Venice to Split
 

Hi. My father and I are traveling from Italy to Croatia at the end of this month. We are having alot of problems trying to book ourselves online on the overnight ferries that run from Ancona to Hvar/Split. Not to mention there is very little contact info or numbers to call. Can we just purchase our tickets at the port during the high season on a weekend? Or does even the deck space sell out? Alternatively, we were looking at taking a ferry from Venice to Istria and driving the coast, only we are limited in time and fear the traffic will make it a painful experience. Any advice is helpful.
Thanks! Gillian Jayson

It looks fairly straightforward here:
http://www.find-croatia.com/ferries-...cona-split.php

The coast road to Split from Istria is a beautiful drive and would be my choice every time.

Thanks! Booked on the ferry from Ancona to Hvar.
Anyone have advice on places to stop between Venice and Ancona? Definitely doing a meal in Bologna!

I had a lasagna at some random bar in Bologna - a BAR, mind you, not a restaurant, certainly with nothing to recommend it - and it was one of the best lasagna's I've ever had. It's true what they say: really hard to get a bad meal there...

gjayons,
Last year we cruised the Eastern Med and then went from Venice to Split by car for 14 days more. The normal auto journey takes around 6 hours. It was high season and we got the worst holiday traffic jams and took around 13 hours - a nightmare. It was a rough go especially with a 5 and 7 year old in the car. Perhaps mid week or late and night might be better.

Last year we looked at the ferry boat and Istria but found the timing and and cost made no sense.

We did talk with a London agency who could book the ferries - their number was 44 208206 3420. They were pretty helpful.

good luck!

If you are going to Split, spend time in Split to see Diacletian's Palace and the old part of town, but be sure to stop in the beautiful walled town of Trogir -- north of Split - - for a less bustling experience. Split is a mix of the old and the new ("new" being 1960s era high rise apartments, etc.) and the ancient part is fabulous, but the "new" part is not so fabulous. TROGIR is wonderful !!!