zac495

Hi. We want to visit Croatia's Dalmatian Coast in June or July 2018. We're thinking Split/an island/Dubrovnik for 10 days. My 87 year old mother would like to join for about 5 days (my daughter will come one way with her and she'll return with us or the other way around). My mom is 100% mentally there - still working -amazing person, but frail. She can walk, but not long distances and hills are impossible. She can do steps, but not more than 10 or 12 (though she could take a break a do a little more -but not much more).

She's also fine with us doing some things without her, but she doesn't want to just sit around in a villa or hotel for 5 days. She loves old things - ruins, old towns, medieval villages, etc. She likes the idea of having someone drive us around -taking us to some of these old areas.

We (late 50's) do want to go to Krka Falls - I assume she won't join for that. We are working with a travel agent to help us out. I'm leaning toward thinking we should start in Dubrovnik (maybe stay in a villa) and then go to Split. What she's least interested in are the islands (though we want to go to Hvar or Brac). She wouldn't mind a boat trip that takes us right to a great town, but she won't enjoy sitting at a hotel at an island.

What advice can you give us?
Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time.

Ellen
USA

Sassafrass

First, guess you know it will be really hot. While it is fun to walk the wall in Dubrovnik, it is tiring, especially in hot sun. Since we did not need it, I did not look to see if there were any easy ways to get there besides steps. Maybe someone else knows. The little city center is easier with places to rest.

kja

Here are some ideas:

As Sassafrass noted, Dubrovnik has a tiny Old Town that is mainly flat -- the challenge would be getting into that pedestrian-only core without stairs. If Dubrovnik ends up on the part of your itinerary that includes her, consider springing for one of the hotels in the Old Town itself, make sure it's in the FLAT area of the Old Town, and make sure it has an elevator. The wall itself definitely involves stairs.

Split should be relatively easy -- the Diocletian Palace and parts of the city outside it, all the way to its glorious lungomare -- are generally flat. If Split ends up on the part of your itinerary that includes her, consider springing for a hotel in the historic core of the city near, but not actually within, the Diocletian Palace -- the palace is pedestrian only, and from what you are saying, it sounds like easy access to a car would be a benefit.

The heart of Hvar Town's Old City is also relatively flat, as I recall.

IMO, the best option for your mother might be the portion of the trip that includes Split, perhaps to include a day trip to Hvar Town and another day trip to Trogir (read on). There is actually quite a lot to see in Split, including a lot of things that sound like they might be of interest to her. And Split is filled with lovely cafe-filled public squares and a stunning cafe-lined waterfront, so LOTs of places to sit and watch people or admire the scenery or the architectural details of nearby places.... And tiny Trogir, with its extraordinary stonework (which earned Trogir UNESCO World Heritage Site status) is just a half-hour or so away. Again, public transportation is easy, although a car and driver might free her to enjoy a bit more of Trogir.

Including her on a visit to the Krka National Park might be do-able, particularly if you use a car and driver to go right to the park itself, but perhaps even by public transportation. The bus would leave you off in Skradin not far from the harbor from which ferries for the park arrive and depart, and that ride can be quite pleasant -- whether it's experienced as a taxing add-on or a relaxing boat ride is something that I trust your mother and you can decide. Once you reach the park, it's a relatively easy and relatively flat walk to the area at the base of the main falls, the Skradinski Buk, where she could sit in the shade by a cafe and with a gorgeous view while the rest of you hike up into the park a bit.

Kudos to your mother's adventurous spirit and to you for trying to identify a realistic option!

Hope that helps.

bilboburgler

Great advice above, joining a hydrofoil may be an issue, normally they is a bit of a queue to get on so that may take a bit of research. I'd drop an email to the likely company (ggogle will help) and just ask their advice, there will be a way (i'm sure) but it will put your mum's mind at ease as lots of local old people do the trip every day.

rialtogrl

I would try to go in June, not July, and the earlier in June the better. It will get hotter and more crowded the further into the summer you get.

If you take any catamaran, the staff can help your mother up the gangplank. It can be easy or not so easy depending on the tide. I would book tickets in advance that time of year.

Regarding Dubrovnik there are no stairs to get into the old town if you enter by the Pile or Ploce gate. There is a bit of a walk though. Kja did not mention Villa Adriatica, this might be a nice place for your family to stay as it is just outside the old town, but accessible to taxis so easier with luggage in and out. There are a few steps to get to the rooms, but once in, you have a glorious view of the old town. (You need to book one terrace room to access the terrace with no addional steps.)

Old Town Dubrovnik is a bowl. It's flat on the bottom but very crowded. Your mom will find things to do. Other sights are up higher with many uneven steps involved.

rialtogrl

I am taking back my recommendation of Villa Adriatica. I am in Dubrovnik and today I walked there... While there are no steps to get to the old town, there IS an incline to get back to the Ploce gate. It is not steep, but it is there. I have walked so many times there and never really noticed but putting myself in your mothers shoes I did.

