Archive 2015 · Any advice for Plitvice?

JohnC
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Any advice for Plitvice?

Going to Zagreb in April, don't know whether to rent a car or do a canned tour.
Most of the iconic shots seems to be aerial.
Will be there for three days, any advice about the area or Zagreb and environs is appreciated.

Mar 06, 2015 at 08:36 AM

tmiller9
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Any advice for Plitvice?

John;

I was in Plitvice in Feb. 2011. Very cold - but a magical, wonderful place. As for renting a car vs. taking a tour - it really depends on your sense of adventure. I rented a car. I was chaperoning my step-daughter and two of her friends (yes, 3 22 yr old girls) - and it was a blast driving through the countryside to the park and back. My only suggestion would be to rent a car with navigation. We did get lost (once) - but it only added to the adventure. As for the park, it is located in a valley - which will afford you plenty of views from atop (prior to descent) - and plenty of opportunity to get up close to the endless number of waterfalls. If you were asking about a tour of the park - I would lean toward doing a self-guided tour. There will be plenty of information at the entrance of the park - and given the many subjects - I think you will want to be able to go at your own pace. My only other advice would be to bring a lightweight tripod with you. You will definitely burn through some memory cards as you walk through the park.

Mar 06, 2015 at 10:32 AM

JohnC
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Any advice for Plitvice?

Thanks for the advice, coincidentally this is part of a father daughter trip with my 22 yr. old. I think driving through the Croatian countryside will be a nice highlight.
Definitely will be carrying my ND filters and tripod (always do but most of the time either not allowed or no time).

Mar 06, 2015 at 10:55 AM

Staklo
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Any advice for Plitvice?

John,

Great choice to visit Croatia and you will love the region.

Some advice, do the car rental instead of the bus tour. However, book your car rental in advance with Kemwel or Auto Europe so you have price in USD and backup if anything goes wrong. Also, check your rental car carefully before leaving, last time I rented out of Zagreb I got a car with a bad clutch and it was 2am. Fortunately a quick call solved the problem and a manager returned to exchange the car even with the entire airport basically closed.

Along those lines, remember Croatia is still the Balkans, and be prepared as things are still a little more colorful than Western Europe. Make sure you have a working mobile phone or get a local sim card, be aware if you head to Slovenia (Lake Bled!) there is a vignette 'road tax' required and the area of Plitvice can be quite chilly in April, so have some warm gear. If you can, try to make a trip to the Dalmatian coast. The new interstate equivalent highways make Rijeka (and Island Krk) just a few hours from Zagreb and well worth considering, as is Istria (Pula!). Also consider National Park Krka to the south, with the Tesla Hydro-dam museum and equally stunning scenery.

Like tmiller9 noted, GPS has it's limitations especially off the beaten track, however, any service stop along the highway will sell very detailed road maps or for more fun purchase maps off Amazon in advance and plan your motoring that way. Locals are generally very friendly and helpful, too. Remember, Croatia is the 3rd poorest country in EU (and newest EU member) and it's polite to be generous when getting help or service.

Zagreb has a few camera stores, but everything is way more expensive than USA prices. Don't expect to buy extra memory cards cheap (or even find a store), so stock up on small stuff like that before you go. Euros are accepted most major locations however get some Kuna's exchanged at the airport before heading out to countryside.
If the rental option seems like too much, consider Toursbylocals option, if there is one out of Zagreb.

Happy planning and good luck! (seretan put!)

Mar 11, 2015 at 11:03 AM

Bobu
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Any advice for Plitvice?

I've visited this place 3 times in the last years (and always together with my daughter, but she's 11 and not 22).
If you are serious about photography you should definitely avoid any group tours. This place is very very croweded during the day even when the weather is bad. If you want't to get good images without too many people either beeing in your picture or walking into your tripod your only choice is to get up very early. From sunrise until about 9:00 a.m. you are nearly alone in the valley, but after 9:00 a.m. there are thousands of people there. The last two hours before sunset are also not too bad, but the best time is clearly the early morning.
A good advice is to get your tickets on the day before (or multi day tickets). That way you can enter the park (with a valid ticket) long before the gates open (and the selling of the tickets starts).

Another advice would be to visit a village called Rastoke very close to Plitivice where some nice waterfalls are located directly within the village.

If you have some more time you could combine a trip to Plitivice with a visit of Istria. My favorites city there is Ronvinj, which is really lovely and definitely worth a visit. For Plitvice 2 full days (and one additional morning) is probably sufficient.

If you want to see some of my images shot at Plitvice take a look at my website:
http://wild-places.com/2012/09/08/croatia/

Boris

Mar 11, 2015 at 01:48 PM

JohnC
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Any advice for Plitvice?

@staklo thank you for your advice, I always try to book cars and hotels ahead of time to get the best price and terms although sometimes a local agency will take cash and be much cheaper.

@boris in my travels I have noted that getting there early usually beats the crowds especially the hordes that arrive by bus. My most miserable experiences (not just photographically) has been to take the bus tour and arrive at the same time as everyone else. Since I will be driving I will definitely stop in Rastoke. Thanks.

PS I just looked at your website and your pictures of this place are amazing.

Mar 11, 2015 at 06:59 PM

jkjod
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Any advice for Plitvice?

I will be traveling to Plitvice at the end of August this year with my wife. The main portion of our trip will be in Slovenia and we plan to drive to Rastoke, from Ljubljana, the night before and then head to the park as early as possible. Is there a way to purchase tickets someplace other than the park so we can get an early jump in the morning and miss the crowds

Apr 14, 2015 at 10:59 AM

Bobu
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Any advice for Plitvice?

Your only chance are probably the 3 hotels located directly at the entrance. But you should better call (or email) them in advance.

Boris

Apr 14, 2015 at 12:07 PM


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