Compact Guide to Croatia

Advantages: Compact size and waterproof cover
Disadvantages: Disjointed and hard to find information.

...I am the sort of person who enjoys planning for their holiday. I love researching our destination and I devour as much information as I can before I go as I find that if I am knowledgeable about a place I enjoy myself much more. Embarking on a cruise last year was my idea of heaven as it gave me ample opportunity to research lots of different places. One of our ports of call was Dubrovnik and it soon became apparent that this would be a suitable destination for an independent sightseeing tour. I read quite a bit on the internet but decided that taking a guidebook with us was probably a wise move. My local bookshop only had one book covering Croatia so that?s how I came to purchase the Berlitz Pocket Guide at £4.99. Appearance First impressions of this guidebook were very positive. It is, as the name suggest, compact in...

Meggysmum 15.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Croatia Berlitz Pocket Guide

Currency Convertion Made Easy!

Advantages: Simple interface, most info you need on home page
Disadvantages: Perhaps not best if looking for a more sophisticated tool

...I have minimal need for a currency conversion site so when I do use them for either business or pleasure I want something that is simple and easy to use. I have used in the past a variety of sites and found that many are complex or you need to get through a number of screens before you get the answer you want. This is not the case with xe.com, which has now become the sole site I use for this. First off, the name is great and very easy to remember. This might not be a huge deal for many but if you use a variety of computers (home, work, girlfriends house, parents, etc...) you need one you can easily remember. This does the trick nicely. Once in, it is also incredibly simple to use and updates live. I think every minute or two it will update so you have the most accurate conversion possible. As you enter the site the home page is...

Nixu1980 18.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of xe.com (XE Currency Converter)

Pula (croatia)

Advantages: a stupendous sea and an unique reception.
Disadvantages: perhaps the absence of sand-blasts to whom likes!

......

the-crazy-brother 27.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Pula (Croatia)

the single currency

Advantages: greater trade links?
Disadvantages: loss of independency

...as a first year business student at cardiff business school, the topic of the single currency has of course been highly relevent to the course. however, i consider myself farily lucky in having two different lecturers who have lead lectures on the whole europe issue, paying particular attention to the single economy. these lecturers also hold contrasting views. i feel therefore, that as a typical young adult, i much prefer to spend my time down the pub than debate whether we should join or not. however, i feel that because of this, i hold an unbiased view on the subject, having had little previous knowlegde of the issue. on the one hand, britain doesn,t want to be left out in the cold when it comes to starting up the euro system. we know from experience that the europeans like to do things slightly differently from us, and this...

shlongey 28.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Member Advice on The European Single Currency

Pearl of the Adriatic

Advantages: Attractive, unique city
Disadvantages: Gets very busy in mid-summer.

...Dubrovnik, in Croatia, is sometimes referred to as the Pearl of the Adriatic. The most delightful way so come across this medieval city is by cruise ship across the Adriatic. An early morning vista of white walls and terracotta roofs in the morning sun is a sight that will not be forgotten by any lucky enough to witness it. I was entranced as I gazed out from our balcony as we passed the city to enter the port. Background This peaceful looking gem suffered terribly in the 1990s when an attack by the Yugoslav army laid siege to the city for over 6 months. The occupants were trapped within the medieval walls and bombarded by shelling from the hills overlooking the city. There was no electricity of communication in the city itself. It is difficult to imagine the extent of the damage that was done as there has been a great...

Meggysmum 25.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

The ups and downs of Zagreb

Advantages: Elegant architecture, plenty of green spaces, lots of museums, good food
Disadvantages: Not so good for people with mobility problems

...A couple of weeks ago, to celebrate the auspicious occasion of my mother's birthday, we took my parents to Zagreb for the day. Of course, we set out from Slovenia so it wasn't the enormous undertaking that sounds. The Croatian capital is well worth a stay of at least a couple of days, but it also makes an excellent day trip and is a viable destination from the holiday resorts of Croatian Istria, the coastal towns and other places in Slovenia, Venice and Trieste in northern Italy and the Plitvice Lakes in northern Croatia. I wouldn't recommend it as a day trip for people staying further south in Croatia as distances take longer to cover in this part of Europe. The train to Split (as far south as you can travel by train in Croatia) is an overnight one and you may have a few hours to kill before it departs, fortunately the station is...

