Rome, Dubrovnik & Adriatic Dreamin' — Self-Launched
7 days · Dalmatian Coast (Italy & Croatia)
G Adventures charges £1,299
No-markup version: ~£610 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 7-day self-launched version of the G Adventures Roamies route from Rome to Dubrovnik — same street-art neighbourhoods, overnight Adriatic ferry, Split's Diocletian's Palace, a Brač day trip and the Ston wall — pieced together yourself on public ferries, trains and buses. You'll sleep in hostels in the same central districts, book your own guided city walk and wine tasting, and meet other travellers naturally at the hostel bar rather than having a group pre-assembled for you. Costs are realistic backpacker estimates (May–Sept shoulder season), excluding flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Rome — Ostiense & Testaccio street art on foot
Rome, Italy
Land at Fiumicino and take the Leonardo Express train to Termini (~€14/£12, 32 mins) or the Terravision/Cotral shuttle bus (~€7/£6, 50 mins). Check into a hostel in the Ostiense/Testaccio area — this is where the G Adventures group stays and it's genuinely the best backpacker base in Rome (quieter, cheaper, brilliant food). Dump your bag and do the 'street art tour' yourself: walk from Piramide metro along Via del Porto Fluviale, through the Ex-Mattatoio area and the Ostiense murals (BLU's colossal pieces are the highlight), then loop into Testaccio. Dinner at a Testaccio trattoria — cacio e pepe at Da Felice or a supplì from a street stall — and a gelato from Giolitti or a local gelateria. Hostels here run pub nights most evenings if you're travelling solo and want to fall in with people.
🚌Leonardo Express or shuttle bus from FCO; walking + metro (single ticket €1.50)
🛏Hostel dorm, Ostiense/Testaccio (e.g. The RomeHello, Generator Rome or similar), £25–35
- →Self-guided Ostiense/Testaccio street art walk
- →Testaccio food wander
- →Hostel social evening
Rome → Ancona → overnight ferry to Split
Rome to Split (overnight ferry)
Morning free in Rome — cheap and brilliant: the Pantheon is free, and you can book a Colosseum/Roman Forum ticket direct on the official Coopculture site (€18, book 2–3 weeks ahead). Alternatively do a GetYourGuide street-art or Trastevere food walk (~£25) if you'd rather have a guide. Mid-afternoon take a regional train from Roma Termini to Ancona (~3.5–4 hrs, €20–25 booked on Trenitalia ahead of time). From Ancona station it's a 20-min walk or bus to the ferry port. Board the evening Jadrolinija or Blue Line overnight ferry to Split — book a reclining seat (cheapest, ~€35–45) or a shared cabin if you want a bed (~€60–80). Ferries generally depart late evening and arrive early morning; check schedules as days vary by season.
🚌Trenitalia regional train Rome–Ancona €20–25; overnight ferry Ancona–Split from ~£35
🛏Overnight ferry — reclining seat or shared cabin
- →Colosseum & Forum (self-booked)
- →Train journey across Italy
- →Overnight Adriatic ferry
Split — Diocletian's Palace & the bell tower
Split, Croatia
Arrive in Split early, grab breakfast at Bajamonti or a bakery (burek and coffee for €3). Drop bags at your hostel (most hold luggage before check-in). Climb the St. Domnius Cathedral bell tower (~€8) for the best view in the city, then either wander the Old Town and Diocletian's Palace independently (free — it's a living city, not a museum) or join a GetYourGuide walking tour of the palace and old town (~£18–25) for the history. Afternoon: swim at Bačvice beach (free, 15 mins' walk) or hike Marjan Hill for sunset (free). Evening: hostel common room or the bars around Narodni Trg — Split's nightlife is genuinely hostel-friendly.
