Croatia - May to June 2020

[Jabberwocky]

Hi, we are planning to travel to Croatia this year from early May through to late June.
Our outward route will be via the Channel Tunnel, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and on to Croatia. Return will be similar with a stop off in Epernay, France to meet some friends for a few days before finally heading home.
There will be just the two of us, both of us being over 60 and in good health. We like walking, islands (so interested in the ferry network), good eating/wine and a bit of peace and quiet. Not that bothered about beaches but wouldn't rule out camping close by. Our turnround point will be Dubrovnik.
I am really seeking advice about locations and camp sites in Croatia. What not to miss and what to give a wide berth! I've done all the usual things like look at the top ten etc in the guides. So any do's / don'ts and general guidance resulting from experience would be most welcome.

 

[Hotel California]

Hey Rik , i think @Kmann went to Croatia and loved it .
He has about thesame intrests regarding good eating and wine ....not sure about the age.... sure he can give you tips.
You frequent hear people saying Croatia is lovely , you'l have a great time!
Keeps us posted on your further plans.

 

[Amarillo]

Hi, we are planning to travel to Croatia this year from early May through to late June.
Our outward route will be via the Channel Tunnel, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and on to Croatia. Return will be similar with a stop off in Epernay, France to meet some friends for a few days before finally heading home.
There will be just the two of us, both of us being over 60 and in good health. We like walking, islands (so interested in the ferry network), good eating/wine and a bit of peace and quiet. Not that bothered about beaches but wouldn't rule out camping close by. Our turnround point will be Dubrovnik.
I am really seeking advice about locations and camp sites in Croatia. What not to miss and what to give a wide berth! I've done all the usual things like look at the top ten etc in the guides. So any do's / don'ts and general guidance resulting from experience would be most welcome.

We were in Croatia between mid April and early May 2018.

We had a very happy camping experience at a site well inland:
http://www.tzo-bilje.hr
Basic, but such friendly hosts who invited us to join them for Hungarian goulash.

We also liked the river camping resort at:

Camp Slapić – For your vacation

www.campslapic.hr

We drove south following national route 1 which tracks the mountains between Croatia and Bosnia.

In the south of Croatia, we stayed at a campsite just outside Orebić which was absolutely fantastic, and was our southern base. From there we cycled into town and took a passenger ferry to Korčula which is a sort of mini Dubrovnik. We also drove to Dubrovnik 2hrs each way. Our big regret in Dubrovnik was not paying to walk the city walls - I cannot recall the price, but for some reason we convinced ourselves that it could not be worth the money.

POČETNA - Nevio Camping | Orebić | Pelješac

Kamp u neposrednoj blizini Dubrovnika, nudi parcele, mobilne kućice te bungalov. Savršen za obiteljski odmor! Jedinstveno kamping iskustvo!

www.nevio-camping.com

On our return to north Croatia we took the coast road. Take care! This is a dangerous road, and a motorcyclist died while we waited in traffic some distance from the crash site. In Krk we relaxed at a resort type campsite with its own waterpark.

https://www.camping-adriatic.com/camping-krk-politin

It might not be your sort of campsite, but it suited us well at that time.

 

[CALI FATE]

we have been twice - its all great, but dont miss Pula and Kamenjak - great for wild camping too

 

[Bellcrew]

Hi, we are planning to travel to Croatia this year from early May through to late June.
Our outward route will be via the Channel Tunnel, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and on to Croatia. Return will be similar with a stop off in Epernay, France to meet some friends for a few days before finally heading home.
There will be just the two of us, both of us being over 60 and in good health. We like walking, islands (so interested in the ferry network), good eating/wine and a bit of peace and quiet. Not that bothered about beaches but wouldn't rule out camping close by. Our turnround point will be Dubrovnik.
I am really seeking advice about locations and camp sites in Croatia. What not to miss and what to give a wide berth! I've done all the usual things like look at the top ten etc in the guides. So any do's / don'ts and general guidance resulting from experience would be most welcome.

Terrific ACSI camp sites all along your route, become a member and use the app to read the reviews, any with a rating over 8 will be excellent, all 20 euro a night or less during your dates. We found returning through Italy and Switzerland give access to Venice and other delightful places to further enhance the journey.

