Okay, I have had this dream since then fiancee (now DH) and mine's last trip to Tuscany, about six years ago, to go back and rent an apartment for week in Tuscany. Our last few trips have been elsewhere; France mostly. I have the tickets booked for mid to late Sept. We fly into Venice, will do a couple of nights there, a night or two in the Dolomites, and then???? Do I make the dream come true and rent the apt in Tuscany or head over into Slovenia and Croatia, where we have never been. And I love to visit places I have never been. See the dilemma? DH is okay with either trip. We are in our late 30's, love red wine, beautiful scenery, relaxing, and riding bikes; with a museum and church or two thrown in for good measure. I know both trips will work, but do I get the Tuscany out of my system or move onto something new? I know this is a personal decision, but thought some input from others might help me decide. I go back and forth every day and have a pile of book sitting on my nightstand. Thanks!

Where in Slovenia or Croatia? a week is not a long time. The end of Sept. could be rainy on the coast

I would stay in Tuscany and cover C/S on your next trip.

I thought we would come through Bled down to Ljubljana (2-3 nights) and then head to the Istrian coast (3-4 nights). Will it be wet weather along the Istrian coast?

We had the trip of our lives in Croatia this past September and October. We had one day of rain in 16. I would strongly recommend Croatia and dare I say, even over Italy! (I almost feel guilty for saying that because we love Italy SO much.)

However, the above poster is correct - a few days in Croatia would not even touch the surface. It is an ideal spot for 2-3 weeks, I would say. There are so many areas - it is varied and lovely.

You can cover Bled, Ljubljana and a
some of Istria in 6 day ( I assume you'll be driving) but not the Dalamatian coast.

Okay now that I am actually considering S/C, it will be more like 8 days. We'll save the Dolomites for another trip. So what I am thinking is two nights Venice, two nights Bled, 1 night Lujlbjana or Zagreb (opinions?), 4 nights Istria, and a final night outside Venice.

Questions: Should we add Plitvice? And if so, by skipping Lujlbjana/Zagreb and doing a night Plitvice instead? Or 1 night in Plitvice and only 3 nights in Istria? And where in Istria? What location is most centrally located for visiting a number of towns, biking and wine tasting? Hills towns and coastal both seem to have their atttactions.

Ljubljana is very small, you can see it in a few hours. look up Istria here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istria

Well, after two weeks of hemming and hawing, we (well I) decided to go back to Tuscany. DH is just fine with that and glad to finally get a good night of sleep now that I am no longer up all night tossing and turning with indecision. So we have two nights in Venice and then a week on a vineyard outside of Greve - with one final undecided night before flying home from Venice. Could use a couple of suggestions.

1) Where would you stop on way to and from Greve for few hours to break up the trip? We probably won’t get on the road from Venice until 2PM, so perhaps some small town/village to have an espresso or gelato. On the way back to Venice we will have the whole day, so perhaps Bologna or Padua?

2) On our final night, we want to say within an hour from San Marco airport; Padua, Mestre, other ideas?

Thanks for all suggestions.

Since there is no such thing as being totally decided until the day you arrrive at the airport in Europe, I will suggest something new that is very simple, safe ,and not stressful. Fly into Venice and stay there for a few days. Then take a boat, train, or car to Piran, Slovenia. Stay at the Hotel Piran right on the water. From Piran you can take day trips to Lake Bled, the great Slovenian caves, the hanging lakes area of Croatia, and into the Istria area of Croatia. The distances are close and easily doable with little crowds. Its a day trip from Piran to Pula to see the Roman ruins, leave early in the morning and you can stop be Rovinj for lunch on the way back (and take a walk around. The lakes region can be seen on another day trip, as can the caves of Solvenia, and Lake Bled. Again this area is very easy to travel in. Just make sure if you rent a car in Italy that it can be taken into Croatia (there are limitations for some stupid reason with some companies) I have done these trips, but I enjoyed the relaxation of Piran the most. I agree that Tuscany is great, but you will not regret Piran, Slovenia, or Istria.

olyman - argh, where were you 10 days ago. But alas, it is decided. I booked the apartment in Greve already. But I will certainly use your sage advice for when we do visit S/C in the future.

Olyman - I like your idea of Piran as a home base for touring different places in C and S. We will have a baby with us so staying in one place would be attractive. How long was the drive from Piran to Lake Bled? This seems long for a day trip. Where are the caves you visited? Julie

I know it's a little further than an hour from San Marco airport, but Trieste is well worth considering. A fascinating place, full of history and right on the coast - with some fantastic old cafes and places to eat. We love it. I wouldn't advise staying in Mestre - it's a great place to leave your car when visiting Venice, but pretty ordinary apart from that. And enjoy the next trip to Slovenia and Croatia. Both are excellent - we recommend Rovinj, Plitvice, Opatja and the usual Bled, Skocjan Caves etc. Haven't been down the Dalmatian coast... that pleasure waits for another day.