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View from the Roof of Omis's Fortress Contents Introduction Parking in Omis Omis's Old Town & Fortress Boat Trips up Cetina Gorge The Beach Links to My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Introduction We based ourselves in Trogir for 3 nights and visited Omis and Split from there. There was a lot more to see in Trogir and Split but it was a pleasant outing to Omis. I have posted blogs with travel information for both Split ( Split, Croatia: Travel Guide ) and Trogir ( Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide ). 2. Parking in Omis In Omis we parked at " Parking Priko " which is a large car park just before the bridge when driving from Split and it is an easy 10 minute walk to Omis's historic centre. It cost Eur 1 per hour. Some Google reviews mention that in the evening it can take over an hour to exit the car park. 3. Omis's Old Town & Fortress Omis has a very small old town with just 1 main street and a few alleys veering off on either side. This main street is lined with shops, restaurants and cafes. The Main Street in Omis The Eastern Town Gate, Omis The Main Street in Omis Clock Tower, Omis Holy Spirit Church, Omis There is a fortress above Omis's old town and the entrance fee is Eur 5. It is a steep climb up to the roof of the fortress and the roof is accessed by a fixed ladder. There are spectacular sea and mountain views from the castle as Omis is in a very impressive setting. Fortress Steps up the Fortress Ladder up to the Fortress Roof View from the Roof of the Fortress View from the Roof of the Fortress You need about an hour to see both the Old Town and the castle in Omis. 4. Boat Trips from Omis to Cetina Gorge Touts will offer you boat trips from Omis up the Cetina Gorge. We were quoted Eur 20, but when we didn't want to wait for the next boat the price was dropped to Eur 15! We decided not to wait for the next boat. The boat trips start from Omis on the hour and last for 2 hours. They only go about 6 kilometres up Cetina gorge before stopping at a restaurant for about 45 minutes and then returning to Omis. I have my doubts that it's good value for money. 5. The Beach at Omis A large sandy beach is a 5 minute walk from Omis's Old Town. It looked quite nice to us but the Rough Guide says " it is composed of hard and uninviting sand ". There are toilets there costing Eur 1. 6. Links to My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

The Harbour of Hvar Town We took a short ferry ride from the island of Brac to Hvar Town. See my blog Brac, Croatia - Travel Guide . Contents Introduction Hvar Town Stari Grad My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Introduction We have been twice to the island of Hvar and stayed in Hvar Town. Usually we prefer to stay in quieter places. However, we like the vibe of Hvar Town and there is more to see and do than in Stari Grad, which is smaller and laid back. You can base yourself in either of these towns as there is a good air conditioned bus service between Hvar Town and Stari Grad. The buses run from the early morning to late evening and the bus schedules can be found on Buscroatia.com . It is about a 30 minute journey from Hvar Town to Stari Grad and the return bus fare is Eur 9.40. Both towns should definitely be visited. 2. Hvar Town Hvar Town is one of our favourite places in Croatia. It has an unspoilt historic centre and the town is in a beautiful setting. Hvar Town certainly isn't undiscovered and it is very fashionable with lots of tourists. On our first visit to Hvar Paul Allen's (Microsoft co-founder) Octopus yacht , with 2 mini submarines and 2 helicopter pads, was docked there! 2.1. The Fortress above Hvar Town The main site to visit is the impressive fortress on the hill behind Hvar Town. It is a steep climb up to the fortress and there are a few places on the way up where you have spectacular views of the town and bay through gaps in the trees. Unfortunately it is very expensive to enter the Fortress. It costs Eur 10 to visit the Fortress and Eur 15 to visit the Fortress, Theatre and Arsenal. We didn't pay to enter and instead sat on one of the benches by the fortress walls and enjoyed the great views. It was still worth the hot walk up. The Fortress above Hvar Town The Fortress above Hvar Town View of Hvar Town from the Fortress 2.2 Hvar Old Town The majority of the historic Hvar Town is between the main square (Trg St Jepana) and the Fortress. It is worthwhile wandering around and exploring all the atmospheric alleyways. Hvar Town Hvar Town Alley in Hvar Town Porta Maestra - Hvar Town The 16th century St Stephen's cathedral is at the eastern end of Hvar's main square near the market and bus station. It is a huge square and we sat by the side of the square to rest and people watch. St Stephen's Cathedral Hvar's eastern harbour is usually very busy with boats and ferries coming and going. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes on the eastern side. The alley that runs behind this section of harbour is also historic and interesting. 2.3. Hvar Town's Seafront Promenade It is a nice walk in both directions along Hvar Town's promenade and there are small private beaches at either end. The beach on the western side looked better, but the sun loungers may be expensive. There was a sign at the eastern beach saying "Sunlounger Eur 25". I hope this price was for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella as otherwise the price is extortionate. A Beach West of Hvar Town 2.4. Water Taxis from Hvar Town to the Pakleni Islands All the ferries dock on the eastern side of Hvar's harbour. This is also where the water taxis to the Pakleni islands depart. These water taxis cost Eur 10 return and usually go to 3 of the Pakleni islands; Jerolim, Marinkovac and Sveti Klement. We went to Jerolim as it is a quiet island with a rocky coastline. A lot of naturists go there. The Eastern Harbour in Hvar Town 2.5. Food and Drinks in Hvar Town Restaurant meals are no longer excellent value in Croatia and that is certainly the case in Hvar Town. However, there are a number of places selling sandwiches for Eur 6, pizza slices etc and this works out to be a much cheaper option for a quick meal. There are also a couple of small supermarkets on the north side of the main square (Trg St. Jepana). They are very busy with customers buying drinks, snacks and ice creams at reasonable prices. Ice cream parlours in Hvar Town charge Eur 3 per scoop. 2.6. Toilets in Hvar Town There are 2 public toilets in Hvar Town. The best one is near the market opposite St Stephen's Cathedral and they also have a self service laundrette and showers. The toilets are clean and cost Eur 1. There are also toilets where the ferries dock on the eastern side of the harbour. They cost Eur 1 but were dirty. 2.7. Tourist Office & Maps The tourist office is in the south west corner of Hvar Town's main square. They have maps of Hvar town, bus timetables etc. There is also a map of Hvar Town on hvarinfo.com . You have to zoom in to see the details. 3. Stari Grad, Hvar We took a bus from Hvar Town and spent a couple of hours walking around Stari Grad before returning. We got to Stari Grad at lunch time and bought some sandwiches. We ate them in the very pleasant Trg Petar Hektorovic square where the famous Tvrdalj is located. The sandwiches in Stari Grad cost Eur 3, which is much cheaper than in Hvar Town where they cost Eur 6! Stari Grad is so much quieter and laid back than Hvar Town. It is smaller and can easily be seen in 1.5 hours. Stari Grad's old town is on the southern side of the harbour and the hotels are on the northern side. There are rock and concrete "beaches" in front of these hotels. Swimming is apparently better to the west of the old town at the entrance to the bay. There are 2 public toilets in Stari Grad. The best ones are on the harbour at the western end of the old town. I think they are meant for the people on the yachts moored nearby as they have showers. There is an attendant there but they are free and spotless. There are also some more basic toilets near the market at the eastern end of the harbour. There is a map of Stari Grad on hvarinfo.com . You have to zoom in to see the details. The Harbour The Square at Tvrdalj Castle in Stari Grad Stari Grad St. Stephen's in Stari Grad Square in Stari Grad St. Stephen's in Stari Grad 4. My Other Blogs on Croatia Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

