Trip Report -- Venice and Dalmatian Coast September 2024 - (part 3)
Day 7
This was not a tender port, but you immediately get on a coach bus to get to the excursion locations, so that morning found us in Trogir — which we remember as a mini-Dubrovnik. It is a typical, small medieval town that gave us an opportunity to pick up some last purchases from Croatia and have some last local coffee and gelato. An alternative and popular well reeived tour was of the Krka National Park, which would have been a nice change from the small city environment. While we were touring, the ship moved along to Split, so we had a bus ride to the ship from Torgir. There was an option given to stay on the ship during the morning for those that wanted a bit of a rest from touring. Split is also not a tender port. The afternoon tour of Split had a tour of the ancient Roman Emperor Diocletian’s Palace – a truly remarkable experience.
Day 8
Our last port was in Rovinj, Croatia in the Istria region bordering Slovenia. We chose to visit a well-preserved Roman amphitheater and then to do an olive oil tasting with a nice glass of local wine. It really was enough to count as lunch as they served us cheese, bread, and gelato with an olive oil topping. It certainly was a memorable tasting.
Day 9
Our tour ended the next day back in Venice. Sadly, we headed directly to the airport and appreciated a local guide helping us find the proper check-in location. Tauck even provided for the luggage to be carried into the airport. One thing to note -- the Venice airport is small, and the gates only are opened and posted just prior to check-in time. If you arrive early as we did, you just need to wait until your check-in desk location is posted on the screen.
In summary, we had a wonderful time exploring a region with a beautiful coastline and a rich history. Tauck did a great job at coordinating our travel from land to sea and the Ponant ship provided an elegant and comfortable home for this trip. If you want to take part in water-based activities, it would be best to book closer to the summer months.