Need Itinerary advice: Croatia and Slovenia
 

We are flying into Dubrovnik and out of Zagreb Sept. 25-Oct. 13, so we will have 17 nights if I've counted correctly! 2 couples. We plan to do a day trip to Montenegro. We would like to drive to Mostar from there, and on to Sarajevo. Would that be doable in one day and still get to see some of Mostar? Should we spend one or two nights in Sarajevo?
From there, we want to see Split, Trogir (possibly staying there...how long?), Rovinj, Plitvice
lakes, and ljubljana, ending in Zagreb. Should we include some islands after Dubrovnik and before Mostar? I appreciate any ideas on how many nights to spend in each area, and the best way to piece them together, especially on the front end. Thanks!!!

Well, it is doable but that drive could be brutal as planned, allowing little chance for the time and breathing space to really take in your travel experience.
I believe Dubrovnik is over rated and when the after 9 am daily 10,000 cruise ship passengers hit the streets it can be a bit of a body contact sport. Be careful where you stay in Dubrovnik as their many discos can subject your night lodging to a vivid sound track experience.
I think the best island to day trip visit from Dubrovnik is Mljet. Quieter and more peaceful with its National Park.
Try to give Mostar at least one night. I like many regard Mostar as a very special experience. For lodging, Villa Fortuna, Pension Rose and the more expensive Old Town Hotel, offer good value for money, But, do not stay at the Old Town on Thurs, Friday or Saturday nights unless you wish a disco sound track experience from an adjacent hot spot. All three lodgings offer secure off street parking.
If you drive from Montenegro to Mostar and wish a more off the beaten track experience consider driving via Trebinje in the Serbian Republic of Herzegovina with a stop at the Tvrdos Monastery.
Yes, at least two nights in Sarajevo and guides are avaliable for tours by the hour. Once in central Sarajevo you can walk to everything, but parking can be an issue.
Lakes Bled and especially Lake Bohinj in Slovenia with a counter clockwise drive over Vrsic Pass into the Soca Valley among the Julian Alps via Bovec and especially Kobarid are musts. Good WW 1 museum in Kobarid with Hotel/Restaurant Kotlar good value. I would give Slovenia at least 4 nights and believe you will find that country the most impressive of your planned journey. Good Trip!

I responded to your other thread about day trips from Dubrovnik. I would recommend an overnight stay in Mostar and 2 nights in Sarajevo. We found walking and public transit and cabs (quite inexpensive) work well in Sarajevo for exploring the city.

Thanks for the great advice. Parmenter, a few of the places you mention are new to me so I will study up. This has been a great learning experience for me, and it's been fun! Vttravler, I spent the whole evening last night reading one of your trip reports and the comments. It was wonderful and I also got a kick out of some of the comments! Really helpful advice and nice of you to "take us on the trip"!

DebbieKincan--I'm glad you found the TR interesting. I had planned to write a similar detailed report for the trip last fall but never managed it. We really loved our two visits to BiH. We were fortunate to have our good friend to show us around, but we spent a lot of time on our own, too, and found Sarajevo and Mostar easy to navigate.

When we left Mostar on the trip last fall we also visited nearby Blagaj which is an interesting and beautiful spot
http://www.bhtourism.ba/eng/blagajbuna.wbsp

On the way back from the coast toward Mostar we stopped briefly in Pocitelj, also well worth a short visit
http://www.bhtourism.ba/eng/pocitelj.wbsp


julia_t is another fan of BiH who has posted helpful trip reports about several trips to Sarajevo and Mostar

Great Vttraveler! I have to say I never would have considered visiting BiH, but thanks to you and a few others who graciously shared their adventures, I'm now super excited to visit. I feel like I'm on vacation while I read these reports. Now I need to get places to stay lined up.

Debbie--I am glad some of us managed to pique your interest in BiH. I know you have talked about driving from the coast to Mostar to Sarajevo but in case you think about doing at least some of the trip with public transit, that is possible, too. Last October we took the train from Sarajevo to Mostar. Many tunnels -- my husband, the train enthusiast, counted them but I can't remember the total. The train itself was very basic although one car was better than the others. The scenery is really spectacular on this part of the route.

Bookmarking.

Debbie, our daughter and I were in Zagreb (one night) and Sarajevo (two nights) this summer. We felt our time was just about right in each place. Click on my name to see my report (including a discussion of trains and buses) if you're interested.

Hmm.... I was glad to have 3 nights (3.5 days) in Zagreb and 2 nights (2 days) in Sarajevo, and I could easily have enjoyed more time in either city. It really depends on what you want to see and experience.

kja, I agree. That is why I invited the OP to read our trip report. It's more helpful than general statements like "two days was more than enough" or "I could spend a week there."

fourfortravel: I agree that "general statements like "two days was more than enough" or "I could spend a week there." aren't very helpful -- one needs to know something about the OP's interests and preferences. Fortunately, the OP has all sorts of ways to find info to help make her own choice. My recommendation would be that she begin with some good guidebooks. IMO and IME, trip reports can provide some very helpful supplements to the information gained from guidebooks. If the OP -- or anyone else -- chooses to plan a trip using the comments on this particular post, I would like to note, for the record, that my interests would lead to different time allocations than yours. As I said, it really depends on what one wants to see and experience.

I would suggest you take a trip to Kotor (Montenegro), a lovely town on the coast. Spend half a day there and then drive to Mostar. You need half a day for Mostar just to walk round the Old Town and have turkish cofee in one of the small cafes. You would need one or two days for Sarajevo to see Baschcharsia the old town and the market.
I wouldn't spend too much time in Split. It is a big port not a particularly attractive for tourists. Of course you can see the Diokletian Palace and other tourist attractions. Trogir would need only half a day.
Your priority should be Rovinj in Istria, absolutely fantastic place. Try to spend at least two or three days there , the sea is still warm for swimming and there are not that many tourists at this time of the year.On your way there you can see the Plitvice Lakes.
Hope you find the itinerary useful. Have a nice trip.
Ivana

Just add the islands to visit after Dubrovnik.You can go to Hvar or Brac a couple days thre woulbe lovely.

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