I drove their a couple of years ago (not in the van) - one of the best holidays ever. Like Italy but not in the Euro zone so a lot cheaper. Porec and Rovinj are are lovely with lots of Roman edifices, (you can get a ferry to Vencie for the day from Rovinj). Dubrovnik is an amazingly preserved medieval port. Highly recommend it.
Rijeka is pretty cool. It's still cheap but not as cheap as a few years ago. We race there every year in June.
Been through it by train in 1983 - and Iived on a campsite in Holland in 1992 with serb army deserters and worked with a croat - they didn't want introducing. Other than that I hear it is beautiful and very friendly
I had an absolutely amazing holiday last year on Vis, a small island about 2 hours off the Croatian coast (Split) by ferry. Their web site is http://www.wearactive.com/ and Craig and Xania are lovely, the island is quiet, beautiful and not spoilt by tourism like the ones closer to shore (imho) and although we'd never kayaked before it was a lovely way to see the coast... and Xania is an amazing cook! The sea is incredibly clear, so snorkelling was something I did a lot of, and it was wonderful to swim in the relatively cooler sea (24-ish degrees C) as July was rather warm (mid-30 degrees C). I would think Late August-September is perfect temperature-wise. Mountain biking, hiking, cliff jumping and slacklining, not to mention yoga were all among the activities I tried and enjoyed as well. They really do tailor what they offer to what you want to do, so my Mum (who is fab at 60) gave the kayaking her best shot, declined to partake of the cliff jumping, was thrilled she managed the mountain biking after overcoming her self-doubt, and snapped up the opportunity to try slack lining, all without any pressure from them While not cheap it was worth every penny and I will be going back again when I can afford it.
Went in 1984 to Rovinj and spent 5 days in hospital after I broke my collar bone. Was great up until my fall and there's no time or space to describe the hospital time in near as hell as I've ever been but I wouldn't let that experience put you off. I'd still go back as it was hot, beach was tops and food/drink cheap and excellent!
Hi, sorry, i've been away for a month, just got back. Ask me something. It's fairly safe, or even very safe compared to say France, Italy or Spain, it would also be fairly cheap for someone from Britain (except Dubrovnik) The roads can be very crowded now in season, all of August it's swarming with Italians as they have that month off (Ferragosto) so expect cues at the toll's (or just take the local roads) Drivers aren't too aggressive (not like Italy), but not nearly as patient or polite as you'd find in Switzerland. your biggest threat on the road are Czech's and Polaks driving for hours without stopping with old cars filled to the brim. (it's expensive for them, so they bring everything with them) most road accidents involve Czechs, Polaks or Hungarians, and not just on the road. Police used to be corrupt, but it's much improved over the last 10 years. Most speeding radars are not marked and they hide in the bushes to catch you by surprise. (their aim is not safety, it's finding a reason to take money from you) Beer is cheap. the price in a bar will only be about twice as much as if you bought it in a shop, and they even sell it at petrol stations. Unfortunately the really good beer is only available around Zagreb, the rest is just crappy lagers, all the same. Zagreb is very quiet this time of year, no one on the streets.. they all left for the coast, but at least its easy to park. The interesting old part of town is very small, you can see it all in a afternoon. Croatia's tourism is based on the coast. The coast is divided into Istria (this is the peninsula close to Italy), Primorje (the northern part of the coast) and Dalmacija (the south) Istria has a rough coast, it's not the best place for beaches, but it has lot's of nice little towns, very much like Tuscany in Italy, only much less crowded and exploited, especially if you go inland, it's a very romantic place, and maybe my favorite part of Croatia. A must in Istria is olive oil and truffles (mushrooms) Primorje (from Rijeka down south) is in my opinion the least interesting part. it's full of campsites, the majority of beaches are paved, full of Albanian ice cream shops, stands with Chinese toys, it's like a budget holiday place for Zagreb and the old communist influence is still quite visible in some places. Best of that part is island Krk, that place is nice, especially Vrbnik. Rijeka is a shipping dock, the streets are dirty, the sea is dirty, people are poor and the traffic is confusing, but if you go just a few miles from Rijeka towards Istria, you can find some nice towns like Lovran & Opatija. Dalmatia - you can't go wrong with any Dalmatian island, they are all spectacular, Vis, Cres, Pag, Brac... I mean really spectacular, the ferry can be expensive, but it's worth it. Coastal towns - Zadar is quite nice, Split has a famous old palace, Lot's to do around Sibenik, not Sibenik itself so much, but everythning around it. Dubrovnik can be very crowded (as in "you can't move or see anything from people"), and is probably the most expensive town in season. Sorry, long post. I tried to be as objective as possible. ask me for anything specific.
