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Spain - Italy - Croatia

hello,
we would like to do a trip to one of the countries above. We are a couple and we have our 5 and 8 year olds. Our must do's are that we must do beach days. We would like to pick a country where we don't have to drive that much but we are open to trains, ferries and plane rides.... The month will most likely be August 2020. We are used to the heat of the summer and understand it will be hot, therefore beach days are a must. Our timing will be at most 3 weeks that includes flight in and out. Flight will be almost the same for all three countries. We do have plenty of time for research but would like to get an idea which to eliminate.

For Spain I posted on the Spain forum and got tons of ideas what to see. We love historical sites and little villages and such. We have never been to any of the mentioned countries, so all will be knew. We are a huge GOT fans, so tons of it was shot on location in Croatia. For Italy I would say we would fly into Milan and go down all the way to Positano.

Which country would be most budget friendly. Which country is safest?

Posted by
16893 posts

FYI, I re-ordered your questions a bit so that I could read them better. Safety is not a particular issue anywhere

Croatia does not have extensive train service - the single main line runs mostly inland between Zagreb and Split, not to Dubrovnik. Bus and ferry are the typical modes of public transport along the coast (or to islands), or rental car, but traffic can be heavy in August and parking may be hard to find.

Italy has extensive rail coverage, so buses would only be needed for shorter distances, like from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi.

Croatia should be most budget friendly, though every country has a range of options. Beach destinations can get very busy in August with travelers from all over Europe, so booking accommodations ahead would be a good idea. Accommodation is big part of your budget, so that's another reason to choose ahead properties that fit your needs.

Posted by
175 posts

thank you for your very thorough input. I have been to Montenegro before. The only problem we have with the region would be driving. We don't want to drive on our vacay. If we did then we must bring two carseats for our kids which isn't really a big issue. I think we still have enough time to make our decision but your input is very helpful. The cost seems super low for a European vacation as to what we are used to paying.