7 Days in Istria With Kids: Valamar Istra and Rovinj

By Istvan Csanalosi, Founder, TripKompass. Trip taken at the turn of August and September 2025.

Most of what I write about on TripKompass is planned and researched. This one is our own family holiday. At the end of August 2025 we spent seven days in Istria, on the Croatian coast, with our two daughters, who were 4 and 6 at the time. We drove down from Budapest, stayed in a camping home at a Valamar resort, and made a day trip to Rovinj.

If you are weighing up a first seaside week abroad with small children, here is how ours worked and what made it easy.

7 days in Istria at a glance

Day	Where	Highlights
1	Budapest to Funtana	Drive through Slovenia, check in, first swim
2 to 3	Valamar Istra resort	Pools, beach, playroom, dinner in the resort
4	Rovinj	The old town, its lanes and dinner in Rovinj
5 to 6	Valamar Istra resort	Slow days at the pool and on the beach
7	Funtana to Budapest	Pack up and drive home

Getting there: driving from Budapest

We went by car. With two small children, a car makes life simpler: everything for the beach and a week of clothes goes in the boot, and you have it on the spot for day trips.

A few things to sort out before you set off:

• We drove through Slovenia, where motorways need an e-vignette bought in advance. Buy it only from the official DARS site. On Hungarian motorways you need an e-matrica too. The alternative route via Zagreb and Rijeka stays on Croatian motorways, which are tolled at booths.
• Plan breaks for the kids, not just for fuel.

Where we stayed: Valamar’s Istra resort near Funtana

We stayed at Valamar’s Istra resort, officially Valamar Istra Premium Camping Resort, a five-star camping resort on a green peninsula next to the small coastal town of Funtana, near Poreč. Do not let the word camping put you off: you can stay in a proper camping home with its own terrace, and that is what we did.

What we liked most is easy to say. First, the resort sits on its own peninsula, completely separate from everything else, and every facility you need is right there. With small children that matters more than anything: nobody has to get in the car to find lunch, a playground or an ice cream.

Second, the restaurants. We loved them. After a day at the pool, good food a short walk from your door, with no driving, is what makes a family holiday feel like a holiday.

According to Valamar’s own resort page, the facilities include:

• the Aquamar water park, with several pools and slides,
• Maro Mini, a playroom for children aged 3 to 7, which fitted both of our girls,
• restaurants in and around the central Piazza, such as Grano Duro (pizza and pasta) and the Fonte buffet restaurant,
• accommodation from seafront pitches and glamping tents to camping homes and villas with private pools.

Opening dates and opening hours of the water park and the kids’ facilities depend on the season, so check them for your dates, especially at the end of August and into September.

A day trip to Rovinj

Our day trip was to Rovinj, and if you only have time for one outing from the Poreč area, I would pick it too. The old town sits on a small peninsula, the houses go straight down into the sea, and the whole core is a maze of steep, cobbled lanes leading up to the church on the hill.

A few practical things that help with children:

• The old town is for walking. The historic core is car-free, so park outside it. The Valdibora car park, just north of the old town, is one of the usual choices, and in high summer it fills up, so arrive early.
• The stones are smooth and the streets are steep. Proper shoes for everyone, and a small child will end up on your shoulders at some point.
• Go early or late. The lanes get busy in the middle of the day. Mornings and the early evening are calmer.

We finished the day with dinner in Rovinj, with baked scallops and a Croatian beer.

How I would plan the same week

• Day 1: drive down from Budapest, check in, first swim.
• Days 2 to 3: resort days: pool, beach, playroom, dinner in the resort.
• Day 4: Rovinj, morning in the old town, lunch, back for an afternoon swim.
• Days 5 to 6: more resort time: pool, beach and the kids’ playroom.
• Day 7: pack up and drive home.

The rhythm that worked for us was simple: one outing, then a slow day. Small children do not need a full programme, they need a pool, a playground and their parents nearby.

Was it worth it?

Yes. For a family with small children, Istria is close enough to drive to from Budapest, the resort gave us everything in one place on its own peninsula, and Rovinj gave us the day out we will remember.

About the author: Istvan Csanalosi is the founder of TripKompass, where he plans and publishes travel itineraries. This article is based on his own family holiday at the turn of August and September 2025 and his own photos. The practical details were checked against official sources in October 2026; AI tools helped with research and editing.

FAQ

Is Valamar Istra a good choice with small children?

It was for us, with a 4 and a 6-year-old. The resort sits on its own peninsula, so everything is within walking distance. Valamar lists the Aquamar water park with several pools and slides, and Maro Mini, a playroom for children aged 3 to 7.

Where exactly is the resort?

Valamar Istra Premium Camping Resort is on a green peninsula next to Funtana, near Poreč, on the west coast of Istria in Croatia.

Which vignettes do you need to drive from Budapest to Istria?

On Hungarian motorways you need an e-matrica. We drove through Slovenia, where you need the Slovenian e-vignette, bought in advance on the official DARS site. If you go via Zagreb and Rijeka instead, Croatian motorways are tolled at booths.

Can you drive into Rovinj’s old town?

No. The historic core is car-free, so park outside it, for example at the Valdibora car park just north of the old town, and walk in.