 

[Ryemslie]

We did Croatia last year as part of our nine week summer tour with the kids. Was hands down the best part of our holiday! For us the north of Croatia was the prettiest, that’s not to say we didn’t enjoy Dubrovnik as we really did but I assumed the south would be the highlight. Rovinj in the north is particularly pretty with plenty camp sites outside on the coast which is a rather nice walk into the town. From these campsites you can also catch a day boat over to Venice or visit Pula which was around a 40minute drive away! We also free camped in this area too. The national park is well worth spending some time exploring with lots of good/cheap campsites. Slano is a great are to camp if visiting Dubrovnik with some lovely, small campsites on the coast with a few small car parks right on the beach where we saw pleanty of people stop for a night or two. It also has a marina with free use of the pool & showers etc if you chose the latter. Dubrovnik walls although not the cheapest to walk was for us a must do. Some cracking views as you walk round. There’s also some lovely little bars just outside the walls on an evening that you access from inside the old town. Hvar is well worth a ferry crossing to visit. We spent 5days there with a mix of campsite near Jelsa in a quiet bay & free camping just outside Milan Hvar which was idilic. We did a mixture of coastal roads & motorways with no bad experiences. Even the motorway through the national park was stunning to drive in parts! The food was great, the people friendly & the prices very fair in most cases, the sea was stunning & the sunsets even more so. I could go on but there’s a few highlights. Park4night app was useful for us finding off grid camping locations, some real gems.

 

[sidepod]

We thought it was a truly dreadful place.
For a start the kids finish school in about April so everywhere was rammed with them, even in June.

Site prices were astronomical and we struggled to find anything that wasn’t a huge water park style site.

It seems like a great place to visit by boat but by road quite tricky to actually access the beach.

We found the people quite blunt and rude.

This was based on the peninsula bit at the top.
I’ve erased it’s name from my memory.

 

[G and C]

We went last September, same route on way down. We used ACSI sites and enjoyed most of them, though some added extras so were a little over the €20, Camp Lavanda just outside Orébic was new and peaceful, handy to cycle into town to catch the ferry over to Korçula, restaurant onsite was reasonable and delicious, you will need beach shoes at most beaches for the stones, we ran out of gaz and discovered that it is rare to find there, had to speak to a Flash Harry at the marina who did us a v good deal on one. €25 to walk the walls at Dubrovnik, stayed a 20 minute bus ride north, at Orasac. Camping Stobrec is pretty and handy for Split but a bit near to the main road, restaurant onsite not v good. Camping Labadusa on Čiovo looks lovely but they pack you in cheek by jowl, sea is gorgeous though. Good facilities at all sites in Croatia. Got ripped off for Slovenian vignette at a service station near the border, maybe buy them in advance. Didn't find anywhere we would avoid next time!

 

[Jabberwocky]

We were in Croatia between mid April and early May 2018.

We had a very happy camping experience at a site well inland:
http://www.tzo-bilje.hr
Basic, but such friendly hosts who invited us to join them for Hungarian goulash.

We also liked the river camping resort at:

Camp Slapić – For your vacation

www.campslapic.hr

We drove south following national route 1 which tracks the mountains between Croatia and Bosnia.

In the south of Croatia, we stayed at a campsite just outside Orebić which was absolutely fantastic, and was our southern base. From there we cycled into town and took a passenger ferry to Korčula which is a sort of mini Dubrovnik. We also drove to Dubrovnik 2hrs each way. Our big regret in Dubrovnik was not paying to walk the city walls - I cannot recall the price, but for some reason we convinced ourselves that it could not be worth the money.

POČETNA - Nevio Camping | Orebić | Pelješac

Kamp u neposrednoj blizini Dubrovnika, nudi parcele, mobilne kućice te bungalov. Savršen za obiteljski odmor! Jedinstveno kamping iskustvo!

www.nevio-camping.com

On our return to north Croatia we took the coast road. Take care! This is a dangerous road, and a motorcyclist died while we waited in traffic some distance from the crash site. In Krk we relaxed at a resort type campsite with its own waterpark.

https://www.camping-adriatic.com/camping-krk-politin

It might not be your sort of campsite, but it suited us well at that time.

