marlac

Hello again! So glad you guys are out there to help! Super thankful.
What do you think about this tentative itinerary?
day 1, Saturday timeshare in Supetar
day 2 timeshare Supetar still relaxing
day 3 day trip to Split back to timeshare
day 4, Tuesday drive rental car to Plitvice lakes. Stay overnight.
day 5 hike Plitvice. Leave to drive back to timeshare on Supetar. Ferry leaves Split at 16:30 or 18:15
day 6 relax day
day 7 day trip to Zadar
day 8, Saturday check out of timeshare get bus to Dubrovnik then take a ferry to Mljet.
WOULD IT BE BETTER TO TAKE A BUS TO PRAPOTNO THEN FERRY TO MLJET? We would like to be on the island of Mljet on Sunday, Easter Day. Is it possible to rent a car on Mljet island?
day 9, Sunday, Easter Mljet Island
day 10 take ferry to Dubrovnik
day 11, Tuesday fly to Ljubljana in morning. Rent a car drive to Lake Bled
day 12 Lake Bled. See Vintgar
day 13 Still researching stuff to do, see Slovenia
day 14 Still researching stuff to do, see Slovenia
day 15 return rental car take bus to Zagreb
day 16 Zagreb
day 17 Zagreb Fly home
Sooooo, what do you think? ������

kja

Depends on what you want to see and do! Some comments:

Split is my favorite city in Croatia. I would hate to have only a day trip there.

I don’t think your time in the Plitvice Lakes is optimal. The Plitvice Lakes National Park is, IMO, the single most un-missable of Croatia's many splendors. Not only are the lakes connected by travertine waterfall formations, each lake has unique microbiota, and as a result, the lakes are different colors. The best way to see that is to make a single, long loop through the park -- something on the order of 6 hours or more (including time for the boat that connects the lower and upper lakes), and by all means, start at the lowest part of the park so you are facing the falls as you proceed. Would you actually have time for such a loop and still make your ferry connection?

I find it difficult to believe that the most efficient way to get to Mljet from Brac would be via Dubrovnik, and if it is, I'm not sure it makes sense to spend so much time getting there when you have so many other options. If you haven’t done so already, you might want to check rome2rio.com for some options; just be sure to check anything you learn there, as it doesn’t always capture seasonal variation, which can be substantial in Croatia.

Seems like you are going a long way out of your way to get to Dubrovnik – and then not seeing it! If you are going that far, I would think you would want to give it at least 2 nights.

This trip seems inefficient to me. Can you start earlier, so that your time in Brac is between your time ito the south in Dubovnik and Mljet and your time in the north in Slovenia and Zagreb?

marlac

Dear kja,
Thank you for your input. It is very helpful and fun to read too. We cannot start our trip earlier. Airline tIckets bought-guided by our work schedules.) What do you ththink no of these two different options for the Plitvice Lakes adventure: drive over there and get into that area around 5. Wake up the next morning and start our hiking adventure when the park opens. Stay as long as we want-7 or 8 hours. Drive back to Split and not "worry" about driving or taking the ferry back when it's nighttime. Or, another option: leave our timeshare to get to Split, do more sight seeing in Split until 1. Drive to Plitvice Lakes. Check into an airbnb for two nights. That way we can spend all day Wednesday seeing Plitvice, stay another night and get up on Thursday & drive back.
The timeshare we have back on Brac are nights we have already paid for (through points) but maybe it is worth it to pay for two nights in Plitvice. I love efficiency. That's one of the reasons this is driving me crazy. The big obstacle has been that we cannot change the dates of the timeshare nor are we able to break up our week there. I'd love thoughts on my self appointed "assignments" for maximum wonderful vacay planning! Do any of those plans seem too ambitious?
Regarding Dubrovnik-the plan was to get there Sunday night and then explore Dubrovnik all day Monday and spend the night. Tuesday morning sometime to fly over to Ljubljana. So, in your opinion one day in Dubrovnik is not enough?

