Full trip board | Croatia focus | July 2026

Venice, Croatia, the UK wedding, and home.

Four adults, two kids, one full trip frame. The hard edges are getting locked so Porec can stay loose: swim, wander, nap, eat, repeat.

Porec as the soft base One Plitvice adventure No heroic ferry-night logistics

Full tripLAX, Venice, Croatia, UK wedding, LAX return.

Croatia focusPorec base, easy mornings, Istria only when everyone has the energy.

1 park nightPlitvice stays in the trip without turning it into a full road trip.

2 carsCleaner with child seats, bags, and a wagon.

Croatia Leg Map

Working 6-night shape with a Plitvice buffer and July 22 flight target.

Preferred exit | Wed Jul 22

Pula to London Stansted keeps the plan simple: stay Porec-heavy, return from Plitvice toward Istria, sleep near Porec/Pula, then fly.

Check PUY to STN

Backup exit

If Pula gets awkward, Zadar has direct Stansted service on Tuesdays and some Fridays in July, but it adds a bigger drive after Plitvice.

Check ZAD to STN

Croatia Stay Shortlist

The default rooming model is one family room or apartment plus one double room.

Porec | BO Hotel Palazzo

Central, polished, and easy from the ferry. Booking.com showed Jul 16-17 around EUR 603 for 4 adults + 2 kids across 2 rooms; Jul 16-19 around EUR 2,851 for 2 superior doubles all-inclusive.

Primary Porec hotel

Porec | Apartment Base

Best if the group wants shared meals, laundry, parking, and kid space for most of the trip.

Most practical base

Rastoke | Slunj Stop

Useful overnight before Plitvice. Keeps the park morning shorter and calmer.

Park approach

Plitvice | Hotel Jezero

Best logistics for park access. Degenija remains the comfort/value fallback outside the park.

Park access

Pula | Airport Finish

Use if the best Stansted flight leaves from Pula. This is a practical final-night choice.

Flight-driven

Rijeka or Zadar | Airport Finish

Use only if the STN schedule wins. Avoid adding distance unless the flight makes it worthwhile.

Fallback finish

Two-Party Itinerary

Working version: family arrives through Venice; the other two adults meet the group in Porec.

Family Route | 2 adults + 2 kids

Mon Jul 13: Fly LAX to Paris on AF0021.
Tue Jul 14: Connect to Venice on AF1726, arriving 13:20. Sleep at Ca dei Leoni.
Wed Jul 15: Venice recovery day. Keep it light.
Thu Jul 16: Ferry Venice to Porec at 16:45, arriving around 20:00-21:00. Go straight to room.

UK Route | 2 adults

Thu Jul 16: Target Ryanair FR 3872, STN to Pula, 07:00-10:10.
Thu Jul 16 midday: Transfer Pula to Porec, check in, handle keys, snacks, and basic arrival setup.
Thu Jul 16 evening: Meet family after ferry arrival. No onward drive.
Fri Jul 17: Start Croatia together from Porec.

Overlap Plan

Jul 16: Everyone sleeps in central Porec. BO Hotel Palazzo is the easiest arrival-night candidate.
Jul 17-18: Porec/Istria base days. Beaches, old town, Rovinj or pool time only if energy allows.
Jul 19 or Jul 20: Drive inland for Rastoke, Slunj, or Plitvice overnight.
Next day: Plitvice early, then position for Croatia-to-UK flight.

Arrival-Night Rule

Do: central room, showers, food nearby, sleep.
Do not: pick up a car, drive onward, or make the kids handle another transfer unless unavoidable.
Best use of UK adults: check-in, supplies, restaurant fallback, and luggage path before the ferry lands.

Why Porec works

Lock the hard edges. Leave the middle loose.

The point of staying near Porec is not to optimize every hour. It is to give the kids a soft landing, give the adults a real base, and keep Croatia feeling like a trip instead of a transfer plan.

Morning choiceBeach, pool, old town coffee, or nothing. No group vote required before breakfast.

Easy split-upsOne adult can wander, one can rest, kids can crash, and nobody breaks the itinerary.

