#50 things to know before traveling to Slovenia

Despite not being a trendy destination, Slovenia is a beautiful country with many tourist attractions worth visiting. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know before going to Slovenia, including the costs, the people, the best destinations, and the food.

In this guide, we’ll help you plan a fabulous trip to Slovenia by providing travel tips that will allow you to travel to Slovenia freely, stress-free, and making the most of what the country has to offer. And believe me, that’s enough!

Therefore, and to make the information easy to understand, this is a comprehensive travel guide, divided into topics to facilitate the planning of your trip to Slovenia.

Things to know about Slovenia and the Slovenes

Where is Slovenia?

#1 With only 20 273 km2 (less than 1/4 of Portugal), Slovenia is a relatively small country. Situated in Central Europe, it borders Austria to the north, Hungary to the east, Croatia to the east and south, and Italy to the west.

Despite being very small, Slovenia also has a small coastline of less than 50 km on the Adriatic Sea.

#2 Slovenia is a peculiar country, as it lies between three linguistic and cultural worlds – Germanic, Latin, and Slavic. It is wedged between three major regions and strongly influenced by all three.

This privileged location at the crossroads of several European civilizations has given rise to a country full of cultural peculiarities and, therefore, unique and very interesting to travel.

#3 One of the things you need to know before traveling to Slovenia is that it is a very mountainous country, especially in the northwest part of the country where the Julian Alps are located. In this region, close to the borders with Austria and Italy, we have the Triglav National Park and the other highest points in the country.

The highest peak in Slovenia is Triglav, with 2864 meters of altitude, but several other peaks in the Julian Alps also surpass 2500 meters. Triglav is so important to Slovenia that its iconic triple peak is featured on the country’s flag.

#4 In addition to the mountains, it should be noted that it is also considered one of the greenest countries in Europe, with almost 60% of its area being covered by forest areas. Only Sweden and Finland have a higher percentage.

Forests, rivers, and mountains are very important for Slovenia and Slovenians.

#5 Currently, Slovenia is a rich and developed country with high economic growth after independence and entry into the European Union.

Despite the high growth, Slovenia’s per capita GDP is still slightly lower than that of the EU but has already surpassed that of Portugal, Greece, or Spain. Regarding human development, Slovenia has a very high HDI (Human Development Index) value, placing it 23rd in the world.

What are Slovenians like?

#6 Despite its small size, Slovenia has about 2 million inhabitants, of which only about 300 thousand live in the capital, Ljubljana, the capital and largest city in the country. All other Slovenian cities are much smaller, mainly Maribor, Kranj, and Koper (due to the seaport).

Thus, despite being an urbanized country, the cities are quite small. Besides Ljubljana, most attractions are outside the big cities, as shown below.

#7 Slovenian is the official language of Slovenia, and practically the entire population speaks it. In the respective border regions, many people speak Italian, Hungarian, and German.

Obviously, nobody in Slovenia expects tourists to know how to speak their language as it is not spoken in any other country. Of course, if you learn a few words or expressions, they’ll love it!

#8 However, note that practically all Slovenians speak several languages. In our experience, almost everyone speaks English, even people who have nothing to do with the tourism industry.

So, if you know how to speak English, you won’t have any problem communicating in Slovenia. At least we didn’t have it, and it was even one of the countries where we most easily found people who spoke almost perfect English.

Furthermore, if you speak Italian or German, you will also be able to easily communicate in the regions closer to Italy and Austria.

#9 Our experience dealing with Slovenians was almost always positive. Being able to communicate easily helps the interactions a lot, but they were practically always very helpful and friendly. Tourism is quite developed, so they are used to dealing with foreigners.

However, there were several exceptions and always in the same situation – tourist offices. Whenever we go to a destination, we like to go to tourist offices to ask some questions and see what suggestions are given. Usually, we get some very interesting tips.

