Please critique my Croatia/Slovenia itinerary
Jul 22nd, 2014, 12:36 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Please critique my Croatia/Slovenia itinerary
My husband and I will be spending 13 days in Croatia/ Slovenia in May 2015. We will spend four nights in Paris to get over jet lag and then fly to Dubrovnik. Our tentative itinerary is:
Dubrovnik - 3 nights with a public transportation day trip to Kotor
Rent a car and drive to:
Mostar - 1 night
Trogir - 1 night for a visit to Split (Diocletian's Palace)
Plivice - 1 or 2 nights
Ljubljana - 3 nights -day trip to Bled
Rovinj - 3 nights to explore a bit of Istria
Take the ferry to Venice, spend two nights in Venice and then fly home from Milan. (Our flights to Paris and from Milan are booked).
Are we trying to see too much in the 13 days? Should we spend 1 or 2 nights in Plivice or add the extra night to Rovinj?
Should we keep the car in Rovinj to explore Istria or rely on public transit? Is Rovinj a good base for Istria?
Many thanks for any opinions!
Dubrovnik - 3 nights with a public transportation day trip to Kotor
Rent a car and drive to:
Mostar - 1 night
Trogir - 1 night for a visit to Split (Diocletian's Palace)
Plivice - 1 or 2 nights
Ljubljana - 3 nights -day trip to Bled
Rovinj - 3 nights to explore a bit of Istria
Take the ferry to Venice, spend two nights in Venice and then fly home from Milan. (Our flights to Paris and from Milan are booked).
Are we trying to see too much in the 13 days? Should we spend 1 or 2 nights in Plivice or add the extra night to Rovinj?
Should we keep the car in Rovinj to explore Istria or rely on public transit? Is Rovinj a good base for Istria?
Many thanks for any opinions!
Jul 22nd, 2014, 01:04 PM
#2
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,431
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Havw you thought about taking the boat along the coast from Dubrovnik? The boats (ferries) generally touch on all the pretty coastal places, while by car you spend a lot of time goimg inland to "do distance" and then again out to the coast. I have done this trip by boat three times. Heading south twice, north once. The first time we loaded our personal car on the boat in Rijeka, and got it off in Dubrovnik, for continuation to Greece. I don't know if they still offer this car service any more, especially northbound.
In any event, while in Dubrovnik, I would take a boat trip to the island of Korcula. The old part is very pretty and full of history.
I don't know in what shape the hotel island Sveti Stephan is now. Check it out. If renovation is completed, a worthwhile stop on the way to Kotor.
There are good ferry connections from Zadar to Venice.Zadar is another beautiful and vibrant old city with Roman ruins. Ferry ride would be particularly worthwhile if it were to stop long enough in Pula, to do some more sightseeing. Glad you are including Split.Been there twice, and enjoyed it every time.
In any event, while in Dubrovnik, I would take a boat trip to the island of Korcula. The old part is very pretty and full of history.
I don't know in what shape the hotel island Sveti Stephan is now. Check it out. If renovation is completed, a worthwhile stop on the way to Kotor.
There are good ferry connections from Zadar to Venice.Zadar is another beautiful and vibrant old city with Roman ruins. Ferry ride would be particularly worthwhile if it were to stop long enough in Pula, to do some more sightseeing. Glad you are including Split.Been there twice, and enjoyed it every time.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 04:05 PM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,362
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We did a similar itinerary in 2 separate trips, 2 weeks in Croatia and 1 in Slovenia, so based on that, yes, it seems a little bit rushed, but I don’t think impossible, if you are fine with the 1-night stops.
We had 2 nights in Plitvice, which gave us a full day there. I think it was a very good choice. The park is amazing, and you would like to walk all the boardwalks, stop, enjoy the views, take all the pictures you want, etc. I think ½ say is not enough…
We spent 4 nights in Rovinj, and loved it as a base for Istria. You will only have 3, so 2 full days plus something else on one end or the other. The hill towns in Istria are nice, the scenery beautiful, we took 2 day trips to Pula and Porec (if you need to pick one, I suggest Porec for the basilica), and the food is delicious.
We had a car on both trips, so I cannot comment on the public transportation.
