Tales from TravelLocal: Johanna’s trip to Croatia

From chasing dramatic waterfalls and reclining on beaches lapped by Adriatic waters, to touring historic cities and hopping across islands off the well-worn path, you’ll find no shortage of heavenly ways to pass the time in Croatia. Our very own Special Projects Executive, Johanna recently embarked on a trip to Croatia of her own, with help and guidance from one of our locally-based experts. Here she shares all about her experience heading on vacation with TravelLocal, from the planning stages through to her time away.

Where to go next: planning my trip to Croatia with TravelLocal

Among my family and friends, I am known as a frequent traveler. Oftentimes, when I am invited to events, my response will be “sorry, I’m gone for a quick weekend trip that day!” As frequently as I like to travel and as much as I like researching and booking things, I was in need of a pure rest-and-relaxation vacation. I often aim for that, and end up scheduling things to do every single day… so last year, I promised myself I’d make time for a truly restful trip. After a brief deliberation with my friend and consulting flight schedules, we settled on Split in Croatia.

Our travel style

While I wanted a relaxing break with as little action as possible, I did not necessarily want to be in a big cookie-cutter resort. I wanted most of our meals to be sorted, but I wanted to be able to eat away from the hotel if I stumbled across a great little local restaurant. I knew I wanted to travel with my friend, but we’d be arriving and departing at different times as we’re from different countries. I knew she’d have to pay to exchange currency while I’d be able to take cash from home. Lastly, I knew we’d want a hotel by the beach, but we did not want to be too far from the city in case we felt like exploring.

All these little bits kept adding up, and while I could have figured it all out by myself, I simply did not want to. Having traveled with TravelLocal before, I knew a local expert in Croatia would book me the trip I wanted and sort out the smaller details, ticking all of these boxes and then some. And that is exactly what happened.

Having a local expert craft my trip to Croatia

Shortly after I submitted my request, Sara, the local expert for my trip to Croatia, scheduled a call with me to go over all of my wishes and our budget, which was the perfect way to go about it! I was able to explain the nuances of our travel style better, and within 10 minutes she’d grasped exactly what my friend and I wanted to book.

A couple of days later, I had a fully-fledged plan which fulfilled every nuance I had asked for. She selected a hotel by the beach which was only a 20-minute taxi ride away from the city center. She arranged our separate airport transfers, which meant neither one of us had to wait around at the airport for the other one to arrive. She booked us on a half-board service, which meant breakfast and dinner were included, and we could venture out for lunch if we wanted to or simply have a light lunch at the pool bar.

A couple of weeks before we left, she sent over a detailed itinerary with many ideas for excursions, guidance on local customs, and her contact information in case we needed any support while on the trip. Her guidance on cash was especially helpful because it meant I knew exactly how much I needed to bring for both my friend and I, so that we could avoid paying unnecessary exchange or banking fees.

Read more: Exploring Croatia: a Mediterranean gem

Experiencing the TravelLocal way of travel on the ground

When it came time to depart, I felt very reassured by all the information I had received. As soon as I landed in Split, Sara reached out to me to ask if I’d had a pleasant flight and to reconfirm where my transfer would be waiting for me after I collected my bags.

I had left my house at three in the morning to catch the first flight out, so when I arrived at the hotel at eight, I was exhausted and ready for a rest. To my utter delight, the front desk immediately confirmed that Sara had reached out to secure an early check-in and that my room would be ready within the next hour, and to please help myself to breakfast while I waited. Indeed, there was nothing to fill out, nothing to confirm or pay; Sara had taken care of all of it, and all I had to do was grab breakfast and relax.

The hotel was gorgeous, very modern and well-maintained. Our room had a stunning view and a balcony, which we used to watch the sunset every night. The staff was exceptionally friendly, and the à la carte dinner selection was varied and delicious. From local dishes to familiar favorites, we definitely did not feel like we missed out by eating dinner in the hotel, which is exactly what we wanted.

Exploring Split and its surroundings

Now, while the goal of this vacation was very much to rest, after a couple of days my friend and I wanted to venture beyond the beach by the hotel and the city center of Split. This is where Sara’s detailed itinerary was an incredible help. She had listed many possible excursions for whatever you may be in the mood for, from unique beaches and local bars and restaurants that are worth a visit, to nearby castles reachable via boat trips. So, one evening my friend and I went through all of the possibilities and landed on a ferry trip to nearby Trogir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The next morning we made our way to the pier and boarded the ferry to Trogir, sharing the journey with locals and tourists alike. When I later spoke to my sister about exploring the city, she said she’d booked a van transfer and wasn’t even aware there was a ferry available. While the ferry does take longer, we were treated to incredible views and a wonderful breeze, and in a way the ferry became part of the adventure, not just a means to get there.

Here’s why I’ll choose TravelLocal again and again

This was my second trip with TravelLocal, and it could not have been more different from my first trip—despite the fact that both trips happened in June and both were to the Balkans. While my trip to Albania was a jam-packed family adventure, my trip to Croatia was a peaceful retreat in which I read five books.

Both local experts I worked with understood exactly what I wanted, and did not urge or pressure me to book anything that I didn’t want to. Especially during this Croatia trip, Sara knew I did not want to have any excursions planned, but that I may want to explore a bit; so, she offered me several options that I could choose to book on the day, all recommended because she knew they’d make my trip worthwhile. That was a level of flexibility and understanding I appreciated, and it helped make my trip as restful and relaxing as I’d hoped it would be.

Read more: Small yet mighty Croatia: travel tips from a local expert

Make it happen

Dreaming of your own trip to Croatia? Browse our carefully crafted trip ideas or reach out to our local experts to start designing your own from scratch. Their know-how and passion for the place they call home means you’ll be in good hands from start to finish.