Need advice for visitors to Split in October

[+HockeyHiker19]

Dear Croatian geocachers!  I will be joining a large group of Canadian and American geocachers on a cruise in October.  We are visiting Split on Monday, October 22 and there are several of us who would like to find Saint Ivan (GC2499), but it is quite far from the cruise port.  Our group's travel agent said she cannot book us a small bus for us (I don't know why), so I am asking if cachers in the Split area can give me some advice on how to arrange transportation to the top of the mountain near Mountain Lodge Malačka and then back to the cruise port.  We are scheduled to arrive around 8am and depart around 4pm.  So far, there is about 15 people interested in going after this geocache, but that number might increase as we get closer to October. 

 

Thank you very much!  ~HH19 (Kris)

[+therewolf]

Hi Kris,

First of all, I'll put your post on Facebook community page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/geocaching.croatia/

Previous Monday I have found Saint Ivan geocache and can tell you some things later. I am from Zagreb, not from Split area.

Best regards

Igor (therewolf)

 

[+Sin McSin]

Main problem is that there is not local geocashers in Split, so if you ask me, best solution is maybe to take Uber, it would not be to expencive if four of you seat in each car...

[+MiG_MM]

Don't know for Split exactly, because I'm not from there, but it shouldn't be a problem to book a small bus, especially for someone whose job is a tourist guide. :/ I think he is not willing to do  that in fact.
You can try to rent a bus by your own.
Here is one contact in Split:
http://www.lavandatours.hr/en/
The price as I know is about 2000 kuna for one day trip.
If I'm from Split I will do it for you, as I'm a mountaineer guide and do this stuff (booking bus etc).
If you come one day somewhere near Rijeka, me and my boyfriend, also geocacher and mountaineer guide, will gladly took you to some peaks with caches. :)
 

[+MiG_MM]

Here is a route from airport to the Saint Ivan. Cca 25 minute bus or car travel.
http://tiny.cc/k6dv5y
 

[+HockeyHiker19]

Thank you to all who have responded so far!  I tried looking at a van rental company and the website froze when I was filling out a form for a quote.  I will try the link above and see if that is a good option.

[+therewolf]

Important to know is: On the route that MiG_MM posted, last 2 parts of that route are reachable on foot only. That's the way I took when I went there. There is a small parking space on the main road. You can see that on Google Street view: 

https://www.google.hr/maps/@43.5759255,16.3448259,3a,75y,322.61h,92.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJK3euxV-H6e_FQZ_rMx_5A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

After that point, there is gravel road upwards (suitable only for 4x4 vehicles). On foot you can reach Saint Ivan in cca 50 minutes. In total you'll need 2 - 2,5 h for going up, finding cache and enjoying beautiful view and going down.

Another way could be from Malačka mountain lodge. I think that's 1h 15 min. There is a much larger parking available. More info in Croatian only here (https://www.hps.hr/info/hrvatski-vrhovi/kozjak-vrh-biranj/). Please use Google translate.

[+HockeyHiker19]

I filled out a quote form on the Lavanda Tours website and have not received a reply.  Our group's travel agent said she'd try working with some of her contacts to see if a van can be arranged since interest amongst our group members is increasing.  I would just think that trying to use Uber would not work too well if there are 20-30 people wanting to get up to that cache.  That's a lot of Uber drivers and I've never used Uber here in the USA.  I'm hoping our travel agent is successful in getting us transportation.

[+therewolf]

Hi, just wondering whether you found some solution/idea.

Greetings from Zagreb

Edited September 13, 2019 by therewolf