Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Croatia Travel’ Category

“Holidaymakers could find car rentals harder to come by this summer, as the economic downturn forces car hire companies to cut their fleets during peak periods.” proclaimed an article in the Telegraph. Note that the article was published February 4 2009!

The prediction proved completely accurate at least as far as Croatia was concerned.  When I expressed concern at the number of dealer cancellations of cars booked through my partner, Economycarrentals.com, in the summer of 2009  I received this response:

Due to the current difficult economic situation, almost all car rental companies have decreased their fleet and that is why we get many cancellations. It’s been a tough summer and this is going to continue until the end of August, that is why we warned our clients to book as early as possible to avoid cancellations and inconvenience. (emphasis mine)

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that all last-minute bookings will get confirmed, but we push our partners to serve as many of our clients as possible.

Now, the Telegraph is again warning of car rental shortages in this article. I would urge you to take the warning seriously if you are planning a trip to Croatia this summer. The economic situation that led to shortages last summer is, if anything, worse this year. There is no expansion of car-hire fleets on the horizon this summer in Croatia so there is a strong possibility that last-minute bookers will be forced into a much higher category of vehicle, or will pay a premium price or will be shut out completely.

Takeaway: as soon as you get your flights booked, work on your car rental. I recommend economycarrentals.com for the best cars at the cheapest prices but you’ll find a list of Croatia car rental companies and more car rental advice here.

If you build it they will come–play golf in Croatia. Except ‘they’ haven’t yet been flocking to play golf on the 18-hole course just opened by the Kepinski Hotel Adriatic in Savudrija. The Istrian coast is not exactly balmy in winter so the Kepinski folks may have to wait until spring before the greens are full of golfers. Still, the mammoth spa and wellness centre attached to this luxury hotel should attract guests throughout the winter.

Now Dubrovnik wants in on golf tourism. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus helped design the Kepinski course? Today, golf legend Greg Norman is presenting his design for a golf course atop Srd Hill overlooking Dubrovnik’s Old Town. The project would be worth nearly 900,000 euros if accepted and Mr. Norman would stand to gain significantly as he is one of the investors.

As in Istria, the golf course would be part of a vast luxury resort targeted at the most well-heeled travellers. Golf courses are heavily dependent on the tourism that they are designed to attract because, as it turns out, very few Croatians play the game.

Read more about golf in Croatia or more about the Kepinski Hotel Adriatic.

It may be hard to tear yourself away from the Croatian islands and coast but a trip inland to Mostar is highly recommended. The most famous Mostar sight is the  Old Bridge, built in 1556 and then, famously, blown up in 1993 during the last Balkan war. The bridge has been reconstructed and is as beautiful as ever, spanning the azur Neretva river with a mountainous backdrop.

The bridge has tremendous symbolic value as it links the Croat and Muslim communities each located on opposite sides of the river. Its destruction and reconstruction comprise one of the rare happy endings in the Balkans.

I started out from Split in mid-morning, taking the incompleted motorway south from Split until it ended somewhere after Sestanovic. I then followed Rt 62 which took me across the border at Metkovic. From there, it was just a matter of following the Neretva river north to Mostar. The ride was somewhat longer than I had expected, taking nearly 4 hours, largely because the road was unfamiliar. Still the trip was a little too long to be a viable day trip from Split.

Upon entering the perimeter of the Old Town, I was diverted by police away from the center. It turned out that a football match that evening was to involve opposing Muslim and Croat teams and police were preparing for possible violence (that fortunately never happened).

I checked into the wonderful Hotel Kriva Cuptija 2 (excellent value for money) and set out to explore the Old Town. On the way, the vestiges of the 1990s war were apparent in a number of buildings with pockmarked sides and blasted-out windows. The ancient cobblestoned streets on either side of the river were restored and bustling with life. The differences between the Croat and Muslim side were subtle: a few churches on one side; a few more mosques and cafes on the other. Everywhere the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly; people chatted easily with each other and with an inquisitive foreigner. The vivacious young woman at the hotel reception exuded hope and optimism for the future, assuring me that the days of ethnic hostilities were ancient history to the younger generation.

The following day I left for Dubrovnik and the trip was a very leisurely three hours, making Mostar a fascinating and easily doable day trip from Dubrovnik. Note that you will need to show your passport upon crossing the border as well as your auto insurance papers.

To see the most in a short time, it really pays to rent a car in Croatia. Yet there are a few pitfalls that I recently discovered in planning my own forthcoming trip to Croatia. All is well if you just want to tool around Croatia. I usually use EconomyCarRentals which works with local operators to get the best possible rates in local Croatia travel.

This time however, I want to visit Mostar in Bosnia and the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. In order to maintain insurance on these jaunts you need a cross-border card which, I found out, is not included in the quoted rate. In fact EconomyCarRentals requires an extra €55 for a cross-border card. Suddenly their rates were not the cheapest in town.

Fortunately, I found that AutoEurope, another great company, matched the lowest EconomyCarRentals rate and did include the cross-border card.

Moral of story: Figure out your itinerary first and then read the fine print.

See more on car rental in Croatia.

July is here which heralds the start of Croatia’s summer festival season. No matter where you are, you can participate with the locals in festivals celebrating music, theatre, film or traditional culture. Nearly all islands and coastal towns present nightly music in the town square but there are some festivals that are true stand-outs.Here is a sampling of the season’s best festivals:

• Dubrovnik Summer Festival
  Dubrovnik
  July 10-August 25
  Classical concerts, theatre, dance, jazz and folklore ensembles keep the Old Town jumping nearly every night. Every year there’s  the traditional production of Hamlet staged at Fort Lovrijenac. Heartthrob Goran Visnjic of “ER” fame once played the brooding prince there. See the Dubrovnik Summer Festival website for schedules and tickets.
  More Dubrovnik events & festivals

• Histria Festival
  Pula
  July 25-August 21
  All Istria descends on Pula on certain festival nights to enjoy the concerts in Pula’s Roman Amphitheatre. This year’s highlight is Elton John but there are also classical concerts and ballet drawn from Europe’s finest ensembles and presented in venues around town. See the Histria Festival website for program and tickets.
  More Pula festivals & events.

• Motovun Film Festival
  Motovun
  July 27-31
  With 65 films in five days, this festival is truly a movie freak’s delight. There are no starlets, few paparazzi and there’s no need to drag out a ball gown. Just enjoy the movies. See the Motovun Film Festival website for the program and tickets.

• International Folklore Festival
  Zagreb
  July 15-19
  Despite the name, the accent here is on Croatian folklore from a variety of regions. From the traditional circle dance to puppet theatre, the festival provides a good overview of Croatia’s rich cultural heritage and puts it in context by including a smattering of other European groups. See the International Folklore Festival website for the program and booking info.
  More Zagreb festivals & events.

• Split Summer Festival
  Split
  July 14-August 14
  This is a smorgasboard of delights with an emphasis on classical music, opera, art exhibitions and theatre. Many events are within Diocletian’s Palace. See the Split Summer Festival website (in Croatian) for program information.
  More on Split festivals & events.