Going to Dubrovnik but what about Split...or ...

As with any question you ask about people's likes and dislikes, opinions vary. Some people love Split. I wasn't crazy about it.

But whether you visit Split might depend on your travel itinerary. Are you flying into/out of Dubrovnik? Or will you arrive/depart elsewhere? I wouldn't travel to Split from Dubrovnik only to have to go back to Dubrovnik. There are other places to see that are closer, such as Korcula, Mostar, and Montenegro (e.g. Kotor). If you would pass through Split anyway, though, stopping there for at least a night might be worthwhile.

I was planning on going from Bari to Dubrovnik then up the coast maybe stopping at Korcula ..then Split and back to Italy ...that way I wouldn't backtrack then on to Venice after looking at prices in Venice (I have been before) I was thinking about stretching my time out in Croatia instead
I saw that there was a ferry that goes along the coast --thanks for your thoughts

Regarding Split, spend a couple days there if you like ancient history and culture. If you're not into those things, Split is still worth seeing, but don't spend more than a day. You could also spend a day on one of the islands with Korcula and Hvar being the most popular. I prefer traveling up the coast by ferry rather than by bus. The busses I've been on are not bad, but can be cramped at times.

My favorite location in southern Croatia is Dubrovnik. We based ourselves in Dubrovnik for several days as it was a good base to explore Montenegro and Bosnia on day trips as well as see Dubrovnik itself. Without a car, you might consider a guided day tour to Montenegro (Kotor, Perast, Budva) or Bosnia (Mostar). There are multiple companies that offer both large (regular bus) and small (minibus) day trips and will pick you up from your hotel. It's by far the easiest way to see some places that you otherwise couldn't without a car.

thanks for all the ideas
looking forward to visiting Croatia!