We are trying to decide what to visit in the 3 days we have to get from Ljubljana to Dubrovnik in the month of October. One possibility is taking a bus to Zagreb, staying one night with some time to see the sights and then taking a bus to Split and staying there for 2 nights. On the last day we will take another bus to Dubrovnik. We have also considered renting a car in Ljubljana and driving to Dubrovnik, perhaps stopping in Bled. The drop off fees for the rental car seem quite steep. Do you think the bus option via Zagreb and Split is a good use of our time or is renting a car a better idea? Any other itinerary suggestions for these 4 days?
Posted by
Seattle
544 posts
If I were you I'd rent a car and try and tour Plitvice on your way to Split, then stay and Split and finally continue on to Dubrovnik.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Take the train to Zagreb and rent the car there. The big drop-off fee you're seeing is most likely due to dropping off the car in a different country. If you're renting and dropping in Croatia there should be no one-way drop fee, especially if you rent it a minimum number of days (three or four I think). Try EconomyCarRentals, Kemwel, and AutoEurope for the best prices.
Personally, I wouldn't waste much time in Zagreb with such little time: take the earliest train from Ljubljana, pick up the car and start driving south. Ljubljana is wonderful and charming; Zagreb is bigger and much less so/ I would highly recommend a stop at Plitvice Lakes National Park too - one of the highlights if not the highlight of Croatia. You could stop there just for 5-6 hours (enough to see the park) then drive on or spend the night in/near the park (there are hotels right in the park). In October, the days start getting shorter, so it might be a challenge to try to see the park the day you set out from Ljubljana via Zagreb. Maybe see Zagreb for a few hours, pick up the rental car, drive to Plitvice and spend the night there, then see the park first thing in the morning before the tour groups arrive. This is what Rick Steves recommends, actually.
My favorite spots driving down (I haven't seen it all) besides Plitvice are Rovinj (a bit of a detour) and Sibenik, a beautiful old town a little bit north of Split. I liked Trogir better than Split, too, but you may want to see Diocletian's Palace - which, depending on your timing, you could do as a stop for the day without staying over in Split.
You could also stop over at an island like Hvar or Korcula. There are local ferries from the mainland. You could stop in Mostar as well. All depends on your interests, how much you want to see vs. spending more time in one place, etc.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Wow! This is my first time using Rick Steeves forum and I can see how wonderful it is! Thanks for the great advice. We will do as you both have suggested, rent a car in Zagreb and head to Plitvice. We were planning to stay in Split for two nights but if you have any ideas of a better, smaller town to stay in we are very flexible. Can you also tell me if you know of a way we can book our trains in Eastern Europe ahead of time from North America.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Some people like Split, so you might enjoy two nights there. I didn't care for it so much. Nearby Trogir is smaller and more "quaint" but lacks such attractions as Diocletian's Palace - which is pretty open so you can explore it on your own anyway (most of it is now used for retail, restaurants, etc.). I'd highly recommend a detour to Mostar if you have time at all. And I'd recommend a stop in Sibenik too for a few hours if you have time - very un-touristy, intriguing old town.
I'm not sure which trains you wish to book in advance - any besides Ljubljana to Zagreb? I don't think there's any point in booking that one in advance - I don't think it is reserved or discounted (so it can't sell out - maybe some of the trains are and others aren't). I took it years ago; the train I took from Ljubljana to Rijeka in April was not reserved. You can buy your tickets from an agent at Ljubljana's train station a day or two ahead of time. The agents speak enough English to get by - but you can simply write the destination, date (European style - so 31/8/2015 for today) and class (if there is 1st and 2nd class) on a slip of paper and hand it to the agent as well. The agent will probably reply in perfect English.
Otherwise, sometimes you can buy reserved train tickets - France and Germany - in advance to save money from the official website of the country's train system. I know I have done that before, but if the train isn't reserved it can't sell out, and if there is no advanced purchase discount no point buying the tickets ahead of time.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
One more question - is it necessary to book our trains before we go to Europe. We are planning night trains from Prague to Kraków and from Kraków to Budapest. And day trains from Budapest to Ljubljana and now Ljubljana to Zagreb. Can we buy these tickets in the respective cities 1-2 days ahead? Will it be less expensive? Any chance that certain trains will be sold out?
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I don't know the specific answer to your train question, but I do know a trick to find out. Check each of your routes for travel tomorrow vs. your intended travel dates. If they're the same price, no need to book ahead. If there's a difference, and you can commit to non-refundable or non-exchangeable tickets, do the advance booking. Even if domestic trains in Croatia don't have discounts for advance booking, international trains are more likely to.
Here's a list of where to check prices, from the wonderful train guru The Man In Seat 61: http://tinyurl.com/bo8x6o6
Posted by
1528 posts
I highly recommend giving Bled at least one day, you can walk around the lake, take the little boat out to the church in the middle, hike or drive up to the castle on the top of the hill....where we had my favorite meal of the whole trip!