Croatia Travel Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Croatia Travel’

The cost of your accommodation is the priciest part of your vacation in Dubrovnik. Even though new hotels are sprouting up everywhere and much of the Old Town has been turned into apartment rentals, the demand is so huge that owners ask for and get top price. But you don’t want to blow your entire budget on accommodation when there’s so much else to do,  from sampling fine restaurants to exploring the surrounding islands! Here are five tips to getting the most value for money in Dubrovnik.

• From the beginning of June until mid- September five-star hotels run from €189 to €630 for a classic double with breakfast included. In May and late September prices are about 20% cheaper. Go in April or October and you save yet another 15 to 20%. BTW, breakfast is always included in Dubrovnik hotels; you can’t save money by opting out.

• Book now if you’re going in the summer season. Standard doubles sell out fastest. As you get closer to the summer, only the luxury rooms and suites remain.

• Consider an apartment. A three or four-star apartment is just as beautifully decorated and well-equipped as their hotel counterparts. Each unit is measured and rated by the tourist authorities. What don’t you get? Breakfast. No rolling down to a beautifully appointed buffet with an array of treats. What you do get is a kitchen to breakfast as you wish. Book early though, as the buildings are smaller and have fewer units.

• Consider staying in Lapad. This leafy community also has great hotels but is not quite walking distance to the Old Town. Hotels in the Old Town and in nearby Ploce are more expensive. From Lapad it’s a short ride on Dubrovnik’s easy public transport system. Plus, there’s easy parking and beaches are nearby.

• Negotiate a discount for a longer stay. Hotel prices are fixed but in private accommodation at the budget level you can usually work something out if you stay a week. Facilities are less than luxurious but the location is often excellent.

I like to use Croatia-based Adriagate for a week-long stay as they represent many smaller owners so you get a great price and a much more personal experience.

For a hotel or classy accommodation, I prefer booking.com for the low-price guarantee. It gives me peace of mind to know I’ve nabbed the best possible deal.

See more Dubrovnik accommodation tips.

What a contrast from the tourist melee of Porec! Novigrad is a sleepy town of vividly painted old houses that’s known for its marina. I suppose the lack of beachfront have kept tourists down to a manageable level which made it a pleasant place to wander. A curious occurrence: we were just about to order in Amfora restaurant (after finally finding it) when the server informed us that the restaurant had just been closed by the health department! Bad luck. We ate a disappointing meal next door where the chef substituted overcooked penne for the promised fuzi.

Busy, busy Porec buzzes with tourists from spring through fall which makes it one of the least tranquil of Istria‘s coastal towns. With souvenir stands everywhere, it’s hard to imagine that it was once an important Roman town and now boasts one of Croatia’s seven World Heritage Sites, the Episcopal complex of the Euphrasian Basilica. The 5th century mosaics are stunning and a recent renovation has highlighted the rest of the complex. You can even climb the bell tower although the narrow wooden staircase couldn’t comfortably handle the stream of ascending and descending visitors. You could once see the mosaics for free but now there’s a new 30kn admission charge.

Only a 20 minute boat ride from Rovinj is the wooded Crveni Otok or Red Island and what a gorgeous day we spent out there. I hadn’t been for years and was surprised when some locals told me that there was no more “FKK”, that is, that it was no longer an official naturist site. Red island is actually an island and an islet separated by a causeway. The main island is  Sv Andrija island a hub for water sports. The islet Maskin,  is utterly quiet and peaceful. Paths run through the pines, making it beautiful for walking. Even though not an “official” naturist site, the secluded coves are perfect for getting that all-over tan. A pair of rubber shoes comes in handy for getting into the crystal-clear water.

We were delighted to eat at the one restaurant on the island. Lavanda served up perfectly respectable pasta, seafood and salad.

 

This gorgeous peninsula, Zlatni Rt, is a protected park about a kilometer from Rovinj‘s old town. I highly recommend renting a bike as the easiest way to explore the park but make sure you take your bathing suit so you can plop down on one of the many pine-fringed coves! There are beach showers, but make sure to have a 2kn coin handy to get about 15 seconds of fresh water. There are also plenty of snack bars dotting the peninsula. Typical of Croatia: you’re never too far from sustenance.