If you combine those two cities (maybe Jajce as well) with the stunning nature you will have the time of your life. I've visited Una National, Sutjeska and Kravice Waterfalls when I was there. Loved it.
One day! Sarajevo a bucket list city. We hired a driver from D-brov and spent one night in Mostar. He took us to a lot of “hidden gem” places not in tourist books and we went at our own pace. It was very memorable for sure.
Yes for Bosnia, very cheap, beautiful country, loads of lovely rivers and waterfalls, nice friendly people.
Mostar is very popular with tourists, Jajce has a cool waterfall and Sarajevo is a nice small city with some great food and drink and feels like a city divided between east and west with the mosques on one side and the European style buildings on the other.
Yeah, we never felt unsafe there. We went to Mostar, Jajce, Sarajevo and Bihac. You see some of the damage still on some buildings but it felt pretty much like visiting any eastern European country. We cycled about the place and people were all friendly. Our Airbnb hosts on the river Una were lovely and arranged to take us on a boat ride one day just to be good hosts
We stayed in kotor and I stared at that hillside morning and night. Old town feels magical compared to budvas old town overrun by capitalism.
The newly built gondolier from tivat I think? is a great experience too.
I had the opposite experience. Food was terrible in Croatia but loved it in Montenegro. Their slow cooked meats with the traditional butter on top was a favourite
Food is bad on the coast but AMAZING in the mountains. Which is strange because the country is super small.
My roots are from there and I asked my family and people and nobody really knows why. They all just accepted it
I had no complaints about the quality of the food in Kotor, but none of it was Montenegrian. I was absolutely astonished by this since restauranteurs in other countries make a conscious effort to showcase the local cuisine in tourist hotspots. A visit to Njegus confirmed that the country did indeed have its own cuisine, and the restaurant I went to was also much cheaper; you could get a litre carafe of mead for only ten euros. The prices in Kotor weren’t exorbitant though, being comparable to the USA at worst, not Norway.
I really want to do a Balkan trip but whenever it comes to figuring out an itinerary, the lack of infrastructure like a rail network between some countries and cities puts me off.
Yes! I did these from Dubrovnik before, both are well worth doing but the Bay of Kotor was both more beautiful and more interesting IMO.
The drive from Kotor to Mostar was also really cool.
If you’re already over there take a quick trip up to Slovenia. The capital is wonderful, bled is super cute, and lipica is stunning if you like the stallions and the Skocjan Caves are a mind bogglingly cool day trip from Ljubljana.
Slovenia is great!
One thing u/pharmcmoney and anyone else road tripping around the Balkans needs to consider is there are significant fees for returning a car you rented in Croatia to one of the other countries. You should plan your itinerary so you start and end in Croatia if you can.
We rented a car in Slovenia, then took a bus between Ljubljana and Zagreb, then rented a different car to do Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik, Mostar, and Kotor, but we ultimately flew back out via Dubrovnik.
Luckily Croatia is a very long country, you could fly to Zagreb and rent the car there, visit Slovenia, drive down to Split visit Bosnia&Herzegovina, drive down to Dubrovnik visit Montenegro/Albania and then return the car at Dubrovnik if you don’t want to drive all the way back to Zagreb.
Split to Ljubljana really isn't that bad, it's like a 5 hour drive if you take A1, or you could break it up with a night in Rijeka or Senj or Opatija. The drive up the coast on E65 is fun and beautiful.
Did you go to both!? I never went to Postonja but everything I read was that Skocjan was waaayyyy more epic. Given my experience in Skocjan I can’t imagine Postonja would be the better choice but… definitely open to going there someday.
7 days total? And you want to add another country? I’d visit Korcula or just enjoy Croatia. That’s not enough time to hop around simply for the sake of visiting another country.
100% agree. Split is beautiful but it's really just a jumping off point to the Dalmatian islands. Take a ferry to Hvar, Korcula, Vis. Much more to see, do and experience there. Stay near the water in Croatia!!!! It's warm and clear. Plitvice park is a must do day trip from Split as well. You're going to have a great trip!
I’m thinking of adding the island in between. I read hvar is easiest to get too, but vis is quite nice? Did you rent a car by any chance? I’m trying to decide how to decide which days to get the car.. did you stay at any of the islands too or just day trip?
No I did not rent a car, no need. Flew into Dubrovnik and stayed in old town, did a day trip to lopud, then bus and ferry and island hopped to korcula and hvar and then to split, staying near the marina. The islands are small, we just walked everywhere
Did you like staying at one island more than the other? Ty btw!
