10 Days in Croatia + Slovenia

Why Croatia + Slovenia?

• They are beautiful.
• They are full of history and culture. Medieval towns and cities where people still live in. 
• UNESCO World Heritage sites. 
• Great cuisine!
• Little language barrier. Many speak English. We got by learning two phrases: Dober Dan and Hvala. (Though I'm not proud of it. We should've tried harder.)
• More affordable compared to other more popular destinations. We had great dining experiences for less than what they would cost else where.
• Great infrastructure. It was easy to travel and drive by ourselves.
• Less known and therefore smaller crowds compare to other destinations.
• Dubrovnik is where some Game of Thrones scenes are shot.

When did we go?

Last 2 weeks of September. It's considered shoulder season so less crowd compared to busy summer. The weather is much milder. It was low 80s during the day and high 50s in the evening. We had 10 clear days except for few hours of cloud in Plitvice Park. If I was to do it again, I would look into first couple of weeks in October for cooler days and even less crowd. 

Flight

We purchased round trip flight in and out of Zagreb. From Zagreb we went to Ljubljana and Lake Bled in Slovenia first. Then worked our way down to Dubrovnik. From Dubrovnik we took Croatia Air back to Zagreb and spent the last day there before heading home.

• Instead of doing a round trip to Zagreb or Dubrovnik, an open-jaw itinerary would save some commute time.

Driving in Croatia + Slovenia

• Get an automatic. It's much easier.
• Get a car that is big enough for what you need. While their highways are nice and wide, local streets can be small and parking is scarce. 
• They put a high amount of hold on credit card. I think it was $3,000..
• I wish I brought my cell phone holder for navigation.
• I wish I had a small dash cam to record all the scenery!
• Maybe medicine for motion sickness.
• We had no issues navigating around using Google Maps. You can pre-download the areas you'll be traveling in so you can use it while offline.
• Highways are well maintained and marked. The driving conditions are great. It was a treat to drive on their highways and take in the beautiful scenery.
• Local streets are not as well marked.. Even when they are, I couldn't read them fast enough anyway.
• Many full service gas stations are available along the highways. 
• They are very good at following the rule of "slow traffic keep right" and only use the left lane to pass. Some locals do drive fast so don't be the asshole that holds up the passing lane and blame them for following too close. In some areas where there's single lane, be mindful of cars behind you. The locals are not on holidays like you. If you're holding someone up, pull aside and let them pass or slow down at passing zones and they'll pass you. Just remember, don't be an asshole. If you're in the inside lane and you're slower than the traffic to the right, MOVE OVER. You really should be doing that in the States, too!
• Tolls - 
• In Slovenia, you get a vignette, a pass (windshield decal) that lasts a week or longer and allows you to simply drive through the tolls. I've read that no one would actually stop you if you don't have one as you enter Slovenia, but someone will when you're exiting without one and you'll have to pay more then. So up to you. Check if your rental car already have one with valid duration.
• In Croatia, tolls are charged from zone to zone. Basically you'll come to a "begin" toll as you exit an area and get a ticket. When you get to your destination, you'll come to the "end" toll. I simply handed the operators the tickets with a credit card. Easy. If you lose the ticket, they'll laugh at you and charge the max value. Actually I don't really know except the they'll laugh at you part. If you're driving through many places, be prepared for a good number of tolls. I think it's fair given how well maintained their highways are.
• Some people say driving along Dalmatian Coast is "daunting". It really isn't. My wife had no issues. It is comparable to US Highway 1. Some areas can be windy but nothing bad. The roads are well paved and lanes are wide. So those people probably suck at driving to begin with. Probably the same ones who'll cruise in passing lanes. However, if you're like my mother and take issues driving on windy roads where one side is mountain and the other side is the ocean, you might consider not driving. Just sayin'..
• This is a great tip (I think)! Call ahead and check with the host or hotel for parking situation before you arrive. Especially if you get an Airbnb-like place in an old town or city, parking is hard. Sometimes you can't drive into the city. Let your hosts know you're driving so they can either arrange parking or let you know where to park.

