A world-class capital city, your ancestral village in Međimurje, Plitvice waterfalls, and the Dalmatian coast — all in one clean north-to-south route.
North to south — one direction, no backtracking. Fly into Budapest, out of Dubrovnik.
Steven Andrew Subasa (~1895–1985) was born here, married Anna Rose Matulin at St. Mary's Church in 1918, and left for America in 1913. He worked at Firestone in Akron, Ohio, and his son George Frank Subasa became a SMSGT in the US Air Force. That's your grandfather.
Today: ~30 people with the surname Šubaša still live in the area. The name held steady for a century.
This is the part of the trip that won't cost anything but will mean the most.
Fly United EWR→BUD (open-jaw). Arrive morning. Check in, walk the Chain Bridge, Parliament, Castle Hill. Dinner at a ruin bar (Szimpla Kert). Stay awake until 9pm to beat jet lag.
Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, Great Market Hall, Széchenyi Thermal Bath. Evening Danube cruise. Budapest is way cheaper than Croatia — load up on good meals here.
Pick up rental car (Sixt at airport). Drive 3 hrs south to Donji Vidovec. Visit St. Mary's Church, the cemetery, walk the Drava riverbank. Lunch in Prelog. Afternoon in Čakovec — the castle, the old town. Stay at Hotel Park Čakovec or Guesthouse Dora in Prelog. Evening wine in Štrigova vineyards.
Morning in Međimurje — anything you missed in the village or Prelog. Drive 1.5 hrs south to Zagreb. Check into Canopy by Hilton. Walk the Upper Town (Gradec): St. Mark's Church, Lotrščak Tower, funicular. Dinner on Tkalčićeva Street.
Drive 2 hrs to Plitvice Lakes. Walk Program H — 16 terraced lakes connected by waterfalls, ~5-6 hrs. Boardwalks over turquoise water, unreal scenery. Lunch at the park. Drive 2.5 hrs south to Split. Check in, walk the Riva promenade.
Diocletian's Palace — it's not a museum, it's a living neighborhood. Roman ruins, narrow alleys, cafes. Climb the Cathedral Bell Tower. Walk the basement halls (GoT fans: Daenerys's dragons). Afternoon: Marjan Hill for views. Return the rental car at Split Airport. Dinner in the palace alleys.
Catamaran to Hvar (~1 hr). Check in. Walk St. Stephen's Square (largest piazza in Dalmatia). Climb Španjola Fortress. Afternoon beach time at Mekićevica or Pokonji Dol. Sunset cocktails at Hula Hula Beach Bar. Hvar dinner at a konoba.
Pakleni Islands — water taxi from Hvar harbor (15 min). Palmizana beach, lunch at Laganini. Or rent a scooter to explore Stari Grad Plain (UNESCO, Greek farmland from 4th century BC). Or Blue Cave & Vis full-day boat tour (~€80-100).
Catamaran back to Split. Then Krilo catamaran to Dubrovnik (~4.5 hrs via Hvar/Korčula) — stunning ride. Or bus (~3.5 hrs, €20-30). Check into Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik. Evening: walk the Stradun, first dinner in the Old Town.
Walk the City Walls — 2 km loop, 1.5-2 hrs, go early. Afternoon: Lokrum Island (10-min ferry from Old Port) — botanical gardens, swimming rocks, peacocks. Sunset cliffside drinks at Buža Bar.
Cable car up Mt Srđ for panoramic views. Or day trip to Cavtat (seaside town 20 min south). Or easy day — rewalk the Stradun, find a secluded cove, shop at Gundulić Market. Final dinner at something special.
Last coffee in Dubrovnik. Transfer to DBV airport. Fly DBV→EWR via Frankfurt/Munich. Open-jaw award: ~40-60k United miles economy for the whole thing.
| City | Nights | Hotel | Points? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budapest | 2 | Hilton Budapest | ✅ Hilton |
| Čakovec/Prelog | 1 | Hotel Park Čakovec | 💰 Cash |
| Zagreb | 1 | Canopy by Hilton | ✅ Hilton |
| Split | 2 | Vestibul Palace (SLH) | ⚠️ SLH |
| Hvar | 2 | Palace Elisabeth | 💰 Cash |
| Dubrovnik | 3 | Hilton Imperial | ✅ Hilton |
Per person, moderate budget. Does not include international flights.
Book open-jaw: EWR→BUD / DBV→EWR. United seasonal nonstop to BUD in summer. ~40-60k miles economy for the open-jaw award.
Pick up at Budapest Airport (Sixt), drop at Split Airport. One-way fee ~€100-200. Hungary→Croatia is Schengen — no border checks. Use credit card insurance.
Ferries 2-4 weeks ahead. Plitvice tickets online with timed entry (4+ weeks). Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik sells out early.
Croatia uses Euro (€). Hungary uses Forint (Ft). Cards widely accepted. Carry some cash for small purchases.
Međimurje County, northern Croatia — the thumb of the country pointing into Hungary. ~500 people. On the Drava River.
Muravid (Hungarian), Dolnji Vidovec (Kajkavian dialect). The surname is Šubaša (Croatian) / Subasa (Americanized).
Steven Andrew Subasa (1895-1985) — born here, married Anna Matulin at St. Mary's Church 1918, emigrated 1913 to Akron OH, Firestone worker. Parents: Márton András Subasa & Katalin Golobic. Son: George Frank Subasa (1924-2018, USAF SMSGT).
Prelog (10 min) — restaurants, Lake Dubrava. Čakovec (15 min) — castle, museum. Štrigova (20 min) — wine country.
Međimurje štrukli (baked cheese pastry), fresh Drava fish, local Graševina and Sauvignon wines.