Driving down to Croatia 2020

Bobtaylor

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Hi all,
we are planning our 1st extended trip onto the continent in June this year, and quite fancy heading to Croatia.
We’ve travelled the continent numerous times, for 2-3weeks, mainly France, Germany and Spain, but this time plan on taking 7 weeks to drive down through France, Germany,Austria, Slovenia and into Croatia, then possibly a ferry over to Italy and slowly make our way back up to Calais.
I know we need a new Crit’air for France for some Cities, (getting a new motorhome before we go), and I know we need some sort of pass for Austria and Switzerland if we visit,, but don’t know how to get one, and don’t know if we need passes for anywhere else, please advise,

I’ve also read some members have been to Croatia, what’s it like,,,,,Safe ? Able to wild camp ? Prices for fuel/ food/ sites etc..
many Thanks,
Bob..
 
Went to Slovenia and Croatia April/May 2019. Liked Croatia, but loved Slovenia. If you use Slovenian motorways (which are hard to avoid) you need their vignette. €15 for 7 days or €30 for a calendar month. There were some aires and useable parkups in Slovenia, but not many in Croatia. Wildcamping is illegal in both countries, but Croatia is more of a problem than Slovenia.
 
Went to Slovenia and Croatia April/May 2019. Liked Croatia, but loved Slovenia. If you use Slovenian motorways (which are hard to avoid) you need their vignette. €15 for 7 days or €30 for a calendar month. There were some aires and useable parkups in Slovenia, but not many in Croatia. Wildcamping is illegal in both countries, but Croatia is more of a problem than Slovenia.
Many thanks for that Biggarmac,
how do you purchase the Vignette, and is there an Aires book available for the area, we have them for France.
bob..
 
Park4night is better, IMO.
Believe fines high for wilding in Croatia, we only did it one night as no campsite open nearby, and it was not in season. The coastal areas of Croatia will be rammed by June. They have been experiencing an extended season. And there are a LOT of German populated and nudist campsites ... be careful which ones you book!
We came through Switzerland on the way to Greece ... we are over 3.5ton, so picked up the paper for 10 days ... really easy at the border.
 
Sadly there are only a handful of sites inland in Croatia...tourism seems only to have taken off along the coast, in Cities and National Parks. The coast is nice, but we found the preponderance of big sites packed largely with Germans not to our liking. Some of the little sites inland in Istria are nice and relaxed.

If you like walking you’ll find the opportunities limited, I guess there isn’t a great tradition of hiking in Croatia...possibly still some dodgy ironmongery in the ground hasn’t encouraged it. There are some nice walks in the National Parks, but few in number and cost a lot to get in.

We made an early return to Slovenia, beautiful country.
 
Calais to Northern Italy.
So many routes via eastern France and then the Moselle you are spoilt for choice !
However in 2016 we travelled from Venice to Gschnitz in Southern Austria then via the Brenner pass and the Fernpass to Memmingen


Avoiding
  • Tolls in Italy
  • The Europabrucke Charge
  • The Austrian vignette
(thanks to TomTom set to no tolls)

Delightful camping in Falze (Orchard)
South of San Martino was a good Sosta High in the Mountains)
Did not like Chiusa expensive .and really just a carpark
Gschnitz was brilliant there for 3 nights an a great museum and masses of walking (Cows a bit Noisy !)
Easy drive over the Fernpass in a day to Prfonten which was OK plus Many other Stellplatz near
Traffic on the Fernpass was very bad on a Saturday !
Then to Memmingen ! Which is a treasure with a stellplatz and a 1 km walk to the old town (our 2nd visit)

None of the passes were difficult...not narrow just twisty and occasionally steep but not very steep.
Apart from the Fernpass traffic OK to Good
Other routes from Innsbruck (Eg Oberammergau)
 
Many thanks for that Biggarmac,
how do you purchase the Vignette, and is there an Aires book available for the area, we have them for France.
bob..
You can buy the vignette at the border if you go into Slovenia on a motorway. You can also buy them at fuel stations. Park4night app is good for getting parkups in Slovenia and Croatia, but not all the places are legal. I had no bother out of season, but not many sites were open. Some sites on the Croatian coast are well over 1000 pitches. Enjoy
 
Avoiding - Tolls in Italy

We were in Italy a few years ago and thought the toll roads were actually worth using. Tolls were a lot cheaper than France, the quality of the toll roads was significantly better than the non-toll roads which were pretty poor in a lot of places, and the saving on fuel by not having the stop/start of junctions and roundabouts compensated for the cost.
 