Cell Phone
Our T-Mobile plan gives us free international data + texts. (I'm not paid by TMO, I wish..) So both of our GSM phones connected to their networks without needing local SIMs. If you ain't got what we got, you can buy local SIMs. Not sure if they have CDMA networks. Please see Trip Advisor. Seriously, though. If you travel international and you don't want to pay for roaming, take a look at TMO's plans. I think all their normal tier plans give you international data + texts.

Otherwise, if you have GSM compatible UNLOCKED phones, you can easily get prepaid SIM cards from convenient stores. There was one in Zagreb airport. Note that if you're going to Slovenia, you'll want to get one in Slovenia so you don't pay for roaming. You can also go online to add funds to the card and get roaming package, etc. (At the time of this writing..)

Luggage
Many older cities have pedestrian only zones. If you're staying in those zones, keep in mind you'll have to move your luggage from your car to your room. And the streets may or may not be paved. Or may be paved with stones. So.. you've been warned.

Currency
Slovenia uses Euro and don't prefer Kuna. Croatia uses Kuna and some are Ok with Euro. Just get Kuna.

Day 1 - Ljubljana, Slovenia

Getting to Slovenia

• Flew into Zagreb and rented a car from airport.
• Find a gas station before and close to the border to get a "vignette".
• The rental car company should tell you if you're traveling to Dubrovnik, you're crossing Bosnia, which might check for "green card" as proof of insurance. Rental car company should provide it. Sixt did. No one asked to see it during our trip, though..

In Ljubljana

• I highly recommend getting a place in old town where everything is walking distance. We booked a room via Airbnb right next to the river running across old town and that was really worth it.
• The walk up to Ljubljana Castle is not a breeze. It's more of a fortress than a castle. It is well preserved from the Medieval period so cool enough for us. There is a restaurant and few museums inside. We left the castle after dusk and the path back down to town is dark. Have a phone for flashlight and you'll be fine. Locals jog up and down the paths so it's safe.

 

 

Day 2 & 3 - Lake Bled and Julian Alps

Day 2 - Lake Bled

• We stayed on the north side of lake with a great view to the church in the middle of the lake. Also walking distance to Bled Castle.
• There were street food vendors in the area. Alcohol was also served. Not sure if that's every weekend. I'm guessing it's seasonal.
  
• The hike up to Bled Castle is more physically demanding than the walk up to Ljubljana castle. A good 10 minutes of stairs and stairs. You can drive up instead but then the cold beer wouldn't be as rewarding as it would've been. Great views over the lake and area from the castle. 
• You can hire a boat, get your own (kayak), or take Pletna boat.

   

Day 3 - Morning: Vintgar Gorge

• A popular spot in Bled worth checking out. Google Map is able to navigate us there without problems. Check the routes to stay on highways; local streets can be narrow..
• We spent about 3 hours to walk the trail and back. The trail is beautiful and easy to walk. Mostly shaded.

 

 

 

Day 3 - Afternoon: Vršič Pass

• This is a scenic drive about 45 minutes from Vintgar Gorge. There is a town  where the route starts. Search for "Kranjska Gora" and you'll see where the route (206) starts.
• The route is really windy with 40 something hairpin turns but I had no issues with it. There are many points where you can stop and admire the Alps.
• There are many motorcyclists and bicyclists enjoying it, too, so be mindful of them. Motorcyclists like to go fast. Pull aside and let them pass and they'll thank you.
• There's a park area at the beginning of the route. It's a really nice area to relax. We stop there on the way back and had coffee, relaxed, and soaked in the amazingness around us.
• I found this page very informative.

  

  

Day 4 - Poreč, Pula, and Opatija

Poreč

This is a quick stop for us, an old coastal town with lots of charm. We were only here for Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO site. Definitely worth the stop but I would leave more time for Pula.

