people still live there and when the cruise boats come into the city it is COMPLETELY overwhelmed. We were there at the end of May and it was mobbed. It is beautiful but the crowds gave it a Disneyland feel for me.

Lisbon in contrast was a delight, it's such a low key city, beautiful, lived in, a little dilapidated. We were completely charmed after spending four weeks there and that was in Kanuary when there was a lot of rain! Anyway I wasn't blogging when we went to croatia but I do have quite a bit on Lisbon that could be helpful. WE loved the Gulbenkian Museum and did a lot of walking.

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/search/label/Portugal

It really depends on what you like, Croatia could be more "resort" or if you head to a smaller island you could get an out of the way spot, what are you looking for?

Fyi we liked Istria in northern Croatia very much and it makes a great trip in combination with the Veneto/Vicenza

I agree with the poster above. Dubrovnik has limited the number of cruise ships but even one can cause a mob scene.
I would go to Portugal and do Croatia on another trip.

It depends a bit on your travel style too,but welltraveledbrit is essentially right.

While Lisbon has a more dynamic and well-rounded atmosphere, Dubrovnik is an emerging destination in Eastern Europe and because of the lower prices it has recently captured so much attention that it's quickly being overwhelmed.

I'd say it makes more sense to save Dubrovnik for another trip and maybe couple it with a few other destinations close by.

Not been only to Porto..
another vote for Portugal

Dubrovnik is the only place where you can be overwhelmed with cruise passengers (scourge of the sea). There are 1000 islands and lots of places to escape mass tourism. May is a great time to be there weather and crowd-wise. I don't think it is emerging any longer--it is firmly on the tourism radar, but like anywhere, getting off the beaten path is easy.
It really just depends on what you want. Croatia is a more nature oriented experience in my experience. Both countries are seafood centric. I would pick the best flight and enjoy the other the next time.

Just returned from Croatia and I would choose it over Portugal. Dubrovnik is busy but I don't think that takes away from the beauty of the area and city. We were in Portugal two years ago and while I liked both Lisbon and Porto I absolutely loved Croatia.

Have been to Croatia and Portugal recently. Agree with the other posters that Croatia will be much busier if you're there during cruise season. It is an amazing country and we loved Dubrovnik (as well as Zadar and Zagreb, Kotor Montenegro, and even Mostar Bosnia). Split was just ok but we didn't stay there long. I do agree with Unboundly that if you're going to do Dubrovnik you should hit some other cities nearby (like Kotor) to really get the full experience.

Lisbon is a fantastic city - easy to get around, pretty cheap (as is Croatia), and has great food/drink, but not a whole lot of hustle and bustle. Haven't been to Porto.

I honestly think you have 2 great options and can't go wrong with whichever you chose.