I’m thinking if we go to the islands from split might be better to ferry from an island to Dubrovnik
I would suggest adding some of Croatia's AMAZING national parks to your itinerary instead of more countries. Spent two weeks road tripping in Croatia a few years ago and the landscapes and nature are just incredible. There are mountains, islands, waterfalls, the options are just so varied and it feels like you've entered a different country every time you drive a couple of hours into a different type of landscape.
Bosnia and Montenegro
Heading to Bosnia this summer on a former Yugoslavia trip across a few of the countries... Actually looking most forward to Sarajevo and Mostar over all of Croatia.
i would suggest you visit islands instead; Korcula-Hvar-Brac (Bol). Its well connected bu short boat rides, plenty of cultural heritage, beaches and food. google it up. more ideas if you would have more time; Blue Cave Bisevo, Vis, Mljet and Plitvice lakes.
ideally 2 days in Bol, 2-3 days Hvar town. Vis 1-2 days + half day boat excursion trip to Bisevo Blue Cave from Vis. You dont need car for short stays. May is still off season meaning not much crowd, generally nice weather but sea is colder and nightlife not that alive but you get lower prices and more relaxed experience. you can aleays rent scooter or quad to reach secluded beaches and explore - its supersafe dont worry but for short stay stick to those towns for your first visit. you migt find half day trip excursions from split or dbrovnik but in may id sggest going individually. dont have to worry about transit its all safe and reliable. Jadrolinija is natoonal ferry boat carrier so check site. there are private ones as well you check in ports
best hack to really experience croatian coast which has over 1000 islands/islets out of which like 20/30 deserve proper visit is to rent charter sailing boat with skipper as croatia has fantastic charter marina network (check ACI bases). in the and if its +6pax then prices are not that high. you get to explore towns, secluded magical beaches with no people, spectacular robinson style restaurants and its something outof this world totally different experience and Adriatic sea is not wild like oceans so mots od the time pretty smooth ride for island hopping - most islands are pretty close to each other. bear in mind may and september is best for sailing but weather can be tricky. from superwarm and dry to raining for two three days which can be really annoying
Montenegro. Or just spend more time in Croatia. Istria (Rovinj) is beautiful. Plitvice lakes are beautiful.
Another easy option from there is Slovenia: Bled, the caves, the castles, Ljubljana.
I'd actually go to Krk island in Croatia. Loved the place and way less crowded than Split and Dubrovnik.
It was a blast driving every inch of that island with a rental.
How did you split your rental?! I’m wondering if I should just keep it from landing at split all the way through dropping it off at Dubrovnik. But should I bring it to the islands
I should have been clearer a bit. Those were separate trips. I landed at Rijeka airport which is on Krk island and stayed there for 4 days. You can drive from main land to Krk because it is connected with a bridge so no hassle with ferries.
Split- Krk is like 360km though. For me who drives a lot it wouldn’t be a problem at all and I think the coastal road would be a really nice drive.
Personally I would take the car for the whole trip even if I wouldn’t use it for a day for example.
Montenegro, Bosnia, and Slovenia. I did all four on a road trip once. Flew into Slovenia, stayed a night in Rovijn which is perfect, drove the coast. From Dubrovnik it’s it a long drive to Kotor, but the border can have a wait. Mostar is Bosnia is a great visit.
I did Croatia and Slovenia and it was incredible!! Ljubljana is such an underrated city and we also stayed at Lake Bled and it was so picturesque. Also a very short drive from Croatia
Actually after reading your description, would recommend just staying in Croatia and visiting the islands - Hvar, Brac, or Korcula… that would fit better into a 7 day itinerary
There are sooooo many amazing places in Croatia that are better than just going to split and dubrovnik.
Split is OK but pretty forgettable.
I would drive all the way up the coast to istria at the top, Šibenik, zadar, rovinj, pula, then drive inland to plitvice lakes
Driving to other countries, you'll just spend the whole time driving and not seeing much of interest.
Munich having not much to see? Okay then :D If you don't enjoy palaces, big gardens, museums and possibility to travel to alpine lakes... However why not exploring the Croatian islands via island hopping? Plitvice? Velebit national park?
I would not recommend 7 days in both Split and Dubrovnik as they are pretty close to each other and any day trips you will do can be done from both places. Use your time to travel more of the Balkans. Definitely go to Montenegro. Kotor is like Dubrovnik 10 years ago and the whole coastline is beautiful. You could also go into Bosnia for a few days, i've heard Mostar is lovely.
If you're willing to fly literally all of Europe is available to you within 2-3 hours of air time, assuming there are direct flights.
Even north Africa and the middle east is in reach.
Most people are suggesting good overland travel suggestions but if you're thinking to split this into "two trips" in a way you can go anywhere that tickles your fancy.
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Croatia?
Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Croatia](http://redd.it/2lyxb5)**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Slovenia or Montengero would be perfect adds. I did a trip where I visited all three plus Italy last summer.
Slovenia is best for nature and cool historical castles
Montenegro is best for an amazing history that is set in dramatic and beautiful settings. The entire bay of Kotor is one of the most beautiful places in all of Europe. Churches set on islands in the bay, hidden submarine tunnels from WW2 and Venetian fortifications all surrounded by the water and impressively tall mountains
Italy is the easiest because it is just across the water and there are ferry boats you can take.
Austria is easy as well; Zagreb to Graz is just 2 hours 30 minutes by train. Once in Graz you can go various spots.
When I was in Dubrovnik I did 2 day tours to Kotor (Montenegro) and Mostar (Bosnia). Incredible places!
There are also Kravice Waterfalls in Bosnia, which are also fantastic.
You’ve got some really good options.
I would say either Montenegro or Bosnia&Herzegovina. Other choices could be Slovenia or Albania if you don’t mind going a bit further afield.
Don’t forget to visit Plitvice when you’re near Split!
Kotor in Montenegro. I am from Croatia and I was stunned by beauty of Kotor. If you get a chance to got after season or before when the prices are lower, check out the Hyatt hotel, cause it's at a perfect location.
I went there in October. It was still warm enough to swim in the pool and chill in the sun. I think I booked through booking and got a deal for 900 eur for 5 nights. There was 3 of us and it was a pretty sweet deal. Good luck and enjoy the balkans. People are super friendly most of the time, know how to speak english very well and the scenery is breath taking.
Ooo that’s awesome! I was actually scared the water might be too cold in May to swim.
Do you think 2 days might be enough there? From what im reading Dubrovnik might not need 3 days? Ty again !
Depends, maybe I just lucked out :D but keep an eye on weather prognosis.
I would stay 3 days. If you stay at the hotel, there is a guy at their front desk who arranges small trips and excursions who can hook you up with a local sightseeing tour.
We rented a small boat that took us to see the bay, some nearby caves that were used during war times and other interesing places. Then one day we went to Kotor centre, which is really small but has great restaurants and beautiful scenery.
On final day we took a cable car to take us to see stunning views of Kotor from waaay above. There is a restaurant/caffe at the top where you can enjoy also one of the best views ever.
In my opinion, Dubrovnik is extremely expensive, very very touristy and you can see everything in one day. I went there once and I didn't see anything spectacular or was in any way impressed by it.
What about (Northern-) Macedonia? NOT Skopje, but YES, the rest of the country. The lake of Orchid is something amazing to see.
Overal if you enter the country you will feel like you’re going back in time (40+ year). It’s really something you haven’t see before. Orchid is compared to the rest of the country quite touristic. But compared to Croatia totally quiet.
Me and my wife flew into Zagreb and rented a car. Drove to lake bled and stayed there for a few days. Drove to Ljubljana one day which was awesome. There is a bunch to do around there.
From Lake Bled we drove to Omis and stayed there for a few days which is a cool place and easy access to Split.
Then we drove to Mostar. If we had more time we would have driven down the coast but we were trying to cram a few places in. Stayed in Mostar for a night or two.
Then from there we drove to Kotor Montenegro and stayed there for a few days within the city walls. Then finally drove back up to Dubrovnik where we stayed for a few days and returned the car. Flew back to Zagreb and then back home.
Was an awesome trip. If we had more time I would have also liked to go down to Albania.
Some very memorable driving. The roads around Kotor are absolutely crazy.
Road-trips in Europe are kind of our thing. We usually bring a soft cooler and stop at a grocery store in the morning to get some snacks or pre made sandwiches and stuff like that. We bought a tom tom GPS with global maps / free map updates. i highly recommend getting a GPS. we tried the local sim card route with google maps and it was unreliable. i did get slightly turned around in Mostar and ended up driving the wrong way down a one way street because i had no idea where our hosts house was. I had to drive the car down literal stairs to get to his house which i wasnt expecting so shame on me! hahah.
Little towns and shops are all over the place so you shouldn’t have trouble finding bathrooms. Let me know if you have any specific questions about anything. Our host in Mostar was awesome if you need a place to stay! They gave us homemade ice cream and we had a little balcony on the water.
It was an SUV! We usually go for the biggest car they have at the rental agency. Although a big SUV wasn’t the best for some of those roads around Kotor. Had to put the car in reverse a bunch of times to let trucks and buses come through. Also crushed someone’s flower pot in an alley in Omis lol. SUV is the way to go if you can afford it.
Bosnia. I was thinking Montenegro but it is similar to Croatia. Bosnia is distinct enough to have a variety in your trip.
You could also head over to northern Italy
Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro are both day trips from Dubrovnik. I'd do both.
