Anyone ever been to Croatia on holiday?

[Sweetheart]

We are looking at Croatia for our holiday next year - primarily because the kids want to go white water rafting. I thought I'd start here for recommendations before I delve into the million options google will give me.

Great country. It's got stunning coastline and scenery, amazing history and architecture, and some really nice food and wine as well. Haven't been to Dubrovnik but I've been to Zagreb and Split. Would definitely recommend. It's quite a varied country - very different historical and cultural influences in different areas (e.g. Zagreb felt quite East European culturally and food-wise, whereas Split felt more Mediterranean).

Went hiking there along the Dalmatian coast. Beautiful coast with incredibly clear blue sea. Food is good with a heavy Italian influence.

Went to Rovinj about 15 yrs ago, it was beautiful, not at all built up or touristy. The coast and sea are lovely. Obviously could be different now though. Went to Slovenia this year, another fantastic country to visit if you get the chance, mountains are stunning!

I went to Markaska and Brela nearly twenty years ago, so not much help with recommendations etc! We also went on day trips to Bol on the island of Brac and to Hvar island. It was all so beautiful, friendly people and good food. It was very cheap back in the day but expect it’s caught up a bit now!
Have a look on the short haul section on the travel board here, there’s a few threads about Croatia so you should find some good info there.

Only when it was still part of Yugoslavia. A gecko ran up the leg of my shorts. Lovely place though.

www.raftingmontenegro.com/?p=8729

Motenegro rather than Croatia, but I can wholeheartedly recommend these guys and I believe they cater to children. They were very safe and sensible and the scenery is beautiful. You could fly to Dubrovnik and transfer to them if you wanted a few days in Croatia too.

Yes I went several times in the early 1980s when it was still communist Yugoslavia. It was very scenic but I couldn't bring myself to go back after the brutality and war crimes of the 1990s.

Dubrovnik is beautiful & historic, and in a spectacular location on the coast but the old town is very, very touristy.

Last year I went on a gardens tour of Dubrovnik and surrounds. Was a wonderful holiday. The weather was lovely and the locations were amazing (also a closet GOT fan so double whammy). Highly recommend.

Yep. Last two years running. Dubrovnik first then Split this year.

Dubrovnik: beautiful, walkable, impossible parking (buses are okayish if you want to visit); pebbly beaches; fab architecture and history. We did kayaking in open sea (make sure your insurance covers specific sports)

Split: more modern and cosmopolitan. We stayed in a fab HomeandAway house. Went tubing down river with a company that also does rapids. About an hour's drive away although some companies offer transport. Shop around as there's loads of agencies down by the harbour and although we went in August, it was still possible to book. Very hot, mind.

Airport transfer from Split: Jamtransfer - very good, online booking.

Ask away if you want to know anything else

For rafting you might be better considering Montenegro or Bosnia (Tara river). Both are beautiful countries with really friendly people

We went there last year, but as it was a Neilson holiday we just saw the local town and coast. The scenery (especially from out on the water looking back at the mountains) was quite stunning. Definitely on our list of places to go back to.

I went to Dubrovnik 4 years ago, stayed in Lapse. It's a beautiful place, we had great weather in June and the food is excellent.

Croatia is on list of possibles too, I’ll watch with interest for suggestions!

Did anyone do a Eurocamp style holiday? A mobile home on a campsite?

Went to Brac island (Bol) in August. Magical unspoilt country, totally awestruck. Spent two weeks (family of six) did a little island hopping trips to Split. Sea is gorgeous, food fantastic Italian influence. Would very much recommend, can't wait to go back.

Went to Solta by ferry this August. Lovely and unspoilt. Mainland Croatia was much busier.

Yes! Went last year. It was unbelievably brilliant, we loved it (me and 2 teenage boys) We were there 10 days, and split (!) the time between Split, Zadar and Plitvice. AirBNB'd it and just took local buses between everywhere, which were incredibly cheap and efficient.
I found it a friendly exciting place, and you could have whatever type of holiday you wanted. We liked the city spaces, the archaeology and the 'lake district' of Plitvice. We could have spent days at the Sea Organ in Zadar. I loved the 'promenading' everyone does in the early evening too.
Equally it would be awesome if you liked beach holidays, islands, loads of water sports, activity stuff etc etc.

Slight word of warning - most places outside the big tourist places are cash only!! (as we found out when we were 5 miles from a cash machine needing to pay for dinner 😂)

Went to Brac in the 80s and thought it was heaven on Earth. A friend went this summer and said it wasn't now!
That said many of my friends went to Croatia this summer and the FB pics looked lovely

Brilliant thanks all - we are currently looking around the Split area as i believe that is close to plenty of rafting activity / national parks / waterfalls / gorge etc etc

We have been quoted for a week long fully inclusive activitiy holiday but I'm slightly scared that we'd hate the people we ended up with and have to spend the entire week doing activities with them!

Having been on many water sports types activity holidays, we've generally found that a good proportion of people who like the same sorts of holiday as you, are people who you can enjoy doing those activities with iyswim.

Beautiful country. Been to Brac when it was still Yugoslavia, more recently been to Porec, Pula and Split.
Pula has a Roman amphitheatre which hosts concerts, Split has Diocletian’s Palace and ferries to the islands, Porec is a beautiful old town on a peninsula with beaches and pine woods.
Croatia was relatively cheap when I last went about ten or fifteen years ago, and very unspoilt, but I fear it has been rather discovered as a tourist destination, and Dubrovnik is now overrun by thousands of cruise ship passengers.

I went in 2007. It was amazing. My favourite place I've been. Nicer than Greece and Turkey.

Dubrovnik is now overrun by thousands of cruise ship passengers.

Is this seasonal? Not relevant to the OP, as obviously they'll want warm enough weather for rafting, but is there an 'off season' when visiting the historic sites is less crowded - in my book, cooler weather is far preferable anyway. We went to Venice in February a couple of years back, not a cruise ship to be seen thank goodness, I'm thinking that sort of time, early spring or later autumn might be good for Croatia too?