I have a bike rented in Zagreb for the last 2 weeks of May, 2026. Bosnia is definitely on my radar. I will be travelling solo with no real plan. I enjoy meandering about avoiding tourist traps and meeting locals. Any suggestions are welcome. I have read through this thread and gotten some great info.
Croatia advice please
- Thread starter Doc
- Start date
Enter into Google: Top 10 things to see in Croatia. Enter the same, substituting Bosnia for Croatia.
Do not go to any of them.
Why? Those listed will be the places tourists go to.
As to avoiding meeting locals? Stay indoors.
But that's what you are.... A tourist . Get on with it.
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Maybe I had that worded wrong. I love meeting locals as they give you the best advise on roads, food, culture, etc. Traveled to Zagreb a few years ago from Ireland but circumstances didn’t allow me to go further. Looking forward to the next leg of travel!
Doc, if you are still thinking of going down to Croatia, based on my experience of having driven and ridden all the way there a number of times, if I were to do it again (when I do it next?), I'd pick a route that island hops as much as possible i one direction and go inland on the other. The Jadrolinija site is a good starting point ( https://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/travels ). On the bike, I was always able to get on the ferry even when the queue of cars was impossibly long - they squeeze us bikers in.
The coast road was slow the first time we did it and only became slower over the years as traffic increased. Much better on a bike than in the car, but still not much fun with all the traffic - especially when combined with some of the driving standards you'll encounter. To avoid the coast road we would use a combination of inland routes (e.g. the 1, the 62, among others) and then in later years, if in the car, the E65 as it was extended southwards. However, on the bike, I'd stay off the motorways and just enjoy the backroads. Those backroads are all still there...
In terms of places to stay while travelling in Croatia/Slovenia/Bosnia, we never booked anything, just looked out for interesting stops (sobe/zimmer/camera/rooms). But if you want to stay in the popular places, then booking might now be a good idea - it has become much more popular (and significantly pricier). If you are lucky, there will still be an accommodation kiosk in the town centre, at the harbour, by the bus station, which will act as an agent for the many folk offering a spare room...
In terms of places to see, once you've ticked off all the usual spots (e.g. Split, Sibenik, etc.) consider places like Korcula (both the town and island), which is a bit like a mini Dubrovnik (and was home to Marco Polo). From there, you can look back towards the mainland and up the hillside to the lookout point at the monastery, from where the Venetian spies would keep an eye on their neighbours. All steeped in history. Give yourself more than a week if you can...
Thanks for the info.
Planning underway for this year’s adventure
Appreciate possible time constraints but that's a long way to go to not ride the coast road between Senj/Karlobag/Starigrad-Paklenica. It's an incredible road, particularly south of Karlobag. Looks like you want to get to Plitvice. You could ride the road, come back up through Pag to the ferry at Zilgjen and then up to Gospic (then PLitvice) from Karlobag for the fantastic views of Pag Island just above Karlobag. I would include a short stop-off in Zadar old town as well.
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Many thanks for that information, we’ve updated our travel plans to go as far as Zadar and then cut back inland and up to Plitvice.Appreciate possible time constraints but that's a long way to go to not ride the coast road between Senj/Karlobag/Starigrad-Paklenica. It's an incredible road, particularly south of Karlobag. Looks like you want to get to Plitvice. You could ride the road, come back up through Pag to the ferry at Zilgjen and then up to Gospic (then PLitvice) from Karlobag for the fantastic views of Pag Island just above Karlobag. I would include a short stop-off in Zadar old town as well.
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Cheers
Rich.
Make sure to visit Marc Vidukas coffee shop in Zagreb
Just seen this pop up.
Here’s some ideas from a variety of friends of mine which I pulled together for a lass I know.
Not bike trip related necessarily, but might be of interest. A couple of the contributors are Serbian friends, who holiday there a lot:
Croatia
Ray Walton:
We took a sail-Croatia cruise Dubrovnik to split 7 nights, 5 islands and 5 swim spots, in early May……highly recommended.
Ksenja:
It is funny you are asking this now
I know this will sound crazy, but Serbia's pro-government media are advising people in Serbia not to go to Croatia, saying incredible anti-Croatia nonsense on national television! It's unbelievable!
So, I am very happy for this chance to promote Croatia!
Everyone should visit this beautiful country, especially Istra. I will send you my suggestions tomorrow.
Option 1: Istria
Istria is absolutely amazing peninsula in the northwest of Croatia, and it feels kind of like a mix of Italy and Croatia in the best way — rolling hills, stone towns, vineyards everywhere, and the stunning coast.
It is known for their white wine – Malvazija. I love it! It’s kind of light, citrusy and fresh – relly perfect summer wine. I liked malvazija at Damjanic winery (between Vrsar and Porec). Matosevic winery is well-known and it is near Rovinj, and Kozlovic is famous but a bit further away comparing to others. There are, of course many more wineries, I just mentioned a few whose wines I tried.