The Harbour at Supetar We took a car ferry from Split to Supetar on Brac after staying 4 nights in Trogir (see my blogs Split, Croatia: Travel Guide and Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide ). We then stayed 4 nights on Brac Island and during our stay took a passenger ferry over to Hvar Island for the day (see my blog Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide ). Contents Supetar on Brac Island Day Trip to Sutivan, Lozisca, Vidova Gora and Skrip Bol and Zlatni Rat Beach Ferries from Brac to Split, Hvar & Dubrovnik Accommodation in Supetar My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Supetar on Brac Island Supetar is the port and main town on Brac. Supetar has a small historic centre around the harbour with lots of restaurants on the waterfront. To the east of the harbour is the port and to the west there is a seafront promenade. When the seafront promenade ends a coastline path continues westwards to some hotels and beaches. The beaches aren't very special. On the hill above Supetar's port, and by the large roundabout, is a shopping centre with 2 good supermarkets (Lidls and Tommy). There are 2 small supermarkets in Supetar's historic centre but the selection is limited. Supetar's Harbour The Parish Church in Supetar Supetar's Seafront Promenade 2. Day Trip to Sutivan, Lozisca, Vidova Gora and Skrip We drove the short distance from Supetar to Sutivan and parked at a free car park at the entrance to Sutivan. We really liked the small town of Sutivan as it is unspoilt and classy. There were reasonable beaches at each end of the small town, with toilets at the eastern beach. Sutivan Harbour The Western Beach at Sutivan The Eastern Beach at Sutivan Alley in Sutivan Sutivan There is limited parking at Lozica, just before the traffic light in the centre of the village when driving from Sutivan. There isn't much to see apart from a very fancy bell tower and that can be better appreciated from a distance. Village of Lozisca We drove on to the 778 metres high peak of Vidova Gora, which is the highest point on any Adriatic island. There is a free car park below the peak and there are good views. It is even better if you walk for 10 minutes from the car park to the peak of Vidova Gora. There are excellent views over to Hvar island and Zlatni Rat beach at Bol. View of Zlatni Rat beach from Vidova Gora View towards Hvar from Vidova Gora We drove back to Supetar via Skrip, which is the oldest continually inhabited settlement on Brac. The Rough Guide book describes Skrip as a " sleepy nest of stone houses with heavy stone roof tiles ". It sounded very nice but the reality was that Skrip wasn't very special! Skrip does have a few nice stone buildings but there aren't enough of them to make an impact. The village is also very spread out and there are newer buildings that spoil its appearance. Stone Houses in the Village of Skrip Stone Houses in the Village of Skrip The Village of Skrip 3. Bol and Zlatni Rat Beach I was concerned that parking at Bol would be very expensive as reviewers were complaining they were charged Eur 5 per hour or Eur 20 for the day. However, this charge is for the main car park for the Zlatni Rat beach on the west side of Bol. We parked in a wooded car park off the left of the main road just before reaching Bol's waterfront. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be marked on Google maps. It is then a 10 minute walk to the eastern end of Bol's old town and a 15 minute walk to Zlatni Rat. We were charged Eur 2 per hour for parking. The centre of Bol is small and mainly consists of 2 streets running parallel to the seafront promenade and harbour. It is pleasant strolling around but it only takes about 30 minutes to see everything. Ferries to Hvar and Dubrovnik depart from Bol's eastern pier. From Bol it is a very pleasant walk along a wide and wooded seafront promenade to Zlatni Rat. The promenade is lined with hotels, restaurants and cafes. Zlatni Rat is Croatia's most famous beach, probably because of its shape as it juts out on a cape with fine shingle beaches on either side. It wasn't too crowded when we were there but that was in late June. A View of Bol from the Main Road The Seafront Promenade at Bol Church of St Anthony in Bol Bol Old Town Promenade to Zlatni Rat Beach View from the Promenade to Zlatni Rat Beach The Eastern Section of Zlatni Rat Beach The Western Section of Zlatni Rat Beach 4. Ferries from Brac to Split, Hvar & Dubrovnik Ferries between Brac and Split The only car ferry that goes from Brac is a Jadrolinija ferry that sails about every 1.5 hours between Split and Supetar on Brac island. Tickets for the ferry can be purchased on Jadrolinija's website . It cost us Eur 33 for our car and 2 passengers. The ticket is valid for the day selected and not for a specific sailing. There are several negative Tripadvisor reviews about the signage to Split's ferry terminal and also the signage to the piers at Split's ferry terminal. However, we found that the signs were very good. If you enter " Ferry Port of Split " on Google maps it will almost get you to the correct pier. Vehicles park in lanes at the pier when waiting for the Split to Supetar ferry. Vehicles board on a first come first served basis. We arrived 1.5 hours ahead of the departure time and were twelfth in the queue. There are toilets in the nearby terminal building. We were directed to park our car on the main deck of the ferry and it was very straightforward driving on to the ferry at Split and driving off at Supetar. However, we saw cars driving down the ramp to the lower deck and it was extremely narrow. I was very pleased not to have to do that. The morning before we took the ferry from Supetar to Split there was terrible traffic congestion in Supetar. We were informed it was due to vehicles queuing to board the ferry and that it was even worse in the peak season. As a result we took an early ferry (07.45) the next day to avoid this issue. We arrived at Supetar's port at 07.15 and boarded the ferry without problems. The Ferry between Split and Supetar The Interior of the Ferry between Split and Supetar. The Boarding Area at Split for the Ferry between Split and Supetar Ferries between Milna, Brac and Hvar Town/Korcula/Dubrovnik There is a daily passenger catamaran that departs from Milna on Brac Island to Hvar Town, Korcula and Dubrovnik. It departs Milna at 09.35 each day and arrives back at 19.20. We took this catamaran from Milna to Hvar Town for a day trip and it arrived at Hvar Town at 10.20 and returned at 18.40. This gave us plenty of time to see both Hvar Town and Stari Grad. See my blog " Hvar Island, Croatia " for details. The tickets for the catamaran cost Eur 15 each way and can be purchased online from TP Line . Tickets can also be bought when boarding the ferry, if there is space. We parked our car at a large car park near the entrance to Milna. There is a ticket machine there and it costs Eur 1 per hour. There is a daily maximum charge but the machine didn't state what the maximum was so we paid for 11 hours. A local guy told us that no one checks for payment at the car park but we didn't want to risk it. It is then a 15 minute walk to where the ferry docks on the northern side of Milna's harbour. Enter " TP Line catamaran ferry terminal " on Google maps. The Catamaran that departs from Milna on Brac Island Other Ferries to and from Brac Island KL operates high speed ferries on 2 routes that stop on the island of Brac: Brač (Milna) – Hvar – Korčula – Mljet (Pomena) – Dubrovnik Brač (Bol) – Makarska – Korčula – Pomena(Mljet) – Dubrovnik 5. Accommodation in Supetar, Brac We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment in Supetar for Eur 73 per night. There is also a 2 bedroom apartment available. Both apartments are in separate detached buildings and can be booked through Booking.com . I have reviewed them on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 12). 6. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

