Family road trip in the Balkans for 16/17 nights
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IC
Hi there, I’m planning a family road trip (with young kids) next August in Montenegro, Bosnia, and Dubrovnik. Not sure if it’s doable to combine all three in 16/17 nights. Here’s my first draft itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival in Dubrovnik. Head to Mostar (Blagaj village, Kravica waterfalls, Počitelj) in Bosnia. 3 nights. 2h35 drive Day 4: Head to Sarajevo (city), stopping by Jablanica Lake for 2 nights. 2h00 drive. Unsure if we should go all the way to the capital. Day 6: Head to Durmitor National Park (Zabljak) for 3 nights (hike, Durmitor Ring, Tara Canyon, Black Lake). 4h00 drive (anything worth seeing along the way?) Day 9: Head to the Bay of Kotor (between Kotor and Budva) for 4 nights. 3h00 drive. Day 13: Morning departure for Mljet Island (Croatia) for 3 nights. 5h00 drive (via Trebinje in Bosnia). Day 16: Head back to Dubrovnik (city + Lokrum Island) for 1/2 nights. Day 17/18: Return flight

What do you think?
BA Barneyg Regular ·
I think it’s generally fine—this is a good length for the itinerary. You could do it in reverse (Montenegro first, then Mostar-Mljet later), but your day 13 might end up being pretty long.

If you stick with the clockwise route, I’d move Trebinje to day 1. That way, you’ll avoid crossing through Bosnia when going from Kotor to Mljet (two border crossings). Trebinje has an interesting church and an old bridge.

For Sarajevo, I think it depends on your interests. We didn’t make it past Mostar due to time constraints. Actually, we ended up spending more time at the beach in Korčula.
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
I prefer sticking with this route because, for example, we can enjoy the beaches on Mljet.

I’m torn about Sarajevo—not because I don’t want to visit the capital, but it would free up two nights: one to add to Kotor and the other at the end of the trip if we’re only going for 16 nights (or in Mostar and do a day trip to Sarajevo instead? Though that seems far).
BA Barneyg Regular ·
For Mljet, I don’t get the argument—you’re going there in both options. But it seems more efficient to do Mostar-Mljet rather than Kotor-Mljet, which will take longer since the ferry is on Pelješac. DBV Airport is almost halfway between Dubrovnik and the Montenegrin border, so it’d also be quicker to head to Kotor right after arrival, then finish with Mljet and Dubrovnik, instead of going back up to Mostar.

Sarajevo is a totally valid concern. For us, we know we’ll go back, so it’s no big deal if we missed it this time…
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
So actually, the best would be to start with Montenegro, right? Why not. What makes me hesitate is that we’d spend the most time there, and it lets us settle in at the end of the trip.

Can you do Sarajevo as a day trip from Mostar?
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
Hello,

Do you have any car rental companies to recommend for this road trip (with border crossings)?

Otherwise, I’ve adjusted the itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival in Dubrovnik. Head to Mostar via Trebinje (village of Blagaj, Kravica waterfalls, Počitelj + day trip to Sarajevo via Lake Jablanica?) in Bosnia. 4 nights. 2h35 drive Day 5: Head to Durmitor National Park (Zabljak) (a hike, Durmitor Ring, Tara Canyon, Black Lake) for 3 nights. 4h00 drive (anything to see along the way?) Day 8: Head to the Bay of Kotor (between Kotor and Budva) for 5 nights. 3h00 drive. Day 13: Morning departure for Mljet Island (Croatia) for 3 nights. 3h30 drive (+ ferry at Prapratno). Day 16: Depart for Dubrovnik at 1h00 (city + Lokrum Island) for 1/2 nights. Day 17/18: Return flight

Thanks,
BA Barneyg Regular ·
All car rental companies in Dubrovnik will allow border crossings for an extra fee (let’s say 30 €). There’ll also be an additional charge for ferries. There are plenty of rental companies—you’ll need to find one with good prices considering the insurance (Carigami explains it well) and a booking platform with enough reviews to weed out the ones with a bad reputation.

To cut down on driving time, I’d suggest: Day 1: Arrive in DBV and drive to Kotor (1h35 + border crossing). The road that circles the entire bay (via Risan and Perast) is stunning—don’t miss Perast. 5 nights. Day 6: Kotor-Zabljak via the Serpentine Road and Ostrog Monastery (3h00). 3 nights. Day 9: Zabljak-Mostar (3h45-5h00 depending on the route—don’t underestimate the time needed for this leg, as the road isn’t direct). 4 nights. Day 13: Mostar-Mljet via the Pelješac Bridge (1h35 driving + border + ferry). 3 nights. Day 16: Mljet-Dubrovnik (1h00 + ferry)

Compared to your itinerary, this saves you 3 hours of driving, and you get beach/relaxation stops at the start and end (Montenegrin coast and Mljet). Either way, I’m sure you’ll have a great time.
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
I’ll look into this suggestion—I’m not set on anything. Either way, there’ll definitely be a transition day: either Kotor/Mljet or Mostar/Zabljak.

