The BookTok Guide to Travel: People We Meet on Vacation
Inspired by People We Meet on Vacation, here’s our guide to chasing Poppy-and-Alex vibes along Croatia’s sun-soaked coast.
If you’ve ever devoured People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry and found yourself itching to pack a suitcase, book a flight, and chase down a Poppy-and-Alex-style summer adventure, then hi same. Emily Henry has a way of making you feel like you’re in the passenger seat of her characters’ lives, watching the world pass by through sun-soaked windows. And for me, one location from Poppy’s past trips jumped right off the page and begged for a real-life itinerary: Croatia.
Whether you’re here because you heard whispers about a People We Meet on Vacation movie (gimme President Snow NEOW), because you’re searching for the best Emily Henry book to inspire your next trip, or because you just want to channel your inner BookTok girl, this travel guide is for you. Croatia is not only cinematic, it’s romantic, layered with history, and has the kind of beauty that makes you want to slow down, put your phone away, and just be.
So, in true Poppy and Alex style, let’s break this down trip-guide style: the key places, the moments, and the details that make Croatia the perfect backdrop for your own rom-com-worthy vacation.
Dubrovnik: The romantic meet-cute city
In People We Meet on Vacation, Dubrovnik is one of those places Poppy recalls in flashes: old stone streets, bright blue water, and that golden hour light that makes everyone look like they’ve stepped out of a romance movie. And honestly? Dubrovnik delivers exactly that.
Wander the Old Town’s marble streets, climb the ancient city walls for panoramic views of the Adriatic, and make time for a drink at Buža Bar—literally carved into the cliffs. The sea crashes below, the sun dips into the horizon, and you suddenly understand why this could be the backdrop for the People We Meet on Vacation movie’s most swoon-worthy scene.
Book pairing moment: If you’re traveling with your own Alex (or hoping to meet one), this is your golden-hour, long-lingering-conversation kind of city.
Hvar: Where the beach reads come alive
If Dubrovnik is the cinematic sweep, Hvar is the summer montage. This is the part of your trip where the playlist kicks in, and everything is golden, salty, and a little blurry from laughing too much. Emily Henry’s book is technically classified as a rom-com, but it’s also peak beach read material.
Spend your mornings sipping coffee along the harbor, your afternoons hopping between hidden coves, and your evenings watching the sky turn shades of sherbet from a rooftop bar. This is the perfect place to read on a lounge chair between swims, dog-ear a page, and actually feel the setting bleed into the story.
One of those places that you’ll sun all day, enjoy dinner after a fresh shower, and maybeee drink too many glasses of wine.
Pro tip: For full immersion, pack your prettiest paperback and make sure your sunglasses double as your bookmark.
Split: The plot twist
In Poppy and Alex’s decade of summer trips, there’s always a turning point—the messy, complicated, slightly chaotic moment when things start to shift. For your Croatian itinerary, that’s Split. It’s part ancient history (Diocletian’s Palace will make your jaw drop) and part vibrant, modern energy.
The mix of Roman ruins and beachside cafes means you can start your morning wandering UNESCO heritage sites and end it dancing barefoot in the sand. It’s also your launch point for day trips to the Blue Lagoon, Krka National Park, or even the famous Zlatni Rat beach.
This is the place where you’ll collect those oddly specific travel memories—like eating the best gelato of your life on a random side street or finding yourself at a beach bar with a group of strangers who feel like old friends.
Korčula: The quiet chapter
Every great story has moments of stillness, and in People We Meet on Vacation, those are often the moments that say the most. For that, you need Korčula; the island that feels like the part of the book you re-read just to sit with the feeling a little longer.
Wander through the medieval old town, rent bikes to explore hidden vineyards, and swim in water so clear it almost looks unreal. Here, you’ll get the slower, softer side of Croatia—perfect for reflecting on your trip, or maybe (just maybe) saying the thing you’ve been holding back. (Yes, we’re saying text them.) (No, we don’t accept any liability.) (And yes, we will accept a wedding invite.)
How to make it a Poppy-and-Alex trip
Here’s the thing: part of what makes People We Meet on Vacation such a best-book-for-book-club discussion is how relatable the dynamic between Poppy and Alex is. You don’t have to be on a romantic trip to feel the magic—you just need to make space for the little rituals that turn travel companions into life-long friends (or more).
Plan the unplanned moments: Leave time in your itinerary for aimless wandering.
Pick a “trip soundtrack”: Like Poppy’s endless playlists, choose songs that will become your Croatia memory markers.
Say yes to the ridiculous: Impromptu swims, sunrise hikes, matching hats—lean into the chaos.
If you’re heading to Croatia, you’ll want your suitcase to match your story arc:
Your copy of People We Meet on Vacation—Duh.
A copy of Beach Read—Because you’ll finish the first one on the ferry.
Light linen everything—Croatia is warm, breezy, and Instagram-gorgeous.
- Your best rainbow sparkly funky fun wardrobe—A main character wardrobe for a main character, Poppy style of course.
- A journal—For those mid-trip epiphanies.
- Lots of lots of pictures—Sad puppy or not, the selfies to mom are vital.
Whether Emily Henry’s novel is your pick for the best Emily Henry book or you’re simply hunting for the next addition to your BookTok books stack, Croatia will give you the backdrop, the vibes, and the slow-burn you’re craving.
So grab your beach reads, call your travel partner, and start your own Poppy-and-Alex chapter. Just try not to wait twelve summers to tell them how you feel.
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