Croatia or, Norway and Sweden? In school summer holidays!

[Mrs Acer]

We have 2 teenage daughters and 4 weeks to spend in the school summer holidays.

We don't like busy. We love scenery, beaches, cities (everything actually). We can't decide on Croatia or, do we go to Norway and Sweden. Has anyone been to them all and could give me some information that may help us to make a decision. I'm sure we will love whichever we choose. We have been to France, Spain, Austria, Holland and Italy and they have all given us special memories.

Thank you.

 

[Amarillo]

We have 2 teenage daughters and 4 weeks to spend in the school summer holidays.

We don't like busy. We love scenery, beaches, cities (everything actually). We can't decide on Croatia or, do we go to Norway and Sweden. Has anyone been to them all and could give me some information that may help us to make a decision. I'm sure we will love whichever we choose. We have been to France, Spain, Austria, Holland and Italy and they have all given us special memories.

Thank you.

Norway and Sweden are stunningly beautiful countries, and you can camp for free in many places which compensates for the high cost of food. It is warm but not hot in Norway in the summer. Days are very long, and endless if you go sufficiently far north in June/July. Mosquitoes can be an issue, especially if you react badly to them.

Croatia is not particularly cheap, and expensive by Balkan standards. The sea is an azure blue, warm and very swimable. Southern Croatian towns are amazing, I’m thinking here of Dubrovnik and Korčula. Summer in Croatia will be hot, but mountains are never too far away if you want to escape the heat.

It is a tough call. I’d prefer Norway, but with teenage daughters you may well find Croatia better suited for your family.


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[Amarillo]

We have 2 teenage daughters and 4 weeks to spend in the school summer holidays.

We don't like busy. We love scenery, beaches, cities (everything actually). We can't decide on Croatia or, do we go to Norway and Sweden. Has anyone been to them all and could give me some information that may help us to make a decision. I'm sure we will love whichever we choose. We have been to France, Spain, Austria, Holland and Italy and they have all given us special memories.

Thank you.

Norway and Sweden are stunningly beautiful countries, and you can camp for free in many places which compensates for the high cost of food. It is warm but not hot in Norway in the summer. Days are very long, and endless if you go sufficiently far north in June/July. Mosquitoes can be an issue, especially if you react badly to them.

Croatia is not particularly cheap, and expensive by Balkan standards. The sea is an azure blue, warm and very swimable. Southern Croatian towns are amazing, I’m thinking here of Dubrovnik and Korčula. Summer in Croatia will be hot, but mountains are never too far away if you want to escape the heat.

It is a tough call. I’d prefer Norway, but with teenage daughters you may well find Croatia better suited for your family.

Norway will be much quieter in the summer than Croatia.


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[Mrs Acer]

Thank you, that is very helpful!

 

[sapto]

Nice plans ahead!
I can only speak about Croatia and Slovenia as we visited about two times (Croatia)/several times (Slovenia) in the past years. Often in the summer holidays because of my job.
I liked Croatia and water and water quality was amazing. However as mentioned: If you want a pitch right next to the sea or with stunning view over the beaches: You‘re already (too) late for this year reservations. But we always found a place (maybe not so huge or without party) in Croatia. Some really good threads here from locals with some fantastic intel.
It also depends from where you‘re going to travel: Maybe some places „on your“ way to the beaches (Germany, Slovenia) are offering a lot of other possibilities for families (shopping: Munich and Innsbruck, theme parks and lovely mountains).

Keep us up to date about your plans

 

[Mrs Acer]

Thank you. I'm swaying towards Croatia now. My concern is finding it difficult to find somewhere to stay. It can feel like such a waste of time going from site to site to find space! We don't like to be held to booked dates and like to just turn up. However, we have always found that they can normally squeeze in a Cali! I'm assuming there are also Aires/motorhome parking areas. I'll check out the threads from locals.

Thank you

 

[Mrs Acer]

Sorry, where do I find the locals threads you mean - I'm a once a year user, I'm afraid!

