How I packed for a week in Croatia

Seven days between Dubrovnik's historic old town and Hvar's island vibe forces you to think through your packing with a bit more care than it seems at first — that's two very different travel paces packed into one week. Here's what I brought, what I didn't need, and what I wish I'd packed from day one.

What I used the most, without a doubt: comfortable shoes with good soles. Between Dubrovnik's stairs and the climb to the walls, pretty but impractical sandals stayed buried in the suitcase almost the whole week, gathering dust.

A close second: water shoes. In both Dubrovnik and Hvar the beaches are rock or pebble, not sand, and without them swimming becomes a lot less comfortable than expected — we learned that tiptoeing over stones on day one.

The small dry bag also turned out to be essential, especially on day 3's boat excursion and the taxi boat to Pakleni, where the phone and keys always needed an eye kept on them.

The key to packing for Croatia is bringing just enough to move comfortably between two completely different travel paces, without overloading.

What I didn't need: very fancy clothes for the evenings. Except for the special dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, the general vibe was a lot more casual than I'd imagined before packing.

What I wish I'd brought from the start: cash in euros already exchanged before leaving Spain. Croatia has used the euro since 2023, but on islands and small excursions it's worth having some cash on hand, and we ran short more than once.