In Slovenia, no! We went to three different places, and the experience was always negative. We weren’t maltreated, but there was always an obvious indifference and responses much more blunt than we get from people who have nothing to do with tourism. It was weird…

#10 One of the things that impresses us about Slovenia is how important sport and physical activity is for Slovenians. The number of people who practice one or more sports is incredible.

So it’s only natural that they are so good at many sports, namely basketball, cycling, skiing, and climbing.

#11 In cycling, the number of people you see cycling is really impressive, whether mountain or road. Whether adults, teenagers, or seniors. In a more professional manner, amateurs, or pure and simple leisure way.

It is also worth noting the number of cycle paths throughout the country. Lots of roads have parallel bike paths where you can ride your bike safely.

It is no coincidence that two of today’s best cyclists are Slovenians: Pogačar and Roglič.

How is the weather in Slovenia

#12 Despite being a small country, Slovenia has a very diverse climate due to its geography. We can even separate the climate into three different climatic regions: continental (inland), alpine (in mountainous areas), and Mediterranean (near the coast) climates.

In the northeast, we have a continental climate with long cold winters and hot summers. In winter, average temperatures are around zero degrees, and in summer, they reach 25º. The rain is abundant but distributed throughout the year, with some months of summer being the wettest.

In the alpine areas, the climate is mountainous, with a lot of rain and snow in winter and temperatures well below zero. In summer, the temperatures are more pleasant. In the Mediterranean, summers are hot (25-30º), winters are much milder, and rain is concentrated mainly in autumn and winter.

When to travel to Slovenia?

#13 This varied climate allows visitors to enjoy the country almost all year round. In summer, the coast is quite pleasant (but it doesn’t have sandy beaches), as well as the valleys of the National Parks and the capital.

In winter, Slovenia is an excellent destination for skiing and winter sports. The mountains are perfect for practicing this type of sport, as in neighboring Austria and Italy.

Thus, Slovenia is a year-round tourist destination with both winter and summer attractions, with the peak season clearly being summer. At this time of year, it is necessary to pay attention and book tickets, tours, and even hotels in advance.

In our opinion, the best time to go to Slovenia is during shoulder season – May and June, September and the beginning of October. At this time, there will be no crowded places, and the temperatures are still pleasant.

Is it safe to travel to Slovenia?

#14 Slovenia is a safe country where you will hardly find crime, let alone violent crime. However, as in all countries, it is necessary to be careful when using public transports and close to major tourist attractions, as there is always the possibility of some scams and pickpockets.

In our experience in Slovenia, we never felt the least bit in danger, and we always felt very safe, even walking at night and with our family. We also did not notice any scheme to deceive tourists.

In the mountains, you need to pay special attention to rapid weather changes, avalanches, and not get lost on mountain trails.

Finally, if you drive, pay attention and practice defensive driving. Slovenians are quite impatient behind the wheel and do a lot of dangerous maneuvers.

Travel in Slovenia

Tourists in Slovenia

#15 Slovenia is a very popular destination, receiving millions of tourists every year, especially from central Europe. In 2022, it received almost 6 million tourists, corresponding to more than 15 million nights spent and 2.7 billion revenues.

Most tourists in Slovenia are European, namely from Germany, Italy, and Austria. The main tourist regions are the Mountains, Triglav National Park, Ljubljana, and the coast. As we said at the beginning, it is a popular destination throughout the year, peaking in summer (July and August).

UNESCO Heritage Sites in Slovenia

#16 Slovenia has 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, some shared with other European countries. Of these five places, three are cultural heritage, and two are natural heritage. You can see the complete list here.

It also has four more places on the UNESCO tentative list.

Of all these places, the most interesting is undoubtedly the Škocjan cave, which is a fabulous destination. The others didn’t seem very attractive to us as tourists, so we didn’t visit them.

What to visit in Slovenia?

#17 Ljubljana is one of the most popular destinations in the country. Despite being the country’s capital and largest city, it is far from being a big city or a big European capital. And therein lies its charm.