fizzytom 22.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Zagreb (Croatia)

Glittering Jewel of the Balkans

Advantages: Beautiful, historic, no "lager louts", reasonable prices
Disadvantages: Very hot, lots of tourists, not easy to get there

...My sister and I arrived in Dubrovnik after a 24 hour long ferry trip in the summer of 2004. It wasn't the best introduction we could have had to the historic town. Cobbled streets, sunburned shoulders and heavy luggage don't mix well. Luckily though, the Croatians we came across while searching for our accommodation were welcoming and helpful. We must have heard the phrase "enjoy your stay in Dubrovnik" a hundred times in our short stay. Unsurprising considering that tourism is now the city's foremost form of income. Following the break up of Yugoslavia and the Balkan conflict, people have been flooding back into Dubrovnik to appreciate all it has to offer. Before the war, Croatia was a popular holiday resort, famed for its beautiful coastline and cheap prices. George Bernard Shaw, Prince Charles, and Margaret Thatcher have...

MissDirect 03.10.2004 (30.10.2007) · Read review
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Review of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Croatia's Jewel

Advantages: Scenery is amazing. Well maintained paths. Good strudel.
Disadvantages: Weather not typical for Croatia. Bus loads of tourists.

...Plitvice Lakes National Park is well worth a visit if you are traveling Croatia or this part of Europe. Said ?Plit-vich? as the Croatian language uses ?c? as ?ch? like Italian. Close to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, this park can be found at the heart of this odd shaped country ? it?s not in the north region near Zagreb, nor in the south near Dubrovnik, neither in the west near Pula or anywhere near the coast, but in the middle. There are buses here from the north and south on the Zagreb to Split route, but be warned, they are not the most reliable. We had to wave at a couple buses before one would actually stop for us. There are no trains near here but the roads are good. Why go there? The sheer color of the water is a reason to go here. All photos of this place show crystal clear Caribbean blue water, but then all...

jjqburch 04.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Plitvice Lakes National Park

Bog off to Zagreb

Advantages: great galleries, relatively undiscovered
Disadvantages: accommodation is pricy

...The title might sound less than complimentary, but there is a reason for this, namely that “Bog!” is an everyday Croatian term meaning “Hello!”. If you are worried that a lack of Croatian might be something that will deter you from visiting Zagreb, then a vague knowledge of German will stand you in very good stead. Speaking German I found that I was at least able to talk to people, even if only to exchange pleasantries. Zagreb, Croatia’s capital is a hidden gem, in fact much of Croatia is, with a lot of the tourists having been deterred from visiting the country since the war with Serbia. I first visited Croatia in February 1998, when Bosnia was still a no-go zone, and many people had wondered whether the war might spill over into Croatia again. People probably have visions of Zagreb being a ruined city...

Morgenhund 27.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Zagreb (Croatia)

ZAGREB - little VIENNA

Advantages: pretty E. European city
Disadvantages: pretty similar to others on Balkan

...Zagreb is a capital of Croatia, an independent state of ex Yugoslavia, since 1991. Since that time, many things are different more-less because of the political system that aims joining Croatia to European Community, rather then staying in the community of a little Balkan ex Yugoslavian countries. Some ex Zagreb or ex Yugoslavian population are rather sarcastic while talking about Zagreb today, referring to Zagreb population as a "poor little Vienna's provincials". However, many ex Yugoslavs know perfectly well that Zagreb population has its own flair ever since early days of ex Yugoslavia, no matter of the recent Balkan civil war. As someone who considers herself as ex Yugoslavian, I do remember this Zagreb flair in 80s. For example, in 70s and 80s Zagreb Town publisher have been publishing the best comic book ever, (called Alan Ford...

barefoot777 13.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Zagreb (Croatia)