Enthusiastic travel - Dolomites, Ljublana (and environs), Mostar, Plitvice, Split, Sarajevo

The first thing you should be aware of is that renting a car in one country and dropping it off in a different country comes with a very high price. Make sure you do some research on that before you make any other plans.

Second, I can't figure out how you will cram so many destinations into two weeks. Have you worked out the details of how many nights you plan to stay where? If you do, I think you will discover you have a nearly impossible itinerary for two weeks.

Third, it's not clear if you plan to stay overnight in Plitvice, but you simply won't have time to drive from Zagreb to Plitvice, visit the park, and then make it to Mostar all in one day.

Fourth, the order of things is askew. You should swap Split and Mostar. If you do that, and you get a very early start, and you rush through Plitvice, you could manage it in one day.

But you definitely have some decisions to make. Have you already booked your flights? If not, I'd suggest you reconsider both the order and the number of stops in your itinerary.

the clockwise loop seems to make more sense - it is what I was starting to map out as you answered - and it is easier to rent a car in Sarajevo and return it to Sarajevo at the end of the trip. it will be a little more driving but worth the less hassles and the freedom of having a car to see what we want, when we want. my parents live here so i cannot borrow anyone's car. renting will be my preferred option.

i have been to croatia many times and the crowds to which you are referring are nothing compared to the crowds in rome or amalfi! the crowds are much welcomed.

thanks for the thoughts and tips! ... we have been to these countries many times so i am very familiar and we do not need to spend much time in each location.