I have just returned from Croatia on my second JY holiday. It could not compare in any way with the Highlights of Tuscany holiday last year, except for the weather! The transfer times from the airport to the first hotel after a delayed flight seemed to take forever but fortunately the hotel in Petrcane was clean and comfortable. Zadar is a beautiful place and well worth a visit as is the Krka National Park. The problem lies with the length of the time spent on the coach which is far more than the time spent visiting the attractions themselves. Every trip is around two hours long each way and meant that we were left with no time to relax or use the hotel facilities. The hotel in Gradac was clean and tidy if a little outdated but the food was appalling. I could have soled my shoes with the steak they served! Only on one occasion was the food edible and we all decided that it must be the chef's night off. The pool was dirty but there was no need to use it as the hotel is right on the beach. I am pleased to see that JY have changed the second hotel in the new brochure. We were supposed to visit the island of Hvar which we understood was a ninety minute sail from Gradac but instead we visited Korcula, after being "sold" the idea by the rep, which turned out to be nearly seven hours on a very uncomfortable boat in order to spend a couple of hours in a town. No-one was amused! There was no time to relax between trips and dinner and starts were too early to stay up late! Along with many others, I like to see as much of the country as I can when visiting but the tours should not get you back to the hotel with an hour or less to spare before dinner. It is supposed to be a holiday with time to relax as well 😞
