Europe,  Independent travel,  Transport,  Travel Blog

Croatia: The Adventure Begins

July 23, 2020 /
View of Split from the Bell Tower
View of Split from the Bell Tower

The city of Split is said to have first become a major settlement when the Roman emperor Diocletian stood down from his role and retired here in 304AD, the magnificent palace built for him in this stunning bay was therefore effectively his retirement home. We don’t suppose our arrival here on the second trip of our own retirement will create quite such a stir however; in fact, we couldn’t even get into our room.

Empty checkin hall at Gatwick North Terminal
Empty check in area, Gatwick North Terminal

Back home in the UK we are all still being encouraged to avoid unnecessary use of public transport so it’s a cab rather than the customary train which takes us to Gatwick. It costs £80. The train would have been £98, for two of us. Is that not ridiculous? Gatwick is unlike any other time we’ve seen it; pretty much deserted, empty check in areas, only a handful of cafes open, and a single screen of departing flights. COVID rules and face masks abound, and alongside the usual retail store “meal deal” there’s a “COVID pack”, an appetising combo of hand gel, face mask and wipes.

Airside, Gatwick North Terminal
All quiet Airside, Gatwick North Terminal

Let’s take a minute to praise Easyjet now, as their new COVID protocols are well thought out, their instructions are crystal clear, and the new normal, as far as Easyjet is concerned, is a new efficiency. Hats off, guys.

All aboard EasyJet

With a commendable degree of logic, Split’s bus station, rail station and ferry port are all in the same place and only a spit from the palace and old town, making arrival here a piece of cake. Until, that is, you arrive at the Queens Hotel, which is tucked in the alleyways by the city wall, and is indicated only by tiny wall plaques at the bottom of a concrete staircase. No neon signs or grand entrance hall here.

You have to spot this

Once up the three flights of concrete stair, it takes us an age to get in. No one responds to the doorbell, despite our increasingly agitated pressing. A phone call to the number we have gets an apologetic response, and an instruction to “wait a minute”. Ten minutes later, we ring the doorbell again. Then we phone again. He’s apologetic, again. When we are eventually let in, there are at least three family members the other side of the door, who had clearly simply ignored the doorbell throughout the whole episode.

The Grand Entrance

Our room is not as described. When we make the point, one of the three guys says “Anna will sort it later”. Later in the evening, after a wonderful meal in town, Anna greets us back at the room, confirms we have been given the wrong room, and moves us to one which much more closely matches the description. 

“It was my day off”, she explains, “and I leave instruction with the men. Three men here and they still get it wrong”.

She rolls her eyes. “Men”, she says, “are useless”. 

View from Queens Hotel – was worth the wait

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