As much as it hurt me, I think you should skip Slovenia and add the days to Croatia and maybe an island there (Hvar, Korkula, or another one).
We had 2 nights in Plitvice, which gave us a full day there. I think it was a very good choice. The park is amazing, and you would like to walk all the boardwalks, stop, enjoy the views, take all the pictures you want, etc. I think ½ say is not enough…
We spent 4 nights in Rovinj, and loved it as a base for Istria. You will only have 3, so 2 full days plus something else on one end or the other. The hill towns in Istria are nice, the scenery beautiful, we took 2 day trips to Pula and Porec (if you need to pick one, I suggest Porec for the basilica), and the food is delicious.
We had a car on both trips, so I cannot comment on the public transportation.
As much as it hurt me, I think you should skip Slovenia and add the days to Croatia and maybe an island there (Hvar, Korkula, or another one).
Jul 22nd, 2014, 05:44 PM
#4
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"Dubrovnik - Rent a car and drive to:"
I agree that a rental car will be a decided encumbrance in many of the places you plan to visit. the only places it will really help will be getting to/from the Plitvice Lakes and visiting the hill towns of Istria. Do consider using public transportation whenever you can in Croatia!
"Trogir - 1 night for a visit to Split (Diocletian's Palace)"
One night could mean just a few hours or 2 days, and I'm not sure what your plan is. For what it's worth, I loved Split and found it well worth closer to 2 days; with 2 days, you could probably visit both Split and Trogir. If you only intend to visit a few select parts of Diocletian's Palace, you could probably smash Split and Trogir into a single busy day....
"Ljubljana - 3 nights -day trip to Bled"
Depending on your interests, that could work well or could be a bit too little. Be sure to think through your priorities!
"We will spend four nights in Paris to get over jet lag and then fly to Dubrovnik. ... Take the ferry to Venice, spend two nights in Venice and then fly home from Milan."
So shall we assume that you have already been to Paris, Venice, and Milan, or that you have little/no interest in them?
"Are we trying to see too much in the 13 days? "
It might be doable - it really depends on your interests.
"Should we spend 1 or 2 nights in Plivice"
One night should be sufficient, but 2 nights might be better depending on when you arrive and depart. I got there in time for dinner one night, spent 6.5 or 7 hours in the park the next day, and then moved on; I don't know whether that would work for you. Do make sure that your time in the part is in one long chunk -- part of what makes the Plitvice Lakes so magnificent is the difference between the lakes, and that is something you can only see if you make quite a long loop into them. And FWIW, I would not recommend trying to drive after sunset in/around the lakes -- YMMV.
"Should we keep the car in Rovinj to explore Istria or rely on public transit? Is Rovinj a good base for Istria?"
Rovinj is a good base for Istria; much of Istria can be visited by public transportation, but is more easily visited by car; Rovinj is not a good place for a car. So you have to make some tough choices. You might consider reordering your trip so you are seeing the Plitvice Lakes just before or after Istria, using public transportation for everything else. And if you do have a car during any time when you will be in/near Rovinj, make sure you have a plan for parking it.
Enjoy!
I agree that a rental car will be a decided encumbrance in many of the places you plan to visit. the only places it will really help will be getting to/from the Plitvice Lakes and visiting the hill towns of Istria. Do consider using public transportation whenever you can in Croatia!
"Trogir - 1 night for a visit to Split (Diocletian's Palace)"
One night could mean just a few hours or 2 days, and I'm not sure what your plan is. For what it's worth, I loved Split and found it well worth closer to 2 days; with 2 days, you could probably visit both Split and Trogir. If you only intend to visit a few select parts of Diocletian's Palace, you could probably smash Split and Trogir into a single busy day....
"Ljubljana - 3 nights -day trip to Bled"
Depending on your interests, that could work well or could be a bit too little. Be sure to think through your priorities!
"We will spend four nights in Paris to get over jet lag and then fly to Dubrovnik. ... Take the ferry to Venice, spend two nights in Venice and then fly home from Milan."
So shall we assume that you have already been to Paris, Venice, and Milan, or that you have little/no interest in them?
"Are we trying to see too much in the 13 days? "
It might be doable - it really depends on your interests.