We were in Italy a few years ago and thought the toll roads were actually worth using. Tolls were a lot cheaper than France, the quality of the toll roads was significantly better than the non-toll roads which were pretty poor in a lot of places, and the saving on fuel by not having the stop/start of junctions and roundabouts compensated for the cost.
Yes in general ...We used toll roads a lot...The area north of Venice is OK to NOT use toll roads most of the time
 
When in Croatia don't miss the Plitvice Lakes and National Park, there is a car park specifically for motorhomes, not sure of parking charges as I was on a motorbike.

Allow a whole day and start early by catching the bus from station 2 to the top of the falls and walk down, it really is a magical place.
 
Further to my last post, I don't recollect seeing any campsites along the coast. I stayed in self contained apartments, mainly part of a large house, all had very large parking areas and cost less than £20 per night, all had showers, good beds and well equipped kitchens. My thoughts would be to use these and their facilities and just park the motorhome up, probably as cheap as a site and using the apartments facilities.

The Croatian coastline is fantastic.
 
When in Croatia don't miss the Plitvice Lakes and National Park, there is a car park specifically for motorhomes, not sure of parking charges as I was on a motorbike.

Allow a whole day and start early by catching the bus from station 2 to the top of the falls and walk down, it really is a magical place.

Yes indeed..Top Post...I have been there MAGIC
 
The Kirka National Park is also good. There is a private motorhome site just before the car park for the NP on the road from Sibenik. Autocamp nine, Lozovac. Plenty of parking for motorhomes during the day in the NP carpark. Entry fee includes bus down to the lakes and, most importantly back up. You can take dogs on the bus.
 
Hi all,
we are planning our 1st extended trip onto the continent in June this year, and quite fancy heading to Croatia.
We’ve travelled the continent numerous times, for 2-3weeks, mainly France, Germany and Spain, but this time plan on taking 7 weeks to drive down through France, Germany,Austria, Slovenia and into Croatia, then possibly a ferry over to Italy and slowly make our way back up to Calais.
I know we need a new Crit’air for France for some Cities, (getting a new motorhome before we go), and I know we need some sort of pass for Austria and Switzerland if we visit,, but don’t know how to get one, and don’t know if we need passes for anywhere else, please advise,

I’ve also read some members have been to Croatia, what’s it like,,,,,Safe ? Able to wild camp ? Prices for fuel/ food/ sites etc..
many Thanks,
Bob..
 
Me to heading that way departing UK around 27 May any useful stops on the way through Germany and Austria , welcome you never know our paths may cross, have a safe trip.
 
Me to heading that way departing UK around 27 May any useful stops on the way through Germany and Austria , welcome you never know our paths may cross, have a safe trip.
That sounds like a good plan to me,
still haven’t devised a route yet, or a definite plan, but defo heading to Croatia and maybe getting the ferry over to Italy from there
best part of doing what we do.....take each day as it comes.
 
Last autumn we went to Croatia travelling via Germany, Austria, Hungary, returning through Slovenia and Italy.
We didn't find anywhere suitable to wild camp and didn't see anyone else. We stopped at Mini camps which are half way between aires and camp sites. The prices were between 12and 22 euros, though we did find a car park in Primosten where it was about 7euros for a night.
Although the currency is Kuna, most of the mini camps preferred to be paid in Euros. Shops and Petrol stations all took Visa cards. Ferry tickets could be paid in either currency. Food was slightly cheaper than UK, not as much choice on the meat counter. Diesel was a bit less than UK.

In Slovenia there were a few free Aires, we bought a vignette from a petrol station for 15 euros, difficult to avoid toll roads in some areas so worth buying. We also bought a vignette for Austria from a petrol station.

We used camperstop Europe for overnight stops, if you don't want buy the book it is possible to pay for the app.
We were there in October the temperature was in low twenties. Most motorhomes were German, we only saw three other British vans..
 
When you say wildcamping is illegal is overnight parking and sleeping classed as camping in these countries
 
Hi all,
we are planning our 1st extended trip onto the continent in June this year, and quite fancy heading to Croatia.
We’ve travelled the continent numerous times, for 2-3weeks, mainly France, Germany and Spain, but this time plan on taking 7 weeks to drive down through France, Germany,Austria, Slovenia and into Croatia, then possibly a ferry over to Italy and slowly make our way back up to Calais.
I know we need a new Crit’air for France for some Cities, (getting a new motorhome before we go), and I know we need some sort of pass for Austria and Switzerland if we visit,, but don’t know how to get one, and don’t know if we need passes for anywhere else, please advise,

I’ve also read some members have been to Croatia, what’s it like,,,,,Safe ? Able to wild camp ? Prices for fuel/ food/ sites etc..
many Thanks,
Bob..
We’re there last September. Google gets you all the info you need re motorway vignettes.
Plenty of opportunities for wild or cheap overnights.... park4night is our bible.
Sites cost around the same as UK (used for doing the washing).
Fuel not expensive, food relatively cheap.
People friendly and cooperative though English not widely spoken.”
 

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