Hi!
I have the entire month of September off and I want to spend a chunk of time in Croatia and Greece, with a few days at the end in Istanbul. A friend suggested hitting up Belgrade in between. It will be a few lady's in our early 30's on this trip. I'm not sure if we are flying into Zagreb or Split yet - trying to figure out where we should end that makes sense for heading out to Greece without long layovers in Rome. Any suggestions are much appreciated!
You cannot easily get between these countries on public transport nor with a rental car. The best option is to fly; see www.skyscanner.com.
If you take trains (which do not run as far south to Dubrovnik), then plan to backtrack from Split to Zagreb, then Belgrad and south. Expect at least a border check in the middle of the night at the Bulgaria/Turkey border, if heading to Istanbul by train. The overnight train from Belgrad to Thessaloniki doesn't cross the border until after 6 a.m.
How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it. See also http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/croatia-rail-passes and http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/greece-rail-passes.
You can fly between Istanbul or Izmir and Athens, or take ferries from a few coastal towns to the nearest Greek island, which may be far from your other Greek destinations, requiring more ferries or a Greek flight.
Guidebooks like Lonely Planet give a good summary of public transport options for the areas they cover, as do Rick's books (which don't cover Belgrade or some large sections of Greece).