 

[Amarillo]

Thank you. I'm swaying towards Croatia now. My concern is finding it difficult to find somewhere to stay. It can feel like such a waste of time going from site to site to find space! We don't like to be held to booked dates and like to just turn up. However, we have always found that they can normally squeeze in a Cali! I'm assuming there are also Aires/motorhome parking areas. I'll check out the threads from locals.

Thank you

As far as I know, wild camping is not permitted in Croatia. You would be taking a big risk going to Croatia in high season without booking. Last May the good sites on Krk were already pretty full.

If you like to go as you please, Scandinavia is far more accommodating.


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[sapto]

Sorry, where do I find the locals threads you mean - I'm a once a year user, I'm afraid!

I just wrote „Croatia“ in the search-field on top and some good results pop up.
We booked ahead for example on Cres and Pag but always found a place/space on the mainland for example here:
https://www.jadran-crikvenica.hr/en/autocamp-selce

Back the we would have loved to go here:
http://www.kampslamni.com.hr
(was full at this time).

As Amarillo wrote: It isn‘t allowed to camp outside a camping place in Slovenia and Croatia.

 

[BillyCasper]

I was in Sweden and Finland this summer. The weather was scorchio even high in the Arctic Circle. Kept the midges at bay. Fantastic lakes, great for hiring a canoe. The campsites in Sweden can be quite big but very well equipped. I didn’t consider the supermarkets or Systembolaget (System buy lager) particularly expensive. Plenty of space.

Now Croatia. Been there and Montenegro several times. Love it. Coast, islands, mountains and inland. Only once camping though on the Istrian peninsular. Quite a few camp sites were bloody awful, heaving, packed. Couple were okay, but the bad are seared in my memory.


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[kp64zl]

Croatia you could drive down the Dalmatian Coast and visit Bosnia and Montenegro- both interesting places.

 

[Kmann]

Both Norway and Sweden (and Denmark not to forget) are wonderful countries to visit, despite weather is not predictable. 2018 was an extraordinarily warm and long summer and you have long days. Sunset is closer and closer to midnight the more north you go … large forests, picturesque coastlines, lovely old cities. Much to offer.

Croatia is nice. Very nice. We have spent the last two years there and the real tourist rush starts August. So if you go, go more south than Split (huge differed in the number of tourists) and avoid August. We did not really have problems finding places to stay. Campings are en masse, but small campings on the waterfront must be prebooked to be sure to get the best spot.

A huge part of Sweden and Norway is like Croatia archipelago so one can say nature is quite a bit similar. But Croatia is much warmer (most of the times – but did not apply for 2018).

 

[Kmann]

Some pictures from the islands north of Gothenburg … actually, there are so many nice places in southern Sweden, so I would not bother to try to cover both Norway and Sweden in just 4 weeks. Save one for another time …

 

[Kmann]

And some pictures from Croatia. "Island-hopping" is recommendable, there are so many small oases to discover.

 

[H Marriage]

We travelled through Croatia last April. The coast and islands were stunning. We would recommend Orebic on the Peljesac Peninsula, where you can catch a small ferry across to Korcula, Hvar, and Cres Islands. Also worth a visit in inland Croatia are the Plitvice Lakes. Piran on the coast in Slovenia just above Croatia is also worth a stopover. I would suspect though that in the summer holidays, all these places will be very busy.
So if you don’t like crowds, head for Norway. We travelled up through Denmark, Sweden and Norway, all the way up through the Lofotens and onto Nordkapp last June / July. The scenery was stunning, and the further north you get, the quieter it becomes. But bear in mind, Norway is a very long country and so to get up north involved a lot of driving. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, but the western fjords are often wet, even in the summer. For us, Norway was one of our trip highlights, but Croatia came a close second!
Heather and Howard.

