15 days in Croatia in May 2025

I would hire private transfers. Just part of the cost of the journey and I suspect when all of the costs are tallied not much more than renting a car. I think there is a shuttle service between Zagreb and Split too. If you are still having trouble with flights, look and see if anything out of Podgorica works for you.

My two cents....

• Zagreb is doable in 2 full days
• 6 days is way too much for Split itself, so I would definitely have side/day trips in the plan
• if you can schedule it correctly, Plitvice Lakes is stunning. It could be done on the way to Split.
• In general, private transfers can be pricey, but maybe not in Croatia.
• keep in mind that having a rental car in Split or Dubrovnik may incur parking costs and hassles
• apart from travel sickness concerns, buses are a clean and cost-effective to get around in Croatia where the train infrastructure is lacking

I love Zagreb but more than two days is definite overkill. An overnight in Plitvice is a good way to break up the trip between Zagreb and the coast, and amazing in its own right. You can do this by bus, but convenience, schedule and comfort can be a bit of a mixed bag. Two days in Split is about right too. If you take those extra days in Zagreb and Split, you have a good week to spend between the Dalmatian islands: Hvar, Korcula, Bol. You’re just a smidge early in the season, but should still be very enjoyable weather and temps.

I probably don’t need to tell you, but these are very popular destinations and May is coming up fast. I would resolve your plans and get accommodations sorted asap.

We've had a good look at all your wonderful suggestions and now have a new plan. Sadly, due to incompatible flight times, we have had to take Zagreb out of the picture and turn the trip the other way round. We have now booked flights into Dubrovnik and out of Pula.

Our revised plan is:

Days 1-3 Dubrovnik (3 nights)

Days 4-7 Split (4 nights) car hire after 1 or 2 days?

Days 8-10 Zadar (3 nights)

Day 11 Plitvice Lakes (1 night)

Days12-14 Rovinj (3 nights)

Day 15 Pula (1 night)

Day 16 Flight from Pula

Dubrovnik ideas - morning arrival, walk the walls, cable car ride, old town, Lokrum Island.

Split ideas - Marjan park, boat trip up the Cetina river, Trogir, Blue Cave, Diocletian’s Palace, old town, Hvar, some down time.

Zadar ideas - Sibenik on journey from Split, Sea Organ, Greetings to the Sun, old town, Nin

Plitvice Lakes - travel from Zadar, visit Plitvice Lakes, stay overnight

Rovinj ideas - visit Rijeka & Opatija on way, Brijuni, Motovun, Groznan, Porec

Pula ideas - return hire car to airport, amphitheatre, Aquarium, old town

A couple of thoughts - we can either hire a car when leaving Dubrovnik and have it for the rest of the trip or take the catamaran to Split and only hire a car from our 2nd or 3rd day in Split. I would have to dose up on travel sickness tablets but I think it’s doable! Any thoughts please?

For Plitvice Lakes, the plan would be to drive there from Zadar, and spend a few hours in the park. We can’t walk for more than 3-4 hours due to one of us having a dodgy knee. Then spend the night locally. Suggestions on where to stay that would allow us a good flavour of the park in a short visit would be appreciated.

Also we have a 10.05a.m flight out of Pula and are thinking of spending our last night in Pula so that we can return the car the night before and save any hassle in the morning. Does this seem like a good plan? What time would we need to be checking in at Pula Airport? Alternatively, we could have 2 nights is Rovinj and 2 nights in Pula and go to the Brijuni park from there?

Thanks for any thoughts.

We picked up our rental car on the day we left Dubrovnik, and from there we drove to Split. We spent 4 nights in Split that included a daytrip to Hvar and then 3/4 of another day to Trogir. Our accommodations in Split had reserved parking spaces at a nearby garage, so we left our car there while in Split. We used our car to drive to Trogir while in Split. My husband did all the driving, and it was very easy. The roads are in good condition, and there wasn't much traffic at all.

If you have the time, I would add War Photo Limited to your sightseeing time in Dubrovnik. We learned a lot about the Bosnian War in the 90's. A very informative and interesting photo exhibition.

We spent a night at Plitvice, too, and we really enjoyed our stay at Plitvice Miric Inn. It's outside the park, about a 5 minute drive. Their breakfast buffet is one of the best we've ever had anywhere. When I was planning our trip, I was told the hotels inside the park aren't very nice; they are outdated. And very busy with lots of tour groups. So we decided to stay just outside the park, and it was well worth it for us. The rate was very reasonable, about 130 euros (including breakfast) in 2019.

Thank you, kmkwoo, for such useful information. We've been looking at boat vs rental car and think the car would suit us better.
We're thinking of similar trips from Split by car. I'd be very grateful if you could share the accommodation you had in Split as I'm struggling to find anywhere that has reserved parking.

The inn you recommended near Plitvice looks lovely and I think we will book there. Thanks again.

claremc12, In Split, we stayed at ID Regal Residence. I would describe it as a B&B or small inn. There are 4 rooms on the 4th floor (by the way the US counts floors.) There is a small reception desk just outside the rooms. ID Regal is in an excellent location in the old town, just outside of Diocletian's Palace. There are tons of restaurants, cafes, etc. nearby. Our room was very pretty with 2 stone walls and 2 painted walls. It's contemporary and light but also charming. The only drawback is that the building does not have an elevator so you have to walk up to the 4th floor. Not sure how you would feel about this. The room rate included breakfast vouchers for the Bokeria Restaurant, just a one-minute walk away. This is a well-known restaurant in Split, and the breakfasts were delicious. It's not a buffet. You choose from their menu, which included omelets, fried eggs, yogurt parfait, and other dishes.

Hope this helps.

Here is the link to ID Regal Residence!

https://idregalresidence.cro-hr.com/en/

claremc12,
I just checked their website, and it is now saying there is no parking available. I think you should still contact them and ask them if they offer parking in the public parking garage near Old Town. Maybe the website info means there is no on-site parking. Not sure. But it's definitely worth contacting them.

Thank you, kmkwoo, for such a detailed reply to my question. It looks a lovely hotel and location but, sadly, it doesn't have availability for our dates in Split. We are currently looking at an Airbnb just north of the Old Town which doesn't have parking but, from the comments from others, street parking is not too bad. Hopefully, as we're going in May we shouldn't spend too much time looking for a space!

claremc12, Thank you for letting me know! You will love Split, and you will have a wonderful time!

If you have the time, you should try to have a meal at Bokeria, whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner. Because we had 4 breakfasts here, we didn't eat here for dinner, and then afterwards I regretted that. Bokeria still receives excellent reviews.

Thtnks for the recommendation, kmkwoo, I'll add it to my ever-growing Croatia document!