We are planning a mid-May week in Croatia divided between Dubrovnik and Split. We will have 3+ days in Split where we hope to: 1. visit Trogir by local bus 2. catamaran day trip to Hvar 3. day trip to the Plitvice Lakes. Day 4 will include a late afternoon flight to Rome.

Having read the many valuable inputs on Croatia I am still having problems re Plitvice.

Is it reasonable/desireable/practical to use the buses to Zagreb as several have mentioned for a day trip? Is a day trip to Plitvice doable by bus? What are the risks, eg, no return bus to Split? If the bus doesn't work, are there any reasonable alternatives, really don't want to hassle with a rental car.

Thanks for any insight or recommendations you might have. richard58

If you are not driving, I would forget Plitvice.
Unlike many others here, we liked Split - it is a nice city to walk around, relax in numerous cafes , and see some of the sites ( Diocletian Palace).

We enjoyed Split too.

As much as I enjoyed Plitvice, I don't recommend it as a day trip. It would be a very long drive each way and you really should spend at least 5 hours exploring the park.

You may love Croatia so much that you will return for a trip at a later date!

Thanks to those who have replied. Today I called the Croatian tourism office to ask for a travel package and the representative told me you can now take a bus from Split to Plitvice on the new road that opened last year. the trip is supposed to take 3 hrs. I told her I would check back after I get their tourist information packet. We'll see. richard58

We hate renting cars too, but driving to Plitvice was easy. Yes, there's the new A1 road (with pricey tolls). Even with my bad navigation, it was no problem. And the cost of the car rental was negated by getting a delightful $20 soba at a farmhouse. Perhaps you could leave Plitvice early the next morning so you don't have to make a six hour round-trip?

After our Plitvice trip, we returned our car and didn't need one in Croatia again.