Split/Dubrovnik in July
Apr 18th, 2016, 03:52 PM
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Split/Dubrovnik in July
DH, DS (9 yr old) and I are headed to Croatia (Split & Dubrovnik) in July! We have already booked flights and places to stay. We are looking to do lots of physically active stuff on this trip - so walking around, biking, snorkeling, exploring etc.
1) First question is: is it worth doing a trip to Plitvice national park from Split? We will lose an entire day but it looks gorgeous in pics. Also, if we do it, is a tour recommended over doing it on our own?
2) Is snorkeling or diving recommended in either Split or Dubrovnik? DH and I are both certified divers and have done dives in beautiful places. Havent figured out if its worth doing it here - we might have to tag team since we have the DS with us.
3) we are doing 4 days in Split and 3.5 in Dubrovnik - is it worth doing day trips to any of the islands like Hvar, Mljet etc?
Any other must-see/must-do? I am a huge GoT fan but DH and DS are not.. I am tempted to do a GoT tour but will have to either plan something else for them or have someone tells me they will enjoy it even if they dont watch GoT!
1) First question is: is it worth doing a trip to Plitvice national park from Split? We will lose an entire day but it looks gorgeous in pics. Also, if we do it, is a tour recommended over doing it on our own?
2) Is snorkeling or diving recommended in either Split or Dubrovnik? DH and I are both certified divers and have done dives in beautiful places. Havent figured out if its worth doing it here - we might have to tag team since we have the DS with us.
3) we are doing 4 days in Split and 3.5 in Dubrovnik - is it worth doing day trips to any of the islands like Hvar, Mljet etc?
Any other must-see/must-do? I am a huge GoT fan but DH and DS are not.. I am tempted to do a GoT tour but will have to either plan something else for them or have someone tells me they will enjoy it even if they dont watch GoT!
Apr 18th, 2016, 05:02 PM
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Should be a wonderful trip no matter what you choose!
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, IME, 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. Although it wouldn't allow the same perspective on the differences between lakes, you can, of course, take shorter routes -- say 2-4 hours on each of 2 different days, and that might make most sense for you, given that you are traveling with your 9-yr-old. The park rangers at the entrances will, IME, happily work with you to identify options that meet your needs. Either way, you would most likely want to spend a night in the park.
You can reach the park from Split by bus, although it can be a bit more convenient by car -- and, more importantly, a car might give you more predictable control in July. (When I was there, in 2009, buses only stopped in Plitvice en route to Split if they were not already full -- and I was advised at the time that even in early June, many might be full. But things could have changed!!!) If you go by car, note that a car will not likely be an advantage to you for the rest of your plan, so consider renting it just for the time it takes to go to and return from the lakes.
If getting to/from the Plitvice Lakes NP doesn't work for you, you might consider a visit to the Krka NP, a bit north of Split. Despite the similarities, I was surprised by the differences between these two parks: As already noted, the Plitvice Lakes are, indeed, lakes, connected by gorgeous waterfalls, and part of the beauty of the park is that not only are there many, many waterfalls, but also, the lakes seem to be different colors. In contrast, Krka's most famous falls are along a river and the main set of falls are broader and contain more cascades (of varying heights and widths) than those of the Plitvice Lakes. You might do a google image search to see the differing images.
One other difference that is worth noting, especially with a 9-yr-old -- swimming is permitted in part of the pool at the base of the major waterfall at Krka NP; to the best of my knowledge, no swimming is permitted anywhere within the Plitvice Lakes NP.
The Krka National Park should be reasonably easily reached by public transportation (bus from Split to Sibenik, bus to Skradin, walk or boat to the park). You would probably need to plan on a full day, but you shouldn't need to plan on an overnight unless you want to do so.
No tour is needed for either park, unless that is your particular preference.
As for day trips, "must-see" locations, etc. -- totally your call. It REALLY depends on what YOU want to see and experience. I found 1.5 days sufficient for Dubrovnik (but I wasn't trying to get over jet lag when I was there). I would have loved a few days just for Split itself -- a city that I adored, but that some Fodorites haven't liked. And I am very fortunate that I had time for most of the islands and day trips that called to me in this part of Croatia.
I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. (FWIW, I found the <i>Rough Guide</i> to Croatia the single best resource of the half-dozen or so guidebooks I used when planning my time in the area.) I think that's what you'll need to do to decide what, exactly, to include on this trip.
Sorry, I can't help with your questions about snorkeling / diving. You might want to look at the <i>Rough Guide</i> and maybe the <i>Lonely Planet</i> -- or their online equivalents for those questions.
Hope that helps!
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, IME, 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. Although it wouldn't allow the same perspective on the differences between lakes, you can, of course, take shorter routes -- say 2-4 hours on each of 2 different days, and that might make most sense for you, given that you are traveling with your 9-yr-old. The park rangers at the entrances will, IME, happily work with you to identify options that meet your needs. Either way, you would most likely want to spend a night in the park.
You can reach the park from Split by bus, although it can be a bit more convenient by car -- and, more importantly, a car might give you more predictable control in July. (When I was there, in 2009, buses only stopped in Plitvice en route to Split if they were not already full -- and I was advised at the time that even in early June, many might be full. But things could have changed!!!) If you go by car, note that a car will not likely be an advantage to you for the rest of your plan, so consider renting it just for the time it takes to go to and return from the lakes.
