Zagreb to Zagreb -- suggestions, please
Jan 7th, 2010, 01:19 PM
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Zagreb to Zagreb -- suggestions, please
We are thinking about going to Croatia (we do not speak or read Serbo-Croatian), renting a car, and making a circular journey around the country, with side trips into Bosnia and Slovenia. Probably go in May and June, be there about three weeks. We are retired, so time is of small consequence. I have a modest command of German, for what that is worth.
We'd go as far south as Dubrovnik and/or Mostar, and as far north as Lake Bled and Lubljana.
How good are the roads? Are there bed-and-breakfasts? What should we make sure to see? What should we just as soon skip? All ideas gratefully accepted.
We'd go as far south as Dubrovnik and/or Mostar, and as far north as Lake Bled and Lubljana.
How good are the roads? Are there bed-and-breakfasts? What should we make sure to see? What should we just as soon skip? All ideas gratefully accepted.
Jan 7th, 2010, 01:33 PM
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I can't comment specifically on this yet, as I'll be doing it in March, but I'm setting up a one-day cooking class with a chef in Zagreb. It took a bit of searching to find a class there, but I found many others around Croatia (Dubrovnik, Istria). If you'd like the information for any of these places, let me know and I'll gladly pass it along.
And after I've visited Zagreb in March, I can give you a better report
And after I've visited Zagreb in March, I can give you a better report
Jan 7th, 2010, 02:19 PM
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We drove all over Croatia in a GM with air conditioning and a manual transmission in April 2006. We LOVED IT!!! We used a lot of sign language as there was more difficulty finding english speakers than in other parts of Europe. Young people were better at it and if you stay in highly touristed areas you should be fine. It was great - the new highway is new because they did the right thing after their war and invested in infrastructure. They have tunnels that go for miles - if you're into that, it's really cool.
We used the Rick Steves travel book on Croatia - it was a lifesaver. We started in Split at the Hotel Peristil. Can't say enough wonderful things about the staff - our luggage was lost and they were awesome. Then north with a stop in Zadar to get our other luggage and to Pula stopping at any little towns that we thought might be fun. The ruins of the arena are amazing an more intact than the Coliseum in Rome. Then up to Slovenia to Lipica to see the Lipizzanner stallions. Easy border crossing, but avoid going when it is a holiday. Tons of traffic, but it was a holiday weekend. Bad planning on our part. Then to Plitvice NP (beautiful, but not easy if you have any mobility issues). Then back to the coast and took the coast road that was under construction all the way to Dubrovnik. We were tired so we decided to just hang out in Dubrovnik. Should have gone to Mostar and Albania and Hvar (at least one island needs to be on your itinerary!!) The coast road is gorgeous - it is very similar to US 1 in California so if you are comfortable there, Croatia will be fine. They drive on the same side of the road as us and don't drive as nuts as other European countries. We never felt uncomfortable or unsafe - even driving in the middle of the night on empty highways with nowhere to find a hotel (again a luggage problem).
I used tripadvisor and websites for planning all of our hotels. We were on a pretty tight budget so we didn't stay in the highest end places, but we had a blast. The Peristil in Split was definitely worth the money as it was right in town. We didn't have a car then (we had to wait for our luggage for an extra day so we used the airport bus to go back and forth and back and forth again) and it was perfect. And we had all our luggage lost on two different flights from Paris/London, my husband had food poisoning from the airport when we picked up our second bag, and it rained so hard for three days in Dubrovnik we thought we'd need an ark. So for us to love it that much - it must have been spectacular!
You can fly into Zagreb, Split or Pula and fly out of Dubrovnik to avoid going from one end to the other twice. Check Croatia Air, British Airways and easyjet.
We went before they had switched to Euros - I don't know if they have made the transition yet. The currency exchange was really good back then.
Skip nothing. It is a beautiful country with nice people and they were still recovering from a horrible war when we were there. We keep telling everyone to go!!
Please ask any and all questions. It's already a European holiday destination. I don't know why Americans haven't found it yet. The only weird thing was having to leave our passports with the front desk at ALL of the hotels (five of them). It seemed like a leftover Communism problem. If we had thought about it I think we would have been leary, but we never really gave it enough thought and just went with it. Never a problem.
We used the Rick Steves travel book on Croatia - it was a lifesaver. We started in Split at the Hotel Peristil. Can't say enough wonderful things about the staff - our luggage was lost and they were awesome. Then north with a stop in Zadar to get our other luggage and to Pula stopping at any little towns that we thought might be fun. The ruins of the arena are amazing an more intact than the Coliseum in Rome. Then up to Slovenia to Lipica to see the Lipizzanner stallions. Easy border crossing, but avoid going when it is a holiday. Tons of traffic, but it was a holiday weekend. Bad planning on our part. Then to Plitvice NP (beautiful, but not easy if you have any mobility issues). Then back to the coast and took the coast road that was under construction all the way to Dubrovnik. We were tired so we decided to just hang out in Dubrovnik. Should have gone to Mostar and Albania and Hvar (at least one island needs to be on your itinerary!!) The coast road is gorgeous - it is very similar to US 1 in California so if you are comfortable there, Croatia will be fine. They drive on the same side of the road as us and don't drive as nuts as other European countries. We never felt uncomfortable or unsafe - even driving in the middle of the night on empty highways with nowhere to find a hotel (again a luggage problem).
