Four of us will be in Dubrovnik for three nights in late September. On one of those days cruise ships will be in port in Dubrovnik discharging up to 5000 passengers. Yikes! We want to get out of town that day. We are fit 60-somethings, who like to hike, explore, eat, shop, etc. Depending on the weather we want to get out of town. Considering renting a car for the Bay of Kotor (no cruise ships in port in Kotor that day) or ferrying to Korcula. Your thoughts? Other suggestions? From Dubrovnik we will be driving to Split via Mostar, where we will then embark on a 7-day hike on Brac and Hvar through Mac's Adventure.
Posted by
11583 posts
I would choose Korçula if you can guarantee that those cruise ship hordes won’t go there too.
Posted by
TX, USA
4866 posts
Although you will spend about 5 hours on ferries if you choose Korćula, that would be my choice also - if ferry times work. While the drive to Montenegro would be lovely, I have heard that sometimes the border crossing can be long in addition to the drive. But either choice will work.
Posted by
1039 posts
I feel like Korcula is a bit too much for a day trip. I think it’s roughly 90 minutes each way, then you have to take the schedule into account. It might be next to impossible.
If you’re just looking to get out of town during the day, you may consider Cavtat. There’s basically hourly runs there all day, a 45 minute ride. I thought it was a lovely escape from a sweltering day in Dubrovnik. There’s not all that much to do there, it’s just a low key, breezy little bayside town. There’s some nice swimming spots a short walk from town, with comfortable snack/cocktail bars watching over them.
Posted by
80 posts
I did the rental car for the day to Kotor. I found it interesting wandering around Kotor and hiking the walls up the hill. Seeing the Greek Orthodox churches after being in Catholic areas. Not overwhelming place to visit, but good for a day. Nice to experience a different country.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4281 posts
We’ve done the day trip to Korčula from Dubrovnik a few times. It’s a long day but doable. You could also spend the day on Lokrum which is a 15 minute ferry ride from the port of Dubrovnik. They have a lovely cafe there, you could do some hiking up to the fort built by Napoleon, or go to the beach.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1707 posts
We spent a day in Montenegro and we hired a private driver to drive us around the Bay of Kotor. We stopped in Budva, Kotor, and Perast. I think visiting 3 places is worthwhile and makes for a lovely trip. Each place we visited was different from each other. We enjoyed all 3 but our favorite is Perast. It is quieter than Kotor and Budva. Because our driver is from Croatia and not Montenegro, he wasn't allowed to guide us in Budva, Kotor, or Perast, but while driving he told us about Croatia and Montenegro's history and advised us what to do and see in each place. We were very comfortable wandering around on our own while there. Having the private driver gave my husband the chance to enjoy the scenery and not worry about parking.
Regarding crossing the border, the wait time was short. This was September 2019.
Posted by
franktown, colorado
2252 posts
I would choose Korçula.
Posted by
Paris
7309 posts
Regarding crossing the border, the wait time was short. This was September 2019.
Now that Croatia joined Schengen, the Croatia-Montenegro border is one of the outer borders of the EU common travel areas so controls are stricter and lines are longer.