We will have a car in Plitvice. Should we stay inside the park anyway? (I hear the hotels are not great.) Or... does anyone know of a great sobe near the park?
Big thanks for any suggestions.
k.

Sorry jawh, I don’t have an answer for you…but I have a similar question. Hotel Jazero is booked for the days I’m looking for (September). Would you recommend another hotel in the park (they don’t get great reviews) or get a private accommodation outside the park?
We will have a car and we will stay there for 2 nights.
Thanks

ttt

We stayed in the park at the Hotel Jezera which was roughly equivalent to a US motel from the 1960s but was clean and convenient to the trailhead for hikes and a landing for the boat that traverses the lake.

We were there in late Sept. and did not have a reservation. I did not expect it to be particularly busy but there were several bus tours using it and we got the last available room.

We had a pleasant dinner at Restoran Licka Knea, a restaurant serving traditional food (lamb on a spit, veal under a bell, etc.)a couple of miles from the hotel.

If you prefer a sobe, there are many in the vicinity of the park along the road from Zagreb but we did not inspect any of them.

Having been to Plitvice several times, I can heartily recommend staying in the park at the Hotel Jezero. It is perfectly fine and very convenient. The rooms are clean and good views over the lakes. I would classify it as a Day's Inn level lodging. The in-house restaurant is OK and again, convenient, and not overly priced. Remember, the lakes and the trails are the stars here, not the lodgings! Enjoy!
Stu T.

Dcdee and tower,
Hotel Jazero emailed me back – they are already fully booked for the Sept dates I was asking.
Since the other hotels in the park don’t get great reviews, should we look into one of them, anyway (better in the park than outside) or should we better stay at a sobe?

Since the Jazero hotel is the ‘most luxurious’ there, and you compare it to a Day’s Inn, what should we expect to find in a lower category hotel in the park?

Thanks

Barb...you simply are not going to get luxury in the park...only two other choices within the bounds...I have seen both and they look passable....dunno much about the rooms, etc...one is The Bellevue, the other The Plitvice..cheapo rate wise...I would try the Bellevue ...as I said above, the real reason for staying in the park is the proximity to the boats and the hiking trails...I don't think the Croatian government would allow real substandard lodging within the National Park, as they are setting out to improve tourist accomodations throughout the country....so give it a try.
Stu T.

I concur with Stu T.

Hotel Jazero here, too, so can't recommend anywhere else. But, there were plenty of sobes available down the road past the park. They are a much better deal if you have your own car. The one advantage of the hotels is their proximity to the park entrances. With a car, this is a minor consideration.

Don't worry too much about your accomodations there as the real show is the absolutely magical park itself. We hiked for two days, from opening to almost closing, to take in as much as we could fit in. Be sure to get a hiking map of the area as the park is much bigger than the main trails. Bring lots of film!

Regards, Bruce
Croatia Travel Photos -- http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...level2_all.htm

Thank you for the link to your photos! They are the best I've seen. We will be spending our holidays in Croatia this summer and these pictures were wonderful to see!