public transportation from florence to Zagreb

By air: With an airplane change in Paris on Air France in about 8 hours.
By rail/bus: Train to Padua, then a train to Trieste, then a bus to Ljubljana, then a train to Zagreb in about 10 hours.

this seems like a longgggg day.

we ultimately want to go to Dubovnic.
why is it so difficult to get to croatia
when its just across the water.

thank you for any extra hints of tips.

Train from Florence to Trieste
Train to Ljubljana
Train to Zagreb

Or...direct bus from Florence to Zagreb, only 10:45 total by bus (not something I would do!)

https://florentiabus.bg/en/timetable/

Consider taking the train and stopping for the night in Ljubljana to break it up. This is an amazing, charming little city, well worth at least a short visit.

If all you want to do is get to Dubrovnik, there are direct flights from Rome. Vueling and Air Croatia go there, but not every day. Easy to get a train from Florence to Rome airport in 2 1/2 hours. There are direct trains at 7:38 and 11:38, plus a ton of other times with a connection at Rome Termini or Tiburtina. It is a 1 hour 20 minute flight to Dubrovnik.