Balkan trip

I think that might be a little too aggressive. To me, The Balkans and Croatia are places to relax and soak it all in. There are so many nice areas south of Dubrovnik (Cavtat in particular) you might want to check out. Also, the roads aren't always in the best of conditions, so allow time for that. I would cut out one or two
stops and just allow yourself some time.

What I notice is that you could reduce the number of times that you are changing hotels significantly. For example, Lake Bled is an easy day trip from Ljubljana. You could stay two nights in Ljubljana and not have to be changing hotels. I think you could find some other combinations that would work for you as well.

It is very hard for others to know if "one day in Dubrovnik" is enough because we don't know what are the elements of Dubrovnik that appeal to you. If touring the old city is your main purpose, then I think one day is enough. If you have other interests, may need more.

Plitvace Lakes. The key here is to stay in the National Park the night before you want to explore. Then start from the upper entrance point as soon as it opens and work your way down. You will have the first part of your walk be a far more pleasant experience before encountering the crowds, most of whom are starting at the lower entry point and working their way up.

I agree with the previous comments but am wondering about the dates of your trip. That could matter; it certainly can affect conditions at Plitvice Lakes.

So, 11 stops and four international border crossings (not all EU or Schengen) in 12 days covering 1000 miles which conservatively is 24 hours of driving if you dont make any wrong turns and you dont stop and look at anything along the way. To be fair, most of the legs are only 2 or 3 hours except the drive to the lakes, that's more than 6 hours plus the border crossing.

Okay, each to their own; no criticism.

For what its worth I would enjoy

3 nights in Dubrovnik (three nights is two days)
1 night in Perast and skip the town of Kotor
3 nights in Sarajevo
1 night in Mostar
half a day at Plitvice Lakes (just not that impressed)
3 nights in Ljubljana
A day trip to Lake Bled (add a night to Ljubljana)
Can't comment on Goriska Brda or Piran

Actually to be honest I would make a trip out of Dubrovnik, Montenegro and BiH and save northern Croatia and Slovenia for another trip.

If you are interested in some professional help/advice for the region, PM me an I can give you a name.

I did a similar itinerary in 3 weeks, with fewer stops, and it felt rushed at times. I can't imagine how you are going to appreciate (or even have time to see) anything when you have only 1 overnight in a place.

Also, if you pick up your car in Croatia and drop it in Slovenia, there will most likely be a huge fee for not returning the car in the same country. Be sure you look into that before you lock things down.

I love Slovenia, but I would skip it this time and save it for another trip. I would either drive north along the coast and stop at a few islands, Split, Plitvice,and work my way up to Zagreb that way...or if you want to stay inland in Bosnia, add a few more stops there and spend more time in Sarajevo. Maybe after your cruise you will have had enough time on the water by then anyway.

A few year ago, I drove from Dubrovnik to Montenegro (Kotor), then back up to Trebinje, Mostar, Sarajevo, and Jajce before driving on to Plitvice in Croatia. Sarajevo and Mostar are touristy but the other towns aren't (or weren't in 2015 anyway).

Thanks for all the helpful comments. Given that it’s not terribly likely we will be back to the Balkans anytime soon ( I’m from Canada and…..so many places to see and not enough time!) I was eager to cram as much activity as possible into our available time. I will make some modifications based on your suggestions. Thanks again .

sacleghorn50, my comments were just my impression of the trip, it's a region I have been to a few times and will be returning to as I enjoy it so much.

But no two of us are wired the same.

I had a college friend many years ago who traveled from Istanbul to London, mostly by train, never spending more than a night in any location.

He has entertained us with stories of that trip literally for decades, and we can tell that it represented a significant and happy memory for him.

So, there is no bad plan if it works for you.

I guess if the budget allows, my only suggestion would be to consider some guided legs, you will have less pressure, experience more and it will be much more efficient (PM if you want the name of a company in the region)

My experience is that James E has no difficulties stating opinions. :)

His point is well taken that each of us have different travel styles and will approach an itinerary from the travel style that makes the most sense for us, but may not match that of the OP. That is why people share their opinions and the OP can choose what is helpful or not for his/her trip. It is hard when you haven't been to an area to know if what looks good on paper is going to be realistic in practice.

Observation has taught me that if James E is planning a trip, fishing and wine bars will be on the itinerary. That won't be a match for everyone, but it doesn't have to be. I love outdoor time and historical sites, but discovered that I can only take so many art museums in one trip before it all just seems a big blur. My trip is going to look different than someone who loves to spend hours in an art museum.

The OP has had some great feedback here and I am sure is reconsidering the pace of the trip.

Sacleghorn50….what time of year are you going to Balkans? We are planning a similar itinerary for October, also from BC, Canada, accustomed to driving long distances in a day, I am interested in your experience…will you do a trip report/

Happy to provide a “ postmortem “ once we are done. We travel mid July. Re BC, we are from Winnipeg . Avid Bomber fans. Did you know that BC sucks! Hah!