Croatia was the final destination on our big "Euro Trip 2019" and we saved the best until last!
Being the honest bloggers that we are, we'll tell you that by this point we were exhausted, our bank account was running on fumes and we were missing home, but this breathtaking country made the last week of our trip one of the most memorable. We realised that this trip-of-a-lifetime was coming to an end, so we pulled our socks up, picked our wedgies and made the most of it. We flew into Split airport and then caught a bus to the city of Split. This was great as we got to see the beautiful scenery of Croatia and as we arrived in the city of Split we knew we were going to like it.
tours/activities
Split
Shopping/ exploring
Once you enter the city walls, it's like you travel back to the 1400's. Seriously. They even put on a show everyday at midday where the "King and Queen" come out, surrounded by "armed guards". It's weird and kind of cool - you feel like you're on the set of Game of Thrones... But, once you're inside, there is plenty to see and do. There are a bunch of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars to discover in the winding streets of the old city - you can get lost in there, but sometimes that can lead you to finding a hidden gem. We found an old restaurant that only the locals ate at year round and it had some beautiful views of the port. There is lots of shopping spots and you can just spend a day walking around exploring the city.
The Bell Tower
You can go to the Cathedral of Saint Domnius and climb the bell tower, where you can get panoramic views of the city. It will cost you about €4 per person. The lines are long however so plan to go early/ or later.
Beach Day
One day while we were in Split we had a beach day at 'Bacvice Beach'. It was really nice and we would definitely recommend going. Although there was more concrete than sand at this beach, it was still a really cool experience. The water was beautiful and we did lots of sun baking. There are some cool bars with music pumping as well if that's your scene.
Sailing
One thing you have to do while in Croatia is a sailing trip. On our first day in Split we walked down to the port where all the sailing tour stalls are (you can't miss them) and sussed out some prices. We compared a few different tours - where they went, what time they left and what was included - and we decided to go with St. Damian. We definitely have no regrets, it was an affordable one day trip that included a lunch in a small seaside tavern on Ciovo Island, complimentary drinks on-board, as well as use of snorkeling equipment. The tour went for a little longer than others and had less stops, but this meant we got to spend more time soaking up the sun, snorkeling and taking in the sights. On-board we drank, met some cool people, took photos and videos, played cards, listened to music. The stops we made were amazing and we took so many great photos, and did lots of swimming!
Dubrovnik
Old City Walls
When people say "Dubrovnik" we hear "King's Landing". Although we didn't actually do a Game of Thrones tour, we made our own tour by researching places online and visiting the locations ourselves. There are so many tours you can do in Dubrovnik, and they are definitely worth it if you are a fan, so check what is included in the tour before following our recommendations below.
Walking on top of the walls around the Old City in Dubrovnik should be sitting right at the top of your priority list. While we were in Dubrovnik it was 40+ degrees outside, so we got up bright and early when it was only 39.5 degrees and walked into the Old City. The walls open at 8am and it cost us about €30 per person, but is well worth it. We paid this at the ticket office, as the line up was not very big (only a few people ahead of us) and they process people really quickly. The view from atop the wall is second to none. Amazing photo opportunities, especially that time of morning as it is less busy, but honestly, we had our camera put away most of the time, just so that we could take it all in. To do a full lap of the wall, stopping at each lookout and really taking our time, it took us about 1.5 hours. We recommend you allocate 1.5-2 hours for this to get the most out of it!
We then filled up our drink bottles from the fountain near the entrance of the Old City, which was icy cold, and made our way out of the Old City towards the Lovrijenac Fort or "The Red Keep", which is also a set from a lot of other Game of Thrones scenes. This was included in our Walls ticket. Again - amazing views. It was cool to get a different perspective of the Old City from here too.
Game of Thrones (Self)Tour
As we said above, there are so many Game of Thrones tours in Dubrovnik and it is completely up to you which one you do (do your research). Lucky for us we had our own personal tour guide (Kate - she has been to Dubrovnik once before and has done a GoT tour!) who showed us all the locations below:
- Minčeta Tower – The House of Undying
- Jesuit Staircase by Saint Ignatius Church - Shame Stairs
- Dubrovnik West Pier – Blackwater Bay/Sansa's jetty
- Pile Harbour - where Myrcella leaves for Dorne
- Dubrovnik West Harbour - the murder of Robert Baratheon's bastard children
- Gradac Park – The Purple Wedding
- Pile Gate - Entrance to King's Landing (where Joffrey gets shit thrown at him)
- Fort Lovrijenac - The Red Keep
A couple of places we wanted to visit but didn't get time for were:
- Lokrum Island - Qarth (we paddled around it on kayaks and Kate has been before)
- Trsteno Arboretum - Gardens of King's Landing
Kayaking Tour
We absolutely loved our kayaking tour and would suggest it to anyone going to Dubrovnik. It was so cool to see the old city walls, and Lokrum island from the water. Our tour guide was really good and told us lots of facts about Dubrovnik's history and Game of Thrones facts and stories as he was an extra in the show!
