by Real Traveler Elena and Richard
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Zagreb and Plitvice Lakes

From Elena and Richard's European Adventure in Zagreb, Croatia on Jul 01 '07

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Zagreb
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Our first stop in Croatia was the capital city of Zagreb.

The hostel we stayed in was pretty painful. We had actually booked for an 8 bed dorm with private bathroom but due to a stuff up we got a 12 bed dorm with shared bathroom. That's a single shared bathroom for 12 people. The location was great and the staff were really nice, but it just didn't make up for the rest.

A must-see if you are ever in Croatia

There isn't too much to do in Zagreb during the day, but we wandered around and checked out a few of the "famous" churches in the city and organised our travels for the following day. Speaking of which...

Zagreb Cathedral
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The following day we headed off to Plitvice Lakes National Park, which is a series of lakes that flow into each other via waterfalls. The place is absolutely stunning: the water is blue and filled with fish, and the waterfalls range in height but are all magnificent. In fact, Plitvice is the home of the largest waterfall in Croatia. We ended up walking to the top from the bottom of the lakes (apart from short ferry ride that takes you part of the way) and then got the "train" (bus) back to the exit we needed. I'll let the photos do the talking for this place as describing it doesn't really do it justice. It's definitely a must see if you are ever in Croatia.

Plitvice National Park
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Joe S. on Jul. 13, 2009 @ 02:18AM said

We are planning to go from Zagreb to Zadar in September by way of the Plitvicke Lakes by car. What is the best way to do this without too much effort? What routes? How to see the lakes in a relatively short visit? How long should this trip take without arriving in Zadar too late to find a place to stay there? Or, should we consider staying at a place between the lakes and Zadar?

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Elena and Richard on Jul. 6, 2007 @ 12:40AM said

Hi Kenny, thanks for your message! We definitely recommend you visit Plitvice Lakes, it was one of the most beautiful places we saw in Croatia. We visited on a day trip from Zagreb, which was very easy. There are no trains to the lakes from Zagreb, but it is a 2 1/2 hr bus ride from the main Zagreb bus terminal, and buses run about once an hour. There are a lot of buses going back to Zagreb from the lakes as well. Many people visit Plitvice Lakes from Zagreb, so your hotel/hostel will be able to provide you with the bus timetables and direct you to the bus terminal (our hostel did this). One piece of advice though... decide which bus you will come back to Zagreb on before you leave, so you don't have to wait around at the bus stop at the lakes. We spent about 4 hours at the lakes and that was plenty. Hope that helps, have a great trip!

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kendo109 on Jul. 6, 2007 @ 12:40AM said

hi elena and richard :) my names kenny and i hope to be travelling to croatia in august with my friend mairi. We are desperate to see the plitvice lakes!! Heard so many nice things about that place, and as big scenery lovers we also enjoy the pictures you provided, so thanks! My main question is how easy is it to visit these lakes? we hope to be staying in zagreb as it's the best place we can find to stay. But on visiting these lakes i wonder if there are any tourist signs that are helpful in zagreb in order to get a coach to the lakes and back? or is public transport i.e buses or trains the best idea to get there? if so how long does that take? as we'd have to travel back to our hotel in zagreb. Anyway feel free to email me or reply on this i will try and remember to get back on this ha! thanks in advance :) kenny.

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Gillian and Katie on Jul. 6, 2007 @ 12:40AM said

My daughter and I are going to Croatia in September but will only have a week. What would your top picks be for that length of time? So far we're planning on Plitvice Lakes and Dubrovnik, maybe Split or one of the islands. I've also wished I could go to Ljubljana and Lake Bled. Any suggestions? Did you use only public transport or rent a car part of the time, and if you drove, how was it (roads, signs, etc.)? I envy you - you must be having a fabulous time!

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Elena and Richard on Jul. 6, 2007 @ 12:40AM said

Hi Gillian and Katie, Croatia is beautiful! If you have one week, definitely plan on visiting Plitvice Lakes (you only really need 1 day for this and can do it as a day trip from Zagreb), Dubrovnik (3 or 4 days), and Hvar (3 or 4 days), which is a beautiful island. We used public transport the entire time, which is mostly buses and ferries in Croatia. Unfortunately, if you choose the above places, they are all quite far apart so you will need to factor in transit time. You get to Hvar by ferry from Split so can spend a day there in transit too - its all you really need. Also, Ljubljana is only about 3 hours by train from Zagreb, and Bled is only 2 hours by bus from Ljubljana, so if you have time we would recommend visiting before you get to Croatia as they are both beautiful. Let us know if you need further info!

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kendo109 on Jul. 6, 2007 @ 12:40AM said

hi thanks a lot for replying, i shall be booking up asap now :) woo! thanks again, kenny.

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