I am doing some very preliminary planning/dreaming for April 2020. We are thinking of linking two walking trips, one on the Amalfi Coast that starts and ends in Naples, and one in Montenegro that starts and ends in Dubrovnik. If the 2020 dates for the tours are similar to the 2019 dates, we would have 6 days in between to make our way from Naples to Dubrovnik.
I am just playing with the options at this point so I can have lots of time to see which one is most appealing.
It seems the most direct would be to take the train from Naples to X ( Bari?). And then a ferry across to Dubrovnik. But are the ferries running by mid-April? I recall trying to take one from Venice over to Istria in early April some years ago, and it was too early. It maybe things have changed, or maybe the more southern ferries start their season earlier. Are there other ports on the east coast of Italy with ferry routes?
Another option we find appealing would be an all-land route, with a train up to Trieste ( we would break up this journey with an overnight stop or two on the way). From Trieste there is a bus to Ljubljana, but then what public transport is there from Ljubljana to Dubrovnik? On my map in the Croatia book I see a train from Ljubljana to Split, and then RIck mentions a bus from Split to Dubrovnik. Would that be the best option?
Thanks for you help. I have 2019's Europe trip all set, , so I am looking for some more planning to do. . . .