Split.
Old stones and late nights.
Split (September 2025).
Lads' trip with Dave, JD and John. Three days of sun, beer and not much sleep.
The old town.
Diocletian's Palace isn't a museum, it's the old town itself. Bars and shops built into Roman walls, and narrow lanes that all seem to end up at the sea. There's even an Iron Throne, for good measure.
The Riva.
The harbour front is palm trees, cafés and boats. Good for a long breakfast and a slow recovery.
The nights.
Rooftop bars, then the bar streets, then a club. In that order, most nights.
Split is easy, sunny and good fun. Would go back.
Getting there.
easyJet from Luton, about two and a half hours. We paid for fast track at Luton.
Other options: direct flights are seasonal, roughly April to October, from Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, London City, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds Bradford, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The airport is 24 km out. The shuttle to the bus station is about €8 and takes 30 to 40 minutes. A taxi, Uber or Bolt is €40 to €55.
Where to stay.
We had a flat for the four of us through Airbnb.
Budget: Pietra Rossa in Bačvice, by the beach, around £120 a night. Mid-range: Hotel Kastel 1700, inside the palace walls, around £150. Fancy: Hotel Park Split, five stars in Bačvice, around £360, or the Cornaro, with a rooftop bar.
Worth doing.
The old town, the Riva and the rooftop bars.
With more time: walk up Marjan Hill for the view back over the town, watch the locals play picigin at Bačvice beach, take the catamaran to Hvar (about an hour), or a boat to the Blue Cave.