Ljubljana is a very pleasant city, with a historic center with many pedestrian streets where you can freely walk and explore the city at your own pace. It is known for the riverside area with its numerous cafes and terraces.

The imposing castle, the cable car to the top, and the riverside area are probably the main tourist attractions. As everything is very close, you can visit the main attractions in one day. We really enjoyed our time in Ljubljana.

#18 Lake Bled is perhaps the most touristic region in Slovenia, and it’s easy to see why. The lake is amazing, with crystal clear water, an island in the middle with a church, and even an imposing castle on one of the banks.

This has been a very popular area since the 19th century and has many types of accommodation, from historic hotels to hostels and campsites. The entire region around the lake is very pleasant, with pedestrian paths, cycle paths, and various outdoor sports.

It’s easy to see why it’s so popular.

#19 Relatively close to Bled (30 km) is Lake Bohinj, the largest lake in Slovenia. This is a much less developed lake, with fewer hotels, cafes, and restaurants around it. So, although both are mountain lakes with clear water, the experience is quite different.

Some of the main activities on the lake include swimming (only in authorized areas), kayaking or SUP, walking along the trails on its banks, or through the Mostnica Gorge.

Very close to Lake Bohinj we also have the well-known Savica waterfall and the Vogel cable car that takes us to the top of one of the mountains that surround the Lake.

#20 Still in the Bled region and quite close to the Lake and the city, we have the Vintgar Gorge walkways. This is a hike for the whole family and can be done by everyone.

The Vintgar Gorge is a beautiful place that can be easily visited by walking along the walkways. It’s a short and easy walk, but it’s also one of the places not to be missed in Slovenia.

In this article, we shared everything you need to know to do this short trek.

#21 The Soča river Valley (pronounced Socha) is another of the best adventure destinations in Slovenia. The river is famous for its turquoise waters and for forming several tight gorges of less than 5 to 10 meters.

This is a region full of waterfalls, trails, mountains, and gorges. Some of the places not to be missed here include:

• Tolmin’s Throat
• Kozjak Waterfall
• boka waterfall
• Soča gorge
• Vršič Pass.

The Soča River is also one of the most popular for water sports like SUP, rafting, and kayaking.

#22 The Slovenian coastline is often overlooked for being small and lacking in sandy beaches. However, the towns of Izola, Portoroz, and especially Piran are very nice.

Piran is a historic city which was part of the Republic of Venice, and therefore, you can still see remnants of typical Venetian architecture. It is also a completely pedestrian city, as cars are not allowed in its historic center, making the experience even more pleasant.

We should also note that although there is no sand, the beaches are very good for swimming as the Adriatic water is warm in summer and there are no waves.

#23 Very close to the border with Italy, in Lipica we have a very different attraction than usual. Since 1580, there has been a National Stud Farm in Lipica, created by the House of Habsburg to train the horses of the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna that demonstrate the haute école. That is, the well-known “dancing white horses.”

Nowadays, it is still in Lipica that these horses are bred, and it is there that you can see the daily show, take a riding lesson, visit the museum, or simply walk around the place. In addition to all the history, it is a huge equestrian center and, if you’re lucky, you can see the horses grazing or roaming the fields.

If you like animals and horses in particular, this is a place not to be missed.

#24 Still in the south of Slovenia but a little further inland, we have two of the most famous landmarks in Slovenia, Postojna Cave, and Predjama Castle.

These two places are very close and are therefore almost always visited together, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

Predjma Castle is considered the largest castle in the world built inside a cave. But it is much more than that; it has an interesting history, and it is a fascinating visit as we are exploring a cave and a castle.

#25 Postojna Cave is one of the most famous and popular destinations in Slovenia, and there are many reasons why:

• It is the most visited cave in Europe;
• The second largest cave in Slovenia;
• Part of the visit is done by train inside the cave;
• It is the habitat of one of the strangest animals we know, the Olm or Proteus – a species of Salamander.

