Extra items to bring for RS Best of the Adriatic Tour?

There is an opportunity to swim or wade in the Adriatic on the vacation from your vacation day on Korčula if that interests you. I brought water shoes for the rocky beach.

I think your versatile Keen Rose Sandals with a good tread & toe protection is great. They should be fine for the hike at Plitvice Lakes. We were there in September and I can only recall it drizzling one evening in Ljubljana. Plan B, we ate indoors at Julija. LOL. I didn’t bring anything extra. Like you, I pack light!

I was on this tour in October and loved it. I would definitely bring a pair of water shoes and a swimming suit and a pair of comfortable nylon shorts. The hotel on Korcula island has a wonderful spa with indoor and outdoor pool. Another hotel has an indoor pool with a whirlpool. I brought 2 pairs of shorts and I wore them half of the trip.

I just read the itinerary for your trip. With one day on korčula, unless you are a die hard beach goer or swimmer, I wouldn’t bother with the bathing suit and extras that go with it. If you are, plan on taking a water taxi to one of the smaller islands for a day at the beach. If you just want to dip your toes in, you can go swimming off the street which circles the old town, you would climb down stairs and there are rocks or concrete, no pebbles. There is a pebble beach near the small port.

PS, they sell water shoes all over Korčula if you end up needing them, very inexpensive.

Croatia is a very laid back, casual country, always was.

As mentioned above I’ve probably just buy water shoes on the day of rather than carrying them around for the trip

My wife and I went to a dozen beaches during our 3+ weeks in Croatia this past October and without water shoes she literally wouldn’t have been able to get in and out of the water lol. Those little marble sized rocks really do a number on your feet.

I would say in June however if you are keen on swimming at all, you’ve gotta get in the water, that’s the best part of Croatia!

I brought water shoes. I stayed a couple extra days in Dubrovnik after the tour and used the water shoes on the beach in the Lapad area.

Insect repellent packets. I used these a few times as well as shared with others.

Insect repellent wipes - check! The bugs like me too much.
Water shoes - will buy when I am there - check!
Swimsuit (& Tee w/ Hawaiian Ripskirt for beach, lobby, etc.) - check!

Thanks, everyone!

Items for every trip:
1. Small LED flashlight using AA or AAA batteries (especially for late night walkabouts);
2. Small roll of Gorilla/duct tape (can patch most anything);
3. Spare "wall wart"/transformer and spare cable(s) (have had hosts claim to be able to open a used cable shop with left behinds) ;
4. Spare US to euro electrical adapter(s) and a 3 outlet "tap" for US plugs. (most euro outlets are for only 1 plug-in & in poor location)

(be careful as Europe is 220 volts);
5. A spare toothbrush (yes you can buy them but not at 22:00);
6. A washcloth or 2;
7. A few plastic bags (for food items, wet things, etc).
Enjoy your trip - we loved Croatia & Slovenia. Dubrovnik in the evening is special as the locals come out to play.

Jean, I’ve been stalking the rip skirt site. How is the length on them and are they really as nice as they look? Also, do they run true to size?

Barbara, I mostly wear my Ripskirts on vacation in Hawaii. I’ve had the “Maui Moonlight” pattern skirt for multiple years and added a bright colorful pattern on a white background skirt last year. I really like both patterns, but if the skirt catches the breeze and shows a bit of the backside of the flap, the backing is white. So, it’s not as obvious on the white-patterned skirt. (There’s sufficient overlap, so you’re not exposed.)

The fabric is like swimsuit material but has a nice-feeling to it. Last year when we were in Hawaii, I wore the Maui pattern with a quick-drying black tee easily more than any other outfit. Handwashed both of them in the sink, and they were dry within a couple of hours.

The sizing is good on them. I have the #3 length for both of them.

Larry42,
I appreciate your reply! I’m glad you enjoyed Croatia & Slovenia! I sure hear a lot of good reviews of that area!

I travel solo for some trips, and I agree, the small flashlight is always in my purse or pocket in the evening. Sometimes I have needed it to find the keyhole, or there’s dark stone hallways in some historic B&B’s in medieval sections of cities. Or I don’t want to trip over the uneven streets. And it’s always next to the bed since I need to find my reading glasses - LOL!

If you’re worried about leaving behind cords, etc. wrap a few stripes on them in bright tape. I have striped fluorescent tape that I used for my adapters and phone plug, and I’ve never left one behind. Also, I have a red mesh zip bag that sits on the table. It doesn’t go back into my suitcase until the adapter & cord are back in that bag. Anything that keeps stuff visual helps!

I recently saw a different post asking about washcloths. I’ve never brought any previously, but these from Amazon are thin wafers when compressed, so I’m going to try bringing a couple.

“Pack-n-Wipe Compressed Disposable Towels - Soft, Durable, Reusable Towels - Travel, Home, Outdoor Hand Towels”

I just took advantage of the question to give some of my 80+ years experience to the young'uns. I have seen so many travelers not able to cope with the simplest problems due to lack of imagination & planning. With your experience, I doubted I could contribute much - and I was right. 'Twern't for you, Jean.

We use the REI travel microfabric washcloth but have used other microfabrics as well. They dry fast. The large Costco ones work very well for my camera gear. Your tape stripes seems like a good idea for cables. We travel lighter, not light.

Why would anyone with a cell phone need to pack a flash light? Just added weight/volume

Hi Tyler, I bring a tiny flashlight for a couple of reasons. The first is that I need my reading glasses to use my phone. I’ve always brought a tiny flashlight to place next to the bed, so I could turn it on without fumbling to find my glasses and then phone….the joys of growing older - LOL!

Also, usually my main souvenirs during my trips are the wonderful memories and the photos I take. Since I use my phone to take photos, I am extra careful with it. If I drop a cheap little flashlight, it’s doesn’t compare to dropping my phone on wet cobblestones. That’s easily worth the extra 2.8 ounces the flashlight weighs.

Fair enough, definitely easier to read somthing holding a small flash light over a phone

I’m with you Jean, I have & need the tiny RS Thumb Beam Illuminator that weighs 0.5 oz. So handy. RS description: It can shine 10 miles if you get lost in the desert! LoL. That said, “Beam me up Scotty!” I don’t leave home without it. :)

Why use up your cell phone battery providing not very bright lighting? We traveled to Spain last fall incurring uncomfortable heat. When in Spain, do like the natives - so we took a siesta and ventured out late. Actually stayed out past our normal geezer bedtime. A good small (not tiny) flashlight was invaluable in getting home. Also essential in various caves around the world. When we moved Alaska, a sourdough told us, wherever you go, always dress and prepare to have to walk home.