PARAGKASH1

marlac, i have often experienced that just to use up the timeshare, we lose a lot of time and money. See lesser places, travel more miles. If we check the apartment prices on the internet, sometimes it is worth giving up the timeshare and look for rentals.

Kja, thanks for all the help on my earlier threads too. have posted my itinerary today. hoping to get your suggestions and help.

rtt0921

Marlac, there are no Dubrovnik to Ljubljana flights, only Dubrovnik to Zagreb, from where you would have to take public transportation to Ljubljana. However, the convenience of flying does not offset the hours you will waste due to backtracking. You'll be going all the way from Split to Plitvice, which is only 90 minutes away from Zagreb, only to return all the way down to Split and continue to Dubrovnik.

I would focus on Split and Dubrovnik and everything inbetween on the first part of your trip and then leave the area a couple of days earlier, stopping in Zadar along the drive to Plitvice. Get to Plitvice in the evening, spend the night, see the park the next morning and then drive straight to Ljubljana, which should take around 3 hours.

If this is not an option, consider axing Zadar and seeing Plitvice as a day trip or one night stay from Zagreb, just do not leave is as it is. I shudder simply thinking of having to drive from Split to Plitvice, only to return to Split and then go north again.

kja

I think you are wise to realize that having a timeshare does not force you to stay there every night! Many people think that because they have already paid, they MUST follow through – something known as the “sunk cost fallacy.”

Of the two options you outline for the Plitvice Lakes, it’s really your call. I’d probably base a decision on which option gives you more “usable” time in Split – meaning time when things you want to see and do would be open. As with everything else, it really depends on what YOU want to see and do.

I hadn’t realized that you planned on two nights in Dubrovnik. In that case, yes, one day in Dubrovnik will give you time to see its highlights.

BUT I think rtt0921 raises some really legitimate concerns – similar to those I expressed about how you have allocated your time in different area. I think you would be wise to give serious consideration to these issues.

marlac

Paragkash1, yes, we have often felt the frustration of the limitations of a timeshare. It was freeing to let go of having to stay there every night!
Rtt0921-oh my gosh! You are right. I had to check. Awful waste of time. Yes, kja also raised the issue of time. Ok-back to obsessing on these plans! I cannot say enough how thankful I am for these inputs I am receiving! Such valuable input for us! BRB!

kja

You would do well, I think, to lay out your options on a map, and to use either google maps or viamichelin to figure out your travel times.

marlac

Kja, last night we did just that-drew a map and laid out plans..Here is what we came up with:

Day 1 travel

Day 2 land in split check in airbnb

Day 3. Split until 2:30-3:00 ferry to Supetar, Brac

Day 4. Relax, unwind at Brac

Day 5. Split all day

Day 6. Relax then back to Split

Day 7 take 4 hour bus ride (make sure we choose seats on the right hand side) to Dubrovnik stay the night

Day 8 take bus back to our timeshare

Day 9 Check out of timeshare. Drive the 2 hours to Zadar. Up until this day my hubby and I were completely in agreement on the itinerary for this trip. It's definitely a small thing but he wants to stay in Zadar and spend Friday night there. He didn't like the two more hours of driving to Plitvice the same day-uncertainty about the roads &I possibly driving at night. The next morning would be Saturday, day 10. Then we would make the drive to Plitvice Lakes-arrive around 11, go hiking and spend the night in Plitvice Lake and have the option of hiking some more, which would be Easter Sunday, day 11. That same day drive to Ljubljana. I'd rather hang out in Zadar for some time there then drive 2 hours to Plitvice Lakes. Spend the night in Plitvice then get up to start our hiking early on day 10. I'm trying to make the case for early hiking when the park opens. His thought is we are there in the "down season" and the crowds will be much less.

When we get to Ljubljana-depending on what we choose to do, we plan on staying there for a night and then of to Lake rest of the trip is mostly Lake Bled, Vintgar Gorge, drive to Zagreb the Saturday morning, leave from Zagreb Monday morning to go home.