The 4 Bell Towers of Rab Town from the Zidine Fortress We really liked Rab Town and the beaches on the island were good. However, there was too much sporadic development in the countryside along the main roads and it spoiled the view when driving around. Rab seems to be a very compact island and was a bit too busy. That might be because it is so close to the mainland. Contents Rab Town Beaches on Rab Island Ferries to Rab Island Accommodation in Rab Town Restaurants in Rab Town Links to My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Rab Town 1.1. What to See in Rab Town Rab Town was one of the nicest towns that we visited in Croatia. It is also one of the easiest to find your way around as there are 4 main streets running parallel to one another from west to east. Rab Town is entered from the main square (Trg Svetog Kristofora) which is on the north west side of Rab Town. It is a busy square next to the harbour and has a good view of Zidines's Fortress. The first main street, which runs along the harbour, is surprisingly not that pleasant and there is little to see. The next 2 main streets (Donja Ulica and Srednja Ulica) run closely parallel to each other along the middle of Rab Town. Most of the shops and restaurants are on these 2 streets. The fourth main street runs through the upper part of Rab Town and there are 4 churches and bell towers along it. There is a fee to enter the Great Bell Tower. At the western end of the upper street you can climb steps to a short section of Rab Town's walls. There are good views of the old town with its 4 churches and also of the harbour. At this western end of the upper street you can enter the large and wooded Komrcar park. It is a pleasant walk along the most southern path as there are good sea views over to the Frkanj Peninsular and also of the city walls. The 4 Bell Towers of Rab Town from the Zidine Fortress St Andrews Church & Bell Tower View of Trg Svetog Kristofora from Zidine's Fortress The Zidine Fortress in Rab Town St. Andrew's Church viewed from Komrcar Park St. Mary's Bell Tower in Rab Town 1.2. Parking in Rab Town We always parked at " U.O. Marina (Parking) " about a 10 minute walk from the centre of Rab Town. It is a large car park with an attendant. The charge is Eur 1.50 per hour and you pay the attendant when entering. In the early evening there was plenty of space but by 20.00 it was becoming full. 2. Beaches on Rab Island 2.1 Frkanj Peninsula near Rab Town The Frkanj Peninsular is an undeveloped and wooded peninsula less than a 15 minute drive from Rab Town. Most of the coastline is rocky, although there are some sandy areas. We went twice and parked at Žal Beach Bar & Kitchen for a fee of Eur 4. Water taxis from Rab Town also dock near here. Sun loungers and umbrellas are available, but most people don't use them and find a shady spot along the rocky coast. It is best to arrive before 10.30 to 11.00 a.m. to obtain a parking place and to find a good spot by the sea. It is a popular area and we really liked it. The restaurant gets good reviews but we didn't eat there. Beach on the Frkanj Peninsular Frkanj Peninsular on Rab Island 2.2 Paradise Beach at San Marino Paradise Beach is in the Lopar Peninsular, which unusually for Croatia has a sandy coastline. It is a 20 minute drive to this beach from Rab Town. Paradise beach is a huge beach in a very shallow and sandy bay. It was far too shallow for us as even after walking 100 metres into the sea the water was only up to our knees. It is therefore a beach which is popular with families and has attractions like water slides in the bay. If you have children Paradise beach is probably very nice. For us the sea was too shallow, there were too many people and it was too commercialised. We much preferred the Frkanj Peninsula We paid Eur 13.50 for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella. All day parking was Eur 7.00. Toilets cost Eur 1 with the first visit free if you rent sun loungers. There are smaller and uncommercialised sandy beaches in the north of the Lopar Peninsula. They would have probably suited us better. Paradise Beach at San Marino Paradise Beach at San Marino 3. Ferries to Rab Island 3.1. The Ferry from Jablanac to Misnjak on Rab Island Rapska Plovidba run hourly ferries from Jablanac on the mainland to Misnjak on Rab Island. You can't buy tickets in advance and must buy them at a booth at the dock. They accept credit cards and it cost us Eur 25.50 for the short ferry ride. It is a busy ferry and in peak season there may not be space on the ferry if you arrive near the departure time. The ferry carries about 100 vehicles. Cars waiting for the Ferry at Jablanac Vehicles on the Jablanac to Misnjak Ferry The Jablanac to Misnjak Ferry The Ferry entering Misnjak on Rab Island 3.2. The Ferry from Lopar on Rab Island to Valbiska on Krk Island There is a car ferry that goes between Lopar, at the northern end of Rab Island, to Valbiska on Krk Island. Krk island is connected to the mainland by a bridge. See my blogs Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide and Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide . We felt that this was a nicer way of travelling to Rovinj in northern Croatia (see my blog Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide ) than taking the short Jablanac to Misnjak ferry crossing back to the mainland. The travel time was about the same for each route, but the longer ferry ride to Krk island appealed to us as it would be more relaxing. In the summer season there are 4 ferries a day and the times and cost are detailed on croatiaferries.com . We paid Eur 43.93 for the 1 hour 20 minute ferry ride which is operated by the state owned Jadrolinija. The ferry takes about 100 vehicles and when we went all the waiting vehicles boarded the ferry. However, in July and August it is probably best to get there half an hour before boarding time. There is a ticket booth at the dock and credit cards were accepted. The Ferry entering Valbiska on Krk Island 4. Accommodation in Rab Town We had to leave the 2 bedroom apartment that we booked near Rab Town as we had a very noisy family above us. Luckily we were given a refund. If there hadn't been a problem with noise it would have been very nice and it only cost Eur 71 per night through Booking.com . We were then fortunate to find another even nicer 2 bedroom apartment 2 kilometres away from Rab Town as there had been a cancellation. We paid Eur 117 per night through Booking.com but the price had been reduced due to the cancellation. My reviews of both apartments are on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (numbers 12 and 13). 5. Restaurants in Rab Town We ate at the Sanpjer restaurant in Rab Town every evening as we liked the food and it was good value. It has very good reviews and is very popular as a result. Usually there are queues and it is better to get there before 18.30. 6. Links to My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

Trogir We spent 3 nights in Trogir and visited Split and Omis from there. See my blogs Split, Croatia: Travel Guide and Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide . Trogir is definitely worth visiting as it a beautiful old Venetian town that hasn't been spoiled by modern development. Contents Trogir Old Town Trogir New Town Accommodation in Trogir My Other Blogs on Croatia 1. Trogir Old Town Trogir's Old Town is on an island only 50 metres off the mainland. The Old Town is unspoilt as virtually all the buildings originate from four centuries of Venetian rule and there are no modern buildings on the island. There used to be 2 bridges over to the island. When we were there the wooden bridge for pedestrians, west of the main bridge, was closed. The main bridge crosses over to the Land Gate entrance to Trogir's Old Town. To the south east of the Land Gate are most of Trogir's main buildings. These are the: Cathedral of St Lawrence with its famous carved stone west portal dating back to 1240. There is a Eur 5 entrance fee to see the interior but the famous west portal can be seen from outside. Cipiko Palace. There is nothing to see inside. Town Loggia & Clock Tower. Trogir's Town Hall There is a wide promenade along the Trogir Channel at the southern end of the island. Sections of Trogir's old town walls, and the Kamerlengo fortress (entry Eur 5), can be seen. The promenade is lined with restaurants and cafes. There is a bridge at this southern end of the island to another larger island called Ciovo. There are some shops and restaurants on the Ciovi side of the bridge but there is little worth seeing. We were in Trogir in late June and in the evenings the Old Town was teeming with visitors and many restaurants were full. The Town Hall Cipiko Palace West Portal of the Cathedral Lady of Mount Carmel Church Alleyway in Trogir Cathedral of St Lawrence Town Loggia & Clock Tower 