"Should we spend 1 or 2 nights in Plivice"
One night should be sufficient, but 2 nights might be better depending on when you arrive and depart. I got there in time for dinner one night, spent 6.5 or 7 hours in the park the next day, and then moved on; I don't know whether that would work for you. Do make sure that your time in the part is in one long chunk -- part of what makes the Plitvice Lakes so magnificent is the difference between the lakes, and that is something you can only see if you make quite a long loop into them. And FWIW, I would not recommend trying to drive after sunset in/around the lakes -- YMMV.
"Should we keep the car in Rovinj to explore Istria or rely on public transit? Is Rovinj a good base for Istria?"
Rovinj is a good base for Istria; much of Istria can be visited by public transportation, but is more easily visited by car; Rovinj is not a good place for a car. So you have to make some tough choices. You might consider reordering your trip so you are seeing the Plitvice Lakes just before or after Istria, using public transportation for everything else. And if you do have a car during any time when you will be in/near Rovinj, make sure you have a plan for parking it.
Enjoy!
Jul 22nd, 2014, 06:12 PM
#5
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,362
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I usually agree with kja...but not on the "Rovinj is not a good place for a car" topic.
Rovinj is small town, with a big parking lot at the entrance. You can park it there, and walk 5-10 minutes to your hotel. There might even be a shuttle, but we did not take it. We used Rovinj as a base, and spent one day to visit the down. That was the only day when we really did not need the car but had to pay for it and parking anyway. We preferred to do that and have the car for the other days in Istria for flexibility, but in the end it's up to your priorities and budget.
Rovinj is small town, with a big parking lot at the entrance. You can park it there, and walk 5-10 minutes to your hotel. There might even be a shuttle, but we did not take it. We used Rovinj as a base, and spent one day to visit the down. That was the only day when we really did not need the car but had to pay for it and parking anyway. We preferred to do that and have the car for the other days in Istria for flexibility, but in the end it's up to your priorities and budget.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 07:50 PM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,012
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm a big fan of public transport and use it whenever possible. However, we found that if you want to visit multiple villages in a single day in Istria, the bus schedules are skinny. By careful examination of the bus timetables, we were able to fit in a lot in one day but we had to be organised. We were there in May so timetables may be different in the summer season.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 10:20 PM
#9
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You are missing an island in your itinerary.I would choose Hvar, the 2nd most popular tourist destination in Croatia.I would drop Ljubljana to visit Hvar.
Then
Dubrovnik - 3 nights with a public transportation day trip to Kotor
Rent a car and drive to:
Mostar - 1 night
Drive to Split to catch the 2hr 2:30PM ferry to Hvar (StariGrad).
Hvar town -2 nights
Take the 11:30 AM ferry, StariGrad to Split. Check into Split hotel. Afternoon in Trogir.
Split - 1 night
Spend the morning in Split.
Afternoon drive to Plitvice
Plitvice - 2 nights
Rovinj - 4 nights to explore a bit of Istria
Take the ferry or bus(if no ferry that day) to Venice, spend two nights in Venice and then fly home from Milan.
Then
Dubrovnik - 3 nights with a public transportation day trip to Kotor
Rent a car and drive to:
Mostar - 1 night
Drive to Split to catch the 2hr 2:30PM ferry to Hvar (StariGrad).
Hvar town -2 nights
Take the 11:30 AM ferry, StariGrad to Split. Check into Split hotel. Afternoon in Trogir.
Split - 1 night
Spend the morning in Split.
Afternoon drive to Plitvice
Plitvice - 2 nights
Rovinj - 4 nights to explore a bit of Istria
Take the ferry or bus(if no ferry that day) to Venice, spend two nights in Venice and then fly home from Milan.
Jul 22nd, 2014, 10:35 PM
#10
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"You are missing an island in your itinerary.I would choose Hvar ....I would drop Ljubljana to visit Hvar.."
To each his/her own! I found Hvar WAY to upscale for my tastes, and think that Trogir might give JUST enough of a taste if the Dalmatian Islands for a rushed itinerary -- but, of course, Trogir is NOT an island and so dugi_otik raises a point that is well worth considering.