Pula

Pula is where it's at! It has quite a few well preserved historical sites. My favs are Pula Arena (think Coliseum) and Temple of Augustus. Both constructions were started in BC and completed AD. I mean, that's old.

Opatija

A popular coastal resort town with beautiful views. A local referred to Opatija as "the Monte Carlo of Dalmatian" but you be the judge. We were only here to spend a night. I thought it's a good mid point between Pula and Plitvice Lakes. There are many places to stay near the lake so consider driving longer so you can beat the crowd to the lakes the next day.

Day 5 - Plitvice Lakes National Park

TIP!!! - When you put it in GPS, make sure you look for the "entraces"! I made the mistake of routing to Plitvice Lakes and Google Maps faithfully took me to probably the center of it. So be sure to route to the entrances. Something like "Plitvice Lakes National Park - Ulaz / Entrance 1, Rastovača, Croatia". There is another "Entrance 2". I don't know if one is better than another. Both have parking and cafes. 

Plan to spend time here if you like casual hiking. The park is simply breathtaking. We ended up spending 5 - 6 hours around the park taking the longest route without the tour. You can take boat and tram midway to go back to entrances. 

So because we spent too much time going to the center of the park and the park itself, we couldn't visit Krka park and headed straight to Šibenik for the night.
  
  

Day 6 - Šibenik, Trogier

• I'll only say that we had dinner at the steps of Pelegrini next to the Cathedral of St James (UNESCO). It might as well be a Michelin Star restaurant. Their reinvented Dalmatian soft boil egg is excellent. For dessert, try Prošek and crispy caramel. If we were spending more time there, we would definitely go back and try more.

 

Day 7 - Split

• One of our favorite stops. Apparently a popular port for cruises as well so more tourist groups here. 
• Get a SplitCard, which covers entrance fees to probably all the sites you would care to see for less. 
• There were performances on the promenade. Check the event calendar to see if anything is going on while you're there. I wish we had another day here.

  

 

Day 8 & 9 - Dubrovnik

• You'll pass through Bosnia first. The border guards simply waved us on and didn't bother to check anything. You may not be so lucky. 
• The views of coast is beautiful and we passed many resorts around Bosnia. Check it out and see if you want to spend time here.
• You cannot drive into the old town of Dubrovnik. I would returned the car if this is your last stop. Uber is available here.
• If you're staying inside old town and you have luggage to lug around, get a good idea of where you're going. The streets are paved with stones from centuries ago and it is not fun to drag luggage around. Many tired faces we saw..
• Get a Dubrovnik Card since it covers most sites.
• If you're going to Buza (and why wouldn't you), know that there are two. Buza Bar (THE Buza Bar) and Bard Mala Buža. Bard Mala Buža has great view and access to the water as well but it's not Buza Bar. Not saying one is better than the other, though.
• To go to a beach, a local recommended to go to Lokrum island. You could go to Banje Beach that's outside of old town. I believe it is sandy but that's where most people go and a 20 minute walk. We took the advice, packed some towels and snacks, jumped on a boat at "Kings Landing", and headed to Lokrum island. The trip is only about 10 minutes one way and leaves every 30 minutes (I think).
  
  The island is well worth the visit. There are peacocks and bunnies roaming around the island and they're not afraid of people. We went to the southwestern corner of the island where Dead Sea is. Dead Sea is a small lake and you can swim there. Also a bar next to it. (And other bars on the island.)
  
  You can get in the Adriatic past the lake. You'll see people tanning and cliff diving here. The shore is rocky in this corner of island.
• I highly recommend water shoes.

  

  

Day 10 - Zagreb

• Most historic sites are in upper Zagreb. We were able to visit most of them on foot once there.
• Tram is great. Get a day pass.
• Lots of museums if you like that.
• We missed out on Mirogoj Cemetery. I think I would've enjoyed it. :(
• If you like botanical gardens, I read the one in Zagreb is great but did not get to visit. :(