Travel from Istria to Dubrovnik
 

We are planning a visit to Croatia with stays in the Istrian Peninsula, Split & Dubrovnik. What might be the best way to travel down the coast - Rental Car, Bus, or is their a Train service? Would be interested in anyone's experiences.

Ferry! Take the ferry from Rijeka. It leaves at 6 pm and arrives in Split at 7am. It also stops on Hvar and Korcula. You can stop at one of these places and pick up another on another day, or continue on to Dubrovnik, where it will arrive at 4 pm. You can book cabins on the ferry. If you have a rental car, you can take it onboard as well.

It's not difficult to tour the Istrian Peninsula by bus. I recommend visiting at least Rovinj and Pula.

Thanks Grasshopper. Looks like the perfect way to travel.

I agree with Grasshopper that the ferry is a good way. You could rent a car and drive down the coast from Rijeka to Split, but it's a secondary two lane type of road. Quite scenic but long and slow. If you get to Split, the ferries (www.jadrolinija.hr) go from the harbor to all of the islands. These ships are all throwbacks to the old Yugoslavia days, but they're clean and eficient. On overnight ticket also includes a decent buffet breakfast. A good way to see the islands is to rent a scooter. There are scooter rentals on almost every island near the ferry docks. If you're taking ferries in and out of Split harbor, and have layover times, don't worry, Diocletian's Palace is walking distance from the harbor and a great place to spend some time. I haven't been from Split to Dubrovnik, except for about 20kms. south of Split. That section is dotted with little seaside beach towns. Nothing really attractive from a tourism point of view, more geared towards budget minded locals. Enjoy!

Jadrolinija's coastal ship offers one of the most beautiful voyages in Europe. There are from two to four trips a week, leaving Rijeka in the evening, getting to Split in the morning, then calling at Stari Grad (Hvar) and Korcula, and getting to Dubrovnik in the afternoon. The ships have restaurants, bars, sun decks and cabins.
There is no railway along the coast. There are buses every hour or so, but it's a long journey.

Thanks everybody. We are now firmly committed to ferry travel down the coast.