Eastern Europe

Hi there! 🙂

Our summer destination is set: it’ll be a European loop starting from Auvergne, heading down to southern Croatia and then Montenegro, with a return via Mostar.

We’ll zip down to southern Croatia in two stages (we’ve been as far as Šibenik on a previous trip). Here are our booked stops:

Split – 2 nights Makarska – 1 night (via Sveti Jure) Pelješac Peninsula – 6 nights (day trips to Dubrovnik and Korčula from here – Mljet?) Kotor – 1 night Between Cetinje and Budva – 3 nights (Lovćen, Budva, Lake Skadar from our rental) Near Žabljak – 3 nights (via Ostrog / Mrtvica Canyon, Durmitor National Park) Mostar – 2 nights (via Blagaj)

Back to Auvergne in two stages.

Here are my questions:

- Any ideas for sights, detours, or hikes (no more than 500 m elevation gain and 15 km distance) along this route?

- What’s the deal with crossing borders between Croatia and Montenegro, then Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina? I’ve read that the crossing between the first two countries can take hours in the summer...

- Crowds in Croatia: Dubrovnik is apparently best avoided on days when cruise ships dock. I found a site that shows how many ships arrive each day. It says none on Sundays—but is Sunday really accurate? What other places suffer from overtourism? (Before Italian vacation season starts.)

All your suggestions are welcome (just FYI, guided tours, jet skis, jet-set vibes, and quad-bike conga lines are *not* on my wishlist)!

Thanks! 😉

Hi everyone,

We’re planning a trip to Albania. We’ve heard that driving there can be challenging. What do you think? I’m also looking for interesting spots to take black-and-white photos—think local people and typical landscapes in the region. Any places you’d recommend? Thanks a bunch!

Hi there,

I'm trying to plan a little Greek getaway in early summer, and it's a tad complicated—connections from Sitia to Rhodes via Karpathos are only twice a week (and not on the days that work for me!). I gave up on the idea of Kastelorizo, which isn’t that easy to reach either, and replaced it with Symi, which has a daily connection—even several—to Rhodes, where I’d like to spend as little time as possible. I found a boat leaving Symi at 8:15 AM and arriving in Rhodes at 9:35 AM. The ferry to Karpathos leaves the same day at 11:00 AM. That’s 1 hour and 25 minutes to switch boats. It’s tempting because it’s a perfect sequence, but I’m wondering if it’s still a bit too tight.

Do Sebeco Lines’ speedboats arrive at the same port where Blue Star ferries depart? Are they punctual?

Catherine

Hi there,

I’m heading to the Cyclades at the end of May and looking into inter-island ferries. I’m a bit confused because, for example, to go from Mykonos to Naxos, there are 3 ferries leaving at the same time for the same price. So I’m wondering if there are any companies to prioritize (or, on the contrary, to avoid). Thanks in advance for your feedback! 😉

Hi there, we're planning to spend a few days in Corfu and then a week in the surrounding area, and we were wondering if southern Albania is worth visiting. Could we explore it in a week from Corfu? Thanks

Hi there, I’m reaching out for some help planning a short trip to Greece at the end of April with my dad. We’ll be staying for 7 days, flying in and out of Athens, where we’ll rent a car. After quite a bit of research, we’ve decided to explore the Peloponnese, which we don’t know at all. We’ve read that basing ourselves in Nafplio for a few nights and then in Gytheio would be a good way to organize our visits. Here are the main spots we’ve noted so far: Corinth (just the canal, as the rest seems to have little interest based on what we’ve read), Mycenae, Epidaurus, Nafplio, Monemvasia, and Mystras. Could you help us figure out the best route to take? Are there other places worth considering given the time we have? Thanks so much in advance for your help!

Hi there, My partner and I are planning to visit Paros from June 4th to 11th, 2025. I’ve been reading a lot of conflicting things, so I’m a bit confused. Does Paros feel more like St. Tropez or Porto-Vecchio—overcrowded, too built-up, and has it lost its authentic charm? Are umbrella and sunbed prices on the beach still reasonable? Thanks so much for your input—we’re thinking of heading there in early June with my partner.

Hi there, or γεια σας.

When will the July schedules for Greek ferries (specifically the Prévélis - Karpathos-Sitia route, which I'm interested in) be available?