When it comes to food – the region is known for truffles, and seafood of course. They have homemade pasta – „pljukanci“ with truffles or wild asparagus. They even have pizza with truffles – it was good at pizza place „Jupiter“ in Pula. Truffles and seafood match perfectly with Malvazija
You should definitelly rent a car there and you can be based in one place and visit entire Istria by car. I was based in Pula (Airbnb – you can find a lot of options) – charming town with ancient Roman amphitheater „Pula Arena“ – sixth largest in the world by it’s size and one of the best preserved. You can walk inside and see the museum. Sometimes, there are concerts, movies, or theatre in the evenings there. You can also see „Temple of Augustus“ on the Forum (not worth going inside – my opinion). I had the best walnut icecream in Pula! Unfortuntelly i don’t remember the name of the restaurant – but it was right in the center square, on the Forum, so try and find it.
Very close to Pula is „Rt Kamenjak“ – „Cape Kamenjak“ (about half an hour drive). It is a small protected nature park with rocky coastline, pine forests, hidden coves and amazing turquoise sea. Entire Istria is not the best when it comes to beaches – there is no sand beaches there, beaches are pebble or rocky, but I love the waves smashing into the rocks. So, Cape Kamenjak is breathtaking. There is no big development and investments there – it’s dirt paths and cute „Safari Bar“ – mind that there are no waiters, you have to go to take your food and drinks. It is worth going for the sea views and some chill, relaxed time.
Rovinj is a beautiful town – about 45 min. drive from Pula. I had a great dinner there at a beautiful restaurant just above the sea – the waves acctually splashed sometimes very close so we could feel the water drops on our feetAgain, I don’t remember the name of the place, sorry. But you will see the tables by the water. Sunset was amazing in Rovinj and the entire town has this romantic flair with its colorful buildings and sea views. The old town is beautiful, you are going there up hill on the narrow cobblestone path and at the top you will find the church and the great view of the sea.
Fazana (20 min. drive from Pula) is a small fishermen’s town with good seafood and it is a starting point for a boat trip to the island Briuni known as the favourit Tito’s island. There are no cars there, only small electric vehicles you can rent, or bikes you can also rent, or you can just go by foot. So there is no noise or fumes there, and the nature is so beutiful! The beaches are with shallow water and you can find a lot of quite, not over-crowded areas. I just loved the vibe there. The only thing I didn’t like there is a zoo, I just don’t like the zoos. Tito (former president of Yugoslavia) used Brijuni as his summer residence and he turned part of the island into his personal exotic garden and mini safari park. World leaders and celebrities visited him there and many of them brought him gifts, including animals and exotic plants. So there are trees and plants from Africa, Asia and South America. The nature is amazing there! You also have a golf course there, if you like that sport. The club should be open in the summer. Oh, and there is also Tito’s museum there.
You can also visit Porec, Vrsar, Motovun (medieval town on the top of the hill), Umag, Savudrija (the oldest lighthouse in the Adriatic)
I think early June would be better for Istria as you will have less crowds and lower prices of accomodation, restaurants and wine tastings. Late June is also ok, but I would not go there in July – tourists ruin everything
Option 2: Split + Islands of Hvar and Brach
Split is a historic city known for Diocletian’s Palace, Cathedral of St. Dominius (you have a panoramic view of the city and cea from the bell tower), Riva Promenade and Bachvice beach – unlike rocky coast in Istria, this beach is sandy.
Trogir is UNESCO-listed town on a small island, 30 min from Split, and Salona (13 min from Split) is good place if you are interested in archeology and ancient Roman ruins.
If you go to Split you can visit nearby islands Hvar and Brač – take a ferry and spend a day or a nigth or few.
Hvar (about 2 hours by ferry) – it is known for it’s nightlife and parties, but there are also peaceful spots. You have beutiful old town there, Venetian architecture, hilltop fortress and turquoise coves. The main square (Pjaca) is known as one of the most beutiful in Dalmatia. Pakleni islands are worth visiting. Most beaches on Hvar are pebble, rocky or flat stone that is tipical for Dalmatian coast.
Brač (about 1 hours by ferry) – more peaceful than Hvar and beutiful nature there. You can visit „Bol“ a small town on the south of the island. „Zlatni rat“ – „Golden Horn“) beach is beutiful pebble beach and just 5 min. from Bol. This beach changes shape depending on tide and wind. In peak season it can be crowded. Brač is known for their olive growing, so you should try their local olive oil and olives.
July can be too crowded for this option – but maybe you don’t mind that. I will always recommend June for going to the sea.
