2 Week Itinerary help needed

We visited Croatia back in 2004, before cruise ships were as prevalent, and Plitvice wasn’t crowded then. If a lot more people go there now, it’s understandable, as the setting and waters are truly remarkable, a very special place. Go and make the most of it. Maybe first thing or last thing in the aucare less crowded times?

Colorado has a similar site, much smaller and involving a rugged mile-and-a-half hike to reach, Hanging Lake/Spouting Rock. It’s become so popular (and was getting trashed by thoughtless visitors) that they’ve now started controlling access to the trail between May and October, and charging $16 to take a shuttle bus to the trailhead. But it’s also a very special place, and unless you can be there in October or April, with decent weather and a passable trail, it costs what it costs and you’ll have some company. Plitvice should be seen, if you get the opportunity.

The Split area was a great home base for 3 nights - we actually stayed just outside of Split, in Solin. We didn’t make it to Dubvrovnik or to islands that trip.

For Plitvice you need to spend the night in or near the park to avoid the terribly heavy crowds of day-trippers. There is a new ticketing procedure that allows pre-purchase of tickets online up to two days in advance. You can still buy tickets at the park as long as the day's allotment hasn't all been sold before you arrive. This is so new that no one here has seen the process in action yet.

Hey Lori,

How about this 2 weeks itinerary:

Days 1 & 2 Sleep in ZAGREB

Days 3 & 4 Sleep in BLED

Day 5 Sleep in PLITVICE

Days 6 & 7 Sleep in ZADAR

Days 8 & 9 Sleep in TROJIR

Days 10, 11 & 12 Sleep in SPLIT

Days 13 & 14 Sleep in DUBROVNIK. Drop off rental car.

We did stay in a Sobe just a few miles from Plitvice Lakes the night before our visit 15 years ago, and had a rental car.

Quick note on buying Plitvice tickets online …. you can buy them online 2 or more days in advance and they are for a timed entry. You can arrive as much as 30 minutes before your reserved time and within the hour of your reserved time. (i.e., if you reserve for 9am you can take your vouchers to the ticket windows from 8:30am - 10am to collect your tickets for entry.) The park website does not say what they would do if you arrive later than the hour of your reserved time. Presumably they could turn you away, if crowds warrant.

The recommended itinerary to sleep in Plitvice has the advantage of reducing the likelihood that you are delayed and miss your reserved entry time!

We are doing a very similar trip in July only without Zadar. We are dropping our car at Split airport, ubering it to our place in Split. Then ferrying it to Hvar, Korcula and eventually Dubrovnik.

Here are some ferry schedules:
https://www.krilo.hr/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Sailing_schedule_DUBROVNIK.pdf

https://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/schedule/LineSearchResults/Index/2331746/2331754/12072019

you can put your own dates and destinations at the top of the forms.