DH and I are going to Croatia in November. I am trying to put together an itinerary but, as usual, its difficult to determine how many nights are needed in each place we would like to visit. I posted a few questions about Croatia and got several responses to just wing it and look for sobes instead of planning everything from home.

DH and I were not interested in this in the least, but now we are wondering if it could be a good idea because the planning is leaving both of us frustrated at times. We are both excessive planners, so the thought of this does make us nervous. Can someone explain exactly how one goes about "winging it"? Do you just decide where you want to stop for the night ad then find a house with a "sobe" or "zimmer" sign out front? I'm assuming its appropriate to just knock on their door and ask about the room? If we don't speak Croatia (we are trying, but the language is difficult to learn!) will this be a problem? Do you ask to see the room before you agree to the price?

Sorry for all the questions!
Tracy

November is way outside the tourist season. I doubt whether many sobe (plural of "soba&quot will be available. Very few tourists go to Croatia in November, but there will be hotels. I've been there in December and just gone to a hotel to get a room. If you do see any rooms advertised, they won't turn you away because you don't speak Croatian.

Geoff, thank you for your response. This is partly why we were worried. When people gave us suggestions like that, I don't think they were taking into account that we are going in November. Not exactly prime vacation time in Croatia.

I have noticed that some hotels seem to close down commpletely from October through April or May. You didn't seem to have problems finding a hotel, so that should be a good sign.

Thanks for your reply!

Tracy

Many resorts will be largely shut. In December, I've stayed in hotels in Rijeka, Opatija, Sibenik and Split. I went to Hvar for a day trip and there was one restaurant and one bar that I could see open - everywhere else looked to be shut, though I expect at least one hotel was open. The only drawback to travelling there in winter is that the locals are heavy smokers: in summer, there are tables outside bars and restaurants, but in winter, the smoke can be a problem.

You will have no problem winging it in November! We travelled through Croatia in May/June and we winged it most of the way.

As Geoff said, many places will be closed in the winter months, especially if you are heading to tourist destinations.

It is a beautiful country. Enjoy!

I would suggest checking with the tourist Information centers in each town you decide to stay in - they usually have lists of Croatians who have rooms to rent - and at that time of year you should have the pick of the crop. November is olive harvest season so everything won't be closed down. Check with the Croatian Tourism Board in NYC: 800-829-4416 - they're very helpful.

Thank you everyone for your replies! DH and I are still trying to decide whether to "wing it" or not, and your advice is very helpful. We are thinking about booking some of our rooms ahead of time and then going with the flow for the other nights.

Thanks again!
Tracy

Tracy-as I replied on another post-I really can't imagine being a true veteran traveler without doing some "winging it"-part of the fun of discovering an area that is relatively under-touristed, shall we say, is finding out just what is out there, staying somewhere that you haven't heard anything about-forming impressions of the area and people on the way. It's a great antidote to the "overly frustrated" condition one gets when you do try to plan everything to the nth degree.

I have "winged it" through parts of the Middle East on more than one occasion, and had a great time-with the help of the local tourist offices, I'm sure you'll do just fine too-I can't imagine things will be that difficult, people go to Croatia all the time without having reservations or a specific itinerary in mind, just roaming around from town to town-it's actually quite fun-and I'm sure you'll meet up with a number of other travelers who are doing the same.

I wholeheartedly agree with girlspytravel! There are plenty of accomodations in Croatia and most towns have a tourist agency that can direct you to some fantastic places to stay for the night.

Thanks, EuroT. Not to highjack your thread, Tracy, but Euro, I see you're off to Bangkok on your own, I've gone to Thailand as a solo traveler 3 times now- you'll have a blast meeting up with people on the way-this last trip, I made friends with a Parisian artist who spends 6 mos. out of the year traveling SE Asia on her own-we both went off to the Sky Bar in BKK to talk about life-and kvetch about the respective men in our lives-great fun!

If You dont want to risk it , book something here http://www.adriatica.net/private/main_hr.htm
Lots of "sobe" as you call it!!!