Catherine

Hi everyone,

This summer, our family (dad, mom, a 17-year-old teen, and an 11-year-old pre-teen) wants to explore Bulgaria and include 4 days in Istanbul during our trip. I’ve got a rough plan, but I’m not sure if it’s doable—here’s what I’m thinking:

Arrival on August 12th in Sofia at 2:00 PM → pick up rental car, visit Sofia. 13th: Sofia → Rila → Sofia 14th: Sofia to Plovdiv, overnight in Plovdiv 15th: Plovdiv to Nessebar (or Sozopol—which is better?) 16th/17th/18th: Exploring the Black Sea coast, based in Sozopol/Nessebar 19th: Bus from Burgas to Istanbul (7-hour trip) 20th-21st-22nd-23rd: Istanbul 24th: Return bus from Istanbul to Burgas. Overnight in Burgas 25th: Burgas → Veliko Tarnovo (Bojentsi) 26th: Veliko Tarnovo to Sofia via Koprivshtitsa 27th: Early flight home

→ In this itinerary, I’ve planned 4 full days in Istanbul. I could reduce it to 3 (since we’ll also spend the evening of the 19th there) and add an extra day to the return trip from Burgas to Sofia, around Veliko Tarnovo/Koprivshtitsa.

My questions: -My 17-year-old son and I are passionate about music, especially klezmer, Romani, and jazz. Any good spots in Sofia, Istanbul, or elsewhere? -Things to do with an 11-year-old kid? -Experiences with the Burgas-Istanbul bus?

Thanks for your feedback!

Hi there, I’ll be in Istanbul from May 8 to 17, 2025. I’ve got one free day. I’m torn between the Princes' Islands or Bursa.... If you had to choose, where would you go??? Thanks so much for your suggestions and opinions.

Hi there, We’re planning to visit Crete during the second half of May and rent a car. A knee issue means we can’t do any hiking anymore, just leisurely walks. Is it realistic to explore the whole island by basing ourselves in two spots—one in the east and one in the west? Could you recommend some nice places to stay that aren’t tourist factories? Thanks in advance for your help with my questions. Best regards.

Bonjour à tous, Je recherche les jours et horaires de bus entre Igouménitsa et Lefkada à partir de juillet. Savez-vous s'ils sont fréquents? Sur les différents sites la date s'arrête au 30 juin. Merci

Hi there, I’m looking for some info on these capitals I’m visiting in September and the best way to travel between them, spending 3 days in each city: restaurants, weather, and maybe a French-speaking guide if possible. Thanks.

Hi there! This summer, we're planning a 2- to 3-week road trip in one of these countries!! But despite all the reviews we’ve read on the forum, we still can’t decide... It’s so hard to choose between the Carpathians, Budapest, and Krakow!!! Could you give us some advice based on what you know? Thanks, Karine and Christophe

Hi, I’m traveling to Greece in May and landing in Athens. I need to book a rental car—could you recommend a rental agency? Also, where are the free shuttles that take you to the agency? Thanks for your help!

Hello, My partner and I are planning our first 15-day trip to Greece in June, departing from France. Here’s our itinerary, but I’d love some feedback and tips to see if it’s doable. First week: - Athens (Acropolis, Parthenon, Archaeological Museum, Theatre of Dionysus...) - Nafplio, including a visit to the Corinth Canal, Olympia, the Theatre of Epidaurus, and Mycenae - Delphi and Meteora

Second week: What we’re looking for is a Cycladic island that’s still a bit authentic, with beautiful beaches and maybe crystal-clear water, fishing villages, scooter rides, and—most importantly—no crowds from cruise ships. I’m considering Milos, Sifnos, Naxos... It’s tough to choose! An island that’s well-connected by ferry and also allows for a day trip to another island. Beatrice Anyway, I could really use some help picking the Cycladic island, but also to know if the first week is too packed and, if so, what to prioritize. We’d rather not change hotels every single day. Thanks so much for reading this far and for your reply!

Hi there, We want to go to Greece in May. I have no idea how to plan our 10-day trip. Athens is a must, but after that, I'm lost. We're looking for unusual spots that aren't necessarily touristy but still want to hit the must-see places. We're skipping Santorini given the current events. Thanks so much in advance for your help—it was already super useful for New York!

Hello. We’re heading to Greece from April 19th to May 1st. We were planning to spend 3 days visiting Athens, then exploring the Peloponnese (Mycenae-Epidaurus, Mistra, Lousios Gorge, Olympia, Patras) + Delphi (or the other way around, starting with Delphi—doesn’t matter).

Except I just realized that April 20th is Easter Sunday: no visits to sites/museums in Athens that day... (nor on Saturday late afternoon, as I’d imagined). But Delphi, Mycenae, etc., will likely be closed too (maybe even on Monday the 21st!).

What do you recommend we visit or do? Our trip is mainly focused on archaeological visits (my kids have been looking forward to Athens/Greece for years!).

