Flying into Ljubjlana, staying 2 nights, driving to Rovinj, staying 3 nights, then Pula one night. Then driving to Vienna staying 2 nights and then taking train to Prague for 3 nights. Would like to get any recommendations on hotels - should we go to Piran, Lake Bled, other places, and if so, are they day trips or should we change the nights in the first three spots? Thanks for any input!
Posted by
Washington DC
28065 posts
ViaMichelin estimates the Rovinj-to-Pula drive at about 48 minutes. Not being a fan of one-night hotel stays, I'd visit Pula from Rovinj. With a total of four nights on the Istrian Peninsula, you have time to see quite a bit. The historic district of Rovinj itself might take about a day, allowing for window-shopping, meals, etc. If you're planning significant beach time, that will be a different matter.
The coastal town of Porec is very pretty and in a different style; definitely worth some hours to wander around. Investigate parking ahead of time so you'll know where you can leave the car. (Or take the bus.) The small coastal burg of Vrsar is fun for an hour or two. I presume you already know about the ruins in Pula. Inland Istria is much less touristy than the coastal towns. I recommend seeing at least Motovun and Groznjan as you drive into or out of the peninsula.
I visited Piran extremely briefly about 30 years ago and cannot compare it to the Croatian towns I've already mentioned.
Lake Bled is very pretty. It's just a question of how much time you're going to want to take from Ljubjlana.
Have you priced out your car rental? It's commonly reported here that renting a car in one country and dropping it off in another usually results in very high drop-off fees (many hundreds of euros). Also, be sure the rental allows you to drive into Croatia.
Posted by
Laval, Québec, Canada
336 posts
Agree with above, do Pula fom Rovinj. And Pula will take you 2 hours. Not much aside from the colisee.
So, a totle of 4 night there might be a lot.
Porec as mentionned should be visited from Rovinj to see the cathedral.
These 3 can easily be done in 2 days.
Piran is nice, a bit similat to Rovinj.
Bled is absolutly worth seeing and only 45-50 minutes from Ljublijana
The scokjan cave is spectacular, in between piran and Ljubljiana.
I would add a night in Vienna and make sure to visit schonbrunn castle, just outside Vienna. If not, you really only 1 1/2 day is you need need to get there.
Ljublijana is a super nice small capital.
Prague, what a great city.
Ciao
Claude
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
I'd take the train to Vienna, probably, from Ljubljana. I too would do Pula as a day trip from Rovinj, maybe take the extra night for Slovenia so you can add Bled.