Option 3: Lastovo island and Kornati islands
My friend visited this islands and they are on my to-visit list, but she is so amazed by it that I will add to this recommendation.
Lastovo archipelago is a nature park with pine forests, hidden coves and almost no mass tourism. The sky at night is absolutely amazing as there is minimal light pollution – she has never and nowhere seen so many stars. There is a village there with a Venetian architecture and very small with about 300 residents. She was camping, but there is a hotel Solitudo with a restaurant and small goat farm. Other villages offer Airbnb.
This option is a bit whild, something like an authentic islad escape – no beach clubs but amazing nature, local food and bunch of stars.
Kornati islands is another archipelago of around 140 islands, off the coast of Zadar and Šibenik. Korneti are national park and known for dramatic cliffs, strange moon-like landscapes and turquise sea. The islands are not inhabited, there are no cars, no roads, no hotels – it is just nature with few fisherman houses and taverns in season. You can visit the islands by a boat – with an organized tour from Murter, Zadar or Šibenik or renting a boat. Beaches are pebble and there are a lot of hidden coves.
Mind that Lastovo and Kornati are not close to eachother so those are two separate options. I am mentioning them together because they are both wild options for enjoying nature and for escaping crowds. You can go there in June or even July and enjoy the piece and quiet.
Darija:
Aww It's typical, every year anti Croatian marketing. I would agree with Ksenija on Istra (that's where Serbs likes to go in Croatia, and locals are mostly Italian). I would go to Korčula and Hvar, Mali Lošinj. I would totally avoid Dubrovnik in summer, or if you are going take Arbnb to cook your own meal as, believe or not, I didn't taste any good food there yet tried from local to touristic restaurants. I find Croatian coast top 1 even comparing to Italy, Spain and Greece. Oh yes, Šibenik is amazing.
Here’s some ideas from a variety of friends of mine which I pulled together for a lass I know.
Not bike trip related necessarily, but might be of interest. A couple of the contributors are Serbian friends, who holiday there a lot:
Croatia
Ray Walton:
We took a sail-Croatia cruise Dubrovnik to split 7 nights, 5 islands and 5 swim spots, in early May……highly recommended.
Ksenja:
It is funny you are asking this now
I know this will sound crazy, but Serbia's pro-government media are advising people in Serbia not to go to Croatia, saying incredible anti-Croatia nonsense on national television! It's unbelievable!
So, I am very happy for this chance to promote Croatia!
Everyone should visit this beautiful country, especially Istra. I will send you my suggestions tomorrow.
Option 1: Istria
Istria is absolutely amazing peninsula in the northwest of Croatia, and it feels kind of like a mix of Italy and Croatia in the best way — rolling hills, stone towns, vineyards everywhere, and the stunning coast.
It is known for their white wine – Malvazija. I love it! It’s kind of light, citrusy and fresh – relly perfect summer wine. I liked malvazija at Damjanic winery (between Vrsar and Porec). Matosevic winery is well-known and it is near Rovinj, and Kozlovic is famous but a bit further away comparing to others. There are, of course many more wineries, I just mentioned a few whose wines I tried.
When it comes to food – the region is known for truffles, and seafood of course. They have homemade pasta – „pljukanci“ with truffles or wild asparagus. They even have pizza with truffles – it was good at pizza place „Jupiter“ in Pula. Truffles and seafood match perfectly with Malvazija
You should definitelly rent a car there and you can be based in one place and visit entire Istria by car. I was based in Pula (Airbnb – you can find a lot of options) – charming town with ancient Roman amphitheater „Pula Arena“ – sixth largest in the world by it’s size and one of the best preserved. You can walk inside and see the museum. Sometimes, there are concerts, movies, or theatre in the evenings there. You can also see „Temple of Augustus“ on the Forum (not worth going inside – my opinion). I had the best walnut icecream in Pula! Unfortuntelly i don’t remember the name of the restaurant – but it was right in the center square, on the Forum, so try and find it.
Very close to Pula is „Rt Kamenjak“ – „Cape Kamenjak“ (about half an hour drive). It is a small protected nature park with rocky coastline, pine forests, hidden coves and amazing turquoise sea. Entire Istria is not the best when it comes to beaches – there is no sand beaches there, beaches are pebble or rocky, but I love the waves smashing into the rocks. So, Cape Kamenjak is breathtaking. There is no big development and investments there – it’s dirt paths and cute „Safari Bar“ – mind that there are no waiters, you have to go to take your food and drinks. It is worth going for the sea views and some chill, relaxed time.