If getting to/from the Plitvice Lakes NP doesn't work for you, you might consider a visit to the Krka NP, a bit north of Split. Despite the similarities, I was surprised by the differences between these two parks: As already noted, the Plitvice Lakes are, indeed, lakes, connected by gorgeous waterfalls, and part of the beauty of the park is that not only are there many, many waterfalls, but also, the lakes seem to be different colors. In contrast, Krka's most famous falls are along a river and the main set of falls are broader and contain more cascades (of varying heights and widths) than those of the Plitvice Lakes. You might do a google image search to see the differing images.
One other difference that is worth noting, especially with a 9-yr-old -- swimming is permitted in part of the pool at the base of the major waterfall at Krka NP; to the best of my knowledge, no swimming is permitted anywhere within the Plitvice Lakes NP.
The Krka National Park should be reasonably easily reached by public transportation (bus from Split to Sibenik, bus to Skradin, walk or boat to the park). You would probably need to plan on a full day, but you shouldn't need to plan on an overnight unless you want to do so.
No tour is needed for either park, unless that is your particular preference.
As for day trips, "must-see" locations, etc. -- totally your call. It REALLY depends on what YOU want to see and experience. I found 1.5 days sufficient for Dubrovnik (but I wasn't trying to get over jet lag when I was there). I would have loved a few days just for Split itself -- a city that I adored, but that some Fodorites haven't liked. And I am very fortunate that I had time for most of the islands and day trips that called to me in this part of Croatia.
I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. (FWIW, I found the <i>Rough Guide</i> to Croatia the single best resource of the half-dozen or so guidebooks I used when planning my time in the area.) I think that's what you'll need to do to decide what, exactly, to include on this trip.
Sorry, I can't help with your questions about snorkeling / diving. You might want to look at the <i>Rough Guide</i> and maybe the <i>Lonely Planet</i> -- or their online equivalents for those questions.
Hope that helps!
Apr 19th, 2016, 06:34 AM
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Plitvice vs Krka, kja summed up nicely.
Re snorkeling, the sea is quite clear, but I have read that you don't get the sea life that you would in a tropical area for example.
Lots of kayaking opportunities and other water sports though--including rafting at Cetina, south of Split.
See http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Activities-a...tourism/Diving
You are absolutely going to want to get to the islands in July--the beaches near Split and Dubrovnik are nothing to write home about. Though it will be crowded in July, I always thought Bol's zlatni rat would be great for kids because of the shallow water.
Re snorkeling, the sea is quite clear, but I have read that you don't get the sea life that you would in a tropical area for example.
Lots of kayaking opportunities and other water sports though--including rafting at Cetina, south of Split.
See http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Activities-a...tourism/Diving
You are absolutely going to want to get to the islands in July--the beaches near Split and Dubrovnik are nothing to write home about. Though it will be crowded in July, I always thought Bol's zlatni rat would be great for kids because of the shallow water.
Apr 19th, 2016, 08:43 AM
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Wow! Thanks! We live in San Diego, USA, so beaches are not of particular attraction but the description of Plitvice has convinced me to go there!!! So 1 day will not enough? I should have thought of staying at the park - as it is, we have already booked an apt in Split. So will have to consider only a day trip to Plitvice or Krka - may tours exist but they all seem to be expensive. Not sure if renting a car will leave us in the same ballpark as far as expenses go. Will check it out.
Which islands would you recommend visiting in July?
Which islands would you recommend visiting in July?
Apr 19th, 2016, 10:00 AM
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For day trips from Split, your options are Brac, Hvar, and Solta. Also, from Trogir you can go to a couple of small islands, Drvenik Veli and Mali. Your son might enjoy a ferry ride. See http://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/ferry-croatia
Krilo operates catamarans, which might come in handy:
http://www.krilo.hr/en/
From Dubrovnik, you can visit the Elafiti islands and Mljet, plus a short hop to Lokrum, which offers great views of old town and had a botanical garden.
In addition to jadrolinija, see http://www.gv-line.hr/raspored.php?linija=3&lang=E
If it is going to be a day trip, I would definitely make it Krka, for a couple hours on the road versus over four.
Krilo operates catamarans, which might come in handy:
http://www.krilo.hr/en/
From Dubrovnik, you can visit the Elafiti islands and Mljet, plus a short hop to Lokrum, which offers great views of old town and had a botanical garden.
In addition to jadrolinija, see http://www.gv-line.hr/raspored.php?linija=3&lang=E
If it is going to be a day trip, I would definitely make it Krka, for a couple hours on the road versus over four.
Apr 19th, 2016, 04:27 PM
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A day trip from Split to the Plitvice Lakes would, IMO, make for an unpleasantly long day -- JMO. 
If your argument against an overnight stay is that you have already paid for an apartment in Split, you might look up "sunk costs." ;-) That said, you could do far worse than a day trip to the Krka National Park!
If your argument against an overnight stay is that you have already paid for an apartment in Split, you might look up "sunk costs." ;-) That said, you could do far worse than a day trip to the Krka National Park!
Jul 7th, 2016, 04:26 PM
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I researched GOT locales on the Internet and was able to walked them by myself. Dubrovnik is pretty condensed, so it is a wonderful place to wander around. DO NOT MISS walking around the city walls-- the fortress if off the walls, but very easy to get to.
Loved them both. Croatians will remind you of Californians!! Love for life!
Loved them both. Croatians will remind you of Californians!! Love for life!
Sep 2nd, 2016, 08:41 AM
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My partner and I were staying on Brac in Supetar and we took a day trip with a local sightseeing tour to visit Split and Trogir. I would highly recommend them http://www.croatiantrails.com/.
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