2. Trogir's New Town Trogir's new town has spread out on the mainland on either side of the bridge crossing to Trogir's Old Town. The bus station is on the eastern side of the bridge. There is also a new and pleasant seafront promenade running eastwards that has views of Ciovi island. There is a busy tourist market on the western side of the bridge. Slightly further to the west are several large car parks and visitors parking here pass through the market to reach Trogir's Old Town. Parking costs between Eur 2 to Eur 3 per hour in high season depending on how close you park to Trogir's Old Town. There are several supermarkets along the coastal road west of the bridge to Trogir's Old Town. The biggest and best one is a Plodine supermarket on the ground floor of a small 3 storey shopping centre. There is free underground parking for customers. There is a Lidl supermarket 4 kms east of Trogir's Old Town. 3. Accommodation in Trogir We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment about a 10 minute walk from Trogir Old Town. The apartment was very nice and the hosts were very hospitable. We booked the apartment through Booking.com and it cost Eur 69 per night. I have reviewed the apartment in my blog UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 (number 11). 4. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Split, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

Diocletian's Palace in Split Contents Introduction Traffic and Parking in Split Diocletian's Palace West of Diocletian's Palace Golden Gate & the Grgur Ninsk Statue Split's Waterfront (Riva) Day Trips from Split My other Blogs on Croatia 1. Introduction Split's Old Town is one of the highlights of Croatia and should definitely be visited if you are in the vicinity. There is a lot to see and you need half a day to see it. We found that tour groups descended on Split's Old Town from 10.30 a.m. and it then became congested in many areas. Therefore try and arrive early to avoid the crowds and to find parking. 2. Traffic and Parking in Split The roads around Split, including the main coastal road, can be very congested. It can also be very difficult to find a parking place. We parked at a large car park only a 5 minute walk to Diocletian's Palace and it can be located by entering "Parking Split" on Google maps . We had to circle around 3 times before finding a space and each time we had to exit the car park and the attendant let us out without any hassle. The parking spaces are wide and it costs Eur 1.50 per hour. If you are leaving Split on a car ferry see my blog " Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide " (section 4) for information about the ferry port at Split. 3. Diocletian's Palace The area of Diocletian's Palace occupies the eastern half of Split's Old Town. Diocletian's Palace was built in AD 300 but fell into disuse by the 6th century. From the 7th century refugees fled to Split and lived in Diocletian's Palace. Over the centuries the buildings were changed so that it is no longer recognisable as a palace. Most of Diocletian's Palace can be seen by just freely wandering around. However, you have to pay to enter the Cathedral and the Cellars of Diocletian's Palace. The entry fee for the cellars is Eur 7. The entry fee for Split's cathedral depends on what you visit and the charges are steep. It costs Eur 5 to enter the cathedral, but there are additional charges for the bell tower, crypt, baptistery and treasury. If you visit everything it will set you back Eur 15. We visited the Cathedral and I am not convinced it was worth the fee. It is very small and we have seen a lot of cathedrals for free. There are public toilets near the eastern entrance to the Diocletian's Palace. Diocletian's Palace in Split Diocletian's Palace in Split The Interior of the Cathedral Underground Market in Split 4. West of Diocletian's Palace Split's Old Town continues from the western side of Diocletian's Palace to the pedestrianised street of Marmontova. Narodni Trg is known as People's Square and is a large and impressive square on the western edge of the Palace. There are lots of interesting alleys to explore in the western part of Split. Marmontova runs from north to south and is a very classy shopping street. On its south eastern corner is the very grand city council building known as the Prokurative. Western Side of People's Square (Narodni Trg) Eastern Side of People's Square (Narodni Trg) Marmuntova Street in Split Palace of Cipriamo de Ciprianis Alley in Split St Domnius Cathedral in Split 5. Golden Gate & the Grgur Ninsk Statue The Golden Gate is the northern gate and is the best preserved gate in Split. It is set in Split's huge and impressive city walls. Outside the gate is a small plaza with a gigantic statue of the 10th century Bishop Grgur Ninski. The statue was made in 1929. The Golden Gate in Split Grgur Ninski Statue in Split 6. Split's Waterfront (Riva) A wide waterfront promenade runs along the southern section of Split's old town and in places along Diocletian's Palace. The promenade is lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. It is a very pleasant area and there are plenty of places to sit, relax and people watch. There are public toilets at the eastern end. Split's Seafront Promenade Cafes on the Seafront Promenade (Riva) The Seafront Promenade backing onto Diocletian's Palace 7. Day Trips from Split Trogir is a beautiful Venetian Town about a 35 minute drive north of Split. Trogir is well worth visiting and there is plenty of parking just outside Trogir's old town. See my blog Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide . Omis is a small Venetian town in a very beautiful setting. Omis is about a 35 minute drive south of Split. There is a large car park just off the main Split to Omis road. See my blog Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide . There is a very regular ferry from Split to Supetar on Brac island and it takes about 50 minutes. It wouldn't be worth taking the ferry just to visit Supetar and it would be better to spend a few nights on Brac island and drive around. See my blog Brac, Croatia - Travel Guide . 8. My Other Blogs on Croatia Hvar Island, Croatia: Travel Guide Rovinj & Pula, Croatia: Travel Guide Trogir, Croatia: Travel Guide Omis, Croatia: Travel Guide Krk Town, Croatia: Travel Guide Brac, Croatia: Travel Guide Rab, Croatia: Travel Guide Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 Brac to Rab, Croatia - Week 11 Rab to Dolomites, Italy - Week 12

View of Sveti Stefan from St. Sava Church Contents Introduction & Practical Information Budva Old Town Slovenska Beach in Budva Sveti Stefan Excursions from Budva Driving to & from Budva from Croatia and Albania Links to my other Montenegro Blogs 1. Introduction & Practical Information The traffic and parking in the Budva area can be horrendous, even on the main coastal road. I was glad that we weren't staying near Budva as it is too built up and congested for my liking. This will only get worse. We left Kotor (see my blog Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) at 08.00 to try to avoid the congestion and to find a parking spot. We went to a car park near Hotel Wow as it had good reviews on Google and it only cost Eur 1 per hour. The car park was already pretty full, but spaces free up fairly quickly. It is just 1 block from the seafront and a 10 minute walk to Budva Old Town. Enter " Parking kod hotela WOW " on Google maps to locate it. 2. Budva Old Town Budva is yet another old Venetian town to wander around. It is in very good condition due to it being entirely rebuilt after the 1979 earthquake. It looks very authentic and one wouldn't know it had been rebuilt. When we reached Budva's Old Town around 09.00 the streets were deserted and remained like that until just before 10.00. Then the guided tours came in! We had enough time to walk all around Budva without it being spoiled by the tours. We had wanted to walk on Budva's walls, but the gate was locked and it was not opened by the time we left Budva's Old Town at 10.15. There is a beach just outside the Morava Gate of Budva's old town. The beach has a public area as well as a private area with the usual sun loungers and umbrellas. It wasn't busy as it was early in the day. If you need to use a toilet there is one near the Morava Gate. It is on the left hand side as you come through the gate from the beach. I think it is meant to be for people using