Thanks in advance! Have a great evening

Hello, We’re heading to Greece in April. We’ll only be in Athens for 2 days (we’re not big fans of big cities) and then doing a road trip to Delphi and the Peloponnese. We wanted to do a guided tour with a guide because our kids are really into ancient Greece. Initially, we were thinking of a guided tour of the Acropolis, but it seems complicated since the only day that works for us is Easter Monday. After some thought, we’re wondering if maybe a guided tour of Delphi would be better? Because the Acropolis already has lots of explanatory panels and is very well-documented, whereas Delphi might not be as much. Also, the only guided tours we found for the Acropolis are at 11:00–11:30 AM, which is exactly when it’s packed, and we try to avoid crowds (we were planning to visit the Acropolis as early as 9:00 AM). What do you think? Thanks in advance! Have a great day

Bonjour,

Avec un ami nous partons fin de semaine pour 9/12 jours en Pologne. Nous arrivons à l'aéroport de Cracovie. Pour la suite, c'est carte blanche en sac à dos.

Avez-vous une idée d'itinéraire restant assez proche de Cracovie pour éviter des pertes de temps au niveau des transports. Et des bonnes adresses en ce qui concerne guesthouse/hôtel le plus sheep possible bien-sûr ou meilleur rapport qualité/prix? Nous souhaitons visiter, faire la fête et profiter un peu de la plage (sûrement du côté Gdansk?).

Je vous remercie par avance.

LoveAsia89

Hi there, I’m finalizing my trip to Greece and the island of Milos. Departing from Athens to Milos from 06/05/2025 to 06/11/2025. We’ve been looking at ferry options but we’re a bit worried since there are only two options for those dates. Could you recommend a company? When should we make the reservation? There are two of us adults, no vehicle. How do we get to Piraeus from central Athens? Thanks so much!

Hi there.

I’m planning a family trip to Greece in July for 7/8 days. There are two adults and I have three daughters aged 12, 4, and 2. 1. Which islands would you recommend for a total budget of 3000 €? For activities, we’re looking for beaches, short walks, and other kid-friendly options. 2. Is it better to go all-inclusive or book flights, hotels, and meals separately? Thanks

Hi there,

I’m reaching out for your advice on a Crete itinerary. We’re a group of 3 (2 adults and 1 teen) and will be traveling for 13 days / 12 nights in early August. To enjoy the trip without rushing too much, we’ve decided to focus on the western part of the island. Before diving into the details of our planned route, here’s a bit about how we like to travel. We’re big fans of hiking, bivouacking in the Pyrenees, or bike touring. We’re well aware that Crete is a popular summer destination, but we’d like to avoid overly crowded spots while still trying to visit places we consider "must-sees"—or at least those we’re eager to discover. For activities, hiking might be tricky due to the heat, but we’re thinking of water-based fun and historical visits: snorkeling, windsurfing or paddleboarding, gorges, and so on. For accommodations, we’ll mix it up between guesthouses, hotels, and private rentals.

Here’s what we’re considering: Day 1: Arrival in the evening in Heraklion – Night in Heraklion. Day 2: Head to Chania / Night in Chania - 3 nights in Falassarna (exploring Balos and the surrounding area) - 3 nights in Paleochora (discovering Elafonissi and nearby) - 3 nights in Sougia (day trip by ferry to Loutro, Agia Roumeli) Then, return to Rethymnon in the morning by road and spend our last night there (after checking various guides and forums, the ferry option seems a bit too restrictive, so we’re planning to drive back to Heraklion for our flight at the end of the day).

I’m a bit unsure—should we dedicate more time to the northern part of the island? What do you think? Thanks in advance for your valuable tips! Stéphanie

Hi everyone! We're planning to visit Croatia during the last week of June and the first week of July, flying into Split from Lille. Here's our itinerary: one week in Split to explore the nearby areas and visit the Krka waterfalls, which aren't too far. Then, a second week in Zadar to check out the surrounding sights and head to the Plitvice waterfalls. We'll be renting a car for the entire trip, but for Plitvice, we intentionally want to take a bus from Zadar and spend a night there to take our time exploring this incredible place.

Here's where I'd love your help, please. First, in Split, which rental agency allows payment on-site with a credit card (or debit/credit card) to avoid mandatory last-minute insurance costing several hundred euros? We had this issue in Sardinia last summer—online booking was fine, but once we arrived, they claimed our card wasn’t working and refused to hand over the keys unless we took out extra insurance, which we didn’t need. It’s becoming a frustrating trend, even though I’ll clarify that we have a *credit* card (specifically a debit/credit card, not just a debit card). I don’t want to reopen the debate about credit vs. debit cards—just know that our card explicitly states both terms, even though it’s technically a credit card.

