Planing a trip to Croatia/slovenia
 

My Wife and I are planning a trip to Croatia and Slovenia and can't decide on where to go. We plan to go in April or May for 9-11 days. So far we want to see ljubljana/lake bled, plitvice lakes, hvar ( maybe split and brela). Or would you recommend going to Istria instead of southern Croatia. For all that have been what do you recommend visiting?

First of all are you renting a car? I found s steep dropoff charge (about $500) renting in Croatia and dropping in Slovenia.

If you're renting a car, do you plan to take it to Hvar? Many people do without a car on Hvar and there are more people ferries, especially in the off-season. Look here: www.jadrolinija.hr

And you're going to Brela and skipping Dubrovnik, which is what I consider southern Dalmatia. Any special reason?

When relying on Croatian ferries, most especially in the off-season, you must read the schedules very carefully -- when they finally come out.

Are you flying into Ljubljana and out of Zagreb? Or possibly Dubrovnik? Some such open-jaws ticket would save you time and money backtracking.

I may do Dubrovnik as well. I think I may have too many places for my trip though. What would you take out. I wasn't originally going to do Slovenia but the pictures look amazing. I think I'll fly into Zagreb and then see plitvice. I was thinking of staying there and taking a bus back to Zagreb and and then a train to Ljubljana. From there I was thinking of taking a train or possible plane to split and going to Hvar and making other day trips to Brela and possibly Dubrovnik. I may fly out of Dubrovnik, or Split. I'm not sure yet. I wasn't planning to rent a car.

How about:
- fly into Ljubljana
- see Ljlubjana, Lake Bled (easy to do by bus/train; you can do Lake Bled as a day trip from Ljubljana in my opinion)
- train to Zagreb
- bus to Plitvice
- bus to Split, catamaran to Hvar
- various day trips to wherever
- fly out of Split or Dubrovnik

I've been to most of these places (not Istria, stayed over in Korcula not Hvar). In 2009 I did a trip to Croatia and just in September this year I did mostly Slovenia. Both are unique, beautiful places but different yet I would recommend parts of both countries depending on your interests. For me, both Ljubljana and Plitvice have been the big highlights of my trips. (Dubrovnik too though it's so mobbed with cruise ship tourists now that it can be unpleasantly crowded during the days.)

I've rented cars in both Slovenia and Croatia for small portions of my trips (buses/trains everywhere else) and found driving in both countries very easy; . But both countries have excellent, reliable public transportation though mostly those are buses. The train network is limited especially in Croatia, where there is no train service along the Dalmatian coast.

Click on the link below and then click on "Central Europe/Venice 2008." Chapters Six through 11 of my trip report detail our time in Croatia (Dubrovnik, Trogir, Split, Plitvice, Rovinj) and Slovenia (Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Vintgar Gorge) in words and photos. It should give you some good ideas. Have a great trip. We loved both countries.

http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/

((H)))

I suggest getting the tickets first, then letting that--and the actual number of days you end up with--dictate the plan.

My similar trip was Rovinj (on Istria) with day trip to Pula, bus to Reika and ferry to Dubrovnik (overnight), day trips to Montenegro and wine region, fly to Zagreb, train to Lake Bled, day trip to Ljubljana. The entire trip was 2 weeks.

Great ideas everyone. Thank you. Do you think a rental car is needed. Are there any vacation companies or airlines you recommend?

Is Dubrovnik worth visiting? I've heard ones that were disappointed with it.

I thought Dubrovnik was very special.

It all really depends on what would you like to see and do. If you are into sightseeing, than I highly recommend South Croatia (Dubrovnik Region) or Istria.

In Southern Croatia, you can check village Komarna or anywhere close to it and from there, within 60 km, you can visit Dubrovnik, Peljesac Peninsula, island Mljet and Korcula, and Mostar in Bosnia. Plitvice Lakes are also worth visiting and you can plan to stop over on your way from Slovenia to South Croatia.

In Istria, you should not miss Rovinj, Motovun, Groznjan. Istria offers also great gastronomy (tavern Stari podrum near Momjan is excellent, also fine dining restaurants like Valsabbion in Pula and Kukuriku in Kastav are very good choice).

Brela on the other hand is very nice village with beautiful beach, but I wouldn't go there in May.

Car is needed.

There's no train south of Split. So you'd have to get to Brela or Dubrovnik by boat and/or bus. The rest of your planned itinerary can be done easily by public transportation.

Besides its beauty (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) the attraction of Dubrovnik is the day trips to nearby islands and to Montenegro (Bay of Kotor) and Mostar.

Dubrovnik has a airport so you could fly out of there. Ditto Split.

Would you say that Dalmatia and the surrounding islands are more impressive than Istria with Krk and Cres. I can probably do one or the other. Istria would probably be easier, but if the Islands down south are much more impressive I can travel more.