I used tripadvisor and websites for planning all of our hotels. We were on a pretty tight budget so we didn't stay in the highest end places, but we had a blast. The Peristil in Split was definitely worth the money as it was right in town. We didn't have a car then (we had to wait for our luggage for an extra day so we used the airport bus to go back and forth and back and forth again) and it was perfect. And we had all our luggage lost on two different flights from Paris/London, my husband had food poisoning from the airport when we picked up our second bag, and it rained so hard for three days in Dubrovnik we thought we'd need an ark. So for us to love it that much - it must have been spectacular!
You can fly into Zagreb, Split or Pula and fly out of Dubrovnik to avoid going from one end to the other twice. Check Croatia Air, British Airways and easyjet.
We went before they had switched to Euros - I don't know if they have made the transition yet. The currency exchange was really good back then.
Skip nothing. It is a beautiful country with nice people and they were still recovering from a horrible war when we were there. We keep telling everyone to go!!
Please ask any and all questions. It's already a European holiday destination. I don't know why Americans haven't found it yet. The only weird thing was having to leave our passports with the front desk at ALL of the hotels (five of them). It seemed like a leftover Communism problem. If we had thought about it I think we would have been leary, but we never really gave it enough thought and just went with it. Never a problem.
Jan 7th, 2010, 02:54 PM
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> We are thinking about going to Croatia, renting a car, and making a circular journey around the country, with side trips into Bosnia and Slovenia.
Do check with your rental car company about using the car outside Croatia as there may be extra fees. Also, as I understand it, Slovenia now requires that cars have a sticker that indicates payment for use of certain roads, and not all cars rented in Croatia have that sticker - which can result in a very high fine. One option is to return a car while still in Croatia and rent separately for your time in Slovenia.
> We do not speak or read Serbo-Croatian
Unlikely to be a problem, particularly in the major tourist destinations, where most people with whom you are likely to interact speak English well. But learning a few basic words will serve you well. And if you are driving, being able to understand the words for right and left, north, south, east, and west (etc.) will help tremendously if you get lost.
> Probably go in May and June
That's when I went this past year, and it was lovely!
> How good are the roads?
Major roads are quite good; back roads can be quite twisty and narrow, but at least are well paved - or at least, the ones I travelled were.
One thing to keep in mind is that many roads - even major highways - are not identified by the number/letter given on road maps. One navigates by watching the "to" signs - which means that you need to know the names of the city/cities that are used to identify turns. That isn't always the same as the name of the place to which you are going. For example, you might need to follow a road labelled as being "to Zagreb" when you are trying to go to (say) Plitvice.
> Are there bed-and-breakfasts?
Yes, as well as hotels, apartments, and rooms (called "sobes", particularly in southern Dalmatia).
> What should we make sure to see? What should we just as soon skip?
That depends on what you want to see and experience. Tell us more!
Do check with your rental car company about using the car outside Croatia as there may be extra fees. Also, as I understand it, Slovenia now requires that cars have a sticker that indicates payment for use of certain roads, and not all cars rented in Croatia have that sticker - which can result in a very high fine. One option is to return a car while still in Croatia and rent separately for your time in Slovenia.
> We do not speak or read Serbo-Croatian
Unlikely to be a problem, particularly in the major tourist destinations, where most people with whom you are likely to interact speak English well. But learning a few basic words will serve you well. And if you are driving, being able to understand the words for right and left, north, south, east, and west (etc.) will help tremendously if you get lost.
> Probably go in May and June
That's when I went this past year, and it was lovely!
> How good are the roads?
Major roads are quite good; back roads can be quite twisty and narrow, but at least are well paved - or at least, the ones I travelled were.
One thing to keep in mind is that many roads - even major highways - are not identified by the number/letter given on road maps. One navigates by watching the "to" signs - which means that you need to know the names of the city/cities that are used to identify turns. That isn't always the same as the name of the place to which you are going. For example, you might need to follow a road labelled as being "to Zagreb" when you are trying to go to (say) Plitvice.
> Are there bed-and-breakfasts?
Yes, as well as hotels, apartments, and rooms (called "sobes", particularly in southern Dalmatia).
> What should we make sure to see? What should we just as soon skip?
That depends on what you want to see and experience. Tell us more!
Jan 7th, 2010, 03:08 PM
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kja. I just want to ad that I have been looking into rental cars and border crossings. Everything I have read says that you must tell the rental company which borders you are crossing. I cannot remember which companies but some forbid crossing into certain countries with the car.
Also. Most have listed a separate sticker which must be purchased for border crossings.
Also. Most have listed a separate sticker which must be purchased for border crossings.
Jan 7th, 2010, 03:27 PM
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Thank you! Thank you! So many good suggestions. Please keep them coming. We've traveled a great deal on all continents (except Antarctica). Interests: archeology, history, scenic places. Not interested in nightlife. Too darn old.
