[Travel Itineraries] A Trip to the Balkans

I’m sharing my travel itineraries to give you ideas for your own trip planning – where to go, what to see, where to eat, how long to spend, etc. Below is the general schedule that provides the  framework of the trip.  As we go, some stops are added or removed.  You’ll find more details for this trip under Travel Destinations.    Most of the time the plans work out great.  Sometimes, they don’t.  Unexpected things, both good and bad, happen all the time in travel.  I’ve learned to be okay with it and enjoy the journey that unfolds before me.   

 

The Balkans is the area of Southeastern Europe.   On this trip, we visited the Western region of the Balkan peninsula, specifically the former Yugoslav republics of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Serbia.

We’ve had Croatia on our To-Go list for a long time but she was definitely worth the wait.  As I mentioned in this post, I was unprepared for how much I would love this place.

Glen and I squeezed in as much as we can in 18 days, trying to balance the sightseeing and taking some quiet time to just take it all in.   We thoroughly enjoyed each city and town we visited and highly recommend them to you.   Most all our accommodations, save for a historical hotel in Mostar and a hotel stay near Heathrow on our layover back to the US, were booked on Airbnb (listings below).

We drove around in Croatia, mainly to be able to enjoy wandering around the Istrian peninsula as well as having some leeway in our time at Plitvice National Park.  We also took ferries, public buses and regional airlines.

(Click on the photos for a better view)

AirBnb accommodations and quick reviews 

1. Zagreb, Iva: Charming apartment in center with parking  – fantastic host, spacious apartment, 5/5
2. Rovinj, Rina:  Nice seaview Room for 2 + 1 people – gorgeous view, spacious room, warm host, great location, 5/5
3. Split, Biba: Rocco Room in Old Town Split – right smack center of Old Town, small but cozy room with lovely bath, 5/5
4. Hvar, Marijana:  Blue Lagoon Apartment for 2 – gorgeous view of the sea, spacious room but a bit of a hike from town 4/5
5. Dubrovnik, Niko: Brautovic Family House Room No. 1 – great view of Dubrovnik from balcony, bathroom needs work 3/5
6. Mostar, Emir:  Goa Mostar – beautiful view of the bridge, lots of space (3 beds1), excellent Bosnian breakfast (extra) 5/5
7. Sarajevo, Edin:  Studio/Double Room, Sarajevo Center – secure building full of diplomats, knowledgeable host 5/5

Need help tweaking your itinerary?  Send me a message or post it on our Facebook page and the Viajera Filipina community might have the feedback and advice you need.