If you stay outside the gates Pile is better (pretty flat) but maybe you can book at Pucic Palace and they can send someone for luggage. They have a very nice wine bar there.

I hope hordes of people won't bother your mother. There is a new mayor who is promising to reduce the number of cruise ships. If it really happens this will help.

kja

rialtogrl's comments make me even more convinced that Split, rather than Dubrovnik, would be a better place for your mother.

If the younger generation(s) plan on time in Dubrovnik, I completely agree that the quirky Villa Adriatica is well worth considering.

And the comments about ferry boardings reminded me that you might face stairs getting onto or off the boat from Skradin to the Krka National Park, so I'll nix my suggestion that it might be a possibility -- unless you can confirm that it would be manageable. I still think taking a car and driver to the main entrance could work....

bilboburgler

I'd rec Split or Trogir over Dubrovnik (too steep, in places too uneven and too narrow)

zac495

What fabulous advice!!!! I think we will do 5 nights in splitincluding a day trip to Hvrar. Or 3 split 2 Trojir? Then she leaves and we do 3 nights in brac and 2 Dubrovnik alone.

Unless you think a night in Hvrar would be fun.

We can't go in June as I'm a teacher. June 27 is the earliest I can leave. Any hotels with pools in split in the area you suggest? Or maybe a villa and have a driver pick us up daily to go into town.

We do like relaxing by a pool in the heat after a hot day.

You guys are awesome! She was so excited by your ideas!!!
Ellen

kja

I'm glad she found the ideas of interest!

Trogir is so tiny that someone without mobility issues can walk basically every street in a few hours, so I'm not sure it makes sense to change hotels to visit it. It is less than an hour from Split, and would make for a perfect leisurely day trip.

Hvar Town is, IMO, beautiful, but during the height of tourism season -- when you would be there -- it can be quite the party-hearty scene. If that isn't your thing, check the ferry schedules to see if a day trip from Split is an option, rather than spending a night there. Another option would be Stari Grad, a different town on Hvar Island -- very pretty, home to the lovely Tvrdalj Castle (more a largish Renaissance home than a "castle"), and not quite so firmly on the beaten tourism trail. Stari Grad has been renovated with an eye to it's medieval character, and while I found it fascinating, it doesn't have the visual "oomph" of Hvar Town IMO.

If you search for accommodations using booking.com, you can set having a pool as one of your criteria.

zac495

Yes I love booking.com but it seems, most lovely hotels don't have pools. The ones that are most appealing (we are not interested in a hotel that is a chain or lacks charm) don't have them. For instance, Heritage hotel within the walls looks exactly perfect other than no pool. So I'm trying to decide if that's really necessary. I know we didn't care when we were in Rome (no pool). I've also found some lovely villas right outside town. But is the real appeal staying within the walls know what you know about my mom (and we are similar in style except that we like pools and she doesn't care).

So what do you think? Is staying within the walls so incredible that it would be okay to just cool off with the shower? It's not like we want to lie out in the sun for hours - not at all. When we were in Spain last year, we used the pool at the hotel for probably an hour a day. Mostly we toured.

I like the idea of a trip to Hvrar Town and then stay in Stari Grad! I think she'd enjoy that! Thank you.

kja

To be honest, I'm not sure that staying within the walls of Diocletian's Palace makes sense in your case, as I don't think it's accessible by car, and so it could mean quite a bit of walking to get in and out each day. I could be mistaken.... That's why I suggested a hotel just outside the palace, preferably on or near one of Split's charming public squares or it's beautiful lungomare, so your mother would have places within a very easy walk to sit and enjoy the scenery, watch people, etc.

When I was in Stari Grad, there were two different locations with lodging. One was a resort area out of town -- and so not particularly convenient for seeing Stari Grad itself. Lodging within Stari Grad was rather limited. Keep that in mind when you search!

bilboburgler

I'm with kja on not staying in the palace.

zac495

The travel agent in Croatia we're using, I believe, will come and pick us up (maybe a golf cart). Inside the walls looks so charming and she can walk around so long as she can take a break. She doesn't like scenery (so she doesn't want to go to the waterfalls). She likes old stuff. Are there many sights within the palace?

The hotels the agent recommended are Judita (but there are too many stairs inside so probably won't work) and Hotel Marmont.

In Stari Grad, they suggest Heritage Villa Apolon . They said it's in a charming area. Their other suggestion (with her likes and needs in mind) is Šolta Island and heritage Martinis Marchi 5* hotel located in a historic castle, in a small picturesque seaside village of Maslinica.

Do you have hotel suggestions outside the walls in Split?

We will do the island first for 2 nights and then Split because otherwise, it's too hard to get back from the island and make the flight home. My mom will stay 5 nights and go back with my daughter. My husband and I will continue on for 5 more nights including Dubrovnik - but I'm less worried about that portion right now. (Probably do Brac Island and Dubrovnik).