That's great, thanks Tom. I couldn't remember if you had been to Croatia in your epic European Odyssey but guess I should have known!
Anyway thanks again for the advice and links. Our sitting room is full of maps, books, guides etc. I'll send a photo later! We do not intend to have a full detail itinerary but equally we do not want to miss any "must do's" so your advice is great. (btw I promise not to get too stressed about Adblue!!).
More details will follow.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Terrific ACSI camp sites all along your route, become a member and use the app to read the reviews, any with a rating over 8 will be excellent, all 20 euro a night or less during your dates. We found returning through Italy and Switzerland give access to Venice and other delightful places to further enhance the journey.

Great advice BC. That is what we would normally do but opened up our route to you all so we could potentially benefit from all your experience and not miss any "Must Do's". Thanks again.

 

[Jabberwocky]

We did Croatia last year as part of our nine week summer tour with the kids. Was hands down the best part of our holiday! For us the north of Croatia was the prettiest, that’s not to say we didn’t enjoy Dubrovnik as we really did but I assumed the south would be the highlight. Rovinj in the north is particularly pretty with plenty camp sites outside on the coast which is a rather nice walk into the town. From these campsites you can also catch a day boat over to Venice or visit Pula which was around a 40minute drive away! We also free camped in this area too. The national park is well worth spending some time exploring with lots of good/cheap campsites. Slano is a great are to camp if visiting Dubrovnik with some lovely, small campsites on the coast with a few small car parks right on the beach where we saw pleanty of people stop for a night or two. It also has a marina with free use of the pool & showers etc if you chose the latter. Dubrovnik walls although not the cheapest to walk was for us a must do. Some cracking views as you walk round. There’s also some lovely little bars just outside the walls on an evening that you access from inside the old town. Hvar is well worth a ferry crossing to visit. We spent 5days there with a mix of campsite near Jelsa in a quiet bay & free camping just outside Milan Hvar which was idilic. We did a mixture of coastal roads & motorways with no bad experiences. Even the motorway through the national park was stunning to drive in parts! The food was great, the people friendly & the prices very fair in most cases, the sea was stunning & the sunsets even more so. I could go on but there’s a few highlights. Park4night app was useful for us finding off grid camping locations, some real gems.

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Some great detail, thanks. Dubrovnik City Wall was also mentioned by Amarillo so I think that will be a target. Love your photos too - some really nice "mood" shots capturing what I can imagine is the ambiance of the place - really looking forward to our trip. Thanks again.

 

[Jabberwocky]

We thought it was a truly dreadful place.
For a start the kids finish school in about April so everywhere was rammed with them, even in June.

Site prices were astronomical and we struggled to find anything that wasn’t a huge water park style site.

It seems like a great place to visit by boat but by road quite tricky to actually access the beach.

We found the people quite blunt and rude.

This was based on the peninsula bit at the top.
I’ve erased it’s name from my memory.

Wow, your views seem quite contrary to others. We will be trying our best to keep away from the commercial hot spots on our trip. I think we will find some quiet sites in ACSI guide.

 

[Jabberwocky]

We went last September, same route on way down. We used ACSI sites and enjoyed most of them, though some added extras so were a little over the €20, Camp Lavanda just outside Orébic was new and peaceful, handy to cycle into town to catch the ferry over to Korçula, restaurant onsite was reasonable and delicious, you will need beach shoes at most beaches for the stones, we ran out of gaz and discovered that it is rare to find there, had to speak to a Flash Harry at the marina who did us a v good deal on one. €25 to walk the walls at Dubrovnik, stayed a 20 minute bus ride north, at Orasac. Camping Stobrec is pretty and handy for Split but a bit near to the main road, restaurant onsite not v good. Camping Labadusa on Čiovo looks lovely but they pack you in cheek by jowl, sea is gorgeous though. Good facilities at all sites in Croatia. Got ripped off for Slovenian vignette at a service station near the border, maybe buy them in advance. Didn't find anywhere we would avoid next time!

Thanks for your summary G and C. You are the third to mention the Dubrovnik wall! Must be worthwhile! We carry a second gaz bottle but your warnings are heeded and also for the Slovenian Vignette. We will pre purchase for Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland before leaving UK.
Thanks again for your advice.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Wow, your views seem quite contrary to others. We will be trying our best to keep away from the commercial hot spots on our trip. I think we will find some quiet sites in ACSI guide.

You got me searching...... School holidays in May-June are posted here https://publicholidays.com.hr/school-holidays/
So with them starting 18th June so we should be OK.

