dugi_otok

Let me try again. You prefer added driving and additional overnight stops if it helps to limit packing and unpacking. I've had some bad experiences with RyanAir. They could ruin your trip with delays and flight cancelations. They may not fly non stop Marseille to Zadar in 2019. So fly into Zagreb. You can eliminate the flight Dubrovnik to Ljubljana(save $), do one car rental instead of 2(save $), and eliminate Zadar my family home.

Fly into Zagreb Airport. Rent a car and drive to Ljubljana for 4 nights. You would do well to add this extra night for all the things you want to do in Slovenia.
Drive to Plitvicka for 1 night.
Drive to Split for 4 nights.
Drive to Dubrovnik for 4 nights. Add a day trip to the Peljesac Peninsula or Mostar.
Fly home to Boston.
Ljubljana(4), Plitvicka(1), Split(4), Dubrovnik(4)

https://goo.gl/maps/KkAUZjt7xrr

LancasterLad

Yep, the scenery is pretty special all the way. Coming back we caught a spectacular sunset. It was a little chilly too coming back, so take a light fleece.

We caught the outward 0830 ferry to Stari Grad, and returned on the 1730 one. That gave plenty of time in Stari Grad, which is about a 25 minute pleasant walk from the Ferry Terminal. There's a big supermarket by the terminal too. I bought our tickets in advance on line, but there was really no need as the ferry wasn't anywhere near full, only necessary if you have a car or during peak season. A return foot passenger ticket cost 94 kuna I think.

We just wandered around, sitting, walking, generally enjoying the relative peace and quiet. Not many cars in Stari Grad.

There are plenty of ferries between Split and Brac. The Terminal on Brac is at Supetar. It's opposite the pretty water front with a few restaurants along it, and lots of small boats. The terminal is also opposite Supetar bus station, which serves the whole Island, though services aren't that frequent. Carry on walking around the waterfront and keep going, following the path for a lovely walk along the coastline. A return ferry ticket cost 56 kuna I think.

KarenWoo

Dugi-Otok, if Ryan Air doesn't fly to Zadar in 2019, would it make more sense for us to go to Dubrovnik first since it's in the south? The reason I planned on going to Ljubljana at the end of the trip is because I assume the weather would be nicer 2 weeks later, since Ljubljana is in the north. Is there a possibility that snow could prevent us from driving through the Julian Alps the last week of April?

We did fly Ryan Air last year from Marseille to Madrid, and we didn't have any problems with them. Our flight left on time, and it was a comfortable flight.

Thank you for all your help.

KarenWoo

LancasterLad, thank you for your description of your day in Stari Grad. It looks like you took the ferry that we would take if we choose Stari Grad. Did you regret not having a car to drive around the island?

dugi_otok

Flying into Dubrovnik makes sense for your vacation. I would do it even if RyanAir flies into Zadar in 2019. Traveling south to north in Europe in the spring is almost always the best. Parking in Dubrovnik is very expensive if not connected to your apt. rental. So think about delaying your car rental as late as possible. Try staying in or near the old town. It is very nice in the old town at night.

kja

BTW, there are buses that connect the ferry port of Stari Grad to Hvar Town, and they are timed to work with the ferry schedule.

KarenWoo

Thanks, kja. That's good to know that we could see both places in one day, and not have to pay to bring our car on the ferry if we don't want to.

LancasterLad

No we never missed having a car. Our plan was to just to enjoy what we could on foot.....objective achieved. Taking a car would have added quite a bit to the ferry cost for a day trip.

Like Kja says, you can always get a bus from the ferry to Hvar. But, make sure you get off the ferry quickly, as the bus will fill quickly. Ditto when you return, you won't want to miss the boat!

rialtogrl

With that amount of time you definitely have enough time to go to both Hvar Town and Stari Grad. Things will be pretty quiet in Stari Grad in April. Hvar Town will be livelier. There are taxis between the two, though they are not cheap.

It can be very cold in Slovenia in late April. Two years ago it snowed on April 27 and the weather on May 1 was cold and driving rain. Last year it was freezing for a couple of days in late April. Just have some flexibility and you can adjust your itinerary to drive on a different day if it decides to snow or rain on one day.

KarenWoo

Rialtogirl, do you know how much the taxis between Stari Grad and Hvar Town cost? Your comments about the weather in Slovenia at that time of year make me a little concerned. I know it can be different from year to year. But if we don't visit Slovenia on this trip, I don't know when we would visit because we have so many countries on our bucket list.

LancasterLad

We're going to Kranjska Gora in Slovenia for 3 weeks next April. It's in the mountains close to the Austrian and Italian borders. Must admit, I wasn't anticipating it being a bit chilly, so looks like the woollies will need to be packed.

kja

I believe the weather rialtogrl described was unusual for Ljubljana at that time of year, but of course, unusual weather can occur anytime! For typical climate data, check timeadndate.com:
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/...bljana/climate

And even if you hit bad weather, as rialtogrl notes, flexibility will go a long way.

rialtogrl

Karen, weather can happen ANYTIME It is the New Normal. Just bring a parka and if the day you want to go to Julian alps is a rainy day, go the next day. Also last year I was there more in mid April - I left on April 23 which is before you even arrive. And it warmed up after I left. So don't sweat it.

I am not sure what the taxi would be from Stari Grad to Hvar Town, but a quick google shows around 250 kuna, around 34 euro. So as I said not exactly cheap. You might research both towns to see what interests you. There is definitely going to be a lot more open (there is just a lot more in general) in Hvar Town.

