Reddit mentions of Rick Steves Croatia & Slovenia

I solo traveled through the Balkans quite a bit, and you're going to love it!

When you're in Slovenia, Ljubljana is a great base for day trips. If you have the time, I would highly recommend renting a car and checking out the following places:

• Lake Bled (obviously) -- spend the morning there before the crowd hits and then make the quick drive to Lake Bohinj. It's another gorgeous lake, and you actually get a better view of the mountains.
  
  
• Skocjan caves -- I believe that they are the 3rd or 4th largest caves in the world, and it really feels like the mines of moria when you're walking through. You can see old bridges and steps from original explorers. It's just really cool. There are another set of caves that are more popular, but I actually prefer Skocjan. There are also far fewer people there
  
  
• Piran -- Slovenia doesn't have much coastline, but the stuff that it does have is phenomenal. Simply a gorgeous little town full of atmosphere
  
  
• The Vršič Pass -- This road is an absolute blast to drive through as it winds through the Julian alps near the Italian border.
  
  
  If you rent a car, you can easily do a couple of these in a day.
  
  
  For Croatia, I would try to hit up:
  
  
• Rovinj -- This town is the most beautiful I've seen in Croatia. It's tucked up in Instrian part of the country near Slovenia. You do get a descent amount of tourists there, but nowhere near as bad as Dubrovnik (see below). The town more than makes up for it, though. Seriously, this place is gorgeous. Wake up early and stroll the cobbled alleys as the sun rises then grab a burek and some fresh figs for breakfast. Highly recommended.
  
  
• Zagreb -- I actually really enjoyed Zagreb. It has a really cool vibe, and is mercilessly without too many tourists (huge problem in Croatia). The museums in particular were fascinating, my favorites being the museum of broken relationships and the museum of naive art..
  
  
• Plitvice Lakes -- This national park is simply gorgeous. If you go, get there as soon as it opens to have the park all to yourself.
  
  
  
  Split and Dubrovnik and really beautiful places, but in my opinion they have been ruined by the number of tourists, esp. Dubrovnik. Holy shit number of people in Dubrovnik. You can barely move in that city. Don't get me wrong, it's stupidly cool to walk around the city wall and 'see' kings landing, but it's not really worth it in my opinion. Not to mention that Dubrovnik was easily the most expensive Croatian city that i went to. I would say that I had this conversation with about a dozen people in my hostel, and almost all of them agreed with this. If you have limited time, I'd honestly give Dubrovnik a pass (it is a great launching point to go to Mostar and Kotor, though). Split is better, and I really enjoyed the old palace. Didn't go to Zadar.
  
  If you're trying to hit up an island and have a unique experience, try couchsurfing at Hvar with this guy. You'll be 'camping' at this private beach with other CSers, and it's incredibly cool.
  
  
  For B&H:
  
  
• Mostar -- Forr suuuuure. Awesome, awesome place.
  
  
• Sarajevo -- one of my favorite cities in the world. I stayed at the Ferdinand Hostel (I think), and I had a great time. I've heard good things about other hostels there too. Hit up the Sarajevski brewery and the abandoned Olympic bobsleds. Also go to a football match if you can; their fans are really passionate. The Tito bar by the university is also a good spot to check out.
  
  If you're going to be near Dubrovnik anyway, I'd highly recommend:
  
  
• Kotor, Montenegro -- A criminally underrated city in a gorgeously tucked into a bay surrounded by mountains. Spending two days there is a great decision as you can do a quick tour of the country in a day trip. Stay at the Old town hostel
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  General tips, notes, suggestions:
  
  
• Bring some compression travel bags for dirty clothes. They keep in smell and keep your bag small. One of the best travel accessories.
  
  
• All of these places are very safe. There's no need to worry about that
  
  
• The public transport is very good, and hitch hiking is definitely an option if you're comfortable.
  
  
• Bring good ear plugs. Just do it
  
  
• I'd suggest bringing a sleeping bag liner. If you don't have a ton of time (or a ton of backpack room), you might not use it often, but when you need one they are a lifesaver.
  
  
• Get the Rick Steves Slovenia & Croatia guide. It's a phenomenal resource (much better than lonely planet IMO), and it includes sections on both Mostar and Sarajevo.
  
  
• Eat hella burek, Cevapi, and figs.
  
  
  Good luck, have fun, and let me know if you have any questions!