Fellow travelers, my wife and are stuck in a dilemma. After leaving Vienna, we plan to visit Bled for a couple of days and probably visit the Karst region for a day (and spend the night). After that the problem arises. Option #1) We have wanted to visit Plitvice and then possibly head south to Split and the Dalmation coast -- however we are travelling in mid to late July and worry about the crowds. If we did this, we would then come back up to Split after a couple of days and take the ferry to Ancona in Italy. Option #2) After Karst, do a speedy trip to Plitvice then back up to Rijeka, drop the car, take the train into Italy to see the Dolomites and Venice before heading south to Florence.
Given our time frame, we cannot do both of these. Remember that we are traveling in mid to late July so there will be heat and tourist crowds. Which itinerary would you recommend and why? Would one of these cost significantly more than the other? Please help us decide!