Family Trip to Croatia, Montenegro & Slovenia - July 2015

I didn't do all the things you have on your itinerary, so I'll just comment on the things I actually know about.

Three nights is way too much time in Trogir, even assuming you are going to include some time in Split. Trogir is a charming little town, but you can easily explore everything there is to see there in a day, and Split is also easy to see in a single day. Maybe use Split as your homebase instead of Komarna. It's easy to ferry from there to the islands you want to visit. (I didn't go to Komarna, and I have no idea what is there, so I won't say it's a good or bad choice as a home base.)

I don't see Plitvice Lakes in your itinerary. I think it's a must for a visit of the length you're talking about.

I also think Sarajevo is a must, although it's not a day trip from anywhere. You and your kids will get a much richer historical perspective about the Bosnian War there than you will in Mostar. (Mostar is much more charming and pretty, though.) And the drive from Mostar to Sarajevo is stunning. (I did it in the reverse direction.)

Of the islands you mention, I only went to Hvar and Korcula. They're both lovely, and if you enjoy boating you'll definitely want to spend plenty of time on the coast, but I would encourage you to get away from the coast more than you are.

If I count correctly, you have 18 nights. Maybe consider this:

4 nights Dubrovnik
5 nights Split
1 night Mostar
3 nights Sarajevo
1 night Plitvice (the drive between Sarajevo and Plitvice is also really beautiful)
2 nights Bled

That gives you an additional 2 nights if you want to add time in Split or maybe add Ljubljana. (Personally I'd subtract time from Split and add it elsewhere, but if you want to day-trip to all the islands, 5 nights is reasonable.)

Oh, and be sure you do the drive through the Julian Alps that's described in Rick's book. You can do that on one of your days in Bled.

One last thing: when I was researching my trip, I got a ton of great -- and often conflicting -- advice. In the end, I don't think you can go wrong, because so much of what there is to see in these countries is so beautiful. So take all this advice, including mine, with a grain of salt, and go and have a wonderful time!

We were in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia (well, Mostar anyway) for 16 days last April and May after having spent 5 more days in Berlin and Krakow. The roads were excellent except for about three miles between Croatia and Bosnia. We stayed in B & B's and had excellent experiences following Rick's recommendations. We flew into Ljubjana, picked up our car and had a very easy and scenic drive (maybe 45 minutes) to Lake Bled. There we stayed at Hotel Berc but the Pension Berc next door (owned by the brother of our proprietor) was also nice as was the Pension Mayer next door on the other side. It is a only 3 minute walk into town. We had an excellent dinner at the Pension Mayer during which our waiter asked if we were going to the bonfires???? It turned out that we arrived there on April 30th and they begin celebrating May Day the night before by lighting bonfires on the mountain tops (we rode up on a ski lift at an alpine slide about 200 yards from the Berc), women singing hymns a capella, every one eating and drinking and the local firemen stoking the fires. The next day on May Day we took a local recommendation to go to a folk restaurant in a small village maybe 12 miles away. Our dinner there was not good and the service was bad but across the road at Pizzeria Emma the locals were rocking out eating (including a whole roasted ox on a spit), drinking, dancing & singing. We should have had our diner there.

I will spare you some of the stops.

In Ljubjana we stayed at Slamic House. It looks like a dull office building on the outside but our room was huge, they had a locked garage and it was only a 5 minute walk from the pedestrian zone.

There are some things to see in Zagreb but I wouldn't give it any more than two nights (we stayed one).

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: Do not miss Plitvice National Park (maybe 90 miles south of Zagreb), It is wonderful! After driving down from Zagreb in the morning we spent maybe 4 hours or more walking the trails (there are 16 lakes and hundreds of waterfalls). It therefore worked out well to spend the night a couple of miles down the road at Villa Mukinja. It has nice accommodations, good food (two 13 inch trout for each of us that the owner said had still been swimming at 2 PM) and a 12 person Jacuzzi that we got to enjoy alone.

We also stayed two nights in Split. We could have done less time there but it was a lot of fun and got to experience more locals up close singing, dancing, eating and drinking.

We stayed at the Royal Apartments in Korcula. Once again wonderful people. Our room was across a small road from the Adriatic.

In Mostar we stayed at Muslibegovic House, Interesting and somewhat elegant 19th century Turkish home.

In Dubrovnik we stayed at one of Ricks recommendations Raic Apartments. Great location, nice room and wonderful people. You need to be aware that much of Dubrovnik is steeply up and down hill and parking is difficult so don't be lured into a cheap rental sight unseen.

Have a great trip!

Another recommendation to visit Plitvice NP. We are nearing the end of a four week trip in this area and are currently in Dubrovnik.. Plitvice would be one of the highlights of your trip. We do agree with your original plan to stay in Trogir. We stayed there three nights and when we visited Split we were so glad we stayed in Trogir. It's cozier and the small streets are fun to wander after a days outing. If you have time, consider spending at least one night in Kotor Bay. We rented an apartment with its own private beach and beautiful views in Dobrota, five km from Kotor. This would allow you to drive to Lovjen NP with beautiful views on the windy way up (not for the feint of heart). You can drive to the famous mausoleum at the top of the mountain before going down by an easier route which will take you to Budva.This driving trip with stops from and returning to Dobrota took us over five hours. Have to add we are in our early 70s. You wiill get many suggestions from those of us who have experienced this area. Google the sights and also check tripadvisor.com forums to decide which best suit your family.

I have also been to these areas with kids. A few suggestions:

1. Include Plitvice Lakes
2. Drop Opatija. I love the Istrian Peninsula, but I think you could take these nights and add to Lake Bled/Slovenia and Plitvice. You will have had enough coastline at this point anyway.
3. Do stay in Trogir for 3 nights. Use this as a base to explore Split, Sibenik and Krka National Park.
4. Do eat the cuttlefish risotto as often as possible

If you don't like crowds, I would recommend that instead of staying in Dubrovnik, you base yourselves in Cavtat. It's a gorgeous, quiet little village just a few minutes from the Dubrovnik airport. It would be a perfect place to recover from any jet lag. You can easily visit Dubrovnik by bus (15 minutes) or boat (45 minutes) from Cavtat. And you can also do your Montenegro day trip directly from Cavtat, as well as your boat trip to the Elaphite Islands (and even the Mostar trip, should you choose).

Check out this cruise timetable -- http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/Croatia/184-Dubrovnik/June_2015/ -- to determine the best days to visit Dubrovnik.

Be aware that Cavtat and Dubrovnik (and many of the islands) are very hilly, often with steep hills and steps to climb to reach your hotel. So wherever you choose to stay, check the location carefully if that matters to you. Villa Andros is a popular b&b in Cavtat with apartments just a few steps from the bay, and Hotel Supetar is located directly on the seafront. We booked the Supetar once, but they had overbooked so moved us to their sister hotel, the 5-star Hotel Croatia, across the bay ... much more luxurious but 125 steps up from harbor level to the hotel! If you stay at the Supetar, by the way, you have free use of the pools & facilities of the Hotel Croatia, which is great. Supetar is a little tired looking but clean, and the location can't be beat.