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TRAVEL TIPS: BALKANOLOGY 101 ( DRIVING THRU THE BALKANS)

3/2/2015

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We can’t know what’s going to happen. We can just try to figure it out as we go along.
- Morgan Matson | Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
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HOW DID WE DECIDE ON A ROUTE?

The Balkan Region has been a dream destination for both of us and seeing this off-the-beaten path region is probably our most favorite trip as couple. As you all know, using trains in this part of Europe is not as easy as the other popular European cities. The main transportation that tourists usually use in this region are buses (train in some parts of Croatia), but as you all know we like do-it-yourself trips, that is why we decided on renting a car to see the best of the Balkans. We wanted to give you a few tips on driving around this region, since we only found a few blog sites that offer this kind of perspective.  

WHY DID WE RENT A CAR?

We truly love the freedom of the open road and always enjoyed road trips. First of all, we rented a car for convenience. If we drive a rental car, we can take as much time on tourist spots we want to see and stop wherever we want to stop. We wanted to make every moment and every part of our trip an adventure. We do not want to rely on regimented itinerary of group tours, or to follow bus schedules and we end up hurrying + scared of being late if we miss a bus. In this way, we can tailor our trip as much as we like and  we can be flexible for unexpected happenings.  For instance, we were suppose to see Plitvice Lakes National Park and stay there for 2 nights but instead heavy rains welcomed us, and it was pointless to see Plitvice Lakes in this condition (see here why we did decide to see it). Instead, we only stayed for 1 night and drove to Slovenia a day early than expected. For more details, click here. 
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We patterned our trip with Topdeck Travel's Balkan Itinerary but removed some places we did not want to see, and added a few more stops we are interested in. We are also inspired by Souvenir Chronicles about driving around the Balkans by car and they were very nice to answer our initial questions about driving a rental car around this area. 

When I started searching about this trip like - how the roads are, especially driving thru Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, appropriate visas, border crossings and checkpoints or other important parts of the road trip we wanted to know, there's only a few blogs that discusses it in detail how is it really like driving this region. Below is our Balkan road trip map, I deleted some of the stops we did, but only pinned the major cities of the countries we've had the pleasure of driving. We did the Balkans for at least 18 days and added Budapest and Krakow at the beginning and end of the trip (total of 25 days). 
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Our Balkan Itinerary

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SCENES FROM THE ROAD: KOTOR TO SPLIT 

9/9/2014

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Summer, so far you have been mesmerizing. 
 We knew right away, this is the right way to travel.
The ocean stretched for miles and eventually disappeared into the horizon. 
We watched the cars passing by and felt the crisp sea air.
This has been a scenic road trip, outdoors and nature at its finest.
Categories: Europe, Croatia, Montenegro, Balkan Road Trip, Videos
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OUR MONTENEGRIN JOURNEY: PART 2 (Budva, Montenegro)

9/5/2014

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We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. 
The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.
- Ray Bradbury 
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Montenegro is reinventing and advertising themselves as a new tourist mecca. Truly, this country has a lot to offer from charming old towns as well as numerous beaches. Budva is at the center of it all - they have captured tourists because of its mountainous backdrop and a 100 km stretch of Adriatic coastline. Brace yourself and your jaw will drop when you see Sveti Stefan. Sveti Stefan is connected to the shore by a short and narrow isthmus. This old town with terracotta-roofed houses is built during the 15th century. The late president of Yugoslavia turned this place a hotel for the elites and political leaders. Currently, it is now owned by a luxury resort group called Aman Resorts. Sadly, you cannot visit Sveti Stefan unless you have dinner reservations or you booked a night at the hotel. On the bright side, you can still marvel this postcard view of Montenegro by walking along the Przno area. 

Budva is one hour away from Kotor and definitely a must-see since it is one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic coast. We ended our trip here with the best "wow" moment of Montenegro. 
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Categories: Europe, Montenegro, Balkan Road Trip
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We are husband + wife, adventurers + visual storytellers, who love to see the world together. Our goal is to see 100 countries in our lifetime and we are halfway there.

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