The water was amazing and they took us to a cool beach cave to have lunch and a snorkel. This is one of our favouritre memories from our whole Europe trip so would definitely recommend!
accommodation
Split
We stayed 3 nights in Split at the CroParadise Green Hostel - the best hostel in Split. Just ask them. They aren't lying though, it was really nice! They were more like self-contained, 4-bedroom apartments rather than your typical dorm-style hostel rooms. We had our own, private room, with a iMac, free WiFi, a TV with Netflix included, a comfy bed and storage. The apartment had a full kitchen and shared bathroom with separate toilet. The other three bedrooms in the apartment were share rooms, 4-8 beds, but all the people we shared the apartment with were super chilled and really nice (not too rowdy either, which suited us fine).
Comfort: 7/10
Location: 8/10
Staff: 6/10
Vibe: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Dubrovnik
We stayed another 3 nights in Dubrovnik at Hostel 365 For U. A super modern, clean, comfy hostel outside of the Old Town. We had a 4-bed shared room with shared bathrooms (separate male and female bathrooms). The beds were pretty private bunk beds and they were really comfy! The kitchen was really small and only had a kettle, microwave and fridge, but it was still okay. The hostel was about a 20-minute walk to the Old Town, which was a struggle in the afternoon heat sometimes, but it was more than fine. It was really close to supermarkets and bus stations as well.
Comfort: 8/10
Location: 6/10
Staff: 7/10
Vibe: 6/10
Overall: 7/10
transport
Split
We flew into Split from Naples with EasyJet. We then caught the bus from the airport to the city. It cost us about 50 Kuna each (approximately 10 AUD). We budgeted our money so that we didn't have any Euros (in cash) left, as it would've cost us more to go to a currency exchange, instead we just withdrew Kuna from the ATM at the airport. It is a longer trip than we expected into Split on the bus, but it was a lot cheaper than catching the ferry.
Dubrovnik
We caught the bus from Split to Dubrovnik with Crotia Bus (through Omio). This was the cheapest option and we DO NOT recommend it. The bus had no air conditioning, it was absolutely pack, the seats were broken, and there was no storage on-board, but that wasn't the worst of it - the bus driver charged us 100 Kuna ($13AUD) per bag (we had two backpacks and two small suitcases - $52 extra). We had already paid €14 ($23AUD) each for our tickets online. Despite our best efforts of getting out of it, he wouldn't let us on the bus unless we paid him the extra hidden costs, which only a select few had to pay. Not everyone paid this baggage fee, only the people the bus driver handpicked. I think we paid for his knock-off drinks that afternoon. So, our bus trip actually cost us $49 each. We weren't happy, but we just got on with it. We then had the privilege of having our bus driven by a learner driver. He wasn't too bad until it required actually driving the bus. Just across the border of Bosnia (if you're doing this trip, make sure you have you passports with you, because you will be stopped at border security when you go through Bosnia) we pulled into a petrol station where the driver stalled the bus and started rolling backwards across the highway towards a cliff that would've landed us in the beautiful turquoise waters below. Luckily the other driver took over. You could say it was one of the scarier moments of our trip (lives).
Fast forward to the safety zone - we arrived in Dubrovnik fully in tact. We got a taxi from the bus stop to our hostel, as we just wanted to get there as quickly and as stress-free as possible. This only cost us about 50 Kuna ($11AUD) each, which we were more than happy to pay.
After our 3 amazing days in Dubrovnik it was time to head back to England. The bus stop to airport was just walking distance from our hostel. This was about 20 Kuna each and it dropped us right at the door of the airport. It was very convenient and comfortable. You can catch this bus from several stops between the main bus station and the Old Town. For more information please click here.
food/drinks
Split
We used the kitchen at our hostel for most meals, shopping at the supermarket just across the road, but we did treat ourselves a few times at:
- Marta's Veggie Fusion - amazing little vegetarian restaurant in the heart of the Old Town
- That's all Woks! - cheap, delicious, wide range of Asian take-away meals, right on the water front
- Stixberry - vegan, frozen smoothie sticks (ice creams).. AMAZING
Dubrovnik
As per usual, we bought most of our own meals from the supermarket, but we did discover Croatian Burek at Bobis Bakery which we fell in love with (a bit naughty because they're full of cheese, but they were too good to resist). We also indulged several times in ice creams all over Dubrovnik because it was 45 degrees everyday and who doesn't like ice cream!
other tips/hints
- In Croatia they use Croatian Kuna, so we withdrew cash from ATMs in local currency or used our Orange ING card, as we did not get charged currency conversion fees. Our biggest tip with ATMs in Europe is, DO NOT use these blue international ATMs (left) because they charge an arm and a leg to withdraw money. You should always try to find local/bank ATMs. They're generally a lot cheaper, or just use your travel card where they have EFTPOS.
- We found it quite hard to learn Croatian, but again, it is always helpful just to learn the basics. Most people we met spoke English quite well so it is not needed as much as other countries.
- Do a little bit of research when it comes to sailing tours in Croatia. There are so many of them offering a variety of activities and inclusions, so just compare a few and choose the one that suits you best!
- If you are planning to go in the peak of summer like we did, just be prepared that it will be really busy and really hot!
Show us some love and ask any questions or leave a comment below!
jorgiandkate
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