Piran or Rovinj??? > Please help

if i remember correctly piran has a swimming area not in town but it's in the town right before piran. i don't call the town's name, but it's a fancier town than piran with higher end places (feel like nice). it's on the bus line between piran and ljubjana. piran is the last stop and this town is the 2nd last. actually this bus line's last 3 stops are all pretty good places if you drive you can visit them all. i think lonely planet has some info.

We're going to have a car, and will be driving down from Bled. Did you like Piran? I've read it's pretty sleepy, but we're just looking to relax by this part of the trip. Knowing myself and my constant need to be going somewhere I'll most likely want to take the day ferry over to Venice...although I've been there (2001) my partner has not.

it's a pretty sleepy town in the morning and late evenings. surprisingly not very commercial at all. there is less touristy stuff in piran, but the 2nd town I mentioned is a lot busier. the 3rd is actually pretty nice too, no waterfront but just little squares. if you get up early in the morning on a nice day you should climb the citidal get a great view of the town.

My wife and I recommend making the drive to Rovinj. My wife is Croatian and we have travelled the whole country. Rovinj is a special place. We love Rovinj because it's a relaxing place that also offers many restaurant and cafe choices. There is a large park area near the old town that has great swimming. Rovinj itself is very beautiful. It has an artistic feel. If you can find somewhere to stay, we really recommend Rovinj. If you do chose Rovinj, we can offer recommendations on where to eat and explore. Happy Travels!

Thanks Ryan, I was just thinking about the Rovinj situation today and also about Pula. I know we're going to want to drive down there and check out the Roman ruins on our way across the Istrian peninsula. I'd love to hear our recommendations for restaurants as well as a place to stay that is cheap / reasonable. I had a reservation that fell through that was for 50 Euro per night for a tiny studio in the old town. I also like the looks of that swimming place...I know we'll want to check that out with the bikes. Thanks again.

As far as places to stay I'd check Trip Advisor for B&Bs and also look at hostelbooker.com. We loved Balbi restaurant. It is located in a small square in the old town. If you like seafood Balbi is the place to go. Rovinj also has great pizza. I forget the name of the restaurant we ate at, but it's located in the old town just off the riva in a small sqaure. The bike rentals is a great idea and something we did as well. With bikes you can get to where the best swimming is and also scope out the best photo vantage points. For a great sunset view go to XL bar at the foot of St. Euphemia church. Have a few drinks here and then head over to Valentino's. Although this is a really cool place I'd go for one drink and go next door to Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo has the same great location on the sea but much better prices. Hope you enjoy your trip.

When we visited Rovinj back in May we stayed outside of Old Town, closer to the park that has a lot of beaches. We pre-booked at a hotel-like place, but next time I go I won't bother, for the entire street was lined with private apartments and accommodations. It is about a mile outside of the old town, but you can walk it or even drive over and park in the lots nearby. The street we were on was Ivana Mestrovica. I just did a quick search online and it looks like you may even be able to inquire about private accommodations beforehand: http://www.rovinj.info/eng/private/search_karta.asp