If you want to visit this cave, we advise you to see our article, where we explain everything you need to know before going to Postojna.

#26 If Postojna cave is accessible to everyone, Škocjan cave is a very different experience (but equally incredible) and only possible for those who are used to walking as it involves climbing at least 500 stairs. There are variants where you have to climb more than 1000 stairs.

Although smaller, it is also huge, including one of the largest underground canyons in the world and huge chambers of exceptional beauty.

But the most exciting part is perhaps when we have to cross the suspension bridge 50 meters above the Reka River, inside the cave. It is an unforgettable experience.

What to eat in Slovenia?

#27 Slovenian food is greatly influenced by the cuisine of the Austro-Hungarian empire (of which Slovenia was part until the first world war), by the cuisine of the Balkans, and by Italian cuisine, due to the proximity and because the coast was part of the Republic of Venice for centuries.

Traditional Slovenian cuisine is based on simple and hearty dishes, with various types of soups, stews, and other similar dishes.

However, the most common dishes on the coast are based on fish and other seafood, such as squid and mussels. Both grilled and fried.

If you want to see in more detail what Slovenian food is and what to eat in Slovenia, check out our article (in English).

#28 The best places to eat traditional Slovenian food are the traditional restaurants called Gostilna. These are usually small family restaurants that prepare dishes in the typical way, and the result is often delicious.

They are also usually a little cheaper than the restaurants themselves.

There isn’t much typical Slovenian street food, but you can find some Balkan food like Ćevapi in the bigger cities.

#29 If you don’t like or are tired of this type of food, it should be noted that there are a lot of opportunities to eat international food, namely Italian and German. But also from other places.

Slovenia has loads of pizzerias, and the ones we tried were excellent. There are also many restaurants serving typical food from neighboring countries, such as Schnitzel (breaded meat), Apfelstrudel (apple jam), or Goulash (stew of Hungarian origin, very common in Slovenia).

Typical dishes not to be missed in Slovenia

#30 As we mentioned earlier, Slovenian food is typically food with substance, heavy, and based on local ingredients. In this context, stews and soups are the dishes that appear the most and that we like the most.

Some of our favorites include:

• Jota – Stew made with sauerkraut, beans, potatoes, and smoked bacon or sausage. The acid in sauerkraut gives it a taste different from other stews.
• Obara – one of the national dishes of Slovenia. It has a comforting and savory stew flavor. It is made with vegetables such as carrots, turnips, green beans, peas, and onions, it usually has meat and internal organs.
• Golaž or goulash – Originally from Hungary, it is also very typical in Slovenia. It is a stew made with meat, onion, tomato, paprika, and other spices. It has a strong flavor of smoked peppers and tomatoes and is delicious. It is served with bread or polenta.
• Gobova Juha – is a traditional Slovenian mushroom soup. It’s quite good, Slovenians use mushrooms a lot in their cooking.

#31 However, in addition to these dishes, there are also others a little lighter and more curious. Štruklji, in particular, is a unique, delicious dish that you cannot find in any other country. Some of the ones we try and recommend are:

• Carniolan sausage or Kranjska klobasa – a smoked semi-cured pork sausage made with cuts of pork and bacon, seasoned with salt, black pepper, and garlic. It’s one of the easiest foods to find in Slovenia.
• Štruklji – is made from rolled dough stuffed with savory or sweet ingredients. It can be baked or boiled; the fillings are usually cottage cheese, nuts, apples, and poppy seeds, but there is a wide variety of fillings.
• Ocvirki – They are basically cracklings. The ones we ate were pretty good. Well fried and dry.

In addition to these dishes on the coast, there is also a lot of fresh fish, shellfish, squid, cuttlefish, and other seafood. Normally you can choose whether you want breaded or grilled.

