Due to change in political climate, our plans for elsewhere fell through. To fill in a gap of time on an extensive trip, we will had to altar flights and we will be landing in Venice instead of Istanbul. 8 days later, we have a flight out of Athens to Crete.
This is all to give some background on why we have no idea what to do or how to do it.... not because we omitted homework....life just happens LOL.'
So, my question: would one recommend a few days in Venice then a few days someplace in Croatia before flying out of Dubrovnik to reach Athens (in my searching, Dubrovnik appeared to be the best place to leave from). Are ferry day trips possible along Croatian coast, and would Dubrovnik be a good "home port". We only have a little time before plans must be in place, as we are embarking in a very long trip soon. (leaving USA end of July, heading west....hitting Venice Sept 10)
I know this sounds convoluted but I thank all in advance for suggestions (we don't plan to rent car)
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Olympic/Aegean and Croatia Airlines each have nonstop flights from Dubrovnik to Athens (which are improvements over your options in previous years), so I would go ahead to book one if you've decided on Croatia.
Transport options from Venice to Croatia are also less direct than you might expect. Trains from Venice to Zagreb take about 9 hours with 2 connections (or only 1 connection if half by bus). There are summer-only ferries departing Venice, such as Prince of Venice by Adriatic Lines. If you start with this ferry, then I wouldn't hesitate to rent a car for continuing within Croatia.
The main ferry company in Croatia is www.jadrolinija.hr, but they discontinued the larger car ferries that served the longer distances in previous years. Buses serve the coast and Dubrovnik, while trains run mostly through the interior, e.g., Zagreb-Split (but not to Dubrovnik).
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2126 posts
Another option would be to spend s few nights in Venice, then take a train down the Adriatic coast of Italy to either Ancona or Bari -- and then a night ferry to either Split (from Ancona) or Dubrovnik (from Bari). Check the Jadrolinija ferry site to see which works best for you.
If you land in Split, you could spend a day there -- see Diocletian's Palace - then take a 4-hr bus to Dubrovnik.
From Dubrovnik you can take day trips to Mostar (in Bosnia) or Montenegro (Bay of Kotor) or to nearby islands. I would recommend sleeping in Cavtat rather than in Dubrovnik -- it's a beautiful little village just south of Dubrovnik, near the airport where you'll be flying to Greece. All the day trips are available from Cavtat.