I am planning a trip to Croatia in September. We only have 10 or 11 days and I am sadly realizing that I won't be able to get to everything I want to. I am trying to decide between a Northern trip (Zagreb, Istria, Plitvice, Ljubljana, and Varazdin), or a Southern trip (Dubrovnik, Mostar, Split, Trogir, Zadar, an island or two). If you had to choose which would you choose and why?
Thank you
I chose southern Croatia (between Split and Dubrovnik) knowing that I would have to give up Plitvice, Istria, Zadar, Rab Island, Zagreb, etc. for another trip. The reason was mostly partly because I included Mostar and Sarajevo (and logistically it made sense to go to Split afterwards) and I really wanted to see the beautiful islands using Split as the base. I ended up going all the way to Dubrovnik (and Montanegro for a quick day trip). Having said that, I would have had a great time either way (north or south), but it was a tradeoff as you suggest by your post. I think it's great that you're being realistic about your time constraints. Most people do try to see it all even though Croatia covers a great distance if you go from extreme north to south.
Stefanie, both areas are wonderful and either by itself will make a great trip. So that's good news.
Think of it this way: if you had to choose between a vacation to Italy or France, you'd pick one and be happy about where you're going. So don't be too sad! You'll have a great time whatever you decide.
Next trip, do the other half!
I'd choose Northern Croatia. Much more diversity in my opinion. In the north, you have lakes, mountain villages, coast and castles. Less tourists too. I'd skip Zagreb, maybe fly into Ljubljana. Plus truffle season!
Early September is good coast weather, if swimming interests you. It's probably not truffle season until late September or maybe even October.
Just pick which one appeals to you the most and which one offers the better transit options. You can't go wrong!
You can't go wrong either way, as others have said.
If you opt for the North:
I like both Ljubljana and Zagreb a lot and would have a hard time choosing between them. Zagreb is hilly and much, much larger (a negative for some) but seems to have more top-flight museums. Ljubljana has a small river flowing through its center, which is always pleasant, but the area around (not inside) the historic district has a noticeable graffiti problem. I think you'd enjoy either city.
Try to schedule Plitvice Lakes on a non-holiday weekday, avoiding Friday and Monday if you can. It was overrun when I visited on a Friday in late August. You can do the park via public transportation from Zagreb if you want to save some money. Pick a non-rainy day, obviously.
I stayed in Rovinj in Croatian Istria. It is very touristy but very picturesque. Took a day trip to Porec, which looks quite different but is also very touristy. Vrsar is smaller and up on a hill; it can be combined with Porec, but get an early start if you're using public buses. I really enjoyed an Island Istria day-tour that looped through the interior. You can pick it up from Rovinj and other coastal towns. It's difficult to see the interior via public transportation.
In the South:
I visited this area 20+ years ago, so this time I pretty much blasted from Montenegro straight to Zagreb. I broke the bus trip in Zadar and can confirm that it's very nice to visit. It's a manageable city with a very picturesque old quarter. Not undiscovered, but I think it's lightly visited by Americans.
On this most recent trip I stayed in only one hotel. I found the Croatian B&Bs, apartments, etc., to be modern and comfortable. However, if you're non-smokers and sensitive to cigarette smoke, I'd caution you to be careful about rooms located in people's homes. It's not something I thought to ask about, and I ended up spending a couple of nights in a very nice bedroom+bath upstairs in the home of a heavy smoker. Houses just aren't built to contain cigarette smoke like (most) hotels are. If a booking site says a property is non-smoking, there's no guarantee it has never been smoked in, but it's probably safe to assume that the resident owner doesn't smoke. Or so one would hope!
What a difficult question! First thing I would say is how very sensible, not trying to see the whole country in that time, as some people do. Personally, I'd go south, last time I went I stayed several nights in Šibenik, ideal for the stunning Krka national park, Trogir, handy (30 minutes by bus) for Split and fabulous Zadar.
I loved all 3 places dearly. From Split, as you say, there are regular ferries to Brač, Hvar, Solta, Korčula and Vis.
Dubrovnik has regular daily ferries to the Elifiti islands, which are divine, and day trips to Mostar and Kotor are a cinch from there.
Don't get me wrong, I loved Istria too, Pula and Rovinj especially, but as already commented above, whether you go north or south you'll start planning the 'other half' of your trip as soon as you get home!! ;)
Let us know what you decide on, please - and enjoy!
