Hi, we are a family of 4, coming to Croatia in July for 3 weeks for the first time. We are staying in Zagreb (2 or 3 nights) when we arrive and 5 nights in Dubrovnik at the end of the trip. Now the problem is the stuff in between. We are planning to stay in the Istria province for 3 or 4 nights, then Zadar and Split before we end up in Dubrovnik.
Now my questions: what is the best place to base ourselves in Istria? Was looking at Rovinj, but the available Airbnb accommodation for our dates doesn't seem too great.
Plitvice Lakes: is it best to hire a car and go there from Zagreb or rather wait till we reach Zadar - stay there a night or two and then spend a night outside the park for early entry the following day? Should we then drive back to Zadar or Split? Are the routes difficult and long? We are a bit unsure - have never hired a car overseas. I am not sure how to fit Plitvice into our plans - but it seems a "must do" in Croatia.
My other problem is car hire and the islands. If we are in Split we want to spend 2 days there and then also see some of the islands. Hvar, Brac, Korcula.
Should we leave Split and drop the car there and try to find accommodation on these islands? Can one go from the one to the other? Is it necessary to have a car or is the bus transport on the islands adequate for moving around? On Brac we for instance want to go to Bol to go to the beautiful beach. Does anybody have an idea of the cost of bus transport per person compared to a car? Just an estimate.
Some people say it is a hassle to board a car ferry if you have a car and it takes longer. But others say a car makes things easier.
From the islands we will need to get to Dubrovnik.
This uncertainty is driving me nuts. If some kind and clever people can please steer me in the right direction - my family is depending on me and I don't want to mess it up!
I am 100% sure that this will be an awesome trip - now just to make the right decisions. Thank you so much in advance to anybody who is willing to try and help me!
Posted by
Austin TX after living in Boulder CO for 25 years
1166 posts
Here is the order that we took on our 2 weeks:
Flew into Zagreb and rented car with Sixt.
Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Rovinj, Plitvice.
We stayed the night in Plitvice and got into the park the next morning by 7:30 - very important !
We hiked ALL the trails and took tons of photos and were out on the road by 3 to Split.
We stayed in Split and boarded the morning car ferry.
We drove off Hvar at Sucarej and drove into Dubrovnik where we promptly dropped the car.
Notes:
1. We felt it was easier to have a car for Plitvice.
2. We loved Rovinj.
3. We stay in B&B's and have great recommendations for all of our locations.
4. We took the car ferry and only stayed in Hvar. Some people drop their car in Split and use the ferry onward into Dubrovnik.
You can't go wrong - the country is AMAZING !!!
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Two nights in Zagreb is sufficient to see the sights.
There is plenty to see in Istria in the hill towns, so I would take a couple of nights off Dubrovnik and add then to Istria. A car is beneficial, so I would hire one when you leave Zagreb - you can explore the hill towns of Istria better with a car. Driving in Croatia is easy, as the drivers are not as manic as in some places such as Italy or Portugal and the roads are good.
You have left it a bit late to find the best accommodation for July, which is peak season - many Europeans will have booked their summer holidays months ago. Try looking at VRBO, Trip Advisor rentals and booking.com for rental options - there is sufficient to keep you occupied for a week in Istria, which may give you more flexibility. Rovinj is a good base, but anywhere along the coast would be suitable.
So up to 9 nights total.
There are no "must sees" anywhere - it depends on your interests. Some prefer Krka National Park, which is quieter. Staying nearby the night before is beneficial so you can get in before all the tourist buses arrive. It's only 2.5 hours straight to Split.
Split ideally needs at least a full day as does nearby Trogir as a day trip, so 3 nights here.
So, tally is 13 nights, which leaves 8 nights.
From Split, you have to decide what to do about the car - if you island hop, this is difficulty with a car. Bear in mind that much accommodation has a 3 night minimum booking, so it's not a matter of moving on each day and with 3 weeks, you don't need to do this.
Getting around the islands is limited by public transport and much easier with a car. I don't know the cost of buses, but how infrequently they run is more of an issue than cost. You have to pay to take the car on the ferry, so another reason for not moving on too often. Taking a car on a ferry isn't too much hassle, but you will have to be there an hour at least before departure to ensure getting onboard.
Brac is a generally good location for children, but a word of warning re Zlatni Rat beach on Brac. Yes, it looks gorgeous, but bear mind that publicity shots are taken early in the morning or late at night with good lighting. It is the destination for all the loud booze cruise day trip party boats from Makarska and therefore your experience maybe different from what you are expecting if you are there between 11am and 5pm, when hundreds descend onto the beach.
Say on Brac and Hvar (stay Stari Grad or Jelsa, not Hvar town unless you want to be amongst noisy partying teenagers) for 3 nights each then drive to Sucuraj on Hvar and take the short ferry over to Drvenik and drive to Dubrovnik.
Alternatively, pick just one island for 3 nights then take the ferry back to the mainland and drive to Omis, which is a great location for children, with plenty of sports on offer - have 3 nights here then drive to Dubrovnik.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Three nights would be plenty for me in Istria. (I spent two and a half days.) Four would be more than enough but allow a more relaxed pace. You will most definitely want a car in Istria if you want to see hill towns.
Rovinj is wonderful. I am not surprised things are booked up by now for July. I think at this point I would take what I could get within the budget you have. I wasn't crazy about Pula, but it might be easier to find a place there now. Rovinj (which is tiny) is probably overrun with people in July. Pula is a much bigger town and more of a working town than a tourist trap.
I would rent a car in Zagreb too and return it in Split or Dubrovnik if you choose to keep the car on the islands. Try to spend a night right at Plitvice so you can get in first thing in the morning (park opens at 7am in the summer) and try to avoid the mobs of people who will arrive by mid-morning to make the place obnoxiously crowded in July.
But I do agree that five nights in Dubrovnik might be too many, unless you are planning to do day trips by car. The old town is small and crowded during the day even in shoulder season; I can't imagine it in July. It's much nicer and less crowded at night.
I'd seriously consider dropping the car in Split and making my way by catamaran and bus after that. The upside of being there at peak season is that you should have the best options for getting around without a car. I'm not sure how you would get from island to island arbitrarily. I know you can easily get between Split, Hvar, and Korcula by catamaran, even off season. Not sure about Brac. I might suggest not overdoing it with too many islands, though.
There are plenty of other places to add if you want to shave time off of Dubrovnik. Krka National Park and nearby Sibenik are great stops, south of Zadar. Some people head inland to Bosnia, often to Mostar, which is a very different experience from coastal Croatia. Some go south to Montinegro. There's nothing wrong with slowing it down and having relaxing time in Dubrovnik at the end, though. You could choose day excursions to Mostar or Kotor without a car if you feel like it; you might not have to book them far in advance.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks for all the great advice. Am still not sure about keeping the car for the islands or leaving it in Split.
We are staying 5 nights in Dubrovnik, because we want to do daytrips to Kotor and Korcula. We already have our accommodation in the Old Town and would like to relax the rest of the time, do sightseeing and enjoy the beaches before the long journey back home.