Thank you for your page and blogs, it is a fantastic reference for first time Croatia travellers like me!
I’m planning a trip for my family of 5 from Australia (kids 15, 13 and 11). Late September/ early October.
We will be arriving from Venice (train or rental car). I thought we could travel via Slovenia (1 night), to Plitvice (1 night), to Split (3 nights), Brac (3 nights) and Dubrovnik (3 nights). I had planned to hire a car and also ferry to islands.
After looking at some of the tours to islands from Split, I wondered if we should just base on mainland (e.g Split) and do day trips from there? Or if staying on island, would you recommend Brac or Hvar? Where on the island should we stay? And are there any specific tours/ experiences you recommend? Sounds best to take hire car on ferry.
thank you!
Hey, glad the guides and articles help, we want to share our knowledge of our country so other people can enjoy it same as we do!
I will try to provide as much info as possible if you will have any other questions just ask.
From Venice you have an option if you dont want to visit Slovenia but rather Istria you can take a ferry to Pula or Rovinj:
Pula to Venice Day Trip with a Ferry, Car or Bus Guide
This way you could see Istria instead of Slovenia, I couldn't say no to either as Slovenia has its charm and also same for Istria. Istria is very popular for families and its oriented with its hotels and waterpark called istralandia, its popular for its truffles wine and olive oil, Is Istria Worth Visiting? 5 Reasons to Visit Istria, Croatia
If you visit Slovenia for the 1 night you are mentioning stay in Ljubljana and do a half day trip to Lake Bled, you can sightsee Ljubljana in half a day tbh but you could do it on the first day or second day. In Ljubljana going to the castle would most probably be interesting, on Lake bled you can rent a small boat to paddle around.
Lake Bled Day Trip from Ljubljana Guide
Ljubljana Slovenia, Top Things to do, Guide for day trip from Zagreb
On your way to Plitvice Lakes you could sightsee Zagreb as its on the way and sleep the night there and then visit the park, it takes about 5 hours to sightsee it and then stay in Zadar for a night if you want, as from there you can do a road trip to Island pag with sandy beaches or to Vir which also has a sandy beach, Vir is about 30 minutes away with a car from Zadar while Pag sandy beaches about hour and 20 minutes. Guide for Zadar Croatia ( Is it worth visiting?) you can ofcourse go directly for Split if easier.
Split is a great hub to sightsee near by towns or to go to Krka national Park, check these two for things to do: 16 Best Things to do in Split, Croatia 2025, BEST Islands to visit by ferry from Split Croatia (Guide to Island Hopping),
But since you are with kids cutting a day from Split to add to an island Brac or Hvar is beneficial, longer relaxing and from my childhood I know I enjoyed the islands more, due to better snorkeling experience. Split has beaches but they cannot compare to any island beach be it Hvar or Brac.
10 Best Beaches to visit in Dubrovnik
I would definitely recommend Brac and you can stay in Bol as most popular place and best beaches, we stayed in Pucisca plenty of times due to lower prices and if you have a car you can easily go where ever you want. Other island which kids would enjoy alot is Korcula, it has sandy beaches in Lumbarda and is great for exploring, wine tours, restaurants etc. You can do some day trips from Korcula to Mljet national Park, btw you can also do a day trip from Bol to Hvar with a ferry.
Korcula guide, an island not to miss in Croatia
Best Day Trips from Korcula with a boat
In Dubrovnik definitely do a day trip to Lopud, its easy to reach, 40 minutes with passenger ferry, no cars on the island and plenty of sandy beaches, with very shallow water, the kids will love that.
Lopud: How to spend one perfect day on this island (Great island to visit from Dubrovnik)
Where to stay when visiting Dubrovnik (8 Amazing areas)
Ultimate Dubrovnik guide for 2026 (Best overall, compiled)
I would definitely recommend staying on an island and adding an extra day to it actually :). Hvar is more popular for younger people, Brac and Korcula for families. Just know that there will be a small fee when you take a car on a ferry to an island but this is common same as fee for crossing a border. From Dubrovnik or towards it you could also take your rental car to Mostar to sightsee the town, try the local Cevapi, meat dish, very tasty and then stop to Kravica falls to cool off and for kids to have some time off.
Day Trip Dubrovnik to Mostar Guide (Car, Bus or Tour)
Kravica Waterfall day trip from Dubrovnik: A Complete Guide
There are really plenty of options so check what I have written and if you have any other questions just ask!
@croatiatraveltips thank you so much, that’s very helpful. Lots of great tips.
@travellingfamily always glad to help out! If you will have any other questions you know where to find us :). Croatia Travel guides