Italy+ Slovenia+ Croatia road trip july 2019

This sounds like a wonderful trip if you can make it work. Before commenting further, it would help me (and possibly others) to know: How old are your kids? Does your 300 euros/day budget cover car rental, car insurance, fuel, lodging for 4 people, and all food/drinks for 4 people?

Hi !
1) my kids are 7 and 11 years old.
2) budget include everything beside flight. We have done it easily (with less in fact) in Gemany, Spain and Portugal. We like Airbnb, breakfast at rental, cheap lunch and casual dinner. We are not big eaters, we eat well but not very large amount of food. And we do like to share.
3) we dont need a large car, we travel lightly.

I think you can probably make that budget work. You've been to Venice before, and I think it will be your most expensive stop on this next trip, possibly by a considerable margin.

In case you haven't seen one of the earlier threads where this advice has appeared: Plitvice is wonderful, but it gets blasted during day-tripping hours. The walkways were utterly mobbed during my weekday visit in 2015. You'll be traveling four years later than that, so I can only assume that there will be even more visitors in the park. The way to have the best possible mid-summer experience is to spend the night before your planned visit in or near the park so you are in line to enter at opening time the next day. If you happen to arrive by mid-afternoon, you might be able to get in 2 or 3 relatively peaceful hours later that first day. The park sells 2-day tickets as well as single-day tickets. It has been reported that the hotels inside the park can stamp your single-day ticket to give you free entry the following day. I've had no occasion to verify that.

I do not have children, so I offer these thoughts with trepidation: I like Zagreb a lot for its picturesque, bi-level historic district and wide variety of museums. I don't know that those characteristics will make it a great favorite of your children. I wonder whether you might do better to plan a couple of active outdoor days in Slovenia instead. The Postojna or Skocjan caves in Croatia also might appeal.

We have two kids of similar ages and spend a lot of our time in Croatia and Slovenia.

A few quick thoughts - focus on Slovenia and northern Croatia. Skip Zagreb, so to Split instead. Rent a house in Istria for a week with a pool (we always rent from MyIstria.com with great success). Rent a car.

Recommendations, particularly that our kids liked - Lake Bohinj in Slovenia, particularly the two waterfall hikes; Vintgar Gorge; Tolmin Gorge; Kobarid and hiking in that area; the caves in Slovenia as well as Predjama castle; Piran; Novigrad; Dvigrad ruins; Hum; Brijuni Islands; Safari Bar in Kamenjak peninsula; the island of Cres; Plitvice; Rastoke and Split (we stayed on the island of Brac).

I enjoyed Zagreb much more than Split. In Croatia, visit Krka Natl. Park and swim at the big falls there. Plivitce was crowded but worth it. Zadar is lovely and has the Sea Organ.

Best if you put together a starting itinerary. Begin with Rick's plan:

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/slovenia-croatia-itinerary

This gives suggestions for days in locations, a route, and so forth.

Generally Venice-Ljubljana-Zagreb-Plitvice-Split-Zadar-Istrian Penisula-Venice is a good start. I'd probably not go to Dubrovnik, even though it is a great place.

Make sure that the car you rent in Venice can be driven into Slovenia and Croatia. Some companies have restrictions.

Thnaks for all those answers and ideas, and big thanks Emily for tips about what your kids have like ! !

here's some informations about us so you can help us more:

1) We are from Montreal and we can fly to (and from) Venice, Zagreb and Split (only once a week).

2) We want to rent a car but a one way fee (venice to Split ) would be very costly, the same goes for the ferry and it's not clear if we can take an italian car in Slovenia and Croatia

3) Should we rent 2 car (one in Italy and one for the Slovenia and Croatia portion) ?

Any ideas are very welcome ! Thanks !

It depends on what places you want to go in each country. It may be easier to do without a car in Italy than in the other two countries.

1) We want to see: Venice (only one night or 2 already been there), Dolomites, Trieste, Julian Alps, Bled Lake, Ljubljana, Istria, Zadar, Split and maybe Dubronik. Any idea of an itinerarry with how many night in each places ?

2) We want to rent a car but a one way fee (venice to Split ) would be very costly, the same goes for the ferry and it's not clear if we can take an italian car in Slovenia and Croatia

3) Should we rent 2 car (one in Italy and one for the Slovenia and Croatia portion) ?

