Hi,
We are planning a 17 nights trip to budapest, prague, Austria (vienna, Salzburg, upper Austria region) with our 3 year old in May/june
we want to add Croatia to this itinerary for 3 nights. Not keen on going to city places like zagreb. Want to spend some time in good beaches in north Croatia side, Porec, Rovinj, Pula. Basically we just want to travel as less as possible coz we'll be going back to austria for our return flight/or to move ahead to prague and Budapest.
Please suggest how can we fit any croatia beachy location in our itinerary. What would be the best mode of transportation. Don't want to do multiple train transfers witha toddler and luggage.
Posted by
Washington DC
27101 posts
I wouldn't do it; carving out 3 nights from a 17-day trip is going to mean short time in three major cities (Budapest, Prague, Vienna). However, I don't have a 3-year-old to keep happy.
There's an airport in Pula, but it doesn't seem to have flights from any of the other places you plan to visit. It looks as if your best bet for flights will be Split. You can fly there from Vienna year-round, I think (though not necessarily every day of the week), and there are seasonal flights from Prague and Salzburg. You can check schedules and fares on skyscanner.com.
Anything by ground is going to be very time-consuming. Since there are no fast trains running to Opatija or Rijeka (the obvious access points for Istria), I imagine a private transfer would be the fastest option If you don't want to drive. It would probably be least expensive from Salzburg, which is closer to Opatija than your other stops, though still about 240 miles one-way.
Posted by
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
3045 posts
I would consider spending the time in B-P hot pools. There are a number and it's a great part of the B-P experience. I think your 3 YO would enjoy that.
Another option is Lake Balaton. Beaches in Croatia, with some exceptions, are rocky/pebble beaches. Plus you go a long distance for a swim.
Posted by
Noblesville, Indiana, USA
1370 posts
It's a 6-7 hour drive from Salzburg to Rovinj when including the border crossing into Croatia. Two years ago we drove from Salzburg via Lake Bled to Ljubljana and spent one night, then on to Rovinj for 2 nights. We enjoyed it all! Another option for you would be to spend your 3 days in Slovenia. Lake Bled is less than three hours from Salzburg and there's a beach area for swimming. Ljubljana's another hour for a day trip. If you absolutely need a coastal beach you could go to Piran in Slovenia. It's about 5 hours from Salzburg and we spent a night went there as well. Have fun!