Thanks for suggestions as always!
Ellen (and Lila)

zac495

And I just looked and I guess both of those hotels are right outside the palace walls so agent must agree which is good because you guys are always right!

kja

Sites within Diocletian’s Palace include the breathtaking Duomo (the core of which was once Diocletian’s mausoleum), baptistry, peristil, etc. – so yes, some “old stuff” worthy of Split’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you don’t already have one, I strongly encourage you to get a good guidebook or two. For Croatia, I thought the Rough Guide particularly good. In comparison to the cost of your trip, the cost of a guidebook will be nugatory, and you will have a wealth of information at your fingertips. Your mother might appreciate a bit of information about what she sees, and with the information in a guidebook, she can also tell you what SHE wants to see.

I don’t know either of the hotels you mention in Split; both seem to be in locations that would, I think, make sense.

I don’t know the Heritage Villa Apolon, either, but just looked it up and again, think the location makes sense.

BTW, although most of Stari Grad is currently restored / preserved to it’s medieval appearance, Stari Grad is OLD – one of the oldest towns in Europe, known to the Greeks as Faros, and part of Stari Grad’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status is linked to the area, which is apparently one of the oldest continuously cultivated areas in Europe. There are a few minor Greek ruins in the town itself, but they involve climbing a hill, IIRC, and honestly, they are rather meager (just bits of worked stone and shards and maybe a foundation or so – or at least, that’s all that could be seen when I was there) and so probably aren’t worth the time or effort to reach.

BTW, you might see if you can get to the retaurant Eremitaz while in Stari Grad – I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it still gets great reviews.

zac495

Okay you guys are awesome. So glad about Stari Grad being the oldest city. Mom will LOVE that. The travel agent suggested a private driver to take us around the second day. I think that makes sense.

Once my mom leaves (she will do Stari Grad and Split - then she'll split - hahaha - get it? She'll go home with my daughter) my husband and I continue to Brac Island and then to Dubrovnik.

At this point, we need less help as we're experienced travelers and won't have Mom. We are allowing the travel agent to organize private transfers while she's there - easier for her.

Soooo - Travel agent says it's tricky getting the ferry from Split to Brac Island and even harder to get from Brac to Dubrovnik. So I need advice. Do we use a taxi/Uber and get ourselves to the ferry and buy our own tickets without trouble or is it worth paying someone who will make sure all goes smoothly? We are fine waiting on line and being part of the crowd, but we do NOT want to miss a ferry or find it confusing. And should we take the private boat to Dubrovnik? If it really will take as long as she says, and the boat will be faster and less stressful, that seems worth paying for.

I'm leaning toward getting to Brac on our own (and the hotel) but having them get us to Dubrovnik. Thanks for your thoughts!!

And we will definitely go to the restaurant you suggested in Stari Grad. Any suggestions for restaurants in Split welcome!!! No restaurants with more than 10 steps to get in. She can do steps, but more than 10 too hard on Mom.

Here's what she said:

It does not work like that with the ferry situation.
There is a ferry from Split to Supetar Port on Brač Island, from where you need to take a local taxi to get to Lemongarden hotel (approx. 15 min. long drive)
But, there is no ferry from Brač Island to Dubrovnik.
Ferry goes from Sumartin on Brač Island to Makarska on the mainland from where coastal drive continues to Dubrovnik (approx. 3 hour long)

From Lemongarden in Sutivan to Sumartin - approx. 1 hour long drive
Ferry Sumartin - Makarska - approx. 1 hour long ferry ride
From Makarska to Dubrovnik - approx. 3 hour long drive

kja

I haven’t been to Brac, and so can’t help with your questions about getting there.

I will say that I FAR preferred the views from the road from Split to Dubrovnik to the views from the water. The views from that road, down and out over the sea and its islands, were among the most spectacular I’ve ever seen anywhere. The views from the water were, IMO, a bit meh. So I’d look to getting back to the mainland from Brac to somewhere near Split – but not as far south as Makarska -- and then take a bus onward. I found the buses comfortable and convenient. Sit on the right. JMO.

zac495

Kja very interesting. Flights are becoming a nightmare home from Dubrovnik. After mom leaves we have only 5 days due to work. So 3 nights brac and 2 Dubrovnik makes no sense. 5. Hours travel only to have one full day in Dubrovnik and lea e at 5 am..... thinking of skipping Dubrovnik. Go to another island or back to split. Mom doesn't want to see Kvrar (sp?) waterfalls. Maybe we go back and do so,e more active things?? Or is Dubruvnik the best of Croatia? Yikes and help and thanks!

kja

Croatia is FILLED with magnificent sites, and of sufficient diversity that it is very hard to say what is best. I'm very glad I didn't have to make such a differentiation!

That said, to me, the Plitvice Lakes National Park is 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. I would encourage staying overnight near the lakes. I would think visiting them in October would be lovely, but I could be wrong. You could visit the Plitvice lakes from Split, perhaps by renting a car for the night, returning to Split, or you could return the car to Zagreb and fly from there…..

Dubrovnik is, IMO, spectacular, but you can’t see everything in the time you have.

And you have SOOooooo many other options…!