JulieVikmanis

We keep trying to get back to Croatia but worry about a) the overcrowding in ports with so many cruise ships now including stops there, particularly in Dubrovnik and b) the overcrowding caused by hoards of youthful travelers during the summer months mentioned in a recent newspaper travel section that has my husband spooked. We are now looking at mid to late October to escape much of both of these scourges but wonder if we will find the seaside destinations melancholy and starting to shut down. We would be staying primiarly on the coast--Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar, Korcula with a night in Zagrab before flying home. What advice can you provide me that will help making our decision.? Would also like guidance about other times of the year that would help us escape the cruise and hard body hoards. Thanks.

Andrew

I first visited Croatia in early October, and Dubrovnik was still pretty busy; the weather was also still pretty warm. My next stops were Korcula and Split, and by then the weather had turned cold and rainy. Korcula was really dead - restaurants were open at night but it was hard to tell until you walked up to them, because there were few people out and about. I heard that Dubrovnik (where the rains had come too after I left) kind of started shutting down for the season once that happened.

But that was 2009; tourism may have increased since then and perhaps the season is a bit longer now.

I'd probably aim for the last two weeks of September. You'll miss the summer crowds but there will be more excursions and longer opening hours of some attractions, at least on the coast. (For Zagreb, it probably doesn't matter.) If you are really worried about the crowds in Dubrovnik, dig up the website that has a schedule of ships there on various days. Maybe you can find at least one day with no ships docked.

But Dubrovnik is fairly small anyway - it doesn't take long to explore, really, so it's not like you'll need to spend days and days there navigating big crowds. But it makes a good base for day trips, and it's a great place to come back to at night (very pretty when everything is lit up), when the crowds have largely dissipated.

Try to visit the Buza Bar - great place to watch the sunset in Dubrovnik!

JulieVikmanis

Thanks Andrew. I have checked out the cruise ship site from time to time and find it a wonderful tool. Would make it possible to work around that crowd at least. The weather is another thing and I really appreciate learning of your experience with that. We were lucky enough to go quite a while ago before the crowds got too thick. Returned on a cruise anxious to show the place to our friends and were overwhelmed by how horrible the crowds had become in a few short years. We can't go in late September this year, so maybe we'll just have to wait until next year and make it a definite priority. I'm also thinking to check out April and May as having some potential for less cruise traffic and fewer youthful vagabonds but not sure of their weather and ferry schedules at that time of year. Lots more research ahead. Thanks for the benefit of your experience.

Andrew

I've also been to Croatia in early May. I think you have a better chance of rain than in September, but I had pretty good weather. One thing I missed was seeing the sun set into the Adriatic, something I'd enjoyed in October. Even though I had little rain in May, there were a lot of clouds that usually obscured the sunset.

Obviously, weather varies from year to year.

You might shoot for early October if that works better than late September. But personally, I would not go later than that if you want to spend much time on the islands.

Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about the "youthful vagabonds" too much. This is the first I'm hearing about it after years of browsing various Croatia-related travel groups, actually. Some of this stuff gets way overhyped.

fourfortravel

Though this is only an anecdote, our friends who have a weekend home on Krk typically close it for the season in early to mid-October because the weather becomes too unpredictable; and reopen the house sometime around Easter.

As for the "youthful vagabonds," if you're referring to the college students schlumping around in flip-flops , there were plenty of them on our visit to Dubrovnik in early June of this year; also, too, were the cruise ship lemmings hurrying about to maximize their 8 hours on shore. With a little planning (the cruise ship schedule tool) we were able to avoid them with a day outing to Lokrum Island.

rialtogrl

I was in Dalmatia in early October up until October 18 this year. things were shutting down a bit in Hvar, but it was not melancholy, it was awesome. The only bad thing was Hula Bar was closed in mid October but better for you as it means less flip flop wearing vagabonds.

Restaurants in Hvar Town were open and many will stay open till New Years.
Split and Dubrovnik, still going gangbusters with tour groups in the days but quiet and lovely in the evening.

There was a bura wind one day and a big storm in Hvar one night. Otherwise the weather was perfect. I was wearing flip flops up until the 18th when I left

The weather was worse in September this year, lots of rain. Korcula would be pretty dead I think, but again, for a night or two, certainly not melancholy.

Next year I want to go back again in mid October. i love it when I do not need a reservation at my favorite places.

LancasterLad

Me and the cook were in Split recently, two nights 26 and 27 September, and 2 nights 10 and 11 October.

On the first visit we spent our full day [27 Sep] on Hvar. We got the 0830 Jadriolinja Ferry, which takes 2 hours to reach Stari Grad. The weather was perfect, calm sea, and warm enough to sit on the upper open deck. We spent the day in Stari Grad, everything was open, although it was fairly quiet. We got the 1730 ferry back to Split, still warm, but we need ed a light fleece for the last hour. Cost per person for a return trip was 94 Kuna [just under £12].

Split Old Town was fairly busy, but nowhere near as crowded as the summer months. Everything was open.

On our return stay, we spent much of our full day just wandering around the Old Town, and by the public beach area. It rained quite heavily in the evening for a couple of hours, forcing all the bars on the Riva to shut up shop.

As an alternative to Hvar, Brac is only an hour each way by ferry. We stayed on Brac for a week in April, and loved it.

There was a cruise ship in on 11 November, but it was only a small Thomson ship [Thomson SPIRIT] with about 1200 passengers.

We've been to Dubrovnik before, and I agree with you abour cruise ships saturating the place and diluting the enjoyment.

Fort what it's worth, between 28 September to 9 October we were in Bosnia & Herzegonina, staying in Mostar and Sarajevo, and loved it.

Next visit to the Region is Macedonia next April, and then Romania [Transylvania] in June.

JulieVikmanis

Thank you all for such useful information. I'm buoyed by your accounts of pretty good weather in early October and of reasonable (sort of goldilocks--not too big and not too small) crowds at that time of year. Definitely sounds better than May as a shoulder season time to see one of our favorite places. thanks so much. I'm off for more planning.

yorkshire

I'd have no hesitation about visiting in mid October. I have visited four times in late May and always found it pleasant, but the last visit was 2014. Also, after our first visit to Dubrovnik in 2003, we never had any desire for a repeat visit.
However, you are visiting the most popular places. Have you not considered exploring the hill towns of Istria, for example? October is truffle season.

kja

The only port in Croatia that I have heard mentioned with any consistency with regard to cruise ships is Dubrovnik, and for that, yes, pay attention to the schedules. I could be wrong!

I suspect that Korcula would not be best seen in October – it can be rather “shut” outside of high season.

FWIW, May can be a lovely time to visit Croatia. ☺

For climate statistics, check timeanddate.com

JulieVikmanis

Thanks all. We're now thinking that Croatia will need to wait until 2019. shooting for May. Meantime thinking to go to Portugal in October of 2018. We plan ahead. Appreciate all your guidance.