CROATIA - any tips?

[Scampmum]

We want a child-friendly villa/bungalow with space, near the coast. Have no idea of where to go (even areas) though have heard Dalmatian coast is beautiful. Would welcome tips about what area to aim for, where to fly to, and if anyone has stayed in amazing place, please let us know! Would be good to have walking etc. as activities and/or a pool, but kids are currently 8 weeks and 2.2 so will be mainly just trying to relax in beautiful surroundings.

Thanks in advance!

BUMP

BUMP!

I haven't been but spent a lot of time researching it recently as I really wanted to go there this summer! We have a two and a one year old. I had narrowed it down to Dubrovnik, looks amazing and my parents have been there and say it really is. There are also a couple of resort-type places only 15/20 minutes away. To be honest, I got frustrated by total inability to find somewhere suitable that was available - it all seemed to be really booked up. Good luck!

Dalmatian coast is stunning. You can get cheap flights to Split and there are lots of lovely places to stay in along the coast south from there. I can recommend Makarska because it's the place I am most familiar with - it does get busy in summer but has a very lively atmosphere, and is definitely family friendly. If you're looking to rent a bungalow/house, the best thing to do is to decide which town you want to be closest to, find their official website, and do a search for private accommodation. There is usually plenty available. Our family has this apartment but it has a balcony and you may be worrying constantly about whether your toddler is getting out there by him/herself! I know I always was when DS was younger!

Dubrovnik is also lovely, although it does get full of American tourists coming off the cruise ships!

You'll find your DC will be doted on wherever you go, tickled, picked up, kissed, given presents, you know the type of thing. It is lovely but if you/your DC are not used to it, it's good to know in advance!

If there's anything else you want to know, just ask me.

What is the public transport like in Croatia? Is there a town to stay in which would have good transport links to other towns/beaches/sites etc?

Buses are frequent and inexpensive (along the Adriatic at least) and will link you to other towns easily. There are trains further north and as far as Split but I don't know about down near Dubrovnik.

In towns like Makarska, Omis, Trogir and all the others along that coast, the beaches are usually right next to the town so no need for transport. Don't know about further north though, sorry.

Buses will also take you places like Mostar, Poticelj and Medugorje in Bosnia but may take longer than if travelling by car.

Lots of people say that you can't be without a rental car in Dalmatia but it really depends on what sort of holiday you want, how flexible your family is about getting on public transport, and how much time you have. There are lots of companies offering day trips to sites and towns too so you can get ferried direct to the paces you want to see. Also very evident these days is day rentals of scooters, bikes, etc if you want to get out of town, although obviously not so child-friendly.

Thanks Wellies thats really helpful

You could try www.croatia-holidayandhome.co.uk
It is a website for buying property and booking villas and apartments. Maybe you would like Brac Island (look at Bol and Milna villages) or Hvar (look at Hvar town, or jelsa).

I live in Croatia, so its hard to see as tourists see it, but Hvar Town never fails to impress. You would fly to Split airport (easyjet or croatia airlines), hire a car and drive 30 minutes to the ferry port in Split. the ferry to brac island takes 50 minutes and the one to Hvar (starigrad port) takes 1hr 45. From Staridgrad to Hvar town is a 20 minute drive. I aslo think the south side of Hvar is really good in a get away from it all and chill way.

If you want to stay on the mainland then Primosten is really good but its in the middle of Zadar and Split (so abotu 40 mins from each airport - Zadar is served by Ryanair). Alternatively, you could look at Trogir and nearby e.g. Seget Donji or Segect Vrancija or parts of Ciovo island which is connected to trogir and the mainland by a bridge. Trogir is well worth a visit (look it up on google).