I know that this is far from the ideal time of year, but my wife has a business trip to Dubrovnik in late January and we would like to extend it to an additional week of vacation time. We have vacationed in Italy in January and November and had great times on both trips despite the weather. Are the islands or Plitivice Lake a possibility? Please give any suggestions as we have just started planning.
Thanks,
Nick
I'd probably pass on the islands, but Plitvice could be quite lovely (I've seen pics of it in snow and with frozen waterfalls). I find Zagreb a really underrated city, and it would make a great winter destination (that cozy Austro-Hungarian coffee vibe). I'd rent a car, stop in Split plus any other mainland spots that float your boat, then stop at Plitvice and end in Zagreb. It will be a different but still great trip from what one would do in June. (Do note they can get snow, etc. and use caution on drives.)
During your time in Dubrovnik, if you get some nice sunny days, perhaps a drive along the Peljesac peninsula would give you a taste of the coast.
The ferries do run in winter for the locals, so any time there is a nice day you could check out an island. Focus on the main ones with larger places like Hvar.
January isn't a good time for the islands. The apartment I rented last year was owned by locals and even they moved out to Split between November and April each year.
A week is just about enough time to see Split, Trogir, Plitvice and Krka plus Zagreb.
Thank you for the suggestions. It looks like Zagreb would be a worthwhile stop (a poster would from BC, Canada also suggested Zagreb in a similar topic). It looks like it would it be cold, but living in Chicago, we are used to cold. I am thinking that a nice itinerary would be to fly into Zagreb, and spend a few days there, before taking a cheap flight down to Dubrovnik. (Or should we drive to Plitivice Lake and then drive down to Dubrovnik)? Then spend some time in Dubrovnik before driving to Montenegro. We would spend 3 or 4 days in Montenegro, before driving to Split. We would spend 3 or 4 days in and/or near Split before flying home. This trip would be 10-12 days. As you can see, there is only a framework of an itinerary at this time, so please offer suggestions. We love hiking, history, art, coffee shops, wineries, and exploring new cities and towns.
Thank you for any additional suggestions,
Nick