the private beach area but there isn't an attendant. The Church of Holy Trinity Alley in Old Budva St. Ivan's Church Typical Alley in Budva Old Town Typical Alley in Budva Old Town. The Beach by Morava Gate 3. Slovenska Beach in Budva We walked along the promenade from Budva's Old Town to the long Slovenska beach. It was 11.00 a.m. and the beach was absolutely packed. This was in late June so it could only be worse in July and August. Most of Slovenska beach is private with sun loungers and umbrellas for hire, but there are some crowded public areas. The lowest price that we saw for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella was Eur 12. The land side of the beach is packed with cafes, restaurants and shops. There are also several toilet facilities charging from Eur 0.50 to Eur 1.00. It was too busy for our liking. We decided not to swim there but to find a quieter beach away from Budva. Public Area at Slovenska Beach at Budva Slovenska Beach at Budva Private Area at Slovenska Beach at Budva 4. Sveti Stefan The entire famous and picturesque island of Sveti Stefan is a hotel managed by the Aman Resorts. Only hotel guests and people who have a reservation at their restaurants can enter the island. A few people have posted on the internet that they have had a tour of Sveti Stefan island for Eur 20 and that there were 2 tours a day. These posts are now several years old and it is doubtful that the tours now run. Anyway I am not sure how interesting it would be to tour an island that has been turned into a hotel. There are beaches on the mainland opposite Sveti Stefan. The beach south of the isthmus is known as Sveti Stefan beach. It has a free public section as well as a private section with 2 sunbeds and an umbrella costing around Eur 40 for the day. It is likely to be absolutely packed in the peak season like all the other beaches around Budva. The best way to see Sveti Stefan is from higher up and there are 2 main ways to view it: The easiest way is to pull into 1 of the 2 laybys on the main coastal road above Budva when driving from west to east. These laybys are not very large and are often full of cars. The best way is to drive up to St Sava church above the main road. From there you have a wonderful view. It is a 15 minute drive from Sveti Stefan beach along a good road, except for the last few hundred metres when it is a bit narrow. To get there enter St. Sava Church (the one at Denasi) on Google maps. Some people want a photo posing in front of the island and St. Sava Church is ideal for that. There is a circular platform in front of the church which is used for that purpose. It is probably intended for wedding photos. View of Sveti Stefan from St. Sava Church View from the Main Road of Sveti Stefan 5. Excursions from Budva A good day trip to the north of Budva is to the beautiful Venetian town of Kotor . From there you can continue to Perast, which is another Venetian town but much smaller. For details see my blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) and Perast & Herceg Novi: Travel Guide . Kotor Perast The Lipa Caves to the east of Budva are very interesting and there is a good road there. A circular drive can be done by returning through Lovcen National Park and then down the slightly challenging Kotor Serpentine Road. See my blog The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave . The Lipa Caves 6. Driving to & from Budva from Croatia and Albania We drove to Budva from Albania. See my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 for details. Afterwards we drove from Montenegro to Croatia. See my blog Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10 for details. 7. Links to My Other Montenegro Blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide Day Trip to Perast & Herceg Novi The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10

Perast We drove to Perast and Herceg Novi during our 6 night stay in Kotor (see my blog Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ). We really liked Perast and Herceg Novi but found Our Lady of the Rock Island too touristy and busy. Contents Introduction Perast, Montenegro Parking Our Lady of the Rock Island Perast Old Town 3. Herceg Novi, Montenegro 4. Ferry from Kamenari to Lepetane 5. Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs 1. Introduction We based ourselves in Kotor for 6 nights and went on day trips from there to see other places in Montenegro like Budva and Lipa Cave . Another day trip was to Perast, which is only a 20 minute drive from Kotor, and from there we drove a further 1 hour to Herceg Novi. The road to Perast and Herceg Novi is in good condition. The road is very scenic as it follows the northern shore of a fjord. On the way back it is possible to take a ferry over to the southern side of the fjord and do a circular drive back to Kotor. It is a very nice day trip to 2 historic towns with spectacular scenery the whole way. We left Kotor at 08.00 to avoid the traffic congestion in Kotor and parking problems at Perast. As a result we benefited from having little traffic on the road to Perast. Another way of seeing Perast and Herceg Novi would be to take one of the numerous boat tours on offer when wandering around Kotor's waterfront. These boat tours are normally about 3 hours long and also stop at a few other places like the Blue Cave. It seems most coastal resorts in Europe have a Blue Cave! These boat tours cost around Eur 40 per person, but usually only stop at the islands off Perast and Herceg Novi. We wanted to see the towns and didn't want to spend Eur 80. 2. Perast, Montenegro 2.1. Parking at Perast You cannot park in the centre of Perast unless you are staying there. There is a barrier to prevent unauthorised entry. There is limited free parking along the road above Perast but we paid for parking. Parking is a problem in high season unless you arrive early. Most private parking is off the main road and is free. However, the deal is that you must pay to go to Our Lady of the Rock Island or on a boat tour. Apparently they charge Eur 10 per person to the Island, whereas independent boats only charge Eur 5 per person. So if there are 2 people in your car you are effectively paying Eur 10 for parking! Some of these parking sites have toilets. There is paid parking on the side of the road just before the western entrance to Perast. They charge Eur 8 per day and there is a booth with an attendant there. There aren't that many parking places, but when we arrived at 08.30 we got a space. Input " Parking 1 " on Google maps to locate it. We found the parking attendants to be very helpful and pleasant. For some reason a number of reviewers on Google thought they were like the mafia! 2.2. Our Lady of the Rock Island We were strolling along Perast's waterfront just before 09.00 when a friendly boatman offered us a ride to Our Lady of the Rock Island for the usual round trip charge of Eur 5 per person. He promised he would return for us in 30 minutes and assured me that it would be long enough. I had my doubts but it was actually too long! Our Lady of the Rock Island is a very small island with a church on it. Fortunately there was initially only one other boatload of people there. Unfortunately the church was closed and didn't open until about 09.20. It is therefore best not to go before 09.30 if you want to enter the church. There is a Eur 2 entrance fee for the church. There is a pay toilet on the island and an advantage of getting there early was that it was free. By the time we left at 09.30 a lot more people had arrived on the island and there was a queue to enter the church. Our Lady of the Rock Island is one of those places that everyone wants to visit, but in reality it is nicer seeing the island from the mainland. It's a bit of a tourist trap. Our Boat to Our Lady of the Rock Island The Church on Our Lady of the Rock Island 2.3. Perast The majority of tourists seem to only visit Our Lady of the Rock Island. This may be because most boat tours only stop at the island. As a result wandering around the quiet streets of the old Venetian town of Perast was very pleasant. Perhaps the tour groups hadn't yet arrived as we were there early. We were impressed by the number of historic buildings along Perast's waterfront. We also enjoyed wandering up most of the streets above the waterfront and admired the Venetian churches and dwellings. It took us 2 hours to see Perast. You could easily spend longer