Looking for input on Croatia trip
Aug 26th, 2013, 07:34 AM
#1
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Looking for input on Croatia trip
Hi everyone. I'm working on finalizing my trip to Croatia this October. We're flying into Dubrovnik and out of Zagreb. We already have nights planned in Kotor and Mostar as well.
We have 2 nights in the middle of our trip that we had originally planned to spend in Hvar. However, with it being off season, there are fewer car ferry options that really restrict when we can get back and forth from the mainland. Also wondering if things are closed during mid/late October in Hvar?
As an alternative we were considering spending 2 nights on the mainland - maybe in Zadar, Sibenik, or another location. We'd love to get to Istria, but we'd be driving from Mostar and thats awfully far.
Thoughts on whether to stick with Hvar or stay on the mainland? If the latter, what should we use as a home base - Zadar, Split, Sibenik? Other?
Thanks.
We have 2 nights in the middle of our trip that we had originally planned to spend in Hvar. However, with it being off season, there are fewer car ferry options that really restrict when we can get back and forth from the mainland. Also wondering if things are closed during mid/late October in Hvar?
As an alternative we were considering spending 2 nights on the mainland - maybe in Zadar, Sibenik, or another location. We'd love to get to Istria, but we'd be driving from Mostar and thats awfully far.
Thoughts on whether to stick with Hvar or stay on the mainland? If the latter, what should we use as a home base - Zadar, Split, Sibenik? Other?
Thanks.
Aug 26th, 2013, 08:38 AM
#2
Trogir or Split are pretty interesting, Split for the palace and Trogir for the island city concept. Can you the leave the car and take a passenger hydrofoil to Hvar for the day? Or go to Bol on the nearer island of Brac.
Aug 26th, 2013, 06:21 PM
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It really depends on your interests!
Split probably has the most to offer, but isn't to everyone's liking. I found it very dynamic and energic -- a real city (with tourism), rather than a city that exists because of tourism. Diocletian's Palace and the Cathedral are must-sees IMO; the harborfront (Riva) and city squares offer great people watching in pleasant settings, and there are several very interesting museums. And it has a great market if you're there at the right time. Trogir is just a half-hour or so away and has some exquisite medieval stone carving. Well worth a half day or so to walk around, visit the cathedral, etc.
Zadar is a university town with ruins and sites from ancient times to the present. I found its Roman ruins rather disappointingly minimal, but it has some fascinating and beautiful churches from various ages. If you go to Zadar, do consider visiting the Sea Organ.
Sibenik has a remarkable cathedral and baptistry and some very interesting old streets, but probably offers less that would be of interest to the average tourist that Split/Trogir or Zadar. It is, however, a great place from which to go to the Krka National Park. BTW, I would recommend visiting the Plitvice Lakes before Krka, but both are lovely and if for some reason you can't go to the Plitvice Lakes, Krka is well worth considering. But do check its hours since you are going a bit off season!
Split probably has the most to offer, but isn't to everyone's liking. I found it very dynamic and energic -- a real city (with tourism), rather than a city that exists because of tourism. Diocletian's Palace and the Cathedral are must-sees IMO; the harborfront (Riva) and city squares offer great people watching in pleasant settings, and there are several very interesting museums. And it has a great market if you're there at the right time. Trogir is just a half-hour or so away and has some exquisite medieval stone carving. Well worth a half day or so to walk around, visit the cathedral, etc.
Zadar is a university town with ruins and sites from ancient times to the present. I found its Roman ruins rather disappointingly minimal, but it has some fascinating and beautiful churches from various ages. If you go to Zadar, do consider visiting the Sea Organ.
Sibenik has a remarkable cathedral and baptistry and some very interesting old streets, but probably offers less that would be of interest to the average tourist that Split/Trogir or Zadar. It is, however, a great place from which to go to the Krka National Park. BTW, I would recommend visiting the Plitvice Lakes before Krka, but both are lovely and if for some reason you can't go to the Plitvice Lakes, Krka is well worth considering. But do check its hours since you are going a bit off season!
Aug 27th, 2013, 04:50 PM
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I've never been to Hvar Island in late October but I bet it would be a pretty great time to go. Plenty will be open - people live there.
If you are coming from Dubrovnik you could take the ferry from Drvenik (in between Dubrovnik and Split) and Sucuraj (at the eastern tip of Hvar Island) which runs six times a day in the off season. The only thing is, you'd then need to drive along the whole island to get to Stari Grad or Hvar Town in the west part of the island. It takes time (about an hour and a half) to drive across. There were road works when I was there in May - I'd try to find out (maybe from possible lodgings) if that is completed as there was a fair stretch of rocky dirt road at that point.
You could then leave on the ferry from Stari Grad to Split a couple of days later - leaving Stari Grad at 11:30, arriving Split 1:30.
You've got other good options above but if you really want to go to Hvar - do it.
If you are ending in Zagreb and hadn't planned on going to Plitvice National Park, I would spend 2 nights and 1 day there. Arrive in the late afternoon/evening after exploring on the way from Split, have a nice dinner, and have an entire day to explore the park.
If you are coming from Dubrovnik you could take the ferry from Drvenik (in between Dubrovnik and Split) and Sucuraj (at the eastern tip of Hvar Island) which runs six times a day in the off season. The only thing is, you'd then need to drive along the whole island to get to Stari Grad or Hvar Town in the west part of the island. It takes time (about an hour and a half) to drive across. There were road works when I was there in May - I'd try to find out (maybe from possible lodgings) if that is completed as there was a fair stretch of rocky dirt road at that point.
You could then leave on the ferry from Stari Grad to Split a couple of days later - leaving Stari Grad at 11:30, arriving Split 1:30.
You've got other good options above but if you really want to go to Hvar - do it.
If you are ending in Zagreb and hadn't planned on going to Plitvice National Park, I would spend 2 nights and 1 day there. Arrive in the late afternoon/evening after exploring on the way from Split, have a nice dinner, and have an entire day to explore the park.
