We are driving from Plitvice to Split to get on a car ferry for Hvar.
Would you choose Trogir or Split for the night ? I am reading a lot of negative reviews on Split because it is crowded and has graffiti !
Does that make Trogir more of a quaint village for lodging and dinner before heading to Hvar the next day??
We loved Split!!!!
Great energy, fantastic Roman ruins, wonderful ambiance!
We spent 2 nights before catching ferry to Korcula. We went with low expectations to Split just to drop off car and catch ferry like you but it really was a great stop! Highly recommend adding 2 nights here if you can!
We had a most memorable dinner when staying in Split,... on the pine-planted bluff above Bacvice Beach. Great place for sunset and white wine!
I do not remember more graffiti than many other places. Just a lot of enticing places--parkland north of the marina, 'caffee-bars' on the water, beautifully colorful markets, the beach to the south, etc.--to walk with camera in hand and explore.
An opposing view. We stayed 3 nights in Trogir and visited Split as a day trip. We were glad we decided to stay in Trogir (based on advice received here). It is smaller and quieter but beautiful and great to spend the evening walking through and having an ice cream while walking on the promenade. We did not go to Hvar so don't know which would be more convenient for getting to the car ferry.
My experience was the opposite of Jeff's: I had some higher expectations of Split, after reading Rick's suggestion that it was some sort of bustling cosmopolitan city, not at all touristy like Dubrovnik or elsewhere in Dalmatia. I spent two nights in Split before departing from the Split airport out of Croatia. I was unlucky enough to arrive mid-October as the weather seemed to be turning rainy for the season. The first night it was rainy and windy - not a surprise that there was no one out for the evening. But the second night was much nicer and still the town did not seem bustling or popping with cafe life or anything. (I'm sure there are enough bars and cafes within Diocletian's Palace, but I didn't spend a lot of time out that late.)
I would call Split interesting, but it did not really meet my expectations. I didn't hate it, but one night there would have been more than enough for me. I imagine in the summer it is very different on the Riva on a warm evening, probably full of life and crowded. So I suppose the feeling of the place depends when you visit. It certainly wasn't crowded in mid-October.
I did not visit Trogir to compare it.
Thank you for the input !
Trogir and Split are like apples and oranges. I love both. Split is a large city, fascinating and vibrant. What large city doesn't have crowds and graffiti? Trogir is a village on an island in an inlet. Beautiful. Depends on what kind of experience you want to have. As for convenience, the car ferry for Hvar leaves from downtown Split so you have to drive there anyway, even if you stay in Trogir.
Thank you for all of the advice.
Since you will need a parking place, I suggest you avoid the temptation to stay in the older section of Split, unless your hotel actually has its own parking available. Don't fall for some vague assurance that there's public parking nearby. (voice of experience) We had to drag our luggage several blocks, partly over cobblestones. The charge added $25/day to an already pricey accommodation cost.
We liked Trogir a lot more than Split, but if you need to be there for the ferry, Split seems a more practical choice. However, Trogir is much more charming, and the public parking really is nearby. Our B&B hostess gave us a parking card which made it free or nearly so.
