Two-week itinerary for Croatia (using public transport)
 

Hi everyone!

We are a couple planning to visit Croatia for the first time this September. I have put together the following itinerary for now,

Day 1 - Land in Zagreb in the afternoon and immediately leave for Plitvice (by bus). Spend the night in Plitvice.
Day 2 - Visit Plitvice national park and head to Split (by bus) in the evening. Reach Split late at night and spend the night there.
Day 3 - Split
Day 4 - Split
Day 5 - Leave for Hvar (by ferry) and spend the night in Hvar
Day 6 - Hvar
Day 7 - Hvar
Day 8 - Leave for Dubrovnik (by ferry) and spend the night in Dubrovnik
Day 9 - Dubrovnik
Day 10 - Dubrovnik
Day 11 - Fly from Dubrovnik to Zagreb and spend the night in Zagreb
Day 12 - Zagreb
Day 13 - Fly out of Zagreb

Do you think this is a good plan? Should I leave out something or include something else? We don’t want a rushed trip, and would rather enjoy each place to the fullest before moving elsewhere. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!!!

Should be delightful!

Do you already have your flights? If not, consider flying into Zagreb and out of Dubrovnik.

I may be unusual, but I preferred seeing the Dalmatian Coast from the hills above the coast then from a ferry in the water. It might actually be worth going back to Split after your visit to Hvar and then taking the bus to Dubrovnik. Just something to consider, though, as YMMV.

When in Dubrovnik, be sure to visit the Buza Bar. :-)

It looks good, except for the going immediately to Plitvice part. Where are you flying from? That sounds too exhausting to me (unless you are already in Europe.)

You might consider flying into Dubrovnik and reversing the journey, picking up a car in Split and driving to Zagreb stopping at Plitvice on the way. Alternatively, spend the time in Zagreb at the beginning and fly out of Dubrovnik.

The catamaran between Dubrovnik and Hvar can get a little "bouncy" so if you are even slightly inclined to seasickness or can't handle watching others get sick, consider the bus.

Ditto on kja's recommendation of the Buza bar. Also in Hvar check out the Hula bar.

I'm about to do something I VERY rarely do -- disagree with rialtogrl! A night in the Plitvice Lakes followed by a nice long hike sounds to me like a perfect way to recover from a long flight to reach Croatia. To each his her own! It's an important consideration, though, and a good one to mention.

kja :)

I was so jetlagged last time I flew to Zagreb from the U.S. that I couldn't have found the bus much less boarded the bus.

I'd also be the one who would fall asleep and wake up in Split. Oops.

@ rialtogrl: BYH!

We agree that flying into Zagreb and out of Dubrovnik, with time in Zagreb before leaving for the Plitvice Lakes, could work very nicely.

Thank you for the responses!
Unfortunately, I will be flying in and out of Zagreb only. I could fly directly to Dubrovnik upon landing in Zagreb, and then traverse North. But, I thought it would be nice to do Dubrovnik towards the end. What do you guys think?
I am kinda prone to being seasick, so I will surely consider going back to Split from Hvar, and then taking the bus to Dubrovnik (if it doesn't eat up too much time!), or going directly to Dubrovnik by bus.
Also, since I am visiting only one island - do you think Hvar is the best option? Was kinda considering Korcula or Vis as alternatives. Tough choice - they all seem fabulous from the pics and descriptions!
Thanks in advance!

For this time of year, I’d start north and head south, but before committing to a plan, I’d look into exactly what each of your options mean for your time on the ground, and plan accordingly.

Hvar, Korcula, Vis – your trip, your call! I thought Hvar Town too party-hearty for my tastes, but by Sept., the vibe should be a bit more relaxed. It certainly is a beautiful place! Korcula town is much more relaxed, but many people would find 3 nights there too much. Vis, which I haven’t visited, is (I believe) known for its relaxing elements.

So what do YOU want to do, and why do each of these VERY different islands call to you?

I like the idea of starting in Dubrovnik, too - it's a relaxing place to start a vacation after a long night of flying to get over there. But, can you really get a good flight to DUbrovnik on day of arrival in Zagreb, without getting in super late? If you can, I'd probably go for it. And I think, taking the bus, it avoids having to take a relatively early bus from Plitvice to Split on the way down. I'm guessing there is more frequent bus service and later back to Zagreb.

You don't say when in September - early or late? - but as you get into fall, the chance of rain and colder weather increases, so I think I'd prefer to be on the Dalmatian coast earlier vs. later, unless you are talking early September (when it would matter less). I had great weather even in early October on my first visit to Dubrovnik, but you never know.

I've only been to one Croatian island, Korcula. Korcula Town is lovely and relaxing. Still, I doubt it would be a mistake to go to one island and not the other.

Andrew and kja bring up the very good point of when in September you plan to go. The first two weeks of September are still high season in Hvar and Dubrovnik. Later in September, it will still be busy but not quite as bad.

I love Hvar, its one of my favorite places but I do not stay in the center and I get out to the rest of the island (away from the party hearty vibe kja is talking about.) The island is incredibly beautiful, and I am very fond of Hvar Town too. However, last year I was there in early September and it was CROWDED in town. Also just after (mid Sept) Dubrovnik was insane crowd-wise. So if your trip starts in earlier September I would now say to start in the north and work your way down.

Whatever you decide I would not delay in getting some lodgings booked for both Hvar (should you decide to go) and Dubrovnik asap.

We're planning to visit between 13 Sep to 25 Sep. Didn't realise it would be insanely crowded even in the second half of September. I have been looking for accommodation, and I do get the sense that it's not exactly off-season :)
For instance, the three hotels right next to Plitvice National park are all fully booked for this duration. Which is a bummer because we won't be hiring a car and don't want to live too far away from the park. Might probably give Plitvice a miss this time and spend one more day in Zagreb instead.
Thanks for your suggestions, I'll check the connections to see if it makes more sense to do the trip in reverse - starting with Dubrovnik.

As I suggested in another recent thread, you could also consider a transfer service from Split to Zagreb (or vice versa) that stops in Plitvice for a few hours for a tour - better than missing it. I've never used this transfer service, but you can google it to find out more about it.

I hope you don't find it necessary to skip the magnificent Plitvice Lakes National Park! You might contact the lodgings that do have availability to see if they have suggestions of how to get to and from the park.

Those park hotels in Plitvice are booked up with tour groups. I would not want to stay in one of those, anyway.

You might check out Plitvice Miric Inn, I checked and they have availability for the 22nd of Sept.
http://www.plitvice-croatia.com/
They have a little van, they can take you to the park and pick you up. I am not sure if they usually charge for this, but if they do it would not be expensive.

They also serve excellent meals in the evening.

You are going to love Croatia! Keep us posted!