Slovenia is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and Austria. With its mountains, lakes, and ski resorts, it makes an ideal trip no matter the time of year. Slovenia also has numerous castles that date back centuries, offering exciting day trips for fans of architecture or history.
Add in friendly locals and delicious cuisine and it makes for a great trip.
This Slovenia travel guide will help you plan your next vacation.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Fast Facts about Slovenia
- Power voltage is 230 V at 50 Hz.
- The official currency is the Euro and 1 Euro is equal to 1.10 USD.
- The best way to get around is by car.
- To enter, you will need a U.S. passport valid for at least 3 months after your trip. You do not need a visa if your stay is under 90 days.
- Telekom Slovenije, A1 Slovenija, and Telemach mob are the main mobile providers and a prepaid SIM card can be purchased through any of them.
- The sales tax rate is 22%.
Things to See and Do in Slovenia
- Tivoli City Park: Found in Slovenia’s capital, spend a pleasant afternoon at this popular public park.Home to numerous birds and featuring a rose garden and greenhouse, the Tivoli Castle, Cekin mansion, a playground, and a sculpture garden, there are plenty of things to do.
- The National Museum of Slovenia: Come explore to largest museum in Slovenia. Learn more about the history of Slovenia through exhibits and artifacts, including a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal flute.
- Ljubljana Castle: Head to one of the great landmarks of Ljubljana. Dating back to the 11th century, the castle includes a prison, a chapel, a puppet museum, an outlook tower with city views, and spaces for local events.
- Celje Castle: Also known as Old Castle of Celje, come see this great ruin in Celje. Dating back to the 1300s, it was once home to the Counts of Celje and is now includes a café, information center, and guided tours, as well as summer programs with fun games and activities.
- Pula Arena: One of six largest Roman arenas in the world, this arena began construction in 27 BC and makes for a fascinating trip. Once used for gladiator fights, walk through this four-floor amphitheater and be sure to visit the underground passage where you can see an exhibition on how ancient olive oil and wine were made.
Slovenia Travel Guides
Budgeting
Accommodation
Budget: You can find prices for hostels in the range of 23-45 euros per night. Enjoy dorm-styled and private rooms, security lockers, free Wi-Fi, shared kitchens, lounge areas, and convenient locations next to public transport and major attractions.
Mid-Range: For mid-range hotels, expect to pay between 65-175 euros per night. Enjoy private rooms and suites with flat-screen TVs and minifridges, a sauna, a fitness center, a hotel restaurant and bar, and free Wi-Fi.
High-End: Upscale hotels can range from 165-320 euros per night. Take in the best of Slovenia with polished rooms and suites featuring soundproof rooms and private balconies, sun terraces, tennis courts, massage services, high-tech gyms, fine dining hotel restaurants as well as room service, airport transportation, and more.
Check out our favorite booking platforms Booking.com, Tripadvisor and Air B&B for the best deals on accommodation in Slovenia
Food
Food: The cuisine of Slovenia favors dairy, fish, olives, vegetables, beans, pork, and cereal. The national dish is considered Ajdovi Žganci Pe?enica (soured turnips and sausages). Salads typically accompany a meal, and in the winter, soups are very popular. Head to a café or bakery to try Bled Cream Cake, a vanilla custard treat named after the city of Bled. When dining in a restaurant, expect to pay around 8 euros per meal, or 30 euros for a more expensive restaurant.
The Best Ways to Get Around Slovenia
Getting to Slovenia:
Getting to Slovenia: The main airport is the Ljubljana Jože Pucnik Airport, found in Slovenia’s capital and located 15 miles from the city center. Maribor and Portoroz also have their own international airports.
Flights: You can check for the best flights to Slovenia on Skyscanner.
Transportation:
Train: Trains are a good way to go between cities. Go from Ljubljana to Jesenice in 52 minutes for as little as 15 euros (or upgrade to first-class and pay a total of 23 euros).
