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© 2007
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Duh? Dubrovnik. We have not been every where. Part of travel is selecting some place new to explore. We selected Croatia on the Adriatic Sea and is Europe's "emerging destination" for our 2008 trip.
For this trip we will be part Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door Tour. They offer small group travel and are extremely well organized. They stay in small local hotels for a feel of the country. We will have some time free to explore on our own. |
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| Interest developed from Jola's brother. While in the Navy, he had been stationed in Italy and thought it would be fun to explore the Adriatic. Some other friends made a bicycle trip there this year. They described the Alps and the sea shore. | |||
| Stay For a trip we now try to spend about two (2) weeks in a country or area. This gives us a chance to see several cities and some country (National Park). We will visit the cities of Ljubljana, Dubrovnik and Zagreb. We will stay in a small hill town of Istria. We plan to explore Islands along the Dalmatian coast. Additional sites will be Roman ruins near Split and the natural wonders of Plitvice Lakes National Park. | |||
| Planning: We begin to learn about an area by reading some of the several guide books: Rick Steve's, Fodors, Lonely Planet, Eyewitness and Frommer. Once we decide on a country, we then select key places we want to visit. If traveling with others, they add to this list. Then we put together a tentative route to follow. | |||
| Reservations: Further research is done using the internet and email. How will we get there? Long expensive flights are a great place to use frequent flier awards that have been saved. This requires early action as those seats fill up. It might require several days of phoning, committing to flight and wait listing on parts of the trip. Flexible plans help to get these seats. Will you need passports and visa that take time? | |||
| Suggestions: We try to stay 2 nights at each hotel to minimize repacking. We have learned a break from touring is good once a week. Will we use public transportation or rent a car (needs about 4 people)? We pack light! Can you travel up to 3 weeks using carryon baggage? Don't take anything you will not use several times. | |||
| Before you go: Study history about the area. Look for standard photos of the area. Read novels and check out movies situated in that country. Know special souvenirs to bring back from an area. We bring our pictures and a recipe we enjoyed to remind us of the good times. Keep a journal of your trip. Your written descriptions help you form ideas about your trip. | |||
| Planning heightens the anticipation and enjoyment of a trip. | |||