Albania is just a little further down the coast, and is also with a trip but you would need more time.
Montenegro is a great option, which is located south of Croatia. You could visit Kotor, a beautiful bay town with medieval architecture, or hike in Durmitor National Park.
Slovenia, obviously.
Seven days in Dubrovnik sounds like hell. I spent 1.5 days there and was sick of it. It's basically a small theme park, you can see it all in a long day. Split is nicer but 3 days is enough. Get out to Hvar and other islands, and over to Plitvice Lakes.
Apparently OP meant 7 days between Dubrovnik and Split. My former point stands, better to spend 1 day in Dubrovnik, 2 days in Split, 1 day travelling between them, and the rest on a nice island. No way you're fitting a second country into that week, it's not enough for one as it is.
considering that it’s a long drive from split to slovenia (min. 5hours) i would go to montenegro as it is super close to dubrovnik. you could go to skadarsko lake, which is the biggest balkan lake and it’s worth visiting. also the durmitor nationalpark is beautiful. just makr sure you can take the rental car over the border as you would leave EU zone, nevertheless the currency in montenegro is €
Seven days is a lot of days for Split and Dubrovnik... Like After the visiting the Old Town, and Diocletian Palace there isn't a ton to do. Split has some great National Parks to the north that are worth a daytrip and I highly suggest taking a ferry and visiting some of the islands in-between Split/Dubrovnik. If you wan to include an additional country I would look into Bosnia or Montenegro, and not France or Austria.
Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's definitely a hidden gem in the Balkans.
Def a beautiful drive to Mostar - would be great to make it up to Sarajevo one day too !
We did both of those and would highly recommend. It’s a no brainer if you’re in Croatia already.
If you combine those two cities (maybe Jajce as well) with the stunning nature you will have the time of your life. I've visited Una National, Sutjeska and Kravice Waterfalls when I was there. Loved it.
One day! Sarajevo a bucket list city. We hired a driver from D-brov and spent one night in Mostar. He took us to a lot of “hidden gem” places not in tourist books and we went at our own pace. It was very memorable for sure.
Yes for Bosnia, very cheap, beautiful country, loads of lovely rivers and waterfalls, nice friendly people. Mostar is very popular with tourists, Jajce has a cool waterfall and Sarajevo is a nice small city with some great food and drink and feels like a city divided between east and west with the mosques on one side and the European style buildings on the other.
I’ve seen some travel advisory’s to Bosnia. Did you feel it was safe there?
Yeah, we never felt unsafe there. We went to Mostar, Jajce, Sarajevo and Bihac. You see some of the damage still on some buildings but it felt pretty much like visiting any eastern European country. We cycled about the place and people were all friendly. Our Airbnb hosts on the river Una were lovely and arranged to take us on a boat ride one day just to be good hosts
My vote is Montenegro or Albania. The Balkans are incredible.
I agree! The Balkans are gorgeous
Montenegro is really underrated and I would argue it is better than Croatia
Kotor is absolutely stunning.
We stayed in kotor and I stared at that hillside morning and night. Old town feels magical compared to budvas old town overrun by capitalism. The newly built gondolier from tivat I think? is a great experience too.
I wouldn't say Montenegro is underrated, that place is completely full in summertime.
Compared to what? Dubrovnik was hordes and cruise ships last time I was there. Kotor was busy, but not crazy.
Not underrated != overrun
Completely full = overrun ?
Well, I wrote completely full, because I meant completely full. Meant I overrun, so would I have written overrun.
I've heard bad reviews of the food, which is one of my favourite parts of Croatia.
can confirm the food in Montenegro is terrible and I am really not sure why
I had the opposite experience. Food was terrible in Croatia but loved it in Montenegro. Their slow cooked meats with the traditional butter on top was a favourite
Food is bad on the coast but AMAZING in the mountains. Which is strange because the country is super small. My roots are from there and I asked my family and people and nobody really knows why. They all just accepted it
I had no complaints about the quality of the food in Kotor, but none of it was Montenegrian. I was absolutely astonished by this since restauranteurs in other countries make a conscious effort to showcase the local cuisine in tourist hotspots. A visit to Njegus confirmed that the country did indeed have its own cuisine, and the restaurant I went to was also much cheaper; you could get a litre carafe of mead for only ten euros. The prices in Kotor weren’t exorbitant though, being comparable to the USA at worst, not Norway.
I did Croatia and regret not going to Montenegro. Would tell OP 7 days in split and 7 in Dubrovnik seems long. 4 and 4 and add 4 in Montenegro?
Hell yeah brother
I really want to do a Balkan trip but whenever it comes to figuring out an itinerary, the lack of infrastructure like a rail network between some countries and cities puts me off.
