Plitvice Lakes

One option is to stay at one of the overpriced but convenient park hotels. There aren't too many proper hotels nearby otherwise - a lot of sobe (B&Bs) etc. One advantage of staying at one of the park hotels is that if you visit the park on two consecutive days, they will stamp your park ticket from the previous day so you won't have to pay the park fee a second day. Plus, assuming you have a car, you won't have to pay to park in the big lot across the street from the park entrances. Parking at the hotels gets you even closer to the entrance.

Yup. Best plan is to arrive mid-afternoon, check in to the un-charming but serviceable hotel in the park. Spend a few hours exploring the park late in the day, after the crowds of day trippers have started to dwindle. Eat, sleep, remain inside the park. Get up early. Get out and spend a few more hours exploring the park, before the crowds of day trippers fill it up. Check out and get outta Dodge by noon, move on to your next destination.

Plitvice is one of those places that has become so popular, it's best experienced outside of the core mid-day hours, when crowds are worst.

Villa Lika was perfect. You can leave your car there and walk into Plitvice through a wooded past on the far side of what seems to be some employee housing. SO much easier than the parking lot. Dinner and breakfast were good. Try to get there around 3pm to visit the park in the late afternoon until it closes. That was as uncrowded as the early morning.

In June 2017 we stayed at Hotel Degenija, about a mile or 2 from the park entrance (where parking was plentiful). We arrived in the afternoon, enjoyed the very nice pool area, had a decent dinner at the on-site restaurant. Staff were friendly and the rooms nice and clean. Would stay there again. At the time price was 125€ plus 8€ per person for breakfast.

You don’t have to stay at one of the Un-charming hotels inside the park! We stayed at the awesome Plitvice Miric Inn, just 5 minutes from Entrance 2. Cost was 130 euros for a good-sized, clean and comfortable room with a modern, clean bathroom and a patio. The breakfast buffet is one of the best I’ve had anywhere! For an additional 20 euros per person, you can have dinner at the Inn. We made our reservations when we arrived. It was one of the best meals of our trip! You have a choice of entree (we chose fresh trout), many side dishes such as roasted potatoes and vegetables, homemade chicken soup, salad, and the best apple strudel I’ve every had.