Istria vs. Dalmatia Cost? Please help!

Hello -

I am planning my first trip to Croatia and need some help as to where I should visit.

I fly in to Zagreb on May 1 (around noon) and fly out of Zagreb on May 5 (around noon). Currently I am trying to decide between renting a car and driving west/northwest towards Rovinj, Pula and Opatija OR should I drive west/southwest towards Zadar and other towns on the Dalmatian Cost. I don't think I will have time to see Dubrovnik....And I plan on hitting the Plitvice Lakes whatever I do.

Can you please recommend what you would suggest? All advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks a lot!

Phil

Save Dalmatia for next time,you only have a short break so Kvarner and Istria would be my choice. See Plitvice lakes, Opatija, Pula, Rovinj and a few inland towns.

I think that dalmatia can give you more in 4 day..

Split , Antic Salona, Trogir , Primošten..

See on www.croatia.hr or www.travel49.com

Four days is not nearly enough time to enjoy Zagreb AND Plitvice AND anywhere else. But if you feel you absolutely must see the coast, go to Rovinj. You can make a stop in Pula to see the Coliseum and other Roman ruins, but you don't want to stay there; it's mostly a dull, drab industrial town.

So, Phil, your first trip to Croatia and you budgeted four whole days? Did you think you wouldn't like it much?

Dalmatia in my opinion has nicest beaches and slightly more interesting architecture, not to mention the sea :) But Istria is more charming in a Tuscany kind of way (at least the interior). I don't know. Five days is really not long, so it would be a shame to spend it in a car. Go to Zagreb, Plitvice and Istria grumbles but next time go to Dalmatia. And take more then 5 days.

I only have 4/5 days in Croatia because it is a mini-trip/excursion from the Parisian Vacation that I had planned well before even considering Croatia...I'm going to Paris to visit a friend who lives there. So instead of spending 11 days in Paris (a city I've been to 4 times in the past 15 years), we decided to go somewhere new.

Thanks a lot for your advice!

Phil

It depends what you want. Pula is great but not very beachy when compared to the northern Dalmatian Coast. I think flying into Zagreb was your mistake, into Split woud have been better (if possible).