KarenWoo

Kja and rialtogrl, thank you for your reassurances about the weather. I know weather can vary from year to year, and it is important to be flexible.

alison

Karen,

Happy to comment based on my recent trip to Croatia – at least on the places where we visited.

Zadar – most lovely to be there in evening for sunset and sea organ and the accompanying “light show.”
Zadar Walking Tour ? Customised Walking Tours - very nice short guided walking tour offered several times a day. Sime, the owner of the travel agency that does these walking tours, is a great guy and wonderful guide. Check to see which of the walking tours he is guiding. He also has his own travel agency in Zadar and can be helpful about anything in the area: Art and Nature Travel ? best excursions in Zadar area

Split: One full day for Diocletian’s Palace and historic district. Lovely city for wandering. I suggest a tour for greater explanation of the palace and context. Don’t miss the basement ruins – very interesting.

Day trip to Sibenik and Trogir: We are in the minority and did not enjoy Trogir. It was “chotchke” heaven, although beautifully situated. Sibenik historic district and its church looked interesting; we didn’t get a chance to go inside. You can easily do both in one day. If it’s a nice day and you want to enjoy another beautiful national park, Krka is very close to Sibenik and you can have a lovely stroll around the main boardwalk in under 2 hours. And highly recommend Winery Rak right near Sibenik. Great food and wine-tasting experience. Check their website and email ahead if you’re interested since it’s early in the season. Such nice people!

Island visit: We loved our half-day visit to Hvar Town by Catamaran. It only takes an hour, vs. I think 2 hours by ferry to Stari Grad. The catamaran times worked for a day trip or ˝ day trip when we were there in May. April may be different. The ferry to Supetar runs much more frequently – even in April. Supetar is not nearly as beautiful as Hvar Town, but would make a lovely short visit just to see an island. The distances are far on Brac and not easy to get from place to place without a car. Not sure it’s worth taking a car over for the day – others can weigh in on that. While we were staying in Sutivan for 4 days, we rented a car and drove around Brac island one day and saw the “olive oil factory” and Zlatni Rat beach at Bol. Honestly, I think we enjoyed our ˝ day just seeing Hvar Town and climbing to the top of the fortress for the view just as much as the drive around Brac island. (We did LOVE our 4 days at Hotel Lemongarden in Sutivan, 10 mins from Supetar.) There is also the island of Solta, even closer to Split, with frequent ferries. I had looked into a combined “olive oil and honey” day trip there, but when the transport to Hvar Town worked out we did that instead.

Drive from Split to Dubrovnik: I think closer to 4 hours. We detoured to Mostar, which probably added at least another 1.5 to 2 hours just of driving time. But if you want to see Mostar that’s the most “efficient” day to do it in your itinerary. Including a lunch stop at a Bosnian village plus about 2 hours in Mostar, plus dinner in Ston on way to Dubrovnik (highly recommended stop for a meal) it was a long day of about 10 hours door-to-door. But we had a driver so no time spent getting lost or parking! Only you can decide if worth it to spend the whole day this way or save it for another trip.

Dubrovnik: Walking walls so special, as was going up in cable car and seeing the Homeland War Museum adjacent to the cable car on the top of the hill. Don’t miss the museum to get real perspective about the siege of Dubrovnik.

Can’t comment on Kotor or Slovenia as we didn’t visit.

Happy planning and please be sure to let me know if you have additional questions. Feel free to ask here or PM me.

KarenWoo

Alison, thank you very much for taking the time to write a detailed response. Your information is very helpful. I am looking forward to the rest of your trip report!

mike1728

Hello,
Just a few thoughts on your Croatia travel (jealous of your itinerary, we love Croatia). I think you can easily explore all of Sibenik in a day, even less. Trogir is beautiful, but Primosten is gorgeous as well and it is only a 40 minute drive from Sibenik. Skradin, on the Krka River is also about a 30 minute drive from Sibenik and is absolutely beautiful (from here you explore the famous Krka waterfalls).

We did stay on the Peljasac Peninsula in a village on the water called Komarna. I mention this because you referenced your love of wine and oysters and walking the walls of Dubrovnik. The village of Ston (30 minutes from our village of Komarna) is stunning and it is here that they have oyster farms which are according to some accounts, amongst the best in the world. The walls that encircle the town are huge and there are you can walk the entire route, much more challenging than Dubrovnik in my opinion. It is quite a work out. I believe the entire length of the walls is second after the Great Wall of China. The town is also famous for wine and olive oil. Kinda cool on the drive from Komarna to Ston, you cross the border into Bosnia and are in Bosnia for just a few miles prior to reaching Ston. Mostar was a one (1) hour drive from Komarna. Also loved Mostar.
Enjoy my fellow Bostonian.

KarenWoo

mike1728, thank you for your helpful information. How long did you stay on the Peljesac Peninsula? Did you visit any wineries? What time of year were you there?
Thank you!

mike1728

Hi Karen,
We stayed in Komarna for five (5) nights. We did visit a winery, although I do not remember the name of the estate. There are several in the area, and like most wine growing regions, you will see signs offering tastings. Some of them are in remote areas off the beat and track. I think the Rizman winery is the most famous in the area. There are also several stands along the roadways that sell fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and local bottles of wine. We visited in mid may, had lovely weather, some hot days (in the 80's). The water was swimmable-but a tad cold at that time of the year.

rialtogrl

Isn't Komarna on the mainland?

A couple of wineries close to Ston that are very good - Milos (though the prices of the wines there seem to be going up and up and up) and Vukas. Both wineries also produce excellent olive oil.
Milos Vineyards
https://www.vinavukas.com/winery.html