I am planning our trip to Plitvici. We are not planning to have a car. Do any of the hotels or lodges in the area provide transportation to the park? If not, are there local buses to and from the park entrances? Thanks.
Posted by
Washington DC
27062 posts
I'm afraid there won't be any public buses except the ones coming from Zagreb and Split, and I doubt they pick people up so close to the park. There are two or three hotels in the park--probably not exactly value-priced, but I think the convenience would be worth it. In addition, it has been reported that if you stay at a park hotel, you can buy a ticket for your arrival day, spend a few late-afternoon hours in the park when it isn't overrun, and get the hotel to endorse your ticket (or something like that) so it will also be good the next morning. Getting into the park at opening time will make for a much more enjoyable visit.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thank you. That is very helpful.
Posted by
4326 posts
Another bonus is the hotels will serve food--nothing to write home about, but without a car you need room and board.
I am typically not a hotel person, but I liked being able to soak in a tub after a day of hiking, and I enjoyed having a view into the park. I think we stayed at the Hotel Plitvice--the bus stopped at both entrances, and the hotels are only at one entrance.
Posted by
Calgary
1646 posts
We stayed at the Hotel Jezero last month. The rooms were nothing to write home about, but the hotel itself was nice, and the location was very convenient. As a bonus, if you stay at one of the three park hotels, admission to the park on arrival day and the next day is included. https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en/plan-your-visit/hotels-and-camps/hotel-jezero/
(Note: don't bother paying for a "lake side" room. You don't have a view of a lake, just of forest.)
We didn't have a car. There are public buses to Plitvice from some of the cities, or you could do what we did and use Octopus Transfers--more pricey, but worth it, in my opinion. https://www.octopustransferscroatia.com
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. All advice was very helpful. June
Posted by
22 posts
A few years ago we were staying in Zagreb and we caught the bus to Plivici, spent the night at park hotel and took the bus back to Zagreb next day. We had Plitvici almost to ourself in the late afternoon/evening and early the next morning. It’s well worth seeing but not if overrun by tourists.