The idea is to settle in for a good while at the end of the trip. We’ll also see if we can go to Sarajevo from Mostar. If it’s a long drive for not much payoff, we’ll skip it to add an extra night at the end (Mljet or Dubrovnik).

For the car rental, any particular company you’d recommend? We have a Gold card, so we don’t need the rental company’s insurance.
BA Barneyg Regular ·
I think with young kids, you're right to lighten the overall itinerary—you didn’t seem convinced about Sarajevo in the first place, and it’s quite a few extra kilometers. A full day at Kravica will be great with the kids. No matter where you are (except maybe Mljet), you’ll still have the chance to go for a walk if needed.

For the rental, just find a company with a good reputation (the issues in bad reviews are often insurance-related) and get a package without insurance. Then the main thing to check on-site is that the car provided doesn’t exceed your Mastercard insurance’s price limit (usually around 50,000 €). That’s been an issue for me in the past when they offered upgrades.
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
I think with young kids, you're right to lighten the overall itinerary. You don't seem convinced about Sarajevo to begin with—it's quite a few more kilometers.

It would be great to do it, but with a French-speaking guide, I think.

Otherwise, is it easy to get to Dubrovnik from the airport (with kids)? I assume you don’t need a car there... Because in that case, we’d reduce the number of rental car days, go to Mljet by catamaran from Dubrovnik, and rent bikes there (the island’s pretty flat if I’m not mistaken). Is 3 nights enough, or should we stay longer?
BA Barneyg Regular ·
We visited Korčula and several islands further north but not Mljet. It’s more natural, so 3 days are probably enough.

The airport is still quite a distance to the south, and there are buses and taxis, of course. Whether this option makes sense depends on how you travel and how much luggage you’ll have. An alternative would be to stay in Cavtat’s old town, which is very close to the airport and has small boats (let’s say 20-25 passengers) that shuttle to Dubrovnik’s old port all day. In 2017, we stayed in Srebreno/Mlini (a small resort halfway there) and did just that for our day in Dubrovnik itself.
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
Hi,

I’ve seen some interesting connections with Croatia Airlines, but with a 35-minute layover on the way to Zagreb. Is that doable? Departure at 9:00 AM from Brussels.

For Dubrovnik, is it not recommended to sleep there? Is a day trip enough? If so, maybe spend the end of the stay on Mljet and go to Dubrovnik by catamaran...
BA Barneyg Regular ·
I’ve already flown into ZAG but never had a connection there. 35 minutes is tight anywhere. If it’s early in the day, they might put you on the next flight if you miss the connection, but it doesn’t seem ideal.

For Dubrovnik, I think you need to be there before and after the tourist crowds to really enjoy the city. You could check catamaran schedules to see if that works for you—it’ll definitely reduce your flexibility, though. With kids, if you take a 6 AM boat, you’ll have a few pleasant hours for the walls and the city before everyone arrives, but if by 2 PM everyone’s cranky and you have to wait until 7 PM for the boat, it won’t be great.

Is there a reason for choosing Mljet? For a strategy like that, you’d have way more options from Korčula, even if the trip is longer.
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
Why Mljet? Because it's closer and we love hiking. I admit I haven’t looked into Korčula yet...

The flight is at 9:00 AM from Brussels, so for the connection, it’s still a morning flight. I figure Croatia Airlines wouldn’t offer this option if it weren’t doable... And apparently, Zagreb Airport isn’t very big, so if there’s no delay, it’ll be fine, and if there’s a small delay, they’ll hold the second flight, and if there’s a big delay, we’ll take the next flight at 2:45 PM (instead of 11:25 AM) and get the delay compensation ^^

