Are these coastal Croatian locations worth a visit?

Simon Calder on croatia, disturbed sleep compensation and making the most of an Australian reroute

Sibenik, 40 miles northwest of Trogir, is larger and arguably even more attractive, thanks to its hillside setting (Getty)

Q Have you been to Trogir and Sibenik in Croatia, and if so would you recommend them? Thinking of going next September.

AWL

A Yes. I have been to both of these picturesque locations on the Adriatic coast. I thoroughly recommend both in September, when the peak heat and crowds of summer will have eased.

The town of Trogir occupies a small coffin-shaped island that is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel, spanned by a bridge. It is just a couple of miles west of Split airport, so ridiculously easy to access (flights from Bristol, London Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and others next September). Trogir’s fine state of preservation was recognised in 1997 when Unesco added it to the World Heritage List as “a remarkable example of urban continuity ... with the minimum of modern interventions”. The exquisite Venetian cathedral of St Lawrence presides over John Paul II Square, with some excellent bars and cafes.

Sibenik, 40 miles northwest, is larger and arguably even more attractive, thanks to its hillside setting. The cathedral here is dedicated to St James and features many elaborate sculptures on its facade. Both locations have good family-run hotels and will reward a stay of a few days. To treat yourself fully, though, I urge you to build in a stay in Split itself, where the city centre occupies the site of the lavish palace of the fourth-century Roman emperor, Diocletian, complete with marble floors and crumbling walls.

Last time I was in the region, I took a small ferry between Trogir and Split, which is a lovely way to travel. Ideally, you could organise an open-jaw itinerary, flying into Split, visiting Trogir and Sibenik, and then coming home from Zadar, further up the coast. The city is now firmly on the flight schedules, with links to London Stansted, Leeds Bradford and Manchester in September next year. Zadar’s charm is as deep as its history, which includes Roman and Venetian episodes.

If Emirates no longer flies to Adelaide and your postponed trip means you have to fly via another airport – why not make a virtue of necessity? (Alamy)

Q Another question arising from early in the Covid crisis for you. My mum and I had Emirates flights from London to Adelaide booked for April 2020. Obviously, they were cancelled due to the pandemic. We took the offered option to accept a voucher rather than get a refund as my sister lives in Adelaide and we knew we’d want to visit whenever things opened up.

Unfortunately, Adelaide is a destination that appears to have fallen off the Emirates map. Flying via another airport in Australia is possible, but it would add time and cost. What are our options?

Louise

A At the start of the coronavirus pandemic tens of thousands of flights were cancelled. UK-originating passengers were fully entitled to their cash back. But if I recall correctly, Emirates for a time offered an exceptionally generous voucher policy. Rather than just saying “here’s your ticket price back to spend on a flight”, the airline offered a “like for like” deal: a trip to Adelaide and back at a later date.

Given the way that fares to Australia have increased since British travellers were allowed back earlier this year, you made a wise decision to opt for the voucher. I speculate you paid around £800 return for flights in April 2020. The minimum these days would be around £1,200, a 50 per cent increase, and possibly significantly more.

Were you to request a refund from Emirates, I imagine the airline would happily comply – it can sell seats for more than you paid originally. But I recommend instead you try to make a virtue of necessity. Ask Emirates to fly you out to Perth, but back from one of the east coast cities: Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. Buy separate domestic flights on Qantas or Virgin Australia and spend a couple of days in each of the gateway and departure cities. Even better, if time and money permit, travel some or all of the way on the Indian Pacific train across Australia.

Finally, you could wait to see if Emirates goes back to Adelaide – but with Qatar Airways already flying there, I imagine the market will not look tempting for a while.

Premier Inn has a remarkable refund policy but there’s a presumption that the business should have an opportunity to solve the problem first (Reuters)

Q I recently stayed at a Premier Inn in east London. On the first night, I was awakened at about 1am by a loud noise of running water. I reported it first thing at breakfast and requested a refund under the Good Night Guarantee. But Premier Inn said it is in their terms and conditions that I should have contacted reception straight away in person or using my phone. I didn’t have a dressing gown or slippers and just wanted – with the help of makeshift earplugs – to get some sleep before a busy day. I find this refusal of a refund for that night unfair. What are your thoughts?

Martyn N

A Last week Premier Inn was rated very highly in a survey of Which? readers. The budget hotel chain has a remarkable refund policy: “We’re so confident you’ll have a great night’s sleep that, if you don’t, we’ll give you your money back.” Plainly your slumbers were interrupted, so I understand you believing that you qualify. But across the travel industry, there is a presumption that an unhappy customer should give the business an opportunity to solve the problem before a question of compensation arises. Premier Inn says: “If there’s a problem, just have a chat with a member of our friendly reception team. They’ll be happy to put things right.”

In your case, the reception staff would presumably have moved you to a quieter room, assuming one was available. Changing rooms in the early hours would have been disagreeable but hopefully effective.

Those terms and conditions specifically exclude refunds for disturbance caused by noise inside the hotel in cases where “you have not reported and provided us with a reasonable period to rectify”. So I cannot see grounds for any legal claim, I’m afraid, despite your undoubted sleep deprivation.

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