I just returned from a 10 day tour to Croatia and Slovenia.  Other than a little bit of rain, the weather was very good (Sept 8-18) and crowds were reasonable.  Kids had returned to school so there were few children accompanying their parents.  Various locals said July and August are terribly crowded AND hot.  You will enjoy all the sights so much more if there are fewer people milling around AND there is less road traffic if you wait until September.

Because we were with a tour group and being escorted via bus, I would not have any information about your transportation from city to city.

We stayed two nights in Bled, Slovenia and I would highly recommend that.  It is gorgeous.  We stayed at Hotel Golf which overlooks Lake Bled.  It is a lovely hotel with quite good breakfast and dinner buffets.

In addition to Split and Dubrovnik which you mentioned, I would also recommend Opatija.  We stayed at the Milenij Hotel right on the Adriatic.  It was quite lovely.

All of these cities require a large amount of walking usually on uneven walkways and up and down (sometimes uneven) stone stairs.  Nothing worth seeing is without a great deal of walking or stairs so be prepared for that with excellent shoes.

 We also visited the island of Korcula which is a nice excursion for the day but not all that different from the other cities you will visit.

If you have more specific questions, ask away and I will try to help as best I can.

Cindy

Hi Grasshopper-

I am planning on going to Croatia either the first two weeks for June or the last two weeks of June.  Which would be a better time for both weather and less crowds?  I know that is asking a lot, but would love to know your advice.

 Yes, I am thinking that I will definitely go to Dubrovnik and spend at least 4 days there and visit Hvar and possibly Split.  Between the two, which one is the better choice?  I would also love to go to Mostar in Herzegovina and Kotor in Montenegro, which I hear are both lovely.  I'm not sure that I want to also go to Llubjana unless you think that it is a "must-see".  I would like a little time relaxing near the water and I love the cultural sight-seeing as well.  Don't want to pack too much into one trip.  Thanks for any advice. :)  stace

I was in Croatia and Slovenia in October of "06 and April of '08.  Both were beutiful and not crowded.  If you want to go to a beach, I would suggest Sept or early October becasue it is still warm enough.  I loved Dubrovnik and took a day trip to Montenegro which was definately worth seeing!  From Dubrovnik, we went to Korcula (very beautiful) and then to Split and Trogir (good for a day or 2).  We went to Lake Bled which is awesome, then to Llublana which is a very hip city and then to Plitvice National Park near Zagreb which was the highlight of the trip.  Be sure to check it out.  Here is the website for the hotel we stayed in in Lake Bled. http://www.berc-sp.si/  It was really nice, centrally located and inexpensive.  We stayed in the hotel not the pensione (it is newer).  It is very common to rent apartments in Croatia rather than staying in hotels.  I would recommend it.  This is the one I stayed in http://www.dubrovnik-private-accommodation.com/Maja%20apartman6%20druga%20engleski.htm  The view wwas magnificent and very close to town. (5 min walk).  Good luck!!

I traveled in Croatia in 2007...it's a very friendly, safe place. The public transportation is good, the roads are very good. Consider renting a car and driving down the coast.  It's wonderful!  Others have covered the main sites - and there are many, many enchanting small places. One place that should not be missed is the island of Rab. You cross from the mainland by ferry and at first wonder if you landed on the moon. It's all rock. Then you leave the ferry terminal and go over the hill to find the Adriatic side is the Mediterranean back when it wasn't overbuilt and crowded. Rab Town has a lovely harbor and the remains of Roman fortifications - still lived in and with charming shops and cafes. They love gelato there and it's so yummy and inexpensive, I couldn't resist and must have eaten it 3 times a day! Coffee is at least as much of a lifestyle as in Seattle..little shops are everywhere and people are happy to talk with tourists especially from the USA as Rab hasn't really been "discovered" by American tourists yet.

We have traveled to Croatia twice: once in 2004 and again in 2006 -- the 2004 trip included a brief visit to Slovenia.  During the 2006 trip we also traveled to Montenegro.

Our conclusion is to avoid Croatia and visit Montenegro and Slovenia.  We found the people and prices much more reasonable in both of these places and they are not overrun like Croatia.

Best time to travel is early fall.

Hi Breaktime- I am about to book my flight very soon and wanted to get your opinion about an exact time to go to Croatia.  So the weather is perfect in late May or early June?  I can't go in September.  I really would love to get an idea of the perfect time to go.  I would like it to be warm enough to swim, but not too hot to travel around and see other places and also really want to avoid the crowds. Thanks for any advice and also for your previous post. stace  

There was no post from you.  Only my post was posted.  I would love to hear your thoughts about Crotia.  Thanks!