I spent two weeks in the country in total, the first week on a road trip from Pula to Split, and I was blown away - first by how madly I fell in love with Croatia, and second, by how it had been the easiest road trip of my life.
It's incredible - Croatia could not be more perfect for a road trip. But while I want to sing this from rooftops, the truth is that nobody has a clue about it.
Croatia is a dream destination for lots of my friends back home in America - so much that each of them might as well have Croatia Pinterest boards for all the dreamy photos of Adriatic coastline that they post!
###Comes time to actually book a trip to Europe, they don't choose Croatia.
They go to more popular countries for Americans to visit like Italy and France, Ireland and the UK, Spain and Germany and Iceland and the Netherlands.For the few who do decide to visit Croatia, they usually take a fully organized tour. Or a cruise on a major cruise line departing from Venice, taking in one day in Split and one day in Dubrovnik before heading on to Montenegro and Greece. They never go on their own.
I think Croatia intimidates a lot of people and keeps them from traveling independently. People think of an Eastern European country at war, when in reality Croatia is much more similar to Western Europe than Eastern Europe, is a member of the EU, and there hasn't been a war for nearly 20 years. The country is incredibly safe, English is widely spoken, and it's outfitted for all kinds of travelers, from adventurous backpackers to sun-seekers who don't plan on leaving their resort.
###The Ease of Traveling in Croatia
Even if this is your first time traveling in Europe, Croatia is an easy country to start with. Some of those reasons:
English is widely spoken. You will definitely have an easier time speaking English in Croatia than in Spain, France, or Italy!
It's easy to get around. I recommend renting a car, but if you decide to go via public transportation, buses go everywhere; there are also some train lines. In Dalmatia you'll find ferries as well.
The tourism infrastructure is excellent. You've got everything from fancy resorts to dirt-cheap hostels, boutique hotels, and a plethora of vacation rentals. Tourism is a major industry here and you won't have trouble finding anything you need.
###Road Tripping Croatia
What makes Croatia such a great road trip destination? The roads are in excellent condition, the signs are clear, and the driving is, well, normal and considerate for the most part - not the scary driving that you typically associate with the Mediterranean.
Additionally, the scenery is so beautiful that it begs you to stop and take photos along the way. (The photo above was taken on a random bridge in the middle of nowhere!) And the rest stops are so nice - they put American rest stops to shame with their delicious, healthy food. I actually got freshly squeezed blueberry lemonade at one rest stop!