One big movePlitvice gets its own overnight so the park feels special, not punishing.

Built-in recoveryLate ferry, kids, luggage, heat, and jet lag are accounted for instead of wished away.

1Land softly in Porec.

2Let the next morning be slow.

3Pick one outing, not four.

4Protect the Plitvice day.

Completion

Current status before you send the details you already have.

Booking completion 62%

Trip shapeFull trip framed, Croatia is the active planning zone.

Set

Party setup4 adults + 2 kids; kids room and ride with the same two adults.

Set

Outbound flightsAir France ZI3NIV confirms LAX to Venice July 13-14 for 2 adults + 2 children.

Set

Venice stayCa dei Leoni confirmed July 14-16 for 2 adults + 2 children.

Set

Venice to Porec ferryKompas/Adriatic Lines booked July 16 at 16:45 for 2 adults + 2 children.

Set

UK wedding anchorBlackthorpe Barn confirmed for Wednesday July 29. Jacky is Daniel’s brother; Reggie and Jude are ring bearers.

Set

Return flightsLHR to LAX confirmed Aug 5, operated by Virgin Atlantic as AF6756.

Set

Croatia bookingsPorec lodging, Plitvice night, Croatia-to-UK flight, cars, park tickets, child seats, bags.

Need

Ring bearer kitConfirm colors, then buy outfits, shoes, backups, and travel-safe garment packing.

Need

Found In Email

Venice hotel confirmedCa dei Leoni, Sestiere Cannaregio 565, Venice. Check-in Tue Jul 14 at 12:00pm, check-out Thu Jul 16 at 11:00am. Hotels.com itinerary 73398184653639. Total EUR 340.00; deposit EUR 324.00. Non-refundable.

LAX to Venice flights confirmedAir France booking ZI3NIV. Mon Jul 13 AF0021 LAX Terminal B 14:00 to CDG Terminal 2E 09:50 next day; Tue Jul 14 AF1726 CDG Terminal 2F 11:35 to Venice VCE 13:20. Total USD 4005.92 for Camille, Daniel, Reggie, and Jude.

Venice to Porec ferry confirmedKompas/Adriatic Lines order 3c2acb80-c6ba-44e1-9d0c-5f8164056d62. Venice to Porec on Thu Jul 16, 2026 at 16:45 for 2 adults + 2 children. Tickets 03JX003, 03JX004, 03JX005, 03JX006.

UK wedding confirmedKatherine and Jacky, Wed Jul 29, 2026 at Blackthorpe Barn, Blackthorpe, Bury St Edmunds, IP30 9JG. Jacky is Daniel’s brother. Reggie and Jude are ring bearers. Day guests arrive 11:45am-12:00pm and sit by 12:15pm.

LHR to LAX flight confirmedAir France booking ZI3NIV shows Wed Aug 5 AF6756 operated by Virgin Atlantic, LHR Terminal 3 09:55 to LAX Terminal B 13:10.

Send Me These Details

FlightsCroatia-to-UK leg for all 6, plus any separate flights for the other 2 adults.

VeniceArrival date/time, airport transfer plan, and ferry terminal timing.

Croatia StaysHotel/apartment links, prices, cancellation terms, room types.

CarsQuotes, pickup/drop-off, child seats, luggage/wagon constraints.

BudgetTarget ceiling or comfort range for the Croatia portion.

ConstraintsMust-dos, avoidances, nap timing, mobility, parking, cancellation preferences.

Wedding ClothesDress code, color palette, shoe expectations, and whether the boys should match exactly or coordinate.

PackingAnything you already own for wedding outfits, summer travel, swim gear, wagon, carriers, and kid comfort.

Croatia Running Tally

This tally is for the Croatia portion. Add Venice pre-trip costs separately once that side is fixed.

Rooms Cars Finish Adults Kids

Line item	Estimate
Hotels and apartments	EUR 0
Cars, fuel, tolls, parking	EUR 0
Ferry Venice to Porec	EUR 0
Croatia to Stansted flights	EUR 0
Park tickets and local cushion	EUR 0

Next Booking Decisions

These are the choices that determine the final shape and cost of the Croatia portion.

