Zagreb > Plitvice Lakes Nat'l Park > Venice via Rental Car

[dcinmb]

Three friends and I are planning to rent a car at Zagreb airport on the afternoon of Friday, September 14th, drive to Plitvice Lakes National Park for the weekend, and make our way to Venice on Monday, September 17th, to join our cruise. A few questions:

 

(1) What would be the best way to get to Venice on Monday, September 17th? We'd like to drive but the one-way drop-off charge for the rental car is 400 pounds(!) so we're exploring other options. I was hoping to drop the rental car off at Pula and take the ferry to Venice but it looks like the ferry won't be running then.

 

Regarding the train, I went to the Croatia Express website but didn't see any timetables or ticket pricing. Will the night train from Zagreb to Venice be running on a Sunday night/Monday morning in September? Does anyone know the approximate cost of first class and second class tickets? Is second class good enough or should we pay extra for first class?

 

It's almost looking like our best option may be to drive to Trieste in the Croatian rental car, pick up an Italian rental car, drive back to Rijeka to drop off the Croatian rental car and head back north into Italy. Convoluted, I know, but I'm getting desperate!

 

(2) Can anyone recommend a schedule or route for exploring the Plitvice Lakes National Park in two full days (Saturday and Sunday)?

 

Thank you!

[Daniela32]

There is a bus at 11,30 am from Rijeka to Trieste (ride takes 2 hours and 10 minutes). And then you have a train from Trieste to Venice at 5 pm. You can have some meal or drink for couple of hours in Trieste.

 

EDIT: Sorry, there is no bus at 11,30 am on Mondays! There is one at 2pm, the ride is till 4,25pm. But that's risky because we are not in Japan and the bus may be late.

[maryann ns]

We were in Plitvice Park last October. We followed advice in Rick Steves' guide to Croatia. Unless you are fit and want some full days of strenuous hiking, one day may be enough. We walked the lower loop, including taking a ferry across the lake and a shuttle 'bus' back to the parking lot. We were there about five hours and had a wonderful time, and according to the guidebook, we saw the best scenery. The scenery is spectacular. We both took hundreds of photos.

 

Try posing your transportation questions on Trip Advisor.

[dcinmb]

Thank you, Daniela and Mary Ann!

 

Daniela: I think the bus from Rijeka to Trieste on Sunday afternoon is probably our best option. We'll spend the night in Trieste so that we can do some sightseeing on Monday morning and afternoon, then grab the 17:00 train to Venice. (Our cruise doesn't actually sail until Tuesday evening)

 

Could you recommend any hotels or restaurants in Trieste?

 

Mary Ann: Your five-hour loop sounds perfect for us. Could I ask where you stayed and if you would recommend it?

 

Thanks again!

 

Diana

[maryann ns]

I highly recommend where we stayed. I am surprised about a couple recent, poor reviews. The Wi-Fi is spotty, but they let me sit in the living room and use my computer. The breakfast was fine, the room clean. Several of us did laundry and our host was very helpful with this.

 

http://www.bedandbreakfastworld.com/croatia/plitvice-lakes/house-tina/16087

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g644071-d639599-Reviews-House_Tina-Grabovac_Plitvice_Lakes_National_Park_Central_Croatia.html