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No wheeled luggage ban in Dubrovnik- it’s a FAKE news story

Hi. I messaged Roberto De Lorenzo - four of us are renting apts from him in October. I asked him about the ban. He said it started when gentleman complained at a town citizens’ meeting that someone woke him up rolling suitcases. They said we should ban them and laughed. Somehow that got out and the press went to town. He actually used someone’s name so I’m not including his entire message.

“It is a total fake! Nobody thinks of banning roller suitcases, you can pull them without a problem.

I witnessed the whole process of disinformation and have learned something about trusting what I read.

Welcome with your luggage! 😁”

Dubrovnik Garden Apartments is Roberto’s and I found it on this forum.

First time poster but I’ve gleaned so much information from this site for years. My husband and I took the “21 day Best of Europe Bus Plus” tour in 2004. Thank You Posters❤️

Posted by
7969 posts

Yep, the power of the press can sometimes override the actual facts. :)

Posted by
16269 posts

Legitimate news organizations have had the story. Most would have checked before publishing.

Yet we're supposed to believe a first time poster.

I'll believe it was an error when that info is published.

Posted by
7 posts

I understand your hesitancy to believe my post. I’m just relaying info my innkeeper shared with me and I believe him. I have no dog in the fight but cannot carry my suitcase and was relieved to hear from Lorenzo

Posted by
2857 posts

I believe there also is (at least there was in 2017 when I was there) a substantial fine for taking your clothes off and replicating Cersei's Walk of Shame down the Jesuit Steps for your photo-shot. These walks had gotten incredibly out of hand.

Posted by
4254 posts

Jojobryan, we stayed at Roberto’s B&B, he is the nicest man and very knowledgeable about the city he grew up in. Have a great trip.
Also, the Main Street in Dubrovnik, the Stradun, is not made of cobblestones.

Posted by
23626 posts

I have seen this story a number of times. The last time I read it the location was Venice. I am guessing it is a urban myth that makes the rounds from time to time. But we do find the rolling suitcases a pain.

Posted by
7796 posts

We just had Roberto as our local city guide during the RS Best of the Adriatic tour that ended July 1. So I can at least confirm that Roberto did share this same story with our tour group just as you described.

Posted by
4575 posts

After looking at a few of the articles I became suspicious because not one article quotes an actual source. Then I clicked on this one from Frommers. https://www.frommers.com/blogs/arthur-frommer-online/blog_posts/scoop-no-dubrovnik-is-not-fining-tourists-265-for-using-wheeled-luggage and the writer was thinking the same thing.

From the article:

"That lack of official validation rang alarm bells for us at Frommer's.
So I contacted a representative of the Croatian National Tourist Office.
That rep said the policy doesn't exist. According to a representative, Dubrovnik did entertain a recommendation for such a penalty as part of recent discussions surrounding problematic visitor behavior, but the idea was rejected and never implemented."