fairycastle

We have 3 weeks in May, during which we want to explore the Balkans and visit Istanbul. Naturally, too many places looks sensational, so we must get realistic. Added to that, we like to travel by car and explore (unless there's a good train or even a flight that will speed things along). I had a list of Must Sees, but Andrew's idea sound so much more interesting. I wonder if, as a first time visitor, I can combine both. The (obvious) list contains Zabgreb, Dubrovnik, Budva/Kotot, Sarajevo, Belgrade (unreasonable?), Tirance, Lake Ohrid, Skopjie, Sofyia. Driving (a hired driver or on our own) between some of these places will allow us to experience the nature and local life. We ALSO want some time on the Dalmatian coast, not necessarily the super touristy islands or a "cruise". More like ferries or a guy with a boat. We like small villages, history, markets, architecture, food, etc. In smaller doses, we like nature (waterfalls, caves and hiking), same with castles and ruins. Can anyone put together an itinerary for us?

Andrew

I don't think three weeks is enough time to do all of those things without rushing (plus Istanbul?). I can't speak to Serbia or Bulgaria because I haven't yet been there. If you wanted to start in Zagreb and work your way down to Montenegro, maybe you could fly on to Istanbul from say Dubrovnik. Or do something like what I did last May and do a round trip from Zagreb: drive down the Dalmatian Coast to Montenegro, drive back through Bosnia to Zagreb, and fly to Istanbul.

So maybe something like this:

Zagreb (2 nights)
Plitvice Lakes (1 night)
Split/Trogir/Zadar/Sibinek/Krka National Park (not neccessarily all) (2-3 nights)
an Island - Korcula or Hvar or other (2-3 nights)
Dubrovnik (2-3 nights)
Montenegro (2-3 nights)
Mostar (1 night)
Sarajevo (2-3 nights)
Jajce (1 night)
Zagreb (1 night or less depending on your flight)

So that would be almost to three weeks WITHOUT Istanbul! I suspect you'd want another few days there.

I guess you could chop some of this off and plot a course through Serbia and and Bulgaria to Turkey, but that would still seem rushed to me - and I travel pretty fast!

The benefit of what I propose above is having a rental car in Croatia the entire time (no out-of country drop fee). I suppose you could find a guide to drive you this entire time for a price. You could fly from Sarajevo on to Serbia and Bulgaria or even Istanbul, too, I suppose.

I found driving in Croatia and Bosnia very easy in May, though you should expect to pay extra for an automatic transmission rental car if you don't feel comfortable driving a manual shift car (I had no problem with it).

kja

What you are proposing would be WAY too rushed for my tastes. I think you would be wise to cut your list of destinations by at least 1/2. JMO.

Personally, I would leave fascinating Istanbul for another trip when you can visit more of Turkey.

You might consider something like:
Fly into Sarajevo for 3 nights;
Bus or train to Mostar for 1 night;
Bus to Dubrovnik for 2 or (better, IMO) 3 nights, using one of those days for a day-trip to Kotor (bus, guided tour, or one-day rental car);
Bus to Korcula for 1 or 2 nights;
Ferry to Split for enough time to see Split and Trogir (2 or 3 nights);
Pick up a rental car and drive to the Plitvice Lakes (1 or 2 nights);
Return the car in Zagreb (2 or 3 nights).

That would give you just a few nights to play with, so you could add an overnight in Montenegro or stops in Sibenik or Zadar or any number of other wonderful destinations in this beautiful part of the world -- and not much more.

YOUR call. I recommend that you get some good guidebooks or spend some time with a few in your local library (of the half-dozen or so I used when planning my time in the area, I found the Rough Guide the best BY FAR), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Only then can you see how the things YOU most want to see fit together.

May is a glorious time to visit that part of the world. BTW, for traveling in May, I would look at routes that take you from south to north. JMO.

Hope that helps!

fairycastle

Well, I figured as much... My latest idea to fly to Istanbul, spend a couple of days, fly to Sofia where we get a car and, over 2+ weeks, make our way to Zagreb and fly home. Based on your comments, that is still too ambitious. Perhaps if we start the road trip from Podgorica, Montenegro, that will ease it up. That would mean skipping Sofia, Skopje, Lake Ohrid and Tirane. I'm not married to any of these places- just know them through guide books and posts. Are they "worth" omitting based on why lies ahead?

kja

"Are they "worth" omitting based on why lies ahead?"

I've been to Istanbul and other parts of western Turkey -- certainly WELL worth seeing, but not (from my point of view) on a trip that also includes Croatia. (I wrote a trip report on my time in Turkey -- just click on my name to find it.)

I have not yet been to Sofia, Skopje, Lake Ohrid and Tirane, but can't imagine that they aren't worth seeing -- indeed, they are on my wish list! But I, personally, decided to keep them for a separate trip, as there simply is too much to see in this surprisingly large and diverse area. JMO.

thursdaysd

A couple of days is way short for Istanbul!

I have been to all four of the places you are considering dropping, and none of them hold a candle to Istanbul. (Click on my name for the "B" trip TRs.) All are interesting - although Tirane less so - but Istanbul is special. BTW, there is a train from Istanbul to Sofia, although not the world's most comfortable (and part of the route is currently a bus):

http://www.seat61.com/international-...anbul_to_Sofia

I like kja's suggested itinerary, which includs Plitvice, Sarajevo and Split, which would be on my must-see list for the Balkans.