 

[Amarillo]

€25 to walk the walls at Dubrovnik

I recall the reason we didn't go on the wall: we had Meg with us, and dogs are not permitted on the wall.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I recall the reason we didn't go on the wall: we had Meg with us, and dogs are not permitted on the wall.

Ah, OK thanks.

 

[Amarillo]

When Yugoslavia was carved up, the new republics all wanted a coastal port. In the north, Slovenia got a slither, including the port of Koper. In the south it was much harder to find a bit of coastline for Bosnia, and it ended up with the fishing village of Neum between Dubrovnik and Split. The relevance of this is that the Croatian coastline is bisected by Bosnia, and to drive to Dubrovnik you need to either drive for a few miles through Bosnia, buying third party insurance at the border, or take the Ploče-Trpanj ferry onto a rather long thin Croatian peninsula and drive by a somewhat slower road.

Take a good look at a map to see what I mean.

 

[Jabberwocky]

When Yugoslavia was carved up, the new republics all wanted a coastal port. In the north, Slovenia got a slither, including the port of Koper. In the south it was much harder to find a bit of coastline for Bosnia, and it ended up with the fishing village of Neum between Dubrovnik and Split. The relevance of this is that the Croatian coastline is bisected by Bosnia, and to drive to Dubrovnik you need to either drive for a few miles through Bosnia, buying third party insurance at the border, or take the Ploče-Trpanj ferry onto a rather long thin Croatian peninsula and drive by a somewhat slower road.

Take a good look at a map to see what I mean.

That sounds rather ominous! I had realised that a choice was available for the drive to Dubrovnik and one was to avoid the Croatia/BH border but extra insurance? Never crossed my mind. Tell me more please!
I guess from what you say I would need that extra insurance for Mostar and Sarajevo.......?

 

[sapto]

Great plans ahead! Been there a couple of times (but just until Senj). Twice as couple and last year with a young child around Umag.
Wish you happy planning and I am sure you‘ll find alot of posts about these countries.

 

[Amarillo]

That sounds rather ominous! I had realised that a choice was available for the drive to Dubrovnik and one was to avoid the Croatia/BH border but extra insurance? Never crossed my mind. Tell me more please!
I guess from what you say I would need that extra insurance for Mostar and Sarajevo.......?

You will at least need to check your insurance covers you for B & H. I'd be surprised if you are covered.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Thanks again Tom. I hadn't got as far as checking the car insurance etc so not on radar hence my slight bewilderment (I thought you were referring to something more sinister - don't know why)! But it is on radar now!!
A quick check suggests Slovenia, Croatia and BH are not covered but will sort when policy is due for renewal in Feb. Thanks again.

 

[Ryemslie]

I’ll be honest, we drove over the Croatia/BH border without any green card. The border crossing is practically non existent, one guard who wave us through without even stopping. I could have had a caged bear & a crate full of ammunition in the back for all he cared. the drive itself took no more than 10-15 minutes from what I remember on a straight section of quiet road before we were back across into croatia. What I would say is that the crossing from Croatia into Slovenia had around a 30-40 delay but the Slovenia to Croatia side was tailed back on single track roads for mile upon mile. I’d say it was easily 4hrs +

 

[Jabberwocky]

I’ll be honest, we drove over the Croatia/BH border without any green card. The border crossing is practically non existent, one guard who wave us through without even stopping. I could have had a caged bear & a crate full of ammunition in the back for all he cared. the drive itself took no more than 10-15 minutes from what I remember on a straight section of quiet road before we were back across into croatia. What I would say is that the crossing from Croatia into Slovenia had around a 30-40 delay but the Slovenia to Croatia side was tailed back on single track roads for mile upon mile. I’d say it was easily 4hrs +

Which routes did you use? 30/40 mins is not too bad but 4 hrs! Eek.

 

[sapto]

@Jabberwocky I guess you saw our old posts here:

Germany, Slovenia, Austria and Crostia - again...

I guess we just fell in love with these countries so we are starting tomorrow to see some bears and (hopfully) wolves near Freiburg im Breisgau! We keep you up to date with some pics and intel where we stayed! Have a nice summer!

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Ryemslie]

That

Which routes did you use? 30/40 mins is not too bad but 4 hrs! Eek.

That was the Rupa border crossing on the A7. We were traveling home from Rovinj heading towards hook of holland for the ferry