My husband and I are planning a similar trip, 12 nights in toto. Draft itinerary:
Fly in to Dubrovnik - 3 n
Korcula (by bus from Dub) - 2n
Ferry to Split for am (Diocletian Palace)
Split - Trogir (30 mins by bus) - 2 n
Trogir to Plitvice (1n) via Zadar for a few hours hopefully
Plitvice to Bled (2n) via Ljubljana (also for a few hours)
Bled to Kranjska Gora (2n)
KG to Ljubljana airport - evening departure to Helsinki.
We want to see as much of the Dalmation coast as poss hence travelling to Plitvice via Zadar.
We could stay one night in Trogir, then one in Zadar rather than 2 in Trogir, but we're hoping to avoid "one night stands" wherever possible.
The main questions (the answers to which I hope will also assist nolinenowait):
1.Can this be done without hiring a car and also without spending twice as long on a bus as driving would take? I think this would apply mainly to the Zadar-Plitvice leg and esp to the Plitvice-Ljubljana leg? I am having great difficulty finding a satisfactory way of travelling for these two bits (other than hiring a car which we were hoping to avoid).
Our reservations about driving are based mainly on not knowing what the coast road from Trogir to Zadar, the road b/n Zadar and Plitvice and esp the road/s between Plitvice and Ljubljana are like. I've also been unable to find info re the route to take from Plitvice to Ljubljana (without going through Zagreb) and the time it would take either driving or travelling by public transport.
2. I'm unsure about whether we have sufficient time to see Zadar enroute to Plitvice and then have enough time left to do Plitvice justice and still make it to Bled (via Ljubljana)the next day.
3. Should we spend 1 night each in Trogir and Zadar rather than 2 nights in Trogir, so that we reach Plitvice earlier?

In summary - can we realistically do this trip using public transport, given our time contraints? If not, how long does it take by car for the various sections.

Apologies for the waffle, but that's how my head is at present!

On the question - was Dubrovnik 'disappointing' - well I was surprised at how crowded it was (in July) and that made it slightly unpleasant. Even though I always travel in July, it was especially crowded here - BUT - it was still 'worth' it. I cannot imagine going to that part of the world and not seeing Dubrovnik. And as someone pointed out, you can also do easy day trips to Mostar and Montenegro from there.

The itinerary posted above does seem like you are trying to cram an awful lot in - you've got mostly one and two night stays - but if that doesn't bother you.

We did four nights Dubrovnik with one day trip to Mostar and another day trip to Montenegro (both by organized tour, which I hate but didn't want to bother with car for only a couple days). Then ferry to Korcula for two nights, ferry to Split for two nights (with a day trip to Trogir by ferry). We thought we had a good amount of time in each location.

Here's my trip report - scroll half way down to get to the Croatia part (clearly labeled): http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rful-weeks.cfm

Here are my photos:http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/croatia

MRM, why don't you start your own thread. I'm afraid you question will be missed buried in this thread.

I can only speak for myself, but I preferred the Dalmatian coast to Istria. Istria -- hilltowns, truffles, vinyards -- reminded me of Umbria. Whereas the coast and the islands are not only beautiful but a more unique experience. Krka and Zadar I would consider to be in Dalmatia. But I'm not sure where is the northern boundary of Dalmatia. Cres I'm not familiar with.

MRM this is very similar to what I want to do. I'm thinking June may be better than May to visit the beaches and Islands.

What do you think of doing

Slovenia for 3 nights- Ljubljana and Bled
Plitvice for 1 day
Hvar 2 nights
Brela 1 night- maybe Trogir
Dubrovnik 1 night

I found it's cheapest to fly in and our of Zagreb. Would this be possible with a vacation that's about 11 days.

> Slovenia for 3 nights- Ljubljana and Bled

Depending on your arrival and departure times and what you want to do and experience in each location, that could be possible, but it might be a bit rushed. You would definitely have to decide what to skip in order to meet this time line.

> Dubrovnik 1 night

My understanding is that many Dubrovnik lodgings require a minimum 3-night stay during high season, which I believe includes June. I know I had to take that into consideration for my trip, which was in May. True or not, I can't imagine trying to see Dubrovnik with a single overnight - and I travel HARD!

Honestly, I think you are trying to cover WAY too much ground in too little time. You will spend an incredible amount of time in transit in comparison to the time you spend enjoying time on the ground. I urge you to check via-michelin or mappy just to get some sense of the best possible travel times you'll face, even if you were to rent a car rather then rely on public transit.

The good news is that you can easily choose to visit just a small portion of this region in the time you have and can make it a wonderful trip!

For those that have visited Slovenia would you recommend it? Should I save it for another trip or should I save Dubrovnik for another trip? Also my wife and I are 25 if that makes a difference.

