Croatia was on my travel bucket list for so long I wondered if I would ever get there. Since I normally let the price of airfare determine where I go, it’s rare that I purposely get to select a bucket list destination. Patience did pay off however and a good fare finally appeared so I was off to Split, Dubrovnik and perhaps a couple of islands.
I decided to spend more than just my normal long weekend however, so staying on budget was important to financially survive a six-day trip. I was also traveling with two other friends and this was their dream trip. I needed to balance keeping my costs down without hindering their fun. Here’s how I did it.
Lodging Referrals and Using Points
Fortunately one of my travel friends found us a great centrally located hotel in Split for $45/night. Nirvana Rooms was a gem so after two nights, when it was time to leave, I asked the owner for a lodging recommendation on the island I was planning to visit. He even made the reservation for me and on arrival I found myself with an incredible apartment with a sea view for the same $45/night.
The last two nights I secured the Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera with a total of 7000 Starwood Preferred Guest points so my total out-of-pocket cost for lodging was $135 for five nights.
Dining on a Budget Didn’t Hurt at All
Croatia is very inexpensive. For breakfast we would visit a local bakery and purchase spinach-filled pastries for around a dollar but you could get a full breakfast with a view of the sea for around $6. For dinner in Split we were able to select the finest restaurants for an elaborate seafood meal with plenty of wine for around $20/person. We discovered that the portions were huge and we could easily share two entrees between the three of us, cutting our costs even further.
I had a budget of $25 per day for food, which I thought was generous. I came in well under that and ate lavishly. The last couple days of my trip I was solo and my dinners ran about $16 for a grand seafood entrée and a couple glasses of wine at my now favorite Bistro G sea side restaurant in Mlini near Dubrovnik. Breakfast included at the Sheraton also kept my costs down.
Saving on Transportation
I’m not fond of public buses but they do serve their purpose when it comes to salvaging the budget. I utilized the ferry system to travel from Split to Dubrovnik which was a delightful journey. I could have then just hailed a taxi from the port to my hotel but by taking a ten-minute bus ride and a twenty-minute boat ride, I arrived at my hotel at a cost of $8 versus $30-35 for a taxi. Plus I had an extraordinary view. See the above photo I took from a bus ride.
I also used the website Rome2Rio.com to estimate all of my transportation costs in advance. The website is a valuable tool for determining the cost of taxis, buses, driving, ferries, shuttles, trains, and more. For instance, Rome2Rio told me there was an airport bus that ran from Dubrovnik to the airport for $6. I found out at the ticket office that I could just wave it down and the bus would pick me up right around the corner from my hotel. It worked out fine, even at 5 am.
Foregoing the Tours
Instead of booking day tours, we were able to island hop by simply taking the ferry, grabbing a map and exploring on our own. This proved to be a very enjoyable and cost- effective way to explore. We may have gotten lost a couple of times and underestimated the difficulty of that mountain hike but we sure had a great time, saved some money and got a lot of exercise.
And in the end…
If there was one area I failed slightly on my budget, it was shopping. I normally don’t buy much of anything when I travel except maybe socks. However, when you’re with two other friends, shopping is an inevitable team sport and if you visit enough shoe stores, eventually you weaken. I couldn’t pass up those funky boots that were a steal at $45 (the original was $175). I’ve already forgiven myself. I did learn that it doesn’t hurt to splurge a little as long as my purchases fit in my backpack.
Without utilizing the points from my Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express for two nights lodging and the points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for my airfare, my trip would have cost thousands versus a few hundred dollars.
These two credit cards are always in my wallet and they’re the reason I’m able to see the world at prices I can afford.
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