🚌Walking; local bus €2 if needed
🛏Hostel dorm, Split Old Town (e.g. Hostel Split Backpackers or similar), £30–40
- →St. Domnius bell tower
- →Old Town & Diocletian's Palace (self-guided or GetYourGuide walk)
- →Bačvice beach / Marjan Hill sunset
Day trip to Brač — Supetar & the beaches
Brač, Croatia
Walk to Split's ferry terminal and take the Jadrolinija car ferry to Supetar, Brač (~50 mins, €5–7 each way, roughly hourly in summer — check the timetable the day before). Spend the day in Supetar's old town and on the beaches, or hire a bike/scooter (~€15–20) to reach the quieter coves at Lovrečina or Splitska. For the postcard view, buses run to Bol for Zlatni Rat beach (~1 hr, €5) if you'd rather, but it eats the day. Lunch of grilled fish and local wine by the harbour. Ferry back to Split in the evening and eat in the Old Town or at the hostel.
🚌Jadrolinija ferry Split–Supetar ~£6 each way
🛏Hostel dorm, Split, £30–40
- →Ferry to Supetar
- →Brač beaches & old town
- →Optional bike hire
Split → Ston wall → Dubrovnik
Ston & Dubrovnik, Croatia
Take a morning bus Split → Ston (~2 hrs, €12–15, several daily with Arriva/Flixbus or the local lines). Walk the Ston wall — the longest fortified wall in Europe — from Ston to Mali Ston (~€10 entry, 1.5–2 hrs, bring water and a hat, there's no shade). The Pelješac peninsula is Croatia's best red-wine country: taste Plavac Mali at a small cellar in Mali Ston (~€15–20) or pop into a konoba for oysters, which are farmed right there. Continue by bus Ston → Dubrovnik (~1 hr, €8–10) and check into a hostel inside or just outside the Old Town walls. Evening: drinks on the Buža cliff bar steps.
🚌Bus Split–Ston ~£12; bus Ston–Dubrovnik ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm, Dubrovnik (e.g. Hostel Angelina Old Town or similar), £30–40
- →Ston–Mali Ston wall walk
- →Pelješac wine tasting / oysters
- →Dubrovnik Old Town at night
Dubrovnik — city walls & Old Town
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Do the city walls first thing (opens ~8am, ~€35, allow 2 hrs — it's brutal in midday heat). Then do your own Old Town 'eye spy': the Franciscan Monastery and its pharmacy, Dubrovnik Cathedral, the Rector's Palace, and the free walk out to Lovrijenac Fort (included with the walls ticket) for the best view back over the city. Alternatively book a GetYourGuide Game of Thrones or Old Town history walk (~£20–30). Afternoon: take the local No. 8 bus or a short boat to Lokrum island (~€27 return incl. island entry) for swimming and peacocks, or just swim off Banje beach. Final-night dinner at a konoba in the backstreets — Lady Pi-Pi or a locals' spot away from the Stradun for better value.
🚌Walking; local bus €2; Lokrum boat ~£23 return
🛏Hostel dorm, Dubrovnik, £30–40
- →City walls walk
- →Franciscan Monastery, Cathedral & Lovrijenac Fort
- →Lokrum island or Banje beach
Depart Dubrovnik (or stay on)
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Check out and head to Dubrovnik airport — the Atlas shuttle bus from the cable-car station/Pile runs to the airport for ~€12 (or local bus No. 11 to the airport road, cheaper but slower). If you have time, extend: a day trip to Cavtat by boat (~€10) or Kotor in Montenegro by bus (~2.5 hrs) are both cheap onward options, and most hostels will hold bags and let you use the common areas on your last day.
🚌Atlas airport shuttle ~£10
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Airport transfer
- →Optional Cavtat or Kotor extension
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£610 | £1,299 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £689 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£610
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Rome, Dubrovnik & Adriatic Dreamin' — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £610 per person for 7 days in Dalmatian Coast (Italy & Croatia). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,299 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £610 — a saving of roughly £689 (53%) per person.
How long is the Dalmatian Coast (Italy & Croatia) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Dalmatian Coast (Italy & Croatia).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a budget, backpacker, culture trip through Dalmatian Coast (Italy & Croatia), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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