Bus: Buses are a cheap way to get around all the major cities and towns, and a typical fare for a city bus is 1.30 euros. You can also look for long-distance buses to go directly between cities. Take a bus from Ljubljana to Lake Bled for just 12 euros and arrive in 75 minutes.
Taxis: Taxis are a good way to get around. Taxis have a starting fee of 0.80-1.50 euros and increase 0.70-1.70 per kilometer traveled. A ride from Ljubljana to city center costs around 30 euros.
Rent a car: Renting a car requires you to be at least 18 years old and have a driver’s license that is a year old. Drivers under 25 will generally have additional fees to pay per day. Prices start at 55 euros per day for drivers 25 and older.
You can also compare prices here
When to go To Slovenia
- The best time to visit depends on what you want to do.
- If you’re coming for snow activities, December-March is the best time to go.
- If you want warmer temperatures (up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and summer activities, then visit between May-September.
- The hottest months are July and August.
Where to Stay in Slovenia
City Hotel Ljubljana: When in Ljubljana, stay at this centrally located hotel. Just a short stroll to the main square and with Dragon Bridge and the Ljubljana nearby, the hotel also comes with rooms with flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi, bicycle rentals, a hotel restaurant and bar with castle views, a fitness center, and transportation to the airport.
Hotel Lent Maribor: Stay right next to the Drava river at this great hotel in Maribor. Conveniently located just a few minutes from the main square and a 15-minute walk to the train station, it makes a great stay whether you want to stay in Maribor or go explore. The hotel comes with free breakfast, a restaurant and bar, a hot tub, and rooms with soundproof windows and flat-screen TVs. Upgrade to a suite and you get whirlpool tubs and glass-enclosed bathrooms.
Hotel Evropa: Come stay at this great four-star hotel in Celje. The Celje National Hall, Celje Castle, and the Regional Museum of Celje are all a quick trip away. Once you’re done exploring, come back to the hotel to relax in air-conditioned rooms and suites, dine at the hotel restaurant in a medieval tower, go to the sauna, swim in the outdoor pool, or head to the café and cake shop.
What to Pack for Slovenia
- Power Adapter: As the voltage is higher than the US, bring a power adapter to charge your electronics.
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With many outdoor activities to do, keep your feet comfortable with a sturdy pair of shoes.
- Coat: Even in the summers, the nights can be cooler, so pack at least one coat with you to stay warm.
- Read more at: Packing for Europe – Tips That Will Make Your Travel Life Easier
See our packing tips: packing tips
Slovenia Travel Guide: Best Booking Resources
Whenever we travel to we make sure to start with these companies. We have tried a lot of different ones over the years and all of these have consistently proven to be the best when it comes to offering great prices.
We have used every one of these personally and continue to do so.
- Booking.com: This is our go site to when comparing prices for accommodation. It usually has the cheapest prices, especially in Europe and we love their interface. Not to mention you get free cancellation and you are guaranteed the best price.
- Trip Advisor: What we like about Trip Advisor is that we can look at all the reviews and then book our accommodation. TripAdvisor is where we go when we want to compare prices with multiple accommodation providers.
- VRBO: is the main search engine we use when we are looking for a home or apartment rental. It can sometimes be cheaper than hotels and it is the best way to stay in areas that offer a more local feel.
- Hostelworld: With one of the largest databases of hostels in the world, Hostelworld is the go-to site when you are looking for budget accommodation.
- Skyscanner: This is the first place we check for flights. It consistently comes back with the cheapest and best options. It allows us to compare a lot of airlines to get the best price.
- Rome 2 Rio: If you want to see how to get somewhere by plane, train, bus, ferry or car Rome2Rio lays it all out for you as well as related costs.I love how they show it all to you on a Google Map and it works offline.
- Get Your Guide: For all your day trip and city guide needs, we use Get Your Guide. It has the world’s largest collection of things to do with more than 30,000 activities in 7500 destinations.
- World Nomads Insurance: When traveling to Italy you should always have travel insurance. We have found the best bang for your buck is by far World Nomads.