if you go to the beach and have a drink or a meal. Perast St. Nicholas Church in Perast View from Upper Perast Bujovic Palace and Museum A Street in Perast St. Marko Church in Perast 3. Herceg Novi, Montenegro 3.1. Parking in Herceg Novi The Bradt guide states that " parking here is quite the ordeal ". I dislike trying to find parking in new places and usually use Google reviews beforehand to determine where to park. For some reason I didn't do my usual research and was surprised by the size of Herceg Novi when we got there. The main road runs high above the town and when I saw a free metered parking spot on the road I grabbed it. It would have meant a steep and hot walk down to the historic centre, and back up again, but I didn't want to drive around looking for parking. However, the parking meter was faulty and I couldn't pay. It turned out to be fortunate as a local man gave me directions to a cheap and very convenient multi storey car park about 5 minutes walk from Herceg Novi's historic centre. There are free toilets at this car park. The car park is called " Parking Opstina " and can be located by entering this name on Google Maps. 3.2. Sightseeing in Herceg Novi We explored Herceg Novi's old town, but didn't climb up high to see the Spanish Fort, nor did we walk to Savina Monastery to the east. It doesn't seem worth visiting the Spanish Fort as the Bradt guide describes it as "a messy, graffiti-scrawled ruin". The Bradt guide book suggests starting exploring from the main square (Trg Nikole Durkovica). If you use Parking Ostina it will be the first part of Herceg Novi's old town that you reach. From there you can climb up past the Bell Tower to Trg Belavista which has the Church of St Michael in the centre. There are a few restaurants in this square and we had lunch at one of them. We later found a better selection of restaurants around the seafront promenade and wished we had eaten there. We could have then walked up northwards to the 16th century Kanli Kula tower. We decided not to as several reviewers on Google felt that the Eur 4 entrance fee wasn't worth it. In summer time it is a venue for open air productions. It would frustrate me to pay an entrance fee for a place spoiled by being used as a theatre. Instead we walked down to the seafront promenade via the Church of St Jerome and the imposing Forte Mare. The entrance fee is Eur 4 for the Forte Mare (Sea Fortress). Again we decided not to go in as the consensus of Tripadvisor reviews seems to be that it is only worth it for the views. Herceg Novi's seafront promenade is very pleasant and runs for about 5 kilometres to the town of Igalo. We only walked along part of it as it was very hot. There is a narrow beach on the one side and a lot of restaurants and cafes on the other side. Trg Nikole Durkovica in Herceg Novi The Clock Tower in Herceg Novi The Parish Church of St. Jerome Church of St. Michael in Trg Belavista Forte Mare  in Herceg Novi  Herceg Novi's Seafront Promenade 4. Car Ferry from Kamenari to Lepetane We drove back from Herceg Novi to Kotor as far as the village of Kamenari. There is a car ferry that goes from Kamenari to Lepetane on the south side of the estuary. The ferry only takes about 10 minutes and costs Eur 5. It is a very regular ferry and we didn't have to wait long before boarding. We were at the end of the queue and didn't realise we had to pay before boarding at an office near the jetty. We weren't the only ones and the ferry staff let me drive onto the ferry while Lani paid. The road that runs along the south side of the estuary from Lepatane to Kotor is very narrow in places. It is too narrow for vehicles to pass at times. As a result I didn't enjoy driving along there despite the stunning scenery. A good strategy is to follow other cars as this usually forces the oncoming vehicles to give way. The Car Ferry between Kamenari and Lepetane View on the Drive from Lepetane to Kotor View on the Drive from Lepetane to Kotor View of Kotor from Muo 5. Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide Budva, Montenegro: Travel Guide The Kotor Serpentine Road to Lipa Cave Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10

Lipa Cave in Montenegro Contents Introduction The Kotor Serpentine Road Lovcen National Park Njegos Mausoleum Lipa Cave Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs 1. Introduction We drove from Kotor (see my blog Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) up the steep, narrow and scenic "Kotor Serpentine" road to Lovcen National Park. We visited Njegos Mausoleum in Lovcen National Park and then drove through Cetinje, the once royal capital of Montenegro, to the impressive Lipa Cave. We took a 1 hour tour of Lipa Cave before driving back on a good road to Budva. We decided to visit Budva another day (see my blog Budva, Montenegro: Travel Guide ) and continued on back to Kotor. We didn't walk around Cetinje as it is very spread out and it was hot. We drove around this quiet and spacious town and liked what we saw. It looks like it is a very pleasant town to live in. There isn't much of interest to see unless you want to visit a number of museums. We didn't! This drive could obviously also be easily started from Budva, Tivat and Perast. It took us about 7 hours. 2. The Kotor Serpentine Road The Kotor Serpentine road is a historic road that weaves its way up the mountain from the outskirts of Kotor to the western entrance of Lovcen National Park. We have driven on some difficult roads during our 3 month European road trip and this was one of the most difficult. The Kotor Serpentine road is only a single lane in many places and climbs steeply up the mountain with numerous hair pin bends. When vehicles meet on narrow sections of the road one vehicle has to partially pull off the road or reverse back. Unfortunately there is often a bit of a drop off from the edge of the road and I was concerned I would damage our tyres if we pulled over. One tactic is to follow other vehicles up. The more the merrier and the bigger the better! This forces the oncoming traffic to give way. Don't drive down the road to Kotor in the morning as we saw several tour buses coming up. Usually the buses expect, and insist, that smaller vehicles give way. Trees often block the views down to Kotor, but drivers should be concentrating on the road anyway! There are not many viewpoints where you can stop so take advantage if you see one. The views of Kotor Bay are fantastic. View on the way up the Kotor Serpentine Road View from near the top of the Kotor Serpentine Road 3. Lovcen National Park We were relieved when we reached the top of the Kotor Serpentine road. Shortly afterwards we turned onto an excellent new road through Lovcen National Park. We were immediately stopped by a man on the side of the road who was collecting a toll fee of Eur 6. He did give us a receipt so it must have been legitimate. It was a scenic drive through Lovcen National Park. On the eastern side of Lovcen park the not so new road steeply descended down to Cetinje. There was very little traffic. Apparently there are a few hiking trails, but we didn't see any trail signs nor did we see any one hiking. It would be quite easy to park the car and hike in the open countryside. Most people seem to just drive through Lovcen National Park or visit Njegos Mausoleum. Lovcen National Park Lovcen National Park Lovcen National Park 4. Njegos Mausoleum We went to the Njegos Mausoleum as it was highly recommended on the Tripadvisor forum. Also the Bradt guide book says " it's as glorious as anything Montenegro has to offer ". Unfortunately I can't confirm that as we were put off by the Eur 8 entrance fee. It was a hazy day and the views wouldn't have been great. I didn't think it would be worth shelling out Eur 16 for the two of us. Since our visit I have looked at photos of the Njegos mausoleum on several websites and believe we made the right decision. The Njegos mausoleum itself isn't that special in my opinion. The setting is special, but you need a clear day to appreciate the views and justify the entrance fee. The view of the Bay of Kotor is no better than from the Kotor Sepentine Road or from the top of the fortress wall at Kotor. The road up to the Njegos Mausoleum was fine and ended at a turning circle at the steps to the Mausoleum's entrance. You then park on the side of the road (see the photo). The Bradt guide book says " good luck in finding a space " but we didn't have a problem. You can get good views of Lovcen National Park by just climbing the steps to the Mausoleum's entrance. It is worth the drive up to appreciate these views The adriacom website provides some historical information and photos of the Njegos mausoleum and the views. You can see from their hazy photo of the Kotor Bay that it probably isn't worth paying to enter if the weather isn't good. Steps leading to the Njegos Mausoleum View from the Entrance to the Njegos Mausoleum. View from near the Njegos Mausoleum. 5. Lipa Cave Lipa Cave is about 6 kms south west of Cetinje. The final 3 kilometres is along a narrow dirt road which is in reasonable condition. There is a large paved car park at Lipa Cave with a restaurant and toilets. There are 5 tours of Lipa Cave each day from 10.00 to 16.00 and they last 1 hour. Entrance to Lipa Cave costs Eur 15.90 for an adult. They do advise on their website that you should arrive 30 minutes before the tour starts. I am sure you can arrive a bit later as long as there is space on the land train. Our land train was almost full when we visited in late June, so don't arrive late in peak season. The Lipa Cave is cold so don't wear shorts and a T shirt unless you are a very hardy soul. We changed into jeans and wore a jacket. The tours of Lipa Cave have very good reviews on Tripadvisor . We thoroughly enjoyed it and Lipa Cave was very spectacular. The guide was excellent and English was the language for the tour. Tractor Train for transporting people to the Lipa Cave. Entrance to Lipa Cave Lipa Cave Lipa Cave Lipa Cave Lipa Cave Lipa Cave 6. Links to My Other Montenegro Travel Blogs Kotor, Montenegro: Travel Guide Budva, Montenegro: Travel Guide Day Trip to Perast & Herceg Novi Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 Montenegro to Croatia- Week 10

The new Vlore Bypass This blog provides information and tips on driving in Albania including road conditions, crossing borders, police & parking. We spent one week in Albania on our way from Greece to Montenegro. We stayed in Gjirokaster , Himare , Berat and Kruje . Contents Introduction Crossing the Albania Border Road Conditions in Albania Police and Radar Traps in Albania Parking & Laybys in Albania My Other Blogs on Albania 1. Introduction In April 2023 we began a 3 month road trip from the U.K. to the Cyclades Islands in Greece and back. On the way down to Greece we drove through France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia. On the way back we drove up through Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Germany and France. We drove about 8,000 miles in total in our 10 year old Ford Focus. The only mechanical issues were: A broken spring from hitting a pothole in Greece. The plastic undercarriage protector coming loose. Replacement of worn brake pads. The engine management warning light being on for about 4,000 miles. On our return to England a diagnostic test found that the catalytic converter needed replacing. When planning our trip the one week drive through Albania caused the most anxiety. There is a lot of bad press about Albanian criminals in the U.K., but the Albanians remaining in Albania were very nice! There was also a lot written on the internet about the roads in Albania being poor and the Albanian's poor driving standards. More about that later! 2. Crossing the Albania Border We had lived in Africa for 17 years and crossing borders there can be an ordeal. I thought it might be the same with Albania, but fortunately I was proved wrong and there were no hassles. On our drive down to Greece we stayed at Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia (see my blog Ohrid Town, North Macedonia: Travel Guide ) . We weren't intending to enter Albania at that point and I had read that it wasn't possible to buy Albanian car insurance at the nearby Tushemisht border crossing. When we drove up to Albania from Greece we had the choice of 2 border crossings. The main border crossing is at Ioannina in Greece, which is about 30 kilometres inland. I was sure we would be able to buy car insurance at that Albanian border post. As most U.K. motor insurance policies don't cover non EU countries we needed Albanian car insurance. However, I wanted to cross at the smaller and quieter border crossing on the coast at Igoumenitsa in Greece. If we couldn't buy Albanian car insurance we would waste a few hours driving over to the Ioannina crossing. The Albanian passport control at the smaller Albania border post (Qafe Bota) was very quick and efficient. Nearby was a small office with a sign saying Green Card and we parked there. A friendly agent sold us 3rd party car insurance for Eur 49 for a 15 day period. Insurance for 30 days could also be purchased. The decision to use the coastal border crossing worked out well. When we drove from Albania to Montenegro we were just waved through by the Albanians at the Muriqan border crossing! See my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 . 3. Road Conditions in Albania From what I had read on the internet I feared that the Albanian roads would be terrible and the Albanians would drive crazily. The Albanian drivers were certainly bad at tailgating and overtaking on blind corners. However, they weren't much worse than drivers in other southern European countries The roads we drove on weren't at all bad apart from one section north of Kruje that had quite a few potholes. There were a couple of sections of new roads that were really good. The roads in the eastern region of Albania may be a different matter. The new road from Gjirokaster to Saranda is excellent (see photos on my blog Albania to Montenegro - Week 9 ). The new Vlore bypass road is also very good, although they haven't stabilised the hillsides that it cuts through and there is some rockfall. The road up the famous Llogoraja pass is in good condition and not difficult to drive on, despite all the hair pin bends. It is far easier than the Kotor Serpentine road in neighbouring Montenegro. 4. Police and Radar Traps in Albania We might have been fortunate but we didn't see any radar traps whilst we were driving in southern Albania. Nor did we see many police cars. It was a different story in central and northern Albania. On our last day driving from Kruje to the Montenegro border there were about 5 police radar traps! Drivers coming from the other direction always warned us by flashing, although we never intentionally broke the speed limit. We never saw any stationary speed cameras but apparently Albania has them. I am not sure how Albania would have got us to pay a fine if we had been caught. I also found the speed limits to be very frustrating when we reached the more urban central and northern parts of Albania. Particularly on the sections from Vlore to Berat, Berat to Kruje and Kruje to the border with Montenegro. The speed limit on Albanian main roads drops to 40 kilometres an hour whenever there is a side road. Albanians don't seem to slow down for these side roads and we didn't see police enforcing the 40 kilometres per hour speed limit. On our route from Vlore to Montenegro it was very built up. We were constantly having to slow down to 50 kilometres an hour whenever we reached a settlement. When combined with the 40 kilometres per hour side road speed limit it became very irritating. To make matters worse the towns and villages weren't very attractive. We were concerned that the Albanian police may target foreign cars. However, there are a lot of foreign cars on the main coastal road from Montenegro to Greece and they don't seem to do so. Albania seems to welcome tourists rather than hassle them. 5. Fuel & Parking in Albania Fuel in Albania is cheaper than in neighbouring Greece, but a lot more expensive than neighbouring Montenegro. The autotraveler website provides the fuel cost per litre for each European country. We always filled up before crossing over to more expensive countries and left an expensive country with little fuel. The price per litre does vary between petrol stations. There are plenty of petrol stations, but there were quite a few abandoned ones, probably due to too much competition. Parking is free on the streets unless indicated otherwise. We did pay for parking in Himare as there isn't much free parking (see my blog Himare, Albania: Travel Guide ). 6. My Other Blogs on Albania Kruje, Albania: Travel Guide Himare, Albania: Travel Guide Berat, Albania: Travel Guide Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9

