I am planning a trip in the fall and in reading the information, there are many things to see and do? We will be going probably for about 8-10 days. We are interested in the culture, historic sites, nature and going to some small untouristy towns. Also is Zagreb worth the visit? Which large city would you recommend?
thanks for your help.
Susan

Better for what? I'm sure people in each country think theirs is better!

Croatia is by far the more visited country and has been historically. There's miles of coastline, dotted with historic towns dating from the Venetian era (or before). The bigger coastal cities, especially Dubrovnik, are quite popular during the warm seasons, but if you're traveling in fall, you should be able to find some place that's quiet. Inland locations are more off the beaten track. A good guidebook can help you see what interests you here.

Bosnia-Hercegovina is much less touristed and in general a much more rural and mountainous country. Mostar is very popular with Dubrovnik day trippers, but Sarajevo is just starting to get the trickles of tourists: I personally loved the city but do know if you would. There are a lot of untouristed towns, though distances can mean they are not quick to get from one to another. From my brief visit, there is a lot of natural beauty in Bosnia-Herc. but sometimes industrial blight would be there too.

What the others said. More to see and do in Croatia. But it's much bigger.

I would include a visit to one or more islands. Croatia has almost 2000 islands, the most touristed of which are Hvar and -- well behind -- Korcula. But there are many more, not all inhabited. Here's one primer: http://www.roughguides.com/article/t...sland-getaways.

Croatia...IMO

They are right next to each other, so you can see some of both.

Click on my name - I've written several trip reports about visiting Sarajevo, Mostar, and driving in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

I've also spent quite a bit of time in Dubrovnik and around that area, and the Dalmatian coast, but not written about that.

Also seek out the trip reports by vttraveler.

Where are you flying in/out from? If it's the same airport then that will limit your options.

Will you be renting a car and driving? If not, then that will also limit where you go.

With 8-10 days you could do a loop from Dubrovnik - Mostar - Sarajevo - Travnik - Split - Dubrovnik, and also include a trip to Kotor and Budva in Montenegro, but that all depends on your flight plans and whether you will be using public transport.

We need more information from you before we can really help more.

I like the loop suggested by julia_t in the last post. She and I share a real love for Sarajevo. My husband and I have also really enjoyed the parts of Croatia we have seen.

Even if you don't spend a lot of time in Bosnia & Herzegovina I would recommend going to Mostar from the Croatian coast and staying there overnight.

What is the likely weather for early October? Might there be some hot weather, as well as cool nights? Or not likely to be that warm by October?

Thanks - this has been a good help.

Also, what kind of footwear for evenings? Do younger women wear nice sandals? Any thoughts? Will it be nice to enjoy walking along the beaches in early October? California weather?

Early Oct. On the coast could be very nice, but I would not rule out some rain
..in Bosnia...colder and often rainy.
I would not worry about footwear....neither place is Paris.

California weather is a perfect description of early October on the coast. It could rain, but we didn't have any for two weeks.

Sandals are almost universal, day and night.

Beaches where we were are not good for strolling because the shoreline is very rocky, with small patches of sand or gravel (shingle) separated by outcroppings of rock. Many places the only swimming is by diving off the rocks. However, many towns (Hvar, Opatija, Zadar) have walkways and or trails along the water front.

Thank you! Great to know about the shoe issue!

Hey there, last year i went in Croatia, a friend of mine suggested me to spend my vacations over Croatia, firstly i couldn't believe that Croatia is a perfect place to spend vacations but there was just awesome. I planned to stay just a week but i continued for two more weeks.

There are a lot of places that are worth to visit, i was in Zagreb too it was a great adventure, i was in Dubrovnik, Split, Krka too. I did a research over Croatia best places to visit : http://www.mawista.com/blog/en/top-1...it-in-croatia/

But it's your decision, i think it's a worth place to visit!