As always, I'm grateful for input. ����

kja

Much better, IMO! You are still planning to spend a LOT of time in transit relative to the time you will have to visit anything, but at least it makes a bit more sense to me. Others might disagree....

I'm guessing you mean to spend Day 5 in Brac? But as already noted, there's plenty for you to do in and around Split, if that is what you meant.

I'm a bit surprised that the bus and ferry connections work for you to get from Dubrovnik to Supetar on day 8, and it sounds to me like a LONG travel day, but I'm sure you checked out the connections are are comfortable with what you learned.

No reason not to spend a night in Zadar if that's your preference, and you'll still get to see the Plitvice Lakes. I haven't checked the sunset times for when you'll be there (you can do so at timeanddate -- you'll probably have to pick a city near there, maybe Zagreb), but assuming you can finish your walk before sunset, arriving mid-morning is actually not a bad thing IME. Although many people recommend starting when the park opens, if you start out after the main tour groups move into the park -- normally between 9 and 10 a.m. -- you'll be behind them. I wouldn't expect the crowds to be particularly thin, since it's a weekend, but that should let you avoid the worst of them. And again, definitely start at the lower lakes so you are facing the falls as you walk.

Ljubljana is, IMO, absolutely charming. I hope you give it at least a little bit of time! FWIW, while in Bled I visited the castle and island, walked around the lake, and walked through the Vintgar Gorge. I JUST managed to fit that all into one day, and was able to do so ONLY because the sunset was much later than when you will be there. Plan accordingly!

rtt0921

I completely missed the fact that you will be doing this in April, around Easter. The sun will set around 7.30pm-8pm, so if you leave Zadar and start touring Plitvice by 11am, you should be OK, especially since it won't be as crowded as in the summer. Most people take around 6 hours so you should have enough time to see the park on that day.

In that case, you could even consider avoiding the night in Plitvice and heading straight to Ljubljana after you are done with the park - the first 40 miles are on a two-lane highway and then it's only four-lane expressways. There is no need to be afraid of getting caught by the darkness, the roads are marked well and the expressways are fenced, so you will not encounter any wildlife there.

marlac

Greetings! Kja, I was so happy to read "much better, IMO" I am pleased! Progress is being made. I will double check the bus connections for the split to Dubrovnik trip. :-0
On day 5 we will get a ferry from Brac to Split. More fun in Split.

We decided we will stay in Zadar on day 10.

Day 11 drive to Plitvice Lakes to start our hiking as soon as we get there (by mid morning).

Rtt09921, in your opinion why would you avoid spending the night at Plitvice? Is it just better to get over to Ljubljana? Of the stuff I've read I've not heard anyone say "stay in Plitvice Lakes-it's so wonderful."

The rest of the trip we think we will get an airbnb in Ljubljana. we want to do day trips. One to Lake Bled. We read this TR and are going to follow it exactly! "The route we took started in Skofja Loka and from there went in order, Krizna Gora – Selca – Zelezniki – Rudno – Jamnik – Kropa – Lipnica – Lancovo and then back to the main road and on to Bled."

We also were thinking Vintgar Gorge would be good.

This is such a very amazing thing to get input from you both-I can tell you enough, thank you!

kja

Actually, I'm really glad I spent a night in the Plitvice Lakes. The meal I had there was absolutely delicious -- so fresh!!!

rtt0921

I mentioned it as a possibility and it's really just my personal preference, but I wouldn't spend the night at Plitvice after you are done with the park, the night before I would. It's a really tiny place with not much to do and I would rather continue to the next destination if done by late afternoon or so. This allows you to trade in down time in Plitvice for exploring Ljubljana at leisure the next day. I would probably rather relax by the river at Spica or in Tivoli Park with a picnic lunch and some wine than in a hotel in Plitvice, but again that is my preference. Like I mentioned, it's not that I don't want to spend the night at Plitvice at all, I would just spend the night before visiting to get an early start at the park and avoid the crowds.