Driving time to Plitvice National park from Rovinj

I think it's possible, but it would be somewhat hurried (and you better hope nothing goes sideways - road closed, bad weather, etc.). According to viamichelin.com, it's about 4.25 hours drive from Rovinj to Plitvice, and another 3.25 hours from Plitvice to Spilt. We drove these routes (more or less) last May and those estimates sound a little optimistic to me, but not wildly so. I would definitely allow a bit more time (you're going to want to stop, stretch your legs, and take a picture or two along the way). You also need to figure in check in/check out time plus the tasks around picking up/dropping off your car, ferry logistics, etc. - which may be more than just a few minutes. If you plan to get lost, try to keep lost time to a minimum. :) If you 1) get an early start from Rovinj, and 2) you go directly without any significant stops, you should be able to get to Plitvice by early afternoon, and have a few hours to walk around the park. Spend the night, as long as you 1) leave early, 2) go directly without significant stops, 3) are able to locate your car rental drop-off in Split (we had a little trouble finding ours), 4) take care of all the administrative churn (ferry details), I think you can make a 4 pm ferry. Bottom line: I think your plan is do-able, as long as you are disciplined, you stay on schedule, and nothing goes sideways. The roads are good, and a significant portion of your route will be on major highways. The smaller roads are good, too, but are often 2-lanes and curvy with limited passing opportunities. Finally: be prepared for any kind of weather. We were there in may and several days were wash-outs. Its an amazing area. Good luck.

Thanks for the feedback David! I would appreciate some input from some other seasoned travelers. Also I forgot to ask the ultimate question which of course is whether Plitvice National Park with all the potential anxiety involved in arrival and departure in a short time frame is worth it under these circumstances???????????????

I would recommend taking the time to go to Plitvice. It is beautiful and the opportunity to be in a park and to be able to hike is a nice change of pace from other site seeing. My sister and I did the reverse of what you are considering in July of 2011. We rented a car in Split, drove to Plitvice, stayed the night there and left for Rovinj the next morning. We took a cab to the Split airport and rented our car there. Even with the cost of the cab that was cheaper than renting from a company in the center of Split. It also allowed us to avoid the hassles of driving in Split. We rented from Auto Europe. I can't remember for sure how long each leg of the drive was (about 4 hours, I think) but both routes were well marked and the roads were good. Once you get off the highway, the road leading to Plitvice is very picturesque. You pass lots of farms and there are several roadside stands where you can stop to buy honey, cheese etc. If you decide to go there be sure to go to the upper lakes first. They are less crowded and by the time you finish that walk the crowds at the lower lakes should have decreased. We spent about four hours hiking around in the late afternoon and early evening. We had originally planned to stay there the next morning but left for Rovinj as soon as we got up because we felt we had seen all there was to see. Good luck and have fun! Ann
P.S. If you like mushrooms be sure to try the black truffles in Rovinj!

I agree its worth the time to get there and back. However, I'd add this caveat: if it's raining hard (and it could be), I'd skip it and spend the time elsewhere. You would have to make the go/no-go decision on that day, and the weather could change several times while you were on your way, but I'd consider that as a factor, and you might want to have a Plan B (or C) in your back pocket if you find the day is a complete wash-out. We had a few of those days on our trip to Slovenia & Croatia in May 2012. There were some days when it was just pouring rain, intense, sideways downpours and we just fled inside. A couple days when it rained like that all day, and several more where it rained like that briefly where we only had to tweak our plans. Stay flexible (and bring appropriate gear including rain-tolerant footwear - on this trip I learned that it's possible to dry out water-soaked sneakers using a blow dryer, but it takes a a while!).

Thanks again David & Ann. It is probably a good way to handle it on a game time decision based on the weather and how you are feeling about a power drive. Anyone else have an opinion feel free to chime in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In good weather, I agree it would be worth the effort to go out of your way to see Plitvice. Being a small country, "out of your way" isn't really that big of a deal. If you enjoy nature, Plitvice is a real gem. And if you enjoy photography, even more so. Just FYI; the most direct route has you going the last 30-40 miles to Plitvice on local highway 42 starting at Ogulin. This is a very slow, twisty local road - not particularly scenic unless you really want to see a bit of backwater Croatia. Although it adds another 15 miles or so to the distance, taking local highway 1 south from Karlovac (E65/71) is a much faster road and should shave some time off the total. Also FYI; Plitvice does not take credit cards. Be sure you have enough of the correct currency. They DO NOT place cash machines conveniently nearby (the voice of experience...)