I highly recommend Slovenia. Great scenery, easy to get around, but far less touristy than, say, Italy or Austria (far fewer Americans, anyway). Does that mean you must see it on your (relatively short) eleven day trip? Not necessarily. You're 25, you can go back again, right?

I'd do what logistically makes sense as well as pick the places that that interest you the most. Flying to Zagreb and backtracking to Ljubljana and Bled then doubling back to Plitvice would waste valuable time. Then again, maybe there's a way you hadn't thought of to fly into Ljubljana directly? (Hint: easyJet flies between Paris and Ljubljana, if Paris as a transit point would work into your plans.)

Lots of people think Dubrovnik is amazing. I think it's a "must-see" for sure even though it wasn't my favorite place on my two trips to the Balkans. But again - is this your ONLY opportunity to visit the area? I will say that Ljubljana/Bled might work into a future trip to Austria and Italy better than Dubrovnik would, if you are thinking ahead a little.

My husband and I spent out honeymoon in Croatia 2 summers ago. We flew in and out of Zagreb so that renting a car was cheaper because we could return it in the same place we picked it up. We were there for about 2 weeks:
2 days in Zagreb
2 days in Plitvice
1 day in Split (not quite enough time, but ok)
3 days on Korcula
2-3 days in Dubrovnik
drove back to Zagreb and spent the night to fly out the next morning

We rented a car and found driving to be easy although I was scared at the speeds on some of the narrow curvy coastal roads. We enjoyed every place we went. We would have loved to go to Istria too, but time did not allow it. Plitvice is a must see (it's what I planned the whole trip around). Dubrovnik had great history and good food (although it's much more expensive than the rest of Croatia). Korcula is beautiful, affordable (if you stay outside of the old city), and relaxing. I really enjoyed the feel of Zagreb although my husband felt that there was not quite enough to do there. I hope this helps.

I would probably not go to Dubrovnik on this trip and add an extra night to Slovenia.

Dubrovnik was NOT disappointing to me. Loved it, but just is too much to do in your time frame. It's really crowded during the day, but once the cruise ship people depart it's terrific. If you do go, either walk the walls really early or wait until after 2:30 when the cruisers have to return to the mother ship. Oh yeah, don't miss the Buza Bar if you go.

((H))

> For those that have visited Slovenia would you recommend it? Should I save it for another trip or should I save Dubrovnik for another trip?

Both are wonderful in different ways. With the time you, I think you would do well to consider EITHER a trip that includes Slovenia and Istria OR a trip that involves the Dalmatian coast (of the places you have mentioned, that would include Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Trogir) along with Plitvice Lakes (on the assumption that you would fly into Zagreb). Which to do really depends on your interests. Enjoy!

I'm pretty sure we are going to do Slovenia and Istria with a day trip to Plitvice. I know it's out of the way but don't think we should miss it. Where in Slovenia and Istria do you recommend.

People travel for such different reasons, and enjoy such different things, that I can't imagine making recommendations without knowing something about the kinds of things you like and don't like when traveling.

Petit McClure - Can you tell me what the drive was like going from Dubrovnik to Zagreb? Are you glad you drove vs. flying back to Zagreb?

I think I've got my itinerary set. I'll be leaving May 2nd and coming back the 11th.

May 2nd Fly out to Zagreb
May 3rd Drive or train to Ljubljana and explore
May 4th Morning explore the town, See Predjama castle
May 5th Explore bled stay the night, maybe see vintgar gorge
May 6th Stay in Rovinj
May 7th See Pula- Leave to Rab and Krk
May 10th See Plitvice and leave to Zagreb
May 11th Fly back

Do you think I need another day. Does this look rushed?

Your itinerary gets sketchy around Rovinj.

May 6 Get yourself from Bled to Rovinj -- how?
Sleep Rovinj

May 7 Drive to Pula. See Pula. Somehow get yourself to the island of RabDrive to Rab and Krk

Sorry bout that. How are you getting to Krk and to the island of Rab? On the same day you've toured Pula.

I don't know what's happening May 8 and 9. Is that when you're seeing Rab and Krk?

May 10 Drive to Plitvice? Tour Plitvice. Drive on to Zagreb.

The last part of this has to be done by car, I assume.

Have you timed the drives? www.viamichelin.com is helpful for Croatia. In early May, there won't be as many ferries as in the high season. It's hard to plan a trip to Croatia without accurate ferry schedules.

Yes, I think this is rushed. Too much time in the car.

To drive in Slovenia you will need a vignette (a sort of temporary road license obtainable at the border or at gas stations near the border). And your car rental company must be OK with your driving in Slovenia.

I guess I haven't done as much research as I needed to. Is it possible to do Slovenia, with parts of Istria/islands and plitvice in about a week? How much time do I need for this trip? What changes should be made.

