Hello Fodorites, an unexpected chance for a twelve day holiday in Croatia popped up. The idea is to fly to Split, rent a car and travel down to Dubrovnik via Hvar and Vis. Any suggestions regarding places to stay, places to see (and not to miss!) as well as restaurants are more than welcome.

Sounds great. I would not bother with a car. Krilo catamarans operate that route and you would avoid backtracking or queuing for a car ferry. While on Vis you may wish to do a rental though, as transport is limited otherwise.

Another vote for nixing the car and using public transportation instead -- far easier for the itinerary you are contemplating!

Thanks for the quick replies. Frankly, this information is not for me personally. My daughter, her husband and his two teenage daughters will be taking this trip at the end of July. I'm looking at the map and see what you mean. So, from Split take ferries to the two islands. Return to Split, rent a car there and continue the trip towards Dubrovnik, is that what you are suggesting? Sounds perfectly practical. They do realize that the end of July/beginning August will be very busy in Croatia but, like I wrote before, the idea for this trip was last minute. They live in Europe so that makes it a lot easier. They are still looking for accommodation and would appreciate any suggestions re special places to visit, restaurants etc. I'm a great Fodor's fan and suggested this platform.

You could return to Split but I wouldn't. I'd take the ferry south towards Dubrovnik. Vis has fewer ferry services than some of the other islands. A logistically easier option would be Split - Hvar - Korcula - Dubrovnik, but I've heard Vis is lovely and I'm sorry we didn't make it there (but then I loved Korcula so you can't have everything). I also would take the bus if they travel between Split and Dubrovnik along the coast - the views are great and that allows the driver to check them out too.

Unless they are stopping somewhere there is no reason to rent a car. They should look at the Krilo website for route info. There may be a once per week Vis-Hvar connection but they will need to determine if it works with their schedule. In that case, They could possibly do Split-Vis-Hvar-Dubrovnik all by catamaran without backtracking. But now that I know this is in August, I would skip Hvar town (any other town on Hvar would be fine though), and let them know to book accommodations asap. I like Booking.com. Apartment rentals are the norm and you get excellent value--think balcony with view and equipped kitchen for less than an American chain hotel. Korcula is a good alternative to Hvar. All coastal places will be crowded, but Hvar town would be too lound and party central for me in August. Or they could spend more time on the mainland and maybe dip into Bosnia.
The Croatia Tourism website is pretty good if they need ideas. It's kind of hard to plan a trip or offer advice third-hand. But I can offer assurance that Croatia is an extremely easy country to travel in. It's been many years since I was on Vis, but Konoba Vatrica was one of my "life's best meals." Seafood is king of course but there is also great pizza and other Italian fare and grilled meats.

Thanks for all this interesting information. I have passed in on!

NO!!!
As dreamon noted, ferry from Split --> Korcula --> Dubrovnik.
Or BUS from Split to Dubrovnik, not a rental car.

And as yorkshire said, Hvar Town ONLY if they want a party-hearty experience.

We loved Korcula. As kja suggested we took the ferry from Split to Korcula and then a ferry to Dubrovnik from Korcula. It was easy and a pleasant ferry ride. I imagine in July your friend will need to buy tickets in advance. We just were there and have an almost finished TR for more specifics. It does cover our time in Split and Korcula. haven't done the last week which includes Dubrovnik. Five Weeks in the Former Yugoslovia

We took the bus from Dubrovnik to Korcula (the bus boards the short ferry ride) and it was good. You just need to make sure you get back on the bus before the bus gets off the ferry - I have a feeling we lost some passengers there! Although for you, it would be in reverse of course.

I am reading all these posts with great interest myself since I have never been to that part of Europe before. Yestravel thank you for your detailed and interesting trip report. All others thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. This is why I am such a great Fodor's fan!

I guess this trip will be different as my daughter and her (new) husband will be traveling with his two teenage daughters whose interests might/will probably differ from theirs. They are looking for a happy medium, enough interesting places to visit for the adults, beach/sun/fun for the girls. Any suggestions for restaurants, places to see and other practical tips are most appreciated! Thank you all in advance!

A big THANK YOU to all of you who suggested not to rent a car but instead travel through (part of) Croatia via public transport. It made all the difference to my daughter and her travel companions. They saw the long waiting lines at the ferries and where so glad they didn't have to deal with them. As always the travel tips and tricks from Fodorites proved to be very valuable. Thanks again!

Thanks for letting us know it worked out for them!

Glad it worked out.