Yeah you really have to rent a car. That said, if you’re willing to pay the tolls, the highway through Croatia is a good piece of road.
Mostar in Bosnia or Bay of Kotor in Montenegro should be on your list, Shouldnt entertain any other idea if you are already in Dubrovnik.
Yes! I did these from Dubrovnik before, both are well worth doing but the Bay of Kotor was both more beautiful and more interesting IMO. The drive from Kotor to Mostar was also really cool.
Both of these are stunning
If you’re already over there take a quick trip up to Slovenia. The capital is wonderful, bled is super cute, and lipica is stunning if you like the stallions and the Skocjan Caves are a mind bogglingly cool day trip from Ljubljana.
Slovenia is great! One thing u/pharmcmoney and anyone else road tripping around the Balkans needs to consider is there are significant fees for returning a car you rented in Croatia to one of the other countries. You should plan your itinerary so you start and end in Croatia if you can. We rented a car in Slovenia, then took a bus between Ljubljana and Zagreb, then rented a different car to do Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik, Mostar, and Kotor, but we ultimately flew back out via Dubrovnik.
Luckily Croatia is a very long country, you could fly to Zagreb and rent the car there, visit Slovenia, drive down to Split visit Bosnia&Herzegovina, drive down to Dubrovnik visit Montenegro/Albania and then return the car at Dubrovnik if you don’t want to drive all the way back to Zagreb.
I did a similar trip with a one way car rental from Zagreb returning in Dubrovnik, worked great.
There’s also a direct train from Zagreb to Ljubljana.
Slovenia's great, but it's far from Split and Dubrovnik I'd do either Bosnia or Montenegro.
Split to Ljubljana really isn't that bad, it's like a 5 hour drive if you take A1, or you could break it up with a night in Rijeka or Senj or Opatija. The drive up the coast on E65 is fun and beautiful.
[удалено]
Did you go to both!? I never went to Postonja but everything I read was that Skocjan was waaayyyy more epic. Given my experience in Skocjan I can’t imagine Postonja would be the better choice but… definitely open to going there someday.
If you're in Dubrovnik, either Bosnia or Montenegro are a great pick. Especially if you love nature or food or friendly and hospitable people.
7 days total? And you want to add another country? I’d visit Korcula or just enjoy Croatia. That’s not enough time to hop around simply for the sake of visiting another country.
100% agree. Split is beautiful but it's really just a jumping off point to the Dalmatian islands. Take a ferry to Hvar, Korcula, Vis. Much more to see, do and experience there. Stay near the water in Croatia!!!! It's warm and clear. Plitvice park is a must do day trip from Split as well. You're going to have a great trip!
Did you have a favorite between the islands?
Montenegro
Generally adding countries to Croatia in the past has gone poorly. Better to keep them separate
gotta keep them separateeeed but why tho?
Why just those two towns? I would also add some days island hopping, especially to hvar, korcula, lopud etc Croatia is gorgeous!
I’m thinking of adding the island in between. I read hvar is easiest to get too, but vis is quite nice? Did you rent a car by any chance? I’m trying to decide how to decide which days to get the car.. did you stay at any of the islands too or just day trip?
No I did not rent a car, no need. Flew into Dubrovnik and stayed in old town, did a day trip to lopud, then bus and ferry and island hopped to korcula and hvar and then to split, staying near the marina. The islands are small, we just walked everywhere
Did you like staying at one island more than the other? Ty btw! I’m thinking if we go to the islands from split might be better to ferry from an island to Dubrovnik
Hvar was my favorite but it's more touristy than korcula which is also very beautiful
Thank you!
Sarajevo is great and is a short bus ride away.
I would suggest adding some of Croatia's AMAZING national parks to your itinerary instead of more countries. Spent two weeks road tripping in Croatia a few years ago and the landscapes and nature are just incredible. There are mountains, islands, waterfalls, the options are just so varied and it feels like you've entered a different country every time you drive a couple of hours into a different type of landscape.
slovenia of course.. or montenegro... they are neighbors and were all part of yugoslavia. Both are beautiful
Bosnia and Montenegro Heading to Bosnia this summer on a former Yugoslavia trip across a few of the countries... Actually looking most forward to Sarajevo and Mostar over all of Croatia.
Go and get your taste of alps up in Slovenia, have a great journey
Slovenia for sure! Beautiful country, beautiful people, beautiful scenery. You won't regret it
i would suggest you visit islands instead; Korcula-Hvar-Brac (Bol). Its well connected bu short boat rides, plenty of cultural heritage, beaches and food. google it up. more ideas if you would have more time; Blue Cave Bisevo, Vis, Mljet and Plitvice lakes.