Leaving at 6:00 AM to catch the boat with kids seems really complicated... Unfortunately, I’m afraid we’ll have to visit Dubrovnik at the same time as everyone else...
BA Barneyg Regular ·
What I actually meant to say is that if you want to visit Dubrovnik on a round trip from Mljet, you’ll probably have to leave at 6 AM because there aren’t many connections (unlike Korčula). On the other hand, if you’re staying in Dubrovnik or somewhere reasonably close (Zaton, Mlini, etc.), you can do 9 AM–1 PM one day and 4 PM–8 PM another day and explore a much more pleasant city than the one in the middle of the afternoon. This is also true for Kotor and Mostar, by the way.
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
Hi, Does this itinerary work for you? Day 1 - Flight to Brussels at 09:10. Arrival in Dubrovnik at 12:25. Pick up the car. Head to the bay of Kotor in Montenegro, passing through the village of Trebinje. • 5 Nights Day 6 – Head to Durmitor Park (Žabljak?) • Activities: Ostrog Monastery + Black Lake on arrival, Durmitor Ring + Tara Canyon + Hiking • 3 Nights Day 9 – Head to Bosnia (Mostar). 6 hours drive. • Activities: (on the way) Stop in Sarajevo (4 hours away), visit the city of Mostar, Kravica Waterfalls (1 hour away) + village of Počitelj (30 min from the waterfalls) • 3 Nights Day 12 – Return to Croatia, heading to the island of Korčula via the Pelješac Bridge. Ferry from Orebić with the car (20-minute crossing – 2h15 drive) • Activities: (on the way) Village of Blagaj (30 min from Mostar) + day exploring Korčula • 2 Nights Day 14 – Head to the island of Mljet by ferry, passing through Orebić. • Activities: Hiking + beach + Catamaran excursion to Dubrovnik + Lokrum Island? • 4 Nights Day 18 – Head to the airport. Flight at 12:00 or 16:00 (visit Ston Walls while waiting) TOTAL = 17 nights
BA Barneyg Regular ·
I think overall it’s better this way—you won’t pass the same place twice.

Day 1: The detour via Trebinje really adds a lot of time. DBV (airport) to Kotor is 1h25 + 1 border crossing. DBV-Trebinje-Kotor is 2h20 + 2 border crossings. There are a few things to see in Trebinje, but your time would be better spent heading straight to Montenegro and stopping in Perast (and maybe Herceg Novi and Risan if you’re staying very close to Kotor and can return to Perast another day). Especially if your flight is delayed and/or you’re waiting a long time for the rental car.

Days 9-12: Sarajevo without staying overnight—I’m not sure about that. There’s a lot to see, and the drive before and after will be long. I suppose one night in Sarajevo is doable. Overall, for visiting Blagaj/Pocitelj/Kravica, you can decide what seems most efficient. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I would’ve done the last two as stops on the way to the coast since they’re relatively close to the border.

On Korčula, the village of Lumbarda is nice (and the town of Korčula too), as well as Pupnatska Luka beach and the scenic coastal road around it (spectacular in parts). By late July, there are figs everywhere.

Day 14+: I promise I won’t nag you about this anymore after this :) but double-check the catamaran schedules before booking your accommodations to see if a day trip to Dubrovnik is reasonable. It seems the only round-trip with a decent amount of time in Dubrovnik is leaving Sobra at 6 AM and returning from Dubrovnik either at 2 PM or 7 PM.

If you want to go to Lokrum, staying in Mljet won’t be practical since the only way to get there is from Dubrovnik, Mlini, or Cavtat. I don’t think you’ll need to go after spending a few days in Mljet and Korčula just before.

IC Ichijooo Regular ·
I think overall it’s better this way—you won’t pass the same place twice.

Day 1: The detour via Trebinje really adds time. DBV (airport) to Kotor is 1h25 + 1 border crossing. DBV-Trebinje-Kotor is 2h20 + 2 border crossings. There are a few things to see in Trebinje, but your time would be better spent heading straight to Montenegro and stopping in Perast (and maybe Herceg Novi and Risan if you’re staying very close to Kotor and can return to Perast another day). Especially if your flight is delayed and/or you’re waiting a while for the rental car.

So Trebinje isn’t worth the detour if I understand correctly? In that case, arriving at 12:30 PM (but we’ll need to eat!), we’d do Herceg Novi and Perast on the way.

Days 9–12: Sarajevo without staying overnight—I’m not sure. There’s a lot to see, and the drive before and after will be long. I suppose one night in Sarajevo is doable. Generally, for visiting Blagaj/Pocitelj/Kravica, you can decide what seems most efficient. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I’d have done the last two as stops on the way to the coast since they’re relatively close to the border.

In that case, we could stop in Blagaj on the way between Žabljak and Mostar. Also, in Mostar, can we sleep outside the city? The idea is maybe to find a place with a pool to cool off...

On Korčula, the village of Lumbarda is nice (and the town of Korčula too), as well as Pupnatska Luka beach and the coastal road around it (spectacular in parts). From late July, there are figs everywhere. Days 14+: I promise I won’t nag you about this again :) but double-check catamaran schedules before booking accommodations to see if a day trip to Dubrovnik is realistic. It seems the only round-trip with a reasonable amount of time in Dubrovnik is leaving Sobra at 6 AM and returning from Dubrovnik either at 2 PM or 7 PM.