Next, in Zadar, we know there are buses to Plitvice, and sometimes accommodations near bus stops. What’s the name of Zadar’s main bus station where we’ll catch the bus (so we can find nearby accommodation)? More importantly, which bus line and stop (please give the exact stop name) will get us closest to accommodations in Plitvice? I’ve done some research before posting and think I’ve identified the "Mukinje station" stop, which is near Entrance 2 where there are lodgings, and the "flexible bus stop north," which is close to Entrance 1 with accommodations just a few hundred meters away. Perfect for two days in nature without needing the car! I’ve tried to find the exact bus line and route with all the stops between Zadar and Plitvice but haven’t had any luck so far.

Huge thanks in advance to anyone who can share their experiences on these two specific topics: reliable rental agencies and the exact bus station/stop details in Zadar for Plitvice.

Hi lovely community, I need your help for the last part of our trip to Greece next June. We’ll be in Thessaloniki and need to drive to Athens (485 km) in the same day. We’d like to stop for lunch—where should we go?? Please, we need ideas and suggestions! Thanks everyone

Bonjour, Avez-vous des conseils pour une location de voiture en Croatie. Départ de Zagreb centre ville le 6 juin pour un retour à Dubrovnik aéroport le 19 juin donc un total de 14 jours. J'ai une soumission de 655 euros pour une voiture économique automatique incluant 2 conducteurs, GPS, assurance 0 franchise, ferries, traverse frontières. La totale quoi. Qu'en pensez-vous? Avez-vous une agence à me suggérer? Merci Marie

Hi everyone!

I’m heading to Croatia for the second time (first time was 5 days in Dubrovnik), but this time I’ll be seeing more of the country since I’m renting a car to drive between Dubrovnik and Split. I’ve got 2 days and 2 nights for the trip, and I was wondering which stops I could make. I’m looking for quiet, typical villages or spots where I can swim peacefully—just a nice break between the two touristy cities. 😊

Thanks in advance for your help!

Bonjour,

j'ai un gros gros soucis avant mon départ à Istanbul et j'ai l'impression d'être le seul concerné...

j'ai fait une réservation pour la semaine prochaine via Autoeurope, à Istanbul, pour louer une voiture pendant 10 jours avec assurance 0€ de franchise (loueur final à istanbul : Budget).

jusque là tout va bien...

sauf que quand je lis les conditions d'auto europe, je vois "carte de débit non acceptée, uniquement carte de crédit"...ceci concerne la caution notamment, car même si on prend assurance avec franchise 0€, il y a toujours une caution, d'une somme ridicule (environ 100 euros, moins chère que la location de la voiture). Et effectivement après m'être renseigné auprès d'auto europe, budget et même auprès d'autres loueurs comme hertz, avis, europcar...etc, AUCUN n'accepte la carte de débit (pour la caution et même parfois pour le paiement de la voiture!!)...

Or, en France, 90% de la population française possède une carte de débit (visa, mastercard?..etc) et non de crédit. du coup, je ne comprends pas que je sois le seul à être dans cette situation!!!!...

Je ne sais donc pas quoi faire... J'ai contacté toutes les agences et aucun ne veut accepter les cartes de débit visa ou mastercard donc j'ai peur d'avoir fait une réservation pour rien avec Autoeurope, que Budget me refuse la voiture une fois sur place et qu'on ne me rembourse pas ! et pire que tout, j'ai peur de ne pas trouver de voiture pour faire mon voyage au final!!...

si vous avez une solution, aidez-moi car cette situation est totalement délirante et stressante!!

merci à vous!!

Hello, We’ve finally decided on which Cycladic island to visit... My partner and I are planning our first trip to Greece for June 2025. We’re leaving France for 15 days. Here’s our itinerary, and I’d love your feedback on whether it’s doable, plus any other suggestions... Arrival in Athens for 2 nights = - Visiting the Acropolis, Parthenon, Theatre of Dionysus, Archaeological Museum, Syntagma Square for the changing of the guard, and strolling through the Plaka neighborhood... 4 nights in Nafplio - To explore the town of Nafplio, the Theatre of Epidaurus, Mycenae, and Olympia Then off to Milos for 7/8 nights (it was so hard to pick just one island). I’m considering flying from Athens with Olympic Air. Is it worth doing a guided tour of the Acropolis or the other sites? I’m open to all your tips. Thanks so much.

Hi, could you recommend a local and reliable car rental agency, not one of the big international chains, at Patras-Araxos Airport in northern Peloponnese or a bit further into town? Thanks.