Any ideas are very welcome ! Thanks !

It will not be affordable to pick up the car in one country and drop it off in another. I have no experience renting cars in Europe and don't know how the economics will compare to train/bus transportation for 2 adults and 2 children.

I'll take a shot at what might be reasonable bare-minimum nights to spend in the places you've mentioned. For myself, I would want at least one more night in many of these places, and I suspect moving a family around at this pace will not go well. I do not have children, and this is all just my opinion, to give you (and other responders) a starting point.

I am attempting to allow for travel time between overnight stops in the figures below, but I have not taken the time to check everything on ViaMichelin.com . I am assuming you'll have a car in Slovenia and Croatia.

Venice: 2 (1 makes no sense; the arrival day is useless and Venice is expensive)
Dolomites: 3 (4 would be a lot better). No time for lakes.
Trieste: 2 (long slog from the Dolomites; 1 night would mean no sightseeing)
Julian Alps: 2 (3 to allow for some activities)
Bled Lake: could combine with the Julian Alps loop or visit from Ljubljana
Ljubljana: 3 (allowing for Bled; Ljubljana is a lively, family-friendly city with a castle)
Istria: 4
Plitvice: 1
Zadar: 1 (if you get not too late a start on the drive from Plitvice)
Split: 2 (no islands)
Dubrovnik: 3 (more for side trips to Mostar, Kotor, etc.)
If you can fit in Zagreb (bus/rail link to Ljubljana is handy if you're using two cars): 2

Since you aren't very focused on including Venice in this trip, you might look into flying into Milan instead of Venice. From some origins it is cheaper and/or easier.

Again: That's still somewhat rushed, especially for traveling with a family, and the trip is long enough that travel fatigue will probably be an issue, which calls for slowing down a bit. What I've laid out adds up to 23 days without Zagreb. You'll need the 28 days to include Zagreb and allow the extra days I've suggested in the Dolomites and the Julian Alps. You'll still have the issue of what to do about seeing Croatian islands, Mostar, and Kotor.

I don't think you have time for the Italian lakes unless you drop the Dolomites, and I suspect the Dolomite may be more appealing to the children.

Hi once again to everyone and thanks a lot for all thsoe ideas and suggestions, we have rad them carefully !

we still have hard fioguring the best way to do all this ! i will put 3 options, which one would be the best ?

1) Venice to venice: 28 nights : https://goo.gl/maps/YwFDAaXjFUk 2 direct flights from and into venice, one car for the whole trip.

2) 2 loop (Venice to Triste, drop cars to Trieste then bus Trieste Porec or somewehere else in istria) https://goo.gl/maps/6ekYrUse83L2
loop 2 (Trieste to somewhere in istria to take a car drive to Dubrovnik drop the car and then ferry to Split fly home from Split) https://goo.gl/maps/s4qB1YxBBsm. That would mean non direct flight from Split, 2 cars rental hassle but less road than option 1 and no backtracking from Split to Istria.

3) No Dalmatia for 28 days. Venice to Venice https://goo.gl/maps/zRaua3SPT8k Two direct flights, more time for Dolomites, Istria and Slovenia, but no Dalamatia.....

What would be your choice ?

Along time ago a travel consultant at RS told me that my Italy itinerary was too ambitious and that I should travel like I'll be back. So I'd say skip Dalmatia this trip and plan to see it on your next trip.

I did several days in
Italy with adult friends, and we did 48 hrs in Slovenia; we rented a car at the Marco polo airport, stopped at aquileia for lunch, yr kids would probably like it; an amazing 5th century church with mosaic floors that show bible stories complete w sea monsters, etc. We ate pizza and gelato on the grounds and pressed on to lake bled. We stayed at mulej bled turist farm on the outskirts of town, they have family rooms and apts available. Lots of animals to meet and space to run, amazing breakfast. Bled has a beautiful lake with funky boats and a fairy tale island. There is a castle, and that's where we ate my favorite meal of the whole trip w spectacular views. There's a large museum set up at the castle, very child friendly. We ultimately returned the car to the airport and " did " venice before flying home.