Originally I was going to do Slovenia with Plitvice, Hvar and maybe a day in Dubrovnik. Does this seem like a better plan? Should I not get a car? Flying in Zagreb is cheapest so that's why I changed my original plan.

I think you're trying to do too much. Skip Slovenia on this trip and focus on Croatia, since it seems you keep wanting to add stuff there. With 9 days I'd rent a car and do Zagreb, Plitvice, Istria/Rovinj, Dubrovnik, and maybe and island or two. You might consider adding a stop in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina - I'd do that before adding a day in Slovenia and having to do lots of backtracking, just because Mostar is on the way to Dubrovnik.

You could rent the car in Zagreb and drive it to Dubrovnik and drop it there (this is what I did) and then island hop without it. If you can island hop up to Split, you can get back to Zagreb (if that's cheapest for you to fly out of) by train or even by flying - Croatia Airlines may have very cheap domestic one-way flights.

Thanks Andrew. I'd drop Slovenia but it seems like it may be one of the highlights. My wife is very excited about it. It's also one of the only places she can see a castle (Predjama castle). She wants to see at least one castle.

Well, either you're going to have to add more time, drop something, or have a rushed schedule in my opinion. Some people prefer seeing a lot of things quickly. I do kind of a mix: I can move fast on my trips but then stop and slow down at various places.

If time is more precious than money, fly into Ljubljana instead of into Zagreb since that would save you half a day.

If you are doing Plitvice, you don't need to waste time at the Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia - it's worth seeing if you are passing through the area and have some extra time, but it pales compared to Plitvice. Lake Bled could be done as a day trip in my opinion if you just want to see the lake, the churches, and the castle. You can walk around the lake in a couple of hours including a boat ride out to the island. The town is nothing special, just a resort town. I'd much prefer spending an evening in Ljubljana than in the town of Bled.

Maybe if we just did Croatia we could fit in trakoscan castle. We could make it a day trip from Zagreb. Would you recommend more time in Istria or Dalmatia? Both look amazing. We both love history and architecture. However, want to do some local markets and beaches/islands. Thank you so much for everyone's help so far.

I haven't been to Istria myself. The Dalmatian Coast is really nice but it has a "sunny vacation" feel to it, which is maybe what you want (certainly many people do). Dubrovnik is additionally just a spectacular old city.

How does this sound:

May 2nd: Get into Zagreb at 10am- Take a trip to plitvice lakes and then go back to Zagreb for the night

May 3rd: Take train to Ljubljana
Stay for 3 days with a day trip to Bled and Castle Predjama

May 6th: Take a train to Pula. Visit Pula and Rovinj

May 11th: Fly back home

Do any of these places need more time?

Would adding in a couple days in Trieste be too much. Would 2 days there throw off the trip?

With Trieste my intinery would look something like this:

May 2nd: Get into Zagreb at 10am- Take a trip to plitvice lakes and then go back to Zagreb for the night

May 3rd: Take train to Ljubljana

Stay for 3 days with a day trip ( maybe half day) to Bled

May 6th: Take a train to Trieste

May 8th take ferry to Rovinj

May 10th Visit Pula

Fly out May 11th from Pula

How about this:

May 2: Fly into Zagreb. Pick up rental car, drive to Ljubljana.
May 2: Sleep in Ljubljana
May 3: See Ljubljana.
May 3: Sleep in Ljubljana
May 4: Drive to Bled (detour via Skofja Loka, nice drive)
May 4: Sleep in Bled
May 5: Drive to Trieste, stopping at Castle Predjama.
May 5: Sleep in Trieste
May 6: See Trieste.
May 6: Sleep in Trieste
May 7: Drive to Rovinj. Stops at Piran, etc.
May 7: Sleep in Rovinj.
May 8: Day trip to Pula.
May 8: Sleep in Rovinj
May 9: Drive to Plitvice; slow drive with stops in Istria.
May 9: Sleep in Plitvice
May 10: See Plitvice in the morning/depart by mid-afternoon (full of tour groups by then).
May 10: Sleep in Zagreb
May 11: Fly home from Zagreb

You could do this without a car if you take a bus (connect in Karlovac) from Rovinj to Plitvička Jezera (Plitvice), and replace Trieste with Piran, Slovenia. (Bus from Ljubljana to Postojna, bus from Postojna to Piran). But Istria without a car may be too much trouble. Perhaps you could pick up a car in Croatia near Rovinj or Pula and drive it to Plitvice and return it to Zagreb.

I think I would prefer Piran to Trieste anyway - different strokes...

The first day in Ljubljana doesn't have much - there isn't really tons to see in Ljubljana, except that it's a super nice city, you may wish to take a breath after your long flight, and there's a castle! You could cut out the 2nd night there I guess and drive right to Bled and sleep there and add the night elsewhere but that would seem rushed to me. Then again, the itinerary I propose is rushed anyway!