To each his/her own! I found Hvar WAY to upscale for my tastes, and think that Trogir might give JUST enough of a taste if the Dalmatian Islands for a rushed itinerary -- but, of course, Trogir is NOT an island and so dugi_otik raises a point that is well worth considering.
Jul 23rd, 2014, 02:57 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you to all for your advice. We have been to Paris many times and feel comfortable enough to adjust to jet lag there. I also need a Paris fix, which is why we are spending 4 nights. We have also been to Venice and Milan, but not for years, so thought it might be nice for a return visit. This trip is a mixture of new and old for us since we have not been to Croatia/Slovenia and wanted a taste. After reading about Hvar, it sounded like too much glitz and glamour for our taste, but I may be missing the allure. Ljubljana sounds like a delightful town, but maybe it is too much to try and visit in the short time that we have. The other option would be to skip Trogir/Split to give us more time to go to Slovenia-I have read mixed reviews about Split. What am I missing by not going to Split (Trogir was just a place to stay that seemed a bit less crowded)?
Jul 23rd, 2014, 06:16 PM
#13
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"After reading about Hvar, it sounded like too much glitz and glamour for our taste, but I may be missing the allure."
Another island option that you might consider is Korcula, which you can reach by bus from Dubrovnik or by ferry from Split. I liked it much better than Hvar Town; YMMV. I don't know what you would/should give up to fit it in, but I think it would make sense to try to fit one of the islands into your itinerary!
"The other option would be to skip Trogir/Split to give us more time to go to Slovenia-I have read mixed reviews about Split. What am I missing by not going to Split (Trogir was just a place to stay that seemed a bit less crowded)"
I am one of those who LOVED Split! I found it dynamic and energetic and fascinating and filled with stuff to enjoy -- not just Diocletian's Palace and the magnificent (TRULY) magnificent cathedral, but also one of my favorite produce markets anywhere and a stunningly beautiful cafe-lined seafront and several great public squares and some small, but interesting museums.... Split is not dependent on tourists; it is a CITY with a very solid tourist infrastructure surrounding it's historic core (the palace). It is also a university town, and so parts of the city carry an air of youthful exuberance.
Trogir is also well worth seeing, IMO -- it's a tiny, tiny place with some exquisite stonework about 1/2 hour by bus from Split. So you can stay in either to visit either.
So, the bad news is that if you decide to give Croatia only 13 days, you are going to have to make some very hard decisions. The good news is that you will see some wonderful things no matter what you choose.
One thing you might keep in mind is that it is not easy to get to Croatia (unlike Paris or Venice or Milan), so if you are going to spend the time and effort to go there, you might want to maximize your time there. Just a thought.
Another island option that you might consider is Korcula, which you can reach by bus from Dubrovnik or by ferry from Split. I liked it much better than Hvar Town; YMMV. I don't know what you would/should give up to fit it in, but I think it would make sense to try to fit one of the islands into your itinerary!
"The other option would be to skip Trogir/Split to give us more time to go to Slovenia-I have read mixed reviews about Split. What am I missing by not going to Split (Trogir was just a place to stay that seemed a bit less crowded)"
I am one of those who LOVED Split! I found it dynamic and energetic and fascinating and filled with stuff to enjoy -- not just Diocletian's Palace and the magnificent (TRULY) magnificent cathedral, but also one of my favorite produce markets anywhere and a stunningly beautiful cafe-lined seafront and several great public squares and some small, but interesting museums.... Split is not dependent on tourists; it is a CITY with a very solid tourist infrastructure surrounding it's historic core (the palace). It is also a university town, and so parts of the city carry an air of youthful exuberance.
Trogir is also well worth seeing, IMO -- it's a tiny, tiny place with some exquisite stonework about 1/2 hour by bus from Split. So you can stay in either to visit either.
So, the bad news is that if you decide to give Croatia only 13 days, you are going to have to make some very hard decisions. The good news is that you will see some wonderful things no matter what you choose.
One thing you might keep in mind is that it is not easy to get to Croatia (unlike Paris or Venice or Milan), so if you are going to spend the time and effort to go there, you might want to maximize your time there. Just a thought.