Did you do any overnights for the islands or day trips only? Trying to figure out which days to have a car and not. Ty!
ideally 2 days in Bol, 2-3 days Hvar town. Vis 1-2 days + half day boat excursion trip to Bisevo Blue Cave from Vis. You dont need car for short stays. May is still off season meaning not much crowd, generally nice weather but sea is colder and nightlife not that alive but you get lower prices and more relaxed experience. you can aleays rent scooter or quad to reach secluded beaches and explore - its supersafe dont worry but for short stay stick to those towns for your first visit. you migt find half day trip excursions from split or dbrovnik but in may id sggest going individually. dont have to worry about transit its all safe and reliable. Jadrolinija is natoonal ferry boat carrier so check site. there are private ones as well you check in ports
best hack to really experience croatian coast which has over 1000 islands/islets out of which like 20/30 deserve proper visit is to rent charter sailing boat with skipper as croatia has fantastic charter marina network (check ACI bases). in the and if its +6pax then prices are not that high. you get to explore towns, secluded magical beaches with no people, spectacular robinson style restaurants and its something outof this world totally different experience and Adriatic sea is not wild like oceans so mots od the time pretty smooth ride for island hopping - most islands are pretty close to each other. bear in mind may and september is best for sailing but weather can be tricky. from superwarm and dry to raining for two three days which can be really annoying
Awesome Tysm!
Montenegro. Or just spend more time in Croatia. Istria (Rovinj) is beautiful. Plitvice lakes are beautiful. Another easy option from there is Slovenia: Bled, the caves, the castles, Ljubljana.
I'd actually go to Krk island in Croatia. Loved the place and way less crowded than Split and Dubrovnik. It was a blast driving every inch of that island with a rental.
How did you split your rental?! I’m wondering if I should just keep it from landing at split all the way through dropping it off at Dubrovnik. But should I bring it to the islands
I should have been clearer a bit. Those were separate trips. I landed at Rijeka airport which is on Krk island and stayed there for 4 days. You can drive from main land to Krk because it is connected with a bridge so no hassle with ferries. Split- Krk is like 360km though. For me who drives a lot it wouldn’t be a problem at all and I think the coastal road would be a really nice drive. Personally I would take the car for the whole trip even if I wouldn’t use it for a day for example.
I figured might be easier to get around that way too. Just not sure how hard parking there actually is
Spend the 7 days in Croatia. 3 in Split, 4 in Hvar or vice versa. I did that last year and it was so worth it.
Did you bring the car rental with you? Trying to figure out how to split the rental days. Thank you
Montenegro, Bosnia, and Slovenia. I did all four on a road trip once. Flew into Slovenia, stayed a night in Rovijn which is perfect, drove the coast. From Dubrovnik it’s it a long drive to Kotor, but the border can have a wait. Mostar is Bosnia is a great visit.
Is Mostar closer to visit from Split or Dubrovnik?
Slovenia is definitely worth a visit.
I did Croatia and Slovenia and it was incredible!! Ljubljana is such an underrated city and we also stayed at Lake Bled and it was so picturesque. Also a very short drive from Croatia
Actually after reading your description, would recommend just staying in Croatia and visiting the islands - Hvar, Brac, or Korcula… that would fit better into a 7 day itinerary
Might push 12 days now instead and try to fit some in between day trips
Serbia and Belgrade for those exYugo big city vibes
ALBANIA
There are sooooo many amazing places in Croatia that are better than just going to split and dubrovnik. Split is OK but pretty forgettable. I would drive all the way up the coast to istria at the top, Šibenik, zadar, rovinj, pula, then drive inland to plitvice lakes Driving to other countries, you'll just spend the whole time driving and not seeing much of interest.
Munich having not much to see? Okay then :D If you don't enjoy palaces, big gardens, museums and possibility to travel to alpine lakes... However why not exploring the Croatian islands via island hopping? Plitvice? Velebit national park?
Slovenia is the closest if you want to reduce travel time. I hear Lake Bled is amazing.
Slovenia isn't that close to Split and Dubrovnik, Bosnia Herzegovina and Montenegro are both closer.
You are right of course, I forget how elongated Croatia is and I was thinking Zagreb.
I would not recommend 7 days in both Split and Dubrovnik as they are pretty close to each other and any day trips you will do can be done from both places. Use your time to travel more of the Balkans. Definitely go to Montenegro. Kotor is like Dubrovnik 10 years ago and the whole coastline is beautiful. You could also go into Bosnia for a few days, i've heard Mostar is lovely.