#32 Unexpectedly, some of the things we ate and enjoyed the most were traditional sweets and cake. The best-known and the ones we like the most are:

• Potica – rolled dough cake made with a sweet, thin yeast dough usually filled with nut paste – although there are other fillings such as hazelnut, tarragon, quark, or poppy seeds.
• Prekmurska Gibanica – layer cake considered Slovenia’s national specialty. Made with layers of poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, raisins, and a layer of curd between filo pastry, it’s a mouthful of different textures and flavors.
• Kremna Rezina or Bled Cream Cake – Made with a crispy, buttery pastry, filled with a layer of vanilla cream and whipped cream, topped with filo pastry, it is soft and silky and melts in your mouth.
• Sweet Štruklji – We’ve talked about Štruklji above, but both sweet and savory are delicious. It is made with the same ingredients, phyllo dough, and flour, but has sweet fillings, such as apple, chocolate, pistachio, and orange, among others.

Finally, we have to mention honey since Slovenia is a big honey producer, and beekeeping is almost a national hobby. Slovenian honey is known for its taste and quality. It is, therefore, natural that you see honey for sale in many touristic places as it is a great souvenir to bring home.

Money and costs of traveling to Slovenia

Currency, withdrawals, and payments

#33 Slovenia is one of the members of the Euro Zone, so if you come from another Euro country, you don’t have to worry about exchange rates, exchange rates, or costs of exchanging currency. You can withdraw money or make payments without any kind of foreign currency commission.

Many establishments accept cards, so you won’t need to use much cash if you want. However, in Slovenia, ATMs (of banks) do not charge a withdrawal fee, so you don’t need to worry about it.

Pay attention to the EuroNet ATMs, as they charge hefty fees, like everywhere else!

Costs of traveling in Slovenia

#34 Slovenia is a surprisingly expensive country to travel to, or at least a lot more expensive than we expected. We think it is more expensive than Portugal or Spain, and practically at the same level as Italy. Incomparably more expensive than eastern countries like Bulgaria, Croatia, or Romania.

It is difficult to predict how much you will spend per day, as it depends greatly on the type of traveler. On this trip, we traveled as a family and by car, which is usually a little more expensive than backpackers using public transport.

Still, we spent about 76 Euros per person per day. However, reaching 150 or 200 Euros a day is easy without splurging much because prices in the most popular places increase greatly in the high season.

#35 Like almost everywhere else, accommodation is one of the biggest travel costs. In Slovenia, a bed in a cheap hostel in Bled or Ljubljana will cost 30-40 Euros daily.

While a room for two in a cheap hotel will cost 75-100 Euros, an average hotel can cost between 100 and 200 Euros, and a luxury hotel hardly ever costs below 200 Euros per day. These prices can be even higher at the peak of the high season.

In Slovenia, as in all of Europe, we suggest that you use booking to book accommodation as it has a huge variety of hotels, guest houses, hostels, and even local accommodation, at the best prices.

#36 Another cost that weighs heavily on the travel budget in Slovenia is tickets and admission to monuments. They are much more expensive than in almost any other country we visit.

For example, access to the Postojna caves costs almost 30 Euros, and the combined ticket with Predjama Castle costs more than 40 Euros per person. And that doesn’t even include the car park.

#37 Besides being a globally expensive country, what impressed us the most is that everything is paid for! From simply not having one free parking space to paying to see a waterfall or go on a trail… We even saw charging to take a pet to the walkways…

Obviously, we are not suggesting that you do not visit them if you are going to a destination it is also to see the attractions, but you should take this into account when planning the trip so as not to be surprised.

#38 Being a very expensive country, it is important to try to control expenses. One of our favorite ways to save a few bucks is to have only one meal at a restaurant, opting for another fast-food (not necessarily pizza or hamburger) or street or supermarket food for the next meal.

It’s a kind of 3 in 1, you save money, you waste less time, and you can go to the supermarkets to see what the locals usually buy. On the other hand, it is also important to go to some restaurants to have the opportunity to try the local food, which has very interesting dishes, as mentioned above.

