I%26#39;ll be traveling on my honeymoon from Venice through Slovenia and down through Croatia, ending in Dubrovnik. Wondering if anyone has suggestions on what kind of transportation would be best for this trip. We%26#39;re going to basically wing it and want to stop, unplanned, along the way to check out the sites and stay the night, or two, or three. Are we crazy to think we can rent a car and drive this route? Should we just buy train passes from point to point? Suggestions appreciated!
|||
It would depend on when your honeymoon is. During the summer high season it will be nigh impossible to arrive and find somewhere to stay without prebooking. Another point to bear in mind there are no trains in or out of Dubrovnik. Split is about as far as you can go by train, I think I%26#39;m right in saying.
|||
Thanks for your reply. We%26#39;re going the last 3 weeks of September.
I did a trip through Italy in June about five years ago, booked along the way through Rick Steves%26#39; recommendations, and it went well. But not sure what Croatia is like in September for doing this same type of trip.
|||
We did a similar trip, Venice through Slovenia, to Zagreb, the Plitvice Lakes, Split, Dubrovnik (and many places in between), and then all the way back along the Dalmatian coast. It was a fantastic journey, all taken by car, which we picked up in Venice.
As others have noted, there are no trains to Dubrovnik. I am sure it is technically possible to do the trip you have in mind with a combination of buses and Dalmatian coast ferries / hydrofoils, but I never considered it; driving was very easy and delightful - - the roads are excellent and well-marked, the scenery spectacular. Make sure the rental car you pick up in Venice is licensed and insured for both Slovenia and Croatia (and anyplace else you intend to go) - - the rental car companies will take care of this, but only if you tell them where you%26#39;re going.
|||
Thank you! I would actually rather drive as it seems we%26#39;d have more control over stopping and going. Your trip is exactly what we%26#39;re doing. We%26#39;re flying home from Dubrovnik, hitting the Lakes, etc. If you have any other advice on %26quot;must sees%26quot; I%26#39;d love to hear! Many thanks again...
|||
Here%26#39;s a few ideas, just food for thought (since your own interests may vary from mine), more or less in the order of a route from Venice to Lubljanja to Zagreb to Plitvice to Split to Dubrovnik . . . .
1. Skocjan Caves (Slovenia)- - just off the main road, less than an hour east of Trieste. There are great caves all over the Karst formations of Italy and Slovenia. This is the greatest, an underground Lord of the Rings experience that has to be seen (and heard) to be believed. The first half is the %26quot;Paradise%26quot; cave, with marvelous stalactite-filled chambers; the second half is the %26quot;roaring%26quot; cave, an undergound Grand Canyon featuring a narrow catwalk clinging high on the side of a cliff hundreds of feet over a fantastical vertical chasm over the roaring rapids of a subterranean river. Just remembering it still gives a thrill.
2. Kendov Dvorec (Slovenia). Ok, you%26#39;re on your honeymoon. If you are in the mood and purse for a splurge, Kendov Dvorec, which is a hotel in the rather delighfully out-of-the-way town of Spondja Idrija (I may have slaughtered the spelling), is among the sweetest, loveliest, most romantic hotels (and restaurants) I can think of, anywhere. Rooms are gorgeous, and full of antiques. Surroundings are a small town in the deep forest.
While you%26#39;re there, or on the way, don%26#39;t miss Predjama Castle - - a one of a kind fantasy built partly into a cave high on a cliff.
3. The Zagorje: this is the region immediately north of Zagreb, just south of the Slovenian border. Often overlooked, but it shouldn%26#39;t be. Trakoscan Castle is a particularly lovely spot, crowning a forested hill above a lake. Kumrovec is also fascinating. It is a museum village, more or less intended to showcase the best of local village life circa the mid 1800s. The cottages, some thatched, some with tiled roofs, are lovely, and many are set up with locals in period costume demonstrating such antique pursuits as candle-making, black-smithing, toy-making, etc. A lovely spot for a walk. It also carries the weight of historical baggage, as it includes Tito%26#39;s restored birthplace, but the controversies and difficulties of history are part of what makes Croatia fascinating.
4. Zagreb. The Dolec Market in Zagreb is one of the finest open-air markets in Europe: flowers, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, and don%26#39;t forget to go inside, downstairs, to see the massive numbers of fishmongers, butchers, etc. The splurge hotel in Zagreb is the Esplanade - - a real beauty. Zagreb%26#39;s famed coffehouses are also worth the journey.
5. Plitvice Lakes. Another one-of-a-kind-in-the-world spot of stunning beauty. Take a good long walk here. If you can, stay in Karlovac the night before. The Hotel Korana Srakovcic is inexpensive and way better than the drab, cigarette-smoke-filled, communist-era piles in the park.
6. Dubrovnik. Of course. The drive along the coast is worth the journey all by itself. Having Dubrovnik at the end is just icing on the cake. Yes, you should walk around the walls.
7. The Bay of Kotor (Montenegro). Just south of Dubrovnik, a 40-70 km drive. The southernmost fjord in Europe, blue waters shimmering under impossibly high rugged cliffs, with a narrow road leading to the ancient town of Kotor. When we did this, , just before Montenegro became independent, I had to rent a separate car in Dubrovnik in order to cross the border into what was then still %26quot;Serbia and Montenegro.%26quot; Well worth it. There are also commercial day trips by bus and boat that can be arranged in Dubrovnik.
|||
You could take a ferry from Venice to croatia to porec, and pick up your car there. this would avoid drop off fees and inter country costs. We are doing this in september starting in Dubrovnik and end in Porec with a ferry to Venice. The ride is fast and not to pricey
|||
-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-
This topic was inactive for 6 months and has been closed to new posts. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html
We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
Removed on: 1:17 pm, August 18, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment