Travel question: Visiting Pula and Plitvice from Trieste

Question…

We are planning to travel throughout Italy next year, but we’re hoping we can fit a side trip into Croatia. We are doing a cruise that docks in Croatia but would love to also potentially hire a car in Trieste and come and see the Plitvice Lakes National Park as well as Pula. (We have approximately 4/5 days to do this in late spring). I would love to hear any suggestions from you as to the best way to achieve this. 
– J.D.

Answer…

Thanks for your question!

The good news – your plans would absolutely be doable!

From Trieste it is only about a 2-hour drive (likely less) to Pula, meaning it is perfectly easy. I would suggest that you base yourself here for a couple of days to explore Pula and also perhaps some of the other nearby towns – I would certainly recommend beautiful Rovinj. You could do a little trip to Brijuni Islands (boats depart from the town of Fazana) and/or also visit Cape Kamenjak at the base of the Istrian peninsula.

Why not consult our Two Days in Pula guide for recommendations on what to see and do, and ideas for some day trips as well?

From Pula to the Plitvice Lakes

The drive from Pula to the Plitvice Lakes is about three and a half hours. That means you could undertake it with a stop for lunch, and I would do so in the very charming town of Opatija. Opatija which is quite unlike anywhere else in Croatia…more like the south of France!

Technically, it would be possible to visit Plitvice on the day you arrive in the region – you could get a 2-day ticket which in April costs €39 per person. (A one-day ticket is €23 in April.) I guess it depends on what time you arrive in the Plitvice region as to whether it’s worthwhile immediately visiting that day.

If not, you could prolong your stay in Pula for the morning and then arrive in the Plitvice region in the early evening.

You would get at least one full day in Plitvice would would be great. In April the park won’t be so busy and so you should get plenty of exploring time without the hassle of the summer crowds.

The return journey to Trieste from the Plitvice Lakes would also be 3.5 hours which should – once again – be fairly straightforward. Potentially you could stop in Rijeka on the way – it’s Croatia’s third largest city and quite often overlooked by visitors. Nevertheless, there are still a number of interesting sights, good restaurants and so on.

I hope this helps, and hope you enjoy what sounds like it will be a wonderful holiday!

Some further useful links:

• Pula Tourist Office
• Plitvice Lakes National Park official website
• The Via Michelin website is an excellent resource for planning driving routes in Europe