Pamo

I could go in mid-June or later part of Sept -- which would you pick - and why?

travel2live2

Good question. I have never been there mid June but have in September (and in Spring) and LOVE it in September. We were there during truffle season at the end of September 2006 (went white truffle hunting) and helped out with a grape harvest at our B&B in Istria. There was all manner of fresh fruit and veg as well. If you are a foodie like me perhaps September would be a good choice.

The weather was still very warm (too hot some days, even in October). You can definitely still swim in September as well.

I love, love, love Croatia and do not think there would ever be a bad time to visit. Have you been there before?

Carolina

Both would be fine. The sea would be warmer in September if that is a factor.

mercy

My husband and I went in September 2007 and found the weather to be pretty good--our main rain was in Zagreb, except for a couple scattered thunder/rain downpours on the Istrian penn. These were considered "unusual" and and could possibly never happen again in that time-period--remember weather is changing all over the world.

We had heard that there are fewer tourists in Sept. Well, I guess that is true--all things being equal. Lots of cruise excursions in Dubrovnik/Split during the day, but the evenings were great. We did part of the trip on a tour and then added three nights in a small apt. in Dubrov. This was fun. Ciao. mhm

Maudie

I am just going to hop in here and ask a question or two - is the main tourist season then all of July and August?
If going in June I gather the water would be a bit cooler but other than that are there any other differences? We are thinking of a cruise on one of the vintage boats and then going some time on land so would it really be too cold to swim in June?

yorkshire

I've been 3x in May (mid-late, into June) and the sea was cold, but definitely "swimmable." June will be more crowded. September may have lower prices. It's a toss-up really. Just go when it works out best for you, you will love it!
I do want to go in September one day, for the warmer sea and to eat fresh figs off the trees.

Maudie

Hi Yorkshire, Thanks for your reply. So does that mean September will be quieter than June? We can go similar times to the original poster but certainly want to avoid the main crowded tourist season. My DK Eyewitness book recommends June so I was curious to know the differences between the two months.

yorkshire

I can't say for sure Maudie, since I have not been there in those months, but based on the tourism level in late May/early June--and on all the research I've done over the 5 years I've been visiting Croatia, my educated guess is that September would be less crowded. That is, any time in September after the very beginning, during which there may be some August high season spillover.
You can't go wrong, though. Time of day has a lot to do with crowds as well. On my last visit (May 07), Dubrovnik was intolerable during the day when the cruise ships visited, but lively and pleasant in the evenings. Make sure you get outside of the main sites if time allows, and you'll find peace and quiet. have a great trip and feel free to ask more.

LittleVicky

With ever changing climates we can't be sure of the weather and my experience last end of September was warm sea water but some heavy rain as well. september is truffle season in Istria and would be my first choice but June is fine also.
As regards flights,American Airlines fly London Stanstead, giving visitors the chance to fly with Ryanair to Pula, Zadar, Venice and Trieste. This is a nice option as it allows travel into one airport and out of another, cutting out the doubling back, without extra charge.

Maudie

Thanks Yorkshire that is good reasoning. I know what you mean about the crowds - sounds similar to Brugge, busy as in the day and wonderful early morning and evening. We certainly will try and stay out of the main areas as we have about 3 to 4 weeks to play with.
Little Vicky, thank you too. We are flying from Australia so it is a long flight to London then onto Croatia so we might even fly into Rome and get across that way but I must admit that is putting us off a bit.

LittleVicky

There are no cheap flights from Rome to Croatia that i know of but there are from Rome to Venice. From Venice there is the a lovely ferry crossing to a number of towns in Croatia, journey time 2.5/3 hours or take the train/bus.

Maudie

I like your thinking Vicky, we were considering spending a couple of days in Venice at the end but maybe it would be better to go there first, I love the sound of the ferry. Thanks, that gives me more to think about.

ts2671

travel2live2
Do you recall the name of the B&B you stayed in in Istria and would you recommend it.

travel2live2

I would highly recommend it. It is called Kosavija http://www.tzpazin.hr/index_eng.php?...;booking_id=75. In doing our trip research I looked into about 10 Istrian B&Bs so if you are interested I can list those for you as well.

Mimar

As for the time of year to go, the days are longer in June than September -- so you get more sightseeing time.