Book STN first

Stansted is fixed. Lock the return flight before committing to the final hotel or car drop-off.

Keep Porec as base

It preserves the original reason for the trip while reducing hotel changes for the kids.

Use two cars

The family car carries the two adults, two kids, child seats, and wagon. The second car carries the other adults and overflow bags.

Wedding Prep

Jacky is Daniel’s brother. Reggie and Jude are ring bearers, so outfits move onto the real booking list.

Ring Bearer Direction

Classic British summer wedding, practical kid fit: lightweight shirt, smart shorts or trousers, optional waistcoat or jacket, closed-toe shoes, and one spare shirt packed in the wedding bag.

Reggie + Jude Open Katherine & Jacky’s Say I Do

Shopping List

Confirm colors with Katherine and Jacky before buying.
Two shirts, two bottoms, two belts or suspenders, socks, shoes, and backup shirts.
Small emergency kit: stain wipes, safety pins, plasters, lint roller, and steamer plan.

Packing List

Wedding outfits travel in carry-on, not checked luggage.
Comfort clothes for after photos, snacks, quiet activity, sunscreen, water bottles.
Check venue surface before choosing shoes: barn, gravel, lawn, and kid running are all factors.

Trip Shape

The full trip has four pieces. Croatia is where the current booking decisions live.

LAXOutbound flight

VeniceArrival side

FerryCross into Croatia

PorecMain base

PlitvicePark night

UKWedding anchor

LHRReturn flight

HomeLos Angeles

Before Croatia

Venice stays light in this board: hotel is confirmed, ferry is booked, and the remaining task is making the terminal transfer easy.

Croatia Core

This is the current focus: Porec as the base, one Plitvice-area overnight, two cars, and family-compatible rooming.

Return Leg

Get from Croatia back to the UK in time for the wedding. The Croatian departure airport and final night move around that requirement.

Mon | Jul 13

Los Angeles to Venice

Air France booking ZI3NIV: AF0021 LAX to CDG at 14:00, then AF1726 CDG to Venice arriving Tue Jul 14 at 13:20.

Flights confirmed4 passengers: Daniel, Camille, Reggie, Jude.

Tue | Jul 14

Venice staging

Ca dei Leoni is confirmed for July 14-16 for the family room. Use this as the staging point for the ferry transfer.

Hotel confirmedCheck airport transfer, ferry terminal timing, and luggage handling.

Croatia Day 1

Venice to Porec

Kompas/Adriatic Lines ferry from Venice to Porec is booked for July 16 at 16:45. Sleep in Porec and keep this night simple.

Ferry bookedPick up the Croatia car locally next morning if practical.

Croatia Base

Porec base

Use Porec as the home base. Add Rovinj, Pula, Vrsar, beaches, or hill towns only as energy allows.

Low-change daysGood for kids, meals, laundry, and wagon logistics.

Park Move

Porec to Plitvice area

Drive inland and sleep near Rastoke, Slunj, or Plitvice so the park day can start early.

About 3 hr 15 minAdd time for breaks.

Park Day

Plitvice Lakes

Choose a shorter family route. Use the wagon selectively; boardwalks, stairs, boats, and crowds make a carrier useful.

Early startBetter paths, parking, and kid stamina.

Return Setup

Position for the UK

Return toward Porec/Pula, move toward Rijeka, or continue to Zadar only if the UK flight schedule and price justify it.

Flight-drivenBook Croatia-to-UK first, then match the final hotel.

Wed | Jul 29

Katherine & Jacky’s wedding

Jacky is Daniel’s brother. Reggie and Jude are ring bearers. Blackthorpe Barn, Bury St Edmunds, IP30 9JG. Day guests arrive 11:45am-12:00pm; ceremony seating by 12:15pm.

UK anchorCars can be left overnight at own risk.

Wed | Aug 5

London to Los Angeles

Air France booking ZI3NIV shows AF6756 operated by Virgin Atlantic from LHR Terminal 3 at 09:55, arriving LAX Terminal B at 13:10.

Return confirmedCheck-in deadline 08:55.

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