Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
double room that includes breakfast). Students and tightwads can eat and sleep for as little
as $50 a day ($30 per hostel bed, $20 for groceries and snacks).
Sightseeing and Entertainment:
Sightseeingischeaphere.Figureabout$3-6permajor
sight (museums), and $10-25 for splurge experiences (e.g., watching the
Moreška
sword
dance in Kor
č
ula, or seeing Slovenia's Lipizzaner stallions). You can hire your own private
guide for three or four hours for about $100-150—a good value when divided among two
or more people. An overall average of $20 a day works for most people. Don't skimp here.
After all, this category is the driving force behind your trip—you came to sightsee, enjoy,
and experience Croatia and Slovenia. Fortunately for you, the region's best attractions—the
sea, mountains, and sunshine—are free.
Shopping and Miscellany:
Figure $2-3 per postcard, coffee, beer, and ice-cream cone.
Shopping can vary in cost from nearly nothing to a small fortune. Good budget travelers
find that this category has little to do with assembling a trip full of lifelong and wonderful
memories.
Tourist traffic in this part of Europe (especially the coastal towns) is extremely seasonal.
The peak season hits suddenly and floods the towns like a tidal wave, only to recede a
couple months later—leaving empty streets and dazed locals. In general, the tourist season
runs roughly from mid-May through early October, reaching a peak in early August. (If
you're staying in bigger cities or landlocked towns, the seasonal influence is much less pro-
nounced.)
Peak Season:
July and especially August are peak season, when just about everything is
likely to be open very long hours daily (with occasional closures for a midafternoon siesta).
It's also the busiest time of year—boats, buses, and budget accommodations are packed to
the gills. Visiting Croatia in July or August is like spending spring break in Florida—fun,
but miserably crowded and hot. Hotels charge top dollar, and you'll miss out on the “undis-
covered” quality that pervades most of the region the rest of the year.
Shoulder Season:
Early May through June and September through early October are
shoulder seasons. Within these time spans, late June and early September are nearly as
crowded as peak season, but the rush subsides substantially in May and October; by the
second week of October, restaurants are already starting to close down for the winter.
Shoulder season is my favorite time to visit—I enjoy the smaller crowds, milder weather,
and less-frenzied locals.
Off-Season:
Mid-October through early May is dead as a doornail. Many small coastal
townsclosedownentirely,withonlyonehotelandonerestaurantremainingopenduringthe
lean winter months; many residents move to the interior to hibernate. Anything that's open
keepsverylimitedhours(weekdaymorningsonly).Theweathercanbecoolanddreary,and