 

[gvick]

We travelled through Croatia last April. The coast and islands were stunning. We would recommend Orebic on the Peljesac Peninsula, where you can catch a small ferry across to Korcula, Hvar, and Cres Islands. Also worth a visit in inland Croatia are the Plitvice Lakes. Piran on the coast in Slovenia just above Croatia is also worth a stopover. I would suspect though that in the summer holidays, all these places will be very busy.
So if you don’t like crowds, head for Norway. We travelled up through Denmark, Sweden and Norway, all the way up through the Lofotens and onto Nordkapp last June / July. The scenery was stunning, and the further north you get, the quieter it becomes. But bear in mind, Norway is a very long country and so to get up north involved a lot of driving. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, but the western fjords are often wet, even in the summer. For us, Norway was one of our trip highlights, but Croatia came a close second!
Heather and Howard.

Plus one for Hvar - our three teenagers loved in

 

[Jeeves]

We have the same "dilemma" as you-we also are tied to school holidays and wanted to use them to the best and have two teenagers
We have booked a pitch on here right next to the sea http://www.kamp-glavotok.hr
We are going to use virtually the whole 6 weeks crossing from newcastle to amsterdam travelling through holland,germany,austria , slovenia and then 3 weeks on the above site in croatia.
We will use a Vango inflatable 6 man tent for extra space with the van being the adult bedroom
Same journey on the way back staying 2/3 nights an limiting journeys to 200 miles-Cant wait

 

[Amarillo]

We are having our sunshine holiday at the end of May - either northern Costa Brava or northern Croatia. We have 11 days (5 days 1/2 term, 4 days weekend, 2 days inset). Croatia will take up six days driving, northern Costa Brava four days, so Costa Brava will probably win.

Six weeks summer holiday will be an adventure tour, just me and the boys for most of it.


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[Trebor]

We have 2 teenage daughters and 4 weeks to spend in the school summer holidays.

We don't like busy. We love scenery, beaches, cities (everything actually). We can't decide on Croatia or, do we go to Norway and Sweden. Has anyone been to them all and could give me some information that may help us to make a decision. I'm sure we will love whichever we choose. We have been to France, Spain, Austria, Holland and Italy and they have all given us special memories.

Thank you.

Hi Mrs Acer

Norway is amazing . We went in Sept 2018 for 2 months to Nordkapp ( 6500 mls) . It was our first time to Scandinavia . It was absolutely amazing . With 4 weeks you’d probably just want to see southern Norway but that’s probably the best . Norway is a huge country . Took ferry Harwich to Hook of Holland over night . Very good .

 

[Mrs Acer]

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Hi Mrs Acer

Norway is amazing . We went in Sept 2018 for 2 months to Nordkapp ( 6500 mls) . It was our first time to Scandinavia . It was absolutely amazing . With 4 weeks you’d probably just want to see southern Norway but that’s probably the best . Norway is a huge country . Took ferry Harwich to Hook of Holland over night . Very good .

That does sound great. Now I'm swaying back towards Scandinavia! Our kids might love the ferry, but I have bad memories of ferry crossings as a child - we always take the tunnel these days. Is the ferry crossing okay for dodgy tummies? Do you sleep in the van with the roof up, or is there a cabin / beds on the ferry?

We all seem to attract mozzies and can't stand the midges. Going in August will we suffer?

 

[Trebor]

That does sound great. Now I'm swaying back towards Scandinavia! Our kids might love the ferry, but I have bad memories of ferry crossings as a child - we always take the tunnel these days. Is the ferry crossing okay for dodgy tummies? Do you sleep in the van with the roof up, or is there a cabin / beds on the ferry?

We all seem to attract mozzies and can't stand the midges. Going in August will we suffer?

Our ferry was very smooth both ways . Very big ferry more like a cruise liner . Cabins very comfortable.

 

[Amarillo]

Our kids might love the ferry, but I have bad memories of ferry crossings as a child - we always take the tunnel these days. Is the ferry crossing okay for dodgy tummies? Do you sleep in the van with the roof up, or is there a cabin / beds on the ferry?

The German/Danish border is only 8 hours’ drive from the Calais rail terminal. Then you could have a leisurely drive through Denmark, west coast of Sweden into Norway.

If you do decide on Scandinavia, I strongly recommend trying to get as far north as the Lofoten Archipelago.



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