Rovinj is a beautiful town – about 45 min. drive from Pula. I had a great dinner there at a beautiful restaurant just above the sea – the waves acctually splashed sometimes very close so we could feel the water drops on our feet
Again, I don’t remember the name of the place, sorry. But you will see the tables by the water. Sunset was amazing in Rovinj and the entire town has this romantic flair with its colorful buildings and sea views. The old town is beautiful, you are going there up hill on the narrow cobblestone path and at the top you will find the church and the great view of the sea.Fazana (20 min. drive from Pula) is a small fishermen’s town with good seafood and it is a starting point for a boat trip to the island Briuni known as the favourit Tito’s island. There are no cars there, only small electric vehicles you can rent, or bikes you can also rent, or you can just go by foot. So there is no noise or fumes there, and the nature is so beutiful! The beaches are with shallow water and you can find a lot of quite, not over-crowded areas. I just loved the vibe there. The only thing I didn’t like there is a zoo, I just don’t like the zoos. Tito (former president of Yugoslavia) used Brijuni as his summer residence and he turned part of the island into his personal exotic garden and mini safari park. World leaders and celebrities visited him there and many of them brought him gifts, including animals and exotic plants. So there are trees and plants from Africa, Asia and South America. The nature is amazing there! You also have a golf course there, if you like that sport. The club should be open in the summer. Oh, and there is also Tito’s museum there.
You can also visit Porec, Vrsar, Motovun (medieval town on the top of the hill), Umag, Savudrija (the oldest lighthouse in the Adriatic)
I think early June would be better for Istria as you will have less crowds and lower prices of accomodation, restaurants and wine tastings. Late June is also ok, but I would not go there in July – tourists ruin everything
Option 2: Split + Islands of Hvar and Brach
Split is a historic city known for Diocletian’s Palace, Cathedral of St. Dominius (you have a panoramic view of the city and cea from the bell tower), Riva Promenade and Bachvice beach – unlike rocky coast in Istria, this beach is sandy.
Trogir is UNESCO-listed town on a small island, 30 min from Split, and Salona (13 min from Split) is good place if you are interested in archeology and ancient Roman ruins.
If you go to Split you can visit nearby islands Hvar and Brač – take a ferry and spend a day or a nigth or few.
Hvar (about 2 hours by ferry) – it is known for it’s nightlife and parties, but there are also peaceful spots. You have beutiful old town there, Venetian architecture, hilltop fortress and turquoise coves. The main square (Pjaca) is known as one of the most beutiful in Dalmatia. Pakleni islands are worth visiting. Most beaches on Hvar are pebble, rocky or flat stone that is tipical for Dalmatian coast.
Brač (about 1 hours by ferry) – more peaceful than Hvar and beutiful nature there. You can visit „Bol“ a small town on the south of the island. „Zlatni rat“ – „Golden Horn“) beach is beutiful pebble beach and just 5 min. from Bol. This beach changes shape depending on tide and wind. In peak season it can be crowded. Brač is known for their olive growing, so you should try their local olive oil and olives.
July can be too crowded for this option – but maybe you don’t mind that. I will always recommend June for going to the sea.
Option 3: Lastovo island and Kornati islands
My friend visited this islands and they are on my to-visit list, but she is so amazed by it that I will add to this recommendation.
Lastovo archipelago is a nature park with pine forests, hidden coves and almost no mass tourism. The sky at night is absolutely amazing as there is minimal light pollution – she has never and nowhere seen so many stars. There is a village there with a Venetian architecture and very small with about 300 residents. She was camping, but there is a hotel Solitudo with a restaurant and small goat farm. Other villages offer Airbnb.
This option is a bit whild, something like an authentic islad escape – no beach clubs but amazing nature, local food and bunch of stars.
Kornati islands is another archipelago of around 140 islands, off the coast of Zadar and Šibenik. Korneti are national park and known for dramatic cliffs, strange moon-like landscapes and turquise sea. The islands are not inhabited, there are no cars, no roads, no hotels – it is just nature with few fisherman houses and taverns in season. You can visit the islands by a boat – with an organized tour from Murter, Zadar or Šibenik or renting a boat. Beaches are pebble and there are a lot of hidden coves.
Mind that Lastovo and Kornati are not close to eachother so those are two separate options. I am mentioning them together because they are both wild options for enjoying nature and for escaping crowds. You can go there in June or even July and enjoy the piece and quiet.
Darija:
Aww It's typical, every year anti Croatian marketing. I would agree with Ksenija on Istra (that's where Serbs likes to go in Croatia, and locals are mostly Italian). I would go to Korčula and Hvar, Mali Lošinj. I would totally avoid Dubrovnik in summer, or if you are going take Arbnb to cook your own meal as, believe or not, I didn't taste any good food there yet tried from local to touristic restaurants. I find Croatian coast top 1 even comparing to Italy, Spain and Greece. Oh yes, Šibenik is amazing.
Ksenija and Darija are both lovely redheads, if that makes any difference at all 
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