If you want to go to Lokrum, staying on Mljet won’t be practical since the only way to get there is from Dubrovnik, Mlini, or Cavtat. I don’t think you’ll need to go after a few days on Mljet and Korčula just before.

I’m hesitating about Korčula. We could shift the two nights to the Dubrovnik area (but not in the city itself). That way, we’d avoid the "boat issue" between Mljet and Dubrovnik and could more easily visit the city and Lokrum (if it’s a must). Or consider a day trip to the Elaphiti Islands. But what worries me is getting to the Old Town... Is there a quick and affordable way to get there without the car?

Anyway, thanks for all these practical tips!

Time to book the tickets for 17 nights (I was hesitating with 18, but I think 17 is already plenty).
BA Barneyg Regular ·
We really liked Trebinje, but it was on our route. The Bay of Kotor is stunning, and you can stop at several spots—I’d head there as directly as possible. Landing at 12:30 PM, car pickup at 1:00 PM, lunch from 1:15–2:00 PM. If there isn’t too much of a crowd at customs, you’ll be in Perast around 4:00–4:30 PM. You don’t want to be in a rush.

There are definitely plenty of options for sleeping around Mostar. I’ll admit we didn’t look for a pool when we were there, since we’d spent a lot of time on the coast before and after.

I get your hesitation about Korčula. If it’s going to prevent you from spending a full day exploring Dubrovnik at a relaxed pace, I think you should do Mostar-Mljet and then Mljet-Dubrovnik a few days later before leaving.

For Dubrovnik, there are buses all over the region. We were in Srebreno and took a shuttle (boat) to reach the old port. It’s not particularly fast or cheap, but it’s a beautiful way to enter the old town directly, and the ride is pleasant. It’s the same company (Adriana) that runs the connections to Lokrum that operates this shuttle. In the old town, whether it’s crowded or not, it’s really peaceful because no motor vehicles are allowed inside the walls.

No matter what you do, make sure to identify a parking spot or transportation option in advance to avoid struggling. The closest parking lots to the old town are very expensive based on Google reviews (like a fixed price of 40 €/day), but 1 km further away, it’ll be fine. If you don’t want/can’t stay in the old town, you can probably find an apartment in Babin Kuk, Žaton, or Srebreno/Mlini and take public transport for the trip.
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
Hi there,

It’s done—our flight tickets are booked! Our trip will be from August 8th to August 25th, 2025, so 17 nights total. Here’s the (adjusted) itinerary I’m thinking of:

Day 1 - Flight to Brussels at 09:10. Arrival in Dubrovnik at 12:25. Pick up the rental car. Head to the bay of Kotor in Montenegro. Activities: Explore the Budva area (Sveti Stefan, Petrovac), Pavlova Strana on Lake Shkodra + boat ride from Virpazar (+ Pješčac beach, 15 min away), visit Kotor, excursion to Mount Lovćen (40 min away) via the Serpentine Road, boat tour in the bay of Kotor. • 5 Nights

Day 6 – Head to Durmitor National Park (Žabljak?). • Activities: Ostrog Monastery + Black Lake on arrival, Durmitor Ring + Tara Canyon + hike (though I’m not sure which one yet). • 3 Nights

Day 9 – Off to Bosnia (Mostar) via the Ilino Brdo border to pass through the village of Trebinje. 4-hour drive + border crossing time. • Activities: Visit Mostar, Kravica waterfalls (1 hour away) + the village of Počitelj (30 min from the falls). • 3 Nights

Day 12 – Back to Croatia, heading to Mljet Island via the Pelješac Bridge with the car (40-minute crossing). • Activities: (on the way) Blagaj village (30 min from Mostar), hiking, beach time, Odysseus’ Cave. • 4 Nights

Day 16 – Head to the Dubrovnik area. • Activities: Walls of Ston and Mali Ston, visit old Dubrovnik, Lokrum Island or the Elaphiti Islands. • 2 Nights

Day 18 – Head to the airport. Flight at 16:00. • Activities: Something near the airport.

TOTAL = 17 nights Doesn’t seem too bad, right?
BA Barneyg Regular ·
I think that sounds great, I hope you’ll love it. Early August in this region is fig and peach season. For your departure day, there’s Cavtat near the airport, but I’m not sure it’ll be worth it given everything you’ll have seen in the weeks before. Happy planning and have a great trip!
IC Ichijooo Regular ·
First accommodation booked! It’ll be for 5 nights near Tivat (Montenegro).

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