Where to go from Dubrovnik?

We will be in Dubrovnik for a couple of days in August and are also going to visit Plitvice. From everything i have heard, it's a don't miss spot! We are renting a car but i think a bus is also a good option also.

Plitvice is wonderful, but it isn't that close to Dubrovnik. You might stop off in Split and head to Plitvice from there if you're going by bus. Montenegro is close to Dubrovnik and could be a day trip or a stop off. Mostar is close, too.

Montenegro would be a great day trip from Dubrovnik, but be aware that it's the opposite direction from Amsterdam. If you want instead to work your way north, there are many options. It depends on whether you want to drive, what time of year you're going, etc. For example: 1) You could rent a car in Dubrovnik, see Plitvice, drop the car in Rijeka or Zagreb, then train or bus into Slovenia, stopping at Lake Bled, and then onward to the Netherlands. Or you might be able to get a cheap airfare from Zagreb to Amsterdam or someplace nearby (Brussels?) 2) You could rent a car in Dubrovnik, drive to Rovinj or Pula, ferry back to Venice (if your trip is at a time when these ferries are running; I don't think they go year-round), and onward via trains or possibly a cheap flight. 3) You could take an overnight ferry from Dubrovnik to Rijeka, then train or bus to Slovenia or Venice, and continue north. It's a beautiful part of the world, and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip. Hope this helps!

Thank you- I really appreciate all the replies. We are tentatively planning on heading to Montenegro for a few days and then from Tivat Airport to Belgrade Airport and on to Amsterdam.

I think that sounds like a good plan. The Montenegro coastline is absolutely gorgeous. And flying will save you days of travel time. The bay of Kotor is a must-see, along with Stevi Stefan. There's good hiking around Budva and a well-developed beach hotel area south of the town. We stayed one night there in a nice, new budget hotel about a block from the beach, which saved $$$. Let me know if you're interested in more details.

@Charlene: I'll be in Montenegro in October, would like details about the hotel you mentioned. Also, were you using public transport?

I too am curious if you were using public transportation, taxis, or if you rented a car. We are hoping to avoid renting a car to save money.

I just returned from a 3 week trip to Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Slovenia and I'd have to say that you've made a great decision regarding going down to Montenegro's Bay of Kotor. It's absolutely lovely. Buses from Dubrovnik leave the main bus station (within walking distance from the main ferry port) around 10:30am and 3:30pm...check the schedule upon arrival in DUB, though, just to be sure. We took the morning bus and only went as far as Herceg Novi, just over the border because I wanted to check bus times. Good thing I did, too, because as of mid-June there are NO BUSES from Herceg Novi TO TREBINJE in Bosnia, which threw my travel plans off quite a bit. When I return in Sept. I will take the 10:30am Dubrovnik bus all the way to KOTOR and I suggest that you do the same. From the stunning town of Kotor you can take a bus to Budva, where you can catch one of many buses that slog it up to Cetinje, the former royal capital. When we arrived there it had started raining so we couldn't walk around the town but the views of the coastline (and esp. of Sveti Stefan way down below) were definitely worth the bus trip alone. Make sure to take your camera and try to do it in the early evening when the sun is low and the lighting spectacular (and before the rain clouds move in!). Sveti Stefan is CLOSED now to the public so you can't go wandering around the place. On the Dubrovnik to Kotor bus make sure to sit on the right hand side next to the window and with camera in hand. I'd spend at least 2 nights in Kotor, easily taking passing buses (on the main road) to the above mentioned places as well as to Perast for a few hours, the cute little village with the church on the island that you'll see as you bus it around the Bay of Kotor...on the RIGHT hand side...crucial to remember! Enjoy it ALL!

@Brendita - thanks for the info! I'll be going on to Bosnia too, what route did you wind up taking?

We too took the bus from Dubrovnik to Kotor, and then on to Budva. Our ultimate destination was Tirana, Albania, and we were told to look for a specific travel agent on the beach in Becici, so that's where we stayed (a little south of Budva). Sveti Stefan is a little north of Budva and also has some good lodging options. Becici is a popular beach resort, with a beautiful wide, sandy beach. There are beautiful hotels right on the beach, but we opted for a less expensive option that was recommended on Trip Advisor. Called Stella di Mare, it's fairly new (2008), exceptionally clean, quiet, comfortable. We paid 63 euros in 2009, including breakfast. It's a couple of blocks from the beach, not a bad walk. If you stay there, on the street from the hotel to the beach (before you cross the main road) is a great little place to eat called Restaurant Palma. We were starving, so we ordered 2 mixed grills, plus salad and beer. We each got a grilled chicken breast, pork chop, shish-kebab, hot dog, 2 sausage links and a sausage patty, plus french fries and grilled veggies, plus the salad and beer, for a total of 25 euros! One of our biggest meal bargains ever, and delicious. I felt bad about leaving much of mine, but my husband devoured his entire meal! Both Kotor and Budva have picturesque old towns, and good walking/hiking. If you want some beach time, Budva is a perfect place. Have fun!

We just got back from Croatia and Slovenia. While we were in Dubrovnik we did a day trip into Montenegro (with a tour company). It was as others said very beautiful. After driving most of Slovenia and Croatia it was nice having someone else do the driving. The next day we rented a car and did a day trip into Bosnia. We stopped at Medjugorje and then on to Mostar. We highly recommend seeing Mostar. The day rental cost approximately 50 euros.