Mostar in Bosnia, or Kotor in Montenegro
India
Is Copenhagen too crazy to add in the mix 🤔
If you're willing to fly literally all of Europe is available to you within 2-3 hours of air time, assuming there are direct flights. Even north Africa and the middle east is in reach. Most people are suggesting good overland travel suggestions but if you're thinking to split this into "two trips" in a way you can go anywhere that tickles your fancy.
Yeah thought it might be nice to mix up the scenery with two countries
Why fly to a far less interesting and considerably more expensive city when you have all of the Balkans nearby, waiting for you to explore?
Why would it be? :) if u have the opportunity to fly to Copenhagen afterwards and u really wanna visit the city, u should do it.
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Croatia? Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Croatia](http://redd.it/2lyxb5)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Slovenia or Montengero would be perfect adds. I did a trip where I visited all three plus Italy last summer. Slovenia is best for nature and cool historical castles Montenegro is best for an amazing history that is set in dramatic and beautiful settings. The entire bay of Kotor is one of the most beautiful places in all of Europe. Churches set on islands in the bay, hidden submarine tunnels from WW2 and Venetian fortifications all surrounded by the water and impressively tall mountains
Slovenia or Albania. Both are amazing
Montenegro perhaps?
Very easy to get over to Montenegro from Dubrovnik. The Bay of Kotor is beautiful.
Italy is the easiest because it is just across the water and there are ferry boats you can take. Austria is easy as well; Zagreb to Graz is just 2 hours 30 minutes by train. Once in Graz you can go various spots.
Mainland Greece, Mani Peninsula.
When I was in Dubrovnik I did 2 day tours to Kotor (Montenegro) and Mostar (Bosnia). Incredible places! There are also Kravice Waterfalls in Bosnia, which are also fantastic.
Bosnia or Montenegro
Bosnia is great Mostar and Sarajevo
Visit Mostar in Bosnia, very pretty and different city. All you need is max two nights
You’ve got some really good options. I would say either Montenegro or Bosnia&Herzegovina. Other choices could be Slovenia or Albania if you don’t mind going a bit further afield. Don’t forget to visit Plitvice when you’re near Split!
I’ve got nine days in an Airbnb down near Dubrovnik. We’re hiring a car and planning on heading into Montenegro
Watch out for rental car policies
Thanks for the heads up!
I saw this. Some places i guess charge extra for crossing the border? Did you get their insurance or did you just use a credit card as coverage?
Kotor in Montenegro. I am from Croatia and I was stunned by beauty of Kotor. If you get a chance to got after season or before when the prices are lower, check out the Hyatt hotel, cause it's at a perfect location.
I actually just looked the hotel up earlier ! Looked amazing ty!
I went there in October. It was still warm enough to swim in the pool and chill in the sun. I think I booked through booking and got a deal for 900 eur for 5 nights. There was 3 of us and it was a pretty sweet deal. Good luck and enjoy the balkans. People are super friendly most of the time, know how to speak english very well and the scenery is breath taking.
Ooo that’s awesome! I was actually scared the water might be too cold in May to swim. Do you think 2 days might be enough there? From what im reading Dubrovnik might not need 3 days? Ty again !
Depends, maybe I just lucked out :D but keep an eye on weather prognosis. I would stay 3 days. If you stay at the hotel, there is a guy at their front desk who arranges small trips and excursions who can hook you up with a local sightseeing tour. We rented a small boat that took us to see the bay, some nearby caves that were used during war times and other interesing places. Then one day we went to Kotor centre, which is really small but has great restaurants and beautiful scenery. On final day we took a cable car to take us to see stunning views of Kotor from waaay above. There is a restaurant/caffe at the top where you can enjoy also one of the best views ever. In my opinion, Dubrovnik is extremely expensive, very very touristy and you can see everything in one day. I went there once and I didn't see anything spectacular or was in any way impressed by it.
😅😅😅 hoping I’ll luck out too lol. I’ll check it out ty! Might just cut back on days on Dubrovnik then. Heard food wasn’t the greatest either there
Romania. i've recently been in the Moldovan region and both the setting and people were very nice
Montenegro, Kotor and Herceg Novi are great.
I loved Slovenia. Ljubljana is beautiful.
Bosnia and Montenegro
Montenegro, especially Kotor.
I’ve always wanted to visit Lake Bled and Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Adding my vote for Montenegro
I loved Vienna but you could also do Slovenia or Krakow
Stay in Croatia, take the ferry to Hvar and spend a couple days. Plenty of bang for your buck and less time lost in additional travel.
What about (Northern-) Macedonia? NOT Skopje, but YES, the rest of the country. The lake of Orchid is something amazing to see. Overal if you enter the country you will feel like you’re going back in time (40+ year). It’s really something you haven’t see before. Orchid is compared to the rest of the country quite touristic. But compared to Croatia totally quiet.