The Bazaar in Gjirokaster We drove from Parga in Greece to Gjirokaster (see my blog Driving through Albania: From Greece to Montenegro ). We spent 1 night in Gjirokaster before driving to Himare (see my blog Himare, Albania: Travel Guide ) and then onto Berat and Kruje . Contents Introduction Gjirokaster Castle The Bazaar The Stone Houses New Gjirokaster Accommodation in Gjirokaster Links to my Other Blogs on Albania 1. Introduction to Gjirokaster Gjirokaster was our first stop in Albania whilst driving back to England from Greece. We had decided to spend one night there as it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Bradt guide book describes Gjirokaster as a " beautiful Ottoman town ". Travel blogs raved about Gjirokaster and one well known blog stated " Spend a few days walking around the iconic cobblestone streets, browsing cute carpet and ceramic shops". I am certainly glad that we didn't follow their advice as half a day is adequate! Too many guide books and blogs give undeserved positive impressions of places. As a result travellers waste their time and money following flawed advice. In my opinion Gjirokaster isn't worth a visit unless you are passing by. If you do visit then 3 to 4 hours is sufficient unless you want to spend hours " browsing cute carpet and ceramic shops "! We don't need any more clutter in our house, particularly touristy junk. 2. Gjirokaster Castle The highlight of Gjirokaster is the castle on the hill above the town. It is a steep climb up! In summer it is open from 09.00 to 18.00 and the entrance fee is 400 Lek (about Eur 4). It takes around 45 minutes to see Gjirokaster castle. Most of what can be seen of Gjirokaster castle dates back to 1811. There are vaults to explore and the most interesting one displays numerous pieces of heavy artillery captured from the German and Italian forces in the 2nd world war. Unfortunately there are no descriptions for the items on display. Above the vaults there is a clock tower and incongruously an American spy plane that was forced down in 1957. There are 2 museums located at Gjirokaster castle and admission is extra. They are the Museum of Armaments and the Museum of Gjirokaster. We didn't visit them. Gjirokaster Castle Vault with captured 2nd World War Armaments The Clock Tower at Gjirokaster Castle 3. Gjirokaster Bazaar Lower down on the hill below Gjirokaster castle is the bazaar. There are about 5 streets packed with tourist shops, cafes and restaurants. This area is very vibrant and interesting to see but it is very touristy. The buildings only date back to the early 20th century as the old buildings were destroyed in a fire. The Bazaar at Gjirokkaster The Bazaar at Gjirokkaster 4. Gjirokaster's Stone Houses On the hill leading up to the bazaar and castle are some stone houses with grey slate roofs. Most of them date from the first half of the 19th century. A few of them have been turned into museums and the entrance fees are around the equivalent of Eur 5. There aren't enough of these houses for the area to be impressive. Old Stone Houses in Gjirokaster View of Old Gjirokaster 5. New Gjirokaster The new city centre of Gjirokaster was a bit scruffy and not very special. 6. Accommodation in Gjirokaster We stayed in a very good value and spacious apartment costing Eur 38 per night near the stadium in Gjirokaster. Details of the apartment are on our blog UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 . It is number 6 on this blog. 7. Links to my Other Blogs on Albania Kruje, Albania: Travel Guide Berat, Albania: Travel Guide Himare, Albania: Travel Guide Driving through Albania: From Greece to Montenegro The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9

A View of Kruje from the Hotel Panorama We drove to Kruje from Berat . Read about our journey on my blog Albania to Montenegro Road Trip - Week 9 . After a one night stay in Kruje we drove northwards to Kotor in Montenegro. Contents Introduction   Hotel Panorama in Kruje   The Bazaar   The Castle   Links to My Other Blogs on Albania 1. Introduction to Kruje We enjoyed our 1 night stay in Kruje, but that was mainly because we really liked the Hotel Panorama where we were staying. More about that in the next section. The small old section of Kruje is very attractive but it is also very touristy. There isn't that much to see in Kruje apart from a small, renovated and touristy bazaar and a very dilapidated castle. Unless you are going to visit the 2 museums Kruje can be seen in about 1 hour. We didn't visit the museums as we are only interested in visiting really good ones. The building of the Historical Museum is impressive. However, the focus on Skanderbeg didn't appeal to us and the Bradt guide book says that all the information is in Albanian. Apparently a free guide is provided to interpret and that also didn't appeal. The entrance fee is 500 Lek which again was unappealing! Kruje could be visited as a day trip from Tirana as it is an hour's drive from Tirana. It would probably take almost 2 hours by bus as the buses to Kruje depart from the regional bus station on the outskirts of Tirana. The Bradt guide book suggests staying in Kruje if an overnight stay is needed when departing from, or arriving at, Tirana International Airport. This would seem to be a good option as it is a 45 minute drive between Kruje and the airport. 2. Hotel Panorama in Kruje We avoided staying in hotels during our 3 month road trip but we couldn't find any suitable apartments in Kruje. The Hotel Panorama had excellent reviews, free parking and cost less than Eur 70 for a double room with breakfast. What more could we want! We arrived at Hotel Panorama in the early afternoon and the friendly front desk clerk gave us a room facing the castle, bazaar and mosque. Some people don't like being so close to the mosque due to the early morning call to prayer, but for us it added to the atmosphere. The view from our room and balcony was fantastic. As I said in the introduction it doesn't take long to see Kruje and it was really nice just sitting on the balcony absorbing the view and atmosphere. We usually don't eat at hotels, but a couple of reviewers on Tripadvisor recommended eating at Hotel Panorama. We are glad that we had our dinner there as the restaurant is nice, the food is good and the cost is very reasonable. It is popular so a reservation is advisable. We were fortunate to be given a room with a view of Kruje. A couple who arrived shortly after us were disappointed not to have a view. On Booking.com it isn't possible to select a room with a castle view but on the hotel's website it is. As the price is the same I recommend booking directly with the hotel. The Panorama Hotel Night View from the Panorama Hotel The View from our Balcony 3. The Bazaar in Kruje Kruje's bazaar was restored in the 1960's and as they are wooden buildings I suspect there is little left of the original structures. Kruje's bazaar consists of one street with shops on either side and then another street with shops just on the one side. It isn't a huge area and many of the shops sell the same stuff. Unless you are a shopper Kruje's bazaar can be seen in 5 to 10 minutes. It is nice for photos but the bazaar solely exists for tourists! The Main Street of the Bazaar View of the Bazaar from Kruje Castle View of the Bazaar from Hotel Panorama 4. The Castle in Kruje Kruje's castle is always open and there is no entrance fee. Unless you visit the History Museum the castle can easily be seen in half an hour. Kruje's castle is derelict and was also affected by an earthquake in November 2019. This badly damaged the clock tower and it is no longer open to the public. It also badly damaged the Tekke (Teqe) and it is in the process of being restored. We were allowed to look around the Tekke, but it is in such a bad state it is no longer worth visiting. There is also a hammam in the castle grounds but entry isn't possible. Ruins of the Old Mosque at Kruje Castle The Historical Museum at Kruje Castle The Hamam at Kruje Castle Kruje Castle's Clock Tower The Dollma Tekke at Kruje Castle The Dollma Tekke at Kruje Castle 5. Links to My Other Blogs on Albania Himare, Albania: Travel Guide Berat, Albania: Travel Guide Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special! Driving through Albania: From Greece to Montenegro The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8 Albania to Montenegro - Week 9