Jul 23rd, 2014, 08:26 PM
#14
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>>After reading about Hvar, it sounded like too much glitz and glamour for our taste, but I may be missing the allure<<
The allure of Hvar is that it is one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world. Hvar town does have swanky hotels and elegant restaurants and in July-August is so crowded that nobody goes there any more (Thank you Yogi Berra). But in May makes a good destination for us common folks.Jelsa and Stari Grad are quieter and cultured.
Korcula is also a good choice, vineyards, olive groves, small villages,more peaceful,etc. Easily reached by driving the Peljesac Peninsula followed by a short ride car ferry.Nearby Ston and Mali Ston have fantastic seafood and a 12th century 5km long wall.
>>Ljubljana sounds like a delightful town, but maybe it is too much to try and visit in the short time that we have.<<
Ljubljana is a delightful small city that I have used as an overnight stop when driving Croatia to Austria/Germany. Lake Bled is a nice mountain lake resort.Postojna is a fun cave to visit.
>>What am I missing by not going to Split (Trogir was just a place to stay that seemed a bit less crowded)?<<
Building on kja's comments,Split is a great place to see Dalmatian life as it really is. A bonus is the world class Diocletian Palace Roman monument.If you do take a ferry to/from Split you will appreciate the gorgeous Split cityscape. Trogir, population 1600, is a nice day trip from the major city of Split, population 175,000.
Is this too much glitz and glamor for you?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hvar#me...orama_2011.jpg
https://www.google.com/search?q=hvar...w=1280&bih=589
then try this
https://www.google.com/search?q=korc...w=1280&bih=589
The allure of Hvar is that it is one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world. Hvar town does have swanky hotels and elegant restaurants and in July-August is so crowded that nobody goes there any more (Thank you Yogi Berra). But in May makes a good destination for us common folks.Jelsa and Stari Grad are quieter and cultured.
Korcula is also a good choice, vineyards, olive groves, small villages,more peaceful,etc. Easily reached by driving the Peljesac Peninsula followed by a short ride car ferry.Nearby Ston and Mali Ston have fantastic seafood and a 12th century 5km long wall.
>>Ljubljana sounds like a delightful town, but maybe it is too much to try and visit in the short time that we have.<<
Ljubljana is a delightful small city that I have used as an overnight stop when driving Croatia to Austria/Germany. Lake Bled is a nice mountain lake resort.Postojna is a fun cave to visit.
>>What am I missing by not going to Split (Trogir was just a place to stay that seemed a bit less crowded)?<<
Building on kja's comments,Split is a great place to see Dalmatian life as it really is. A bonus is the world class Diocletian Palace Roman monument.If you do take a ferry to/from Split you will appreciate the gorgeous Split cityscape. Trogir, population 1600, is a nice day trip from the major city of Split, population 175,000.
Is this too much glitz and glamor for you?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hvar#me...orama_2011.jpg
https://www.google.com/search?q=hvar...w=1280&bih=589
then try this
https://www.google.com/search?q=korc...w=1280&bih=589
Jul 25th, 2014, 09:07 AM
#15
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
May on Hvar Island is wonderful. There are some "glitzy" hotels in Hvar Town, and along the waterfront in the harbor some fancy bars, but it is a big island and that is a very small part of it. The rest of Hvar Town where the locals live, isn't glitzy at all. And the entire island is SO beautiful. It is helpful to have a car so you can explore.
Be careful of the ferry to Venice in May. This year I had some friends who booked the ferry in advance and it was cancelled with no notice to them. I found out a couple of days earlier from a travel agent that I worked with and they were able to make other arrangements. Apparently there were not enough bookings so the ferry company just cancelled it. The bus runs every day except Sunday.
Be careful of the ferry to Venice in May. This year I had some friends who booked the ferry in advance and it was cancelled with no notice to them. I found out a couple of days earlier from a travel agent that I worked with and they were able to make other arrangements. Apparently there were not enough bookings so the ferry company just cancelled it. The bus runs every day except Sunday.
Jul 25th, 2014, 09:46 AM
#16
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,362
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with rialtogrl. We spent 3 days on Hvar, with a car, and we had a great time. The views from the castle are amazing, and exploring the island lets you discover small beaches, beautiful coast, isolated villages...we were definitely not bothered by the "glitz".
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
theatrelover
Europe
12
Feb 4th, 2014 06:11 PM