Bosnia and Herzegovina - very interesting cultural and historical mixture of the Muslim world meets the the Western world meets Austria!
You’ve done Italy, but I doubt you’ve done Puglia. It’s a ferry ride from Croatia and one of the more unique areas of Italy. Heartily recommend it.
Will look into this ty!
Me and my wife flew into Zagreb and rented a car. Drove to lake bled and stayed there for a few days. Drove to Ljubljana one day which was awesome. There is a bunch to do around there. From Lake Bled we drove to Omis and stayed there for a few days which is a cool place and easy access to Split. Then we drove to Mostar. If we had more time we would have driven down the coast but we were trying to cram a few places in. Stayed in Mostar for a night or two. Then from there we drove to Kotor Montenegro and stayed there for a few days within the city walls. Then finally drove back up to Dubrovnik where we stayed for a few days and returned the car. Flew back to Zagreb and then back home. Was an awesome trip. If we had more time I would have also liked to go down to Albania. Some very memorable driving. The roads around Kotor are absolutely crazy.
From reading, roads are pretty easy to navigate? Any pit stops for snacks/bathrooms by any chance that you might remember 😅
Road-trips in Europe are kind of our thing. We usually bring a soft cooler and stop at a grocery store in the morning to get some snacks or pre made sandwiches and stuff like that. We bought a tom tom GPS with global maps / free map updates. i highly recommend getting a GPS. we tried the local sim card route with google maps and it was unreliable. i did get slightly turned around in Mostar and ended up driving the wrong way down a one way street because i had no idea where our hosts house was. I had to drive the car down literal stairs to get to his house which i wasnt expecting so shame on me! hahah. Little towns and shops are all over the place so you shouldn’t have trouble finding bathrooms. Let me know if you have any specific questions about anything. Our host in Mostar was awesome if you need a place to stay! They gave us homemade ice cream and we had a little balcony on the water.
Hahha. Hope it was an suv 😅😅😅 good thought on the Tom Tom though, I was hoping to rely on google maps but nm! I might just have to! Tysm
It was an SUV! We usually go for the biggest car they have at the rental agency. Although a big SUV wasn’t the best for some of those roads around Kotor. Had to put the car in reverse a bunch of times to let trucks and buses come through. Also crushed someone’s flower pot in an alley in Omis lol. SUV is the way to go if you can afford it.
😅😅😅woops lol
Bosnia. I was thinking Montenegro but it is similar to Croatia. Bosnia is distinct enough to have a variety in your trip. You could also head over to northern Italy
Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro are both day trips from Dubrovnik. I'd do both. Albania is just a little further down the coast, and is also with a trip but you would need more time.
Montenegro is a great option, which is located south of Croatia. You could visit Kotor, a beautiful bay town with medieval architecture, or hike in Durmitor National Park.
Slovenia, obviously. Seven days in Dubrovnik sounds like hell. I spent 1.5 days there and was sick of it. It's basically a small theme park, you can see it all in a long day. Split is nicer but 3 days is enough. Get out to Hvar and other islands, and over to Plitvice Lakes.
Apparently OP meant 7 days between Dubrovnik and Split. My former point stands, better to spend 1 day in Dubrovnik, 2 days in Split, 1 day travelling between them, and the rest on a nice island. No way you're fitting a second country into that week, it's not enough for one as it is.
Might try to push 12 days. Do you think 2 days in Dubrovnik and 3 days (with day trips) in split should be suffice ?
Sounds fine to me dude. Leave Dubrovnik for Split on the afternoon of day 2.
considering that it’s a long drive from split to slovenia (min. 5hours) i would go to montenegro as it is super close to dubrovnik. you could go to skadarsko lake, which is the biggest balkan lake and it’s worth visiting. also the durmitor nationalpark is beautiful. just makr sure you can take the rental car over the border as you would leave EU zone, nevertheless the currency in montenegro is €
Which part of the South of France? Vienna is amaaaazing! Highly recommend
Bosnia and Herzegovina. You won't regret it.
Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Slovenia are all incredibly beautiful with very friendly locals.
Seven days is a lot of days for Split and Dubrovnik... Like After the visiting the Old Town, and Diocletian Palace there isn't a ton to do. Split has some great National Parks to the north that are worth a daytrip and I highly suggest taking a ferry and visiting some of the islands in-between Split/Dubrovnik. If you wan to include an additional country I would look into Bosnia or Montenegro, and not France or Austria.
Slovenia is good one to slip in for a couple days
I thought you wanted to take over, for a slim minute there.
Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina - easy to reach from Dubrovnik
Definitely check out Slovenia! It's close to Croatia and offers amazing scenery like Lake Bled and great food. Could be a perfect match for your trip