Jacknail

Hello to all Fodor's Followers,

I will fly to Sarajevo and i have to do a plan where to stay and what to see for 2 weeks Bosnia&Herzegovina and Croatia.I will be happy if anyone give idea how i have to form my trip.Thanks

danon

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-explores.cfm

might help

julia_t

Gosh, thanks danon for suggesting my trip report!

Jacknail - hopefully my TR will give you an idea of other places to visit from Sarajevo. Another excellent TR is from Vttraveler, here's the link...

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tober-2010.cfm

With 2 weeks, you could see quite a lot of these countries.

First question - does your return flight go out of Sarajevo or have you booked an open-jaw leaving from somewhere else?

Assuming you have a return ticket to/from Sarajevo, I'd suggest a pretty much circular route, which would definitely include Mostar, Split, Dubrovnik, and possibly part of Montenegro like Kotor.

Second question - will you be renting a car and thus have lots of flexibility in getting around? Or will you be relying on buses and trains? If so, then you will find yourself much more limited and restricted in where you can go.

Do come back with your answers to these 2 questions and then we can maybe help you a bit more.

Jacknail

I read your report word by word.It was magnificent.I really did not do any plan for transportation.But it seems it will be easier to rent a car than using buses or train.

julia_t

Much easier to rent a car. You need to have your lights on at all times, no drink-drive, and keep to the speed limits, but if you can do that then you can see and do so much more, and at times to suit you.

How soon are you planning this trip? Do try to get a copy of the Bradt Guide to Bosnia & Herzegovina by Tim Clancy, it really is very informative.

I'd suggest as a starting point leaving Sarajevo, travelling to Travnik and on to Jajce on one day, staying overnight in that area. Then next day drive down to the Croatian coast via Donji Vakuf, Livno, the gorgeous Malovan valley, in the direction of Split - you could head a bit further north to Zadar or stay near Split (Trogir is delightful).

From here you could possibly head up north into Croatia and visit Plitvice (I've not done this - yet-) and it might be worth looking into whether you could go further north-west in Bosnia (Banja Luka?) and enter Croatia up there.

From Split you would travel south along the Adriatic Highway to Dubrovnik. You could even travel to Dubrovnik via Hvar and/or Korcula, if you are travelling at a time of year when this might make sense, and if your car hire company allow you to take your car on Croatian ferries - something to check.

Dubrovnik deserves at least 3 days, to include a day trip to the Elaphite islands and/or Lokrum or Mljet.

After Dubrovnik you could take a day visiting Montenegro and the stunning Bay of Kotor (or you can take a day trip from Dubrovnik).

Then you would drive to Mostar either via Trebinje or Metkovic. Mostar should be visited overnight IMHO as it is very different when all the day trippers have left. Lovely and serene (although there are nightclubs if that is your wish!).

And back to Sarajevo - if the time of year is right I would make sure to visit Lukomir and the other medieval villages up in the mountains.

Oh, there are so many places I'd like to visit - Blagaj and Pocitelji still in Herzegovina before you get to Mostar. Kraljevo Sujetska, another ancient village where the women still wear the traditional dress in memory of the last Queen of Bosnia, I'd like to visit Visoko again because I am still intrigued by those 'pyramids'- I want to see the archaeological dig going on. I really want to explore the mountains and forests of the north west, around Banja Luka, and the north east of the country, closer to the Serbian border calls me to explore too.

I think you should do some more research - I posted several good website links at the start of my trip report - and decide what really are must-see places for you, and then come back and ask more questions.

Have fun with the planning - it will make your trip much more worthwhile!

Vttraveler

I think julia_t has given you some excellent ideas for a trip starting and ending in Sarajevo. As she says, there are many, many possible places to see en route from Sarajevo to the coast and back depending on the route(s) you choose.

My trip report explains some of the options including the drive from Mostar to Dubrovnik via Trebinje which is very interesting but requires you to be aware of the danger of land mines still in the area. We drove back from Croatia (starting at Makarsala, south of Split) to Bosnia via Ljubuski and Medjugorje. I do not recommend that road. It has beautiful scenery but the driving is very difficult.

Just be sure to save enough time for exploring Sarajevo. It is a fascinating city.

Julia_t and I have both listed suggested books and movies that could help you prepare for the trip(in our trip reports)

Jacknail

Thank you both.With your advices my trip will be easier.The other question is; do i have to pay or get any permission card to travel from Bosnia to Croatia.Thank you

Vttraveler

My husband and I are U.S. citizens. We did not need visas for either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Croatia.

Some car rental companies will not let you take a car from one country to the other, so you should check carefully about that.

julia_t

When renting a car in Croatia you do have to order the green cross-border card to allow you to take the card into BiH. This costs about 50 euros, but sometimes this is included in the car rental.

It's all to do with insurance and you do need this.

However, you will most likely be renting in Sarajevo. I can't be sure but I think you'll still need the cross-border card.

I've just looked at a couple of car rental websites, couldn't find anything on Argus Rentals (90 euros for 2 days), but Thrifty rents compact cars for 39 euros a day, and state in the terms and conditions that <<driving is limited to Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Western European countries when arrangements are made with rental counter at rental time. Further information available at local Thrifty.>>

I also looked at CarHire3000 and they also state you must notify them at least 7 days in advance in order for them to prepare the necessary documentation.

I'll probably be renting a car when I go to Sarajevo in April, and have found some good rental deals, best being from CarHire 3000 - at 64 euros for 2 days, but I need to check out the small print, although I will not be leaving Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Hope this helps a bit.