Is it necessary to tip in Slovenia?

#39 No. There is no tipping culture in Slovenia. Even in restaurants, we don’t feel any pressure or expectations in this regard. Of course, if you want to reward good service, you can and should do so, but this is not something to be expected.

Note that if you take a free walking tour, you must tip, as in all other places. The tip is the only income of these guides.

How to travel in Slovenia

#40 When planning your trip, it’s important to consider whether you need to rent a car and whether there are good alternatives. The best way to travel in Slovenia will completely depend on the type of trip you are planning.

If you are planning a more urban trip, it is most likely that a car will not be necessary and could even be a source of costs and problems. Yet, knowing that the main highlights of Slovenia are not urban and are much easier to visit by car than by public transport, we advise you to travel by car.

What’s more, driving the Julian Alps is spectacular! The freedom to walk where we want, stop where we want, drive on those mountain roads, and go to the small lakes and natural monuments is sensational.

Public transport

#41 Due to its small size and location in the center of Europe, Slovenia has good transport connections to Europe, especially by land. It is relatively easy to take trains or buses from wine countries to Slovenian cities, especially Maribor and Ljubljana.

On the other hand, there’s only one international airport (Ljubljana), and there aren’t that many low-cost flights to Slovenia. So what often happens is to fly to one of the neighboring countries, rent a car there and enter Slovenia by car.

That’s what we did, and it’s easy (just don’t forget the authorization to cross the border and buy the motorway vignette). Some cities you can fly to are Venice, Verona, and Bergamo in Italy; Zagreb, Croatia; Graz in Austria.

#42 As we had a car, we did not use public transport in Slovenia. The information we collect says that they are good, reliable and that it is possible to go to the main cities and attractions relatively easily, but it takes a lot longer.

To look for the best option, we usually use the site rome2rio because, in addition to giving us different means, it also gives an estimate of time and price.

Driving in Slovenia

#43 If you follow our advice and decide to travel by car, one of the things to know when traveling in Slovenia is that traveling by car quickly adds up. If you don’t go by car (which from most places has its own high costs), you have to:

• Car hire – estimate 200 to 250 Euros per week minimum.
• Mandatory Insurance – There’s no way to avoid this.
• Paying for fuel – in Slovenia, gasoline is cheaper than diesel.
• Paying tolls – To use Slovenian motorways, you have to buy a vignette at the border or the post office. The vignette allows us to drive on any highway during its validity period. The 30-day one costs around 30 Euros, and the 7-day one costs 15 Euros (2023), which turns out to be much cheaper than in most other European countries.
• Parking – Besides being very difficult to park in large cities and historical centers, it is expensive and always pays. One of the things that struck us is that there are virtually no free parking spaces across the country. Don’t overlook this cost.

Driving in Slovenia

#44 In general, driving rules in Slovenia are similar to those in the rest of Europe, so driving is not a big problem. You drive on the right, and any European license is valid in Slovenia, obviously. The right priority rule also exists in Slovenia. At roundabouts, priority is given to whoever is circulating in the roundabout, but this is almost always indicated.

Except for motorways, which have a speed limit of 130km/h, speed limits are similar to those in Portugal, ie, 90 km/h outside towns and 50 km/h in urban areas, but all of this is well signposted.

#45 Regarding driving itself, one of the most important things to know when visiting Slovenia is that Slovenians are extremely impatient when driving. It is surprising that in a country that is already so developed, people still misbehave so much behind the wheel.

In addition to the impatient drivers in larger cities that are common everywhere, on national roads, highways, and even mountain roads, you constantly see dangerous maneuvers and excessive speed. I even saw lights and beeps while driving at the speed limit…

Anyway, it’s nothing you can’t do if you’re used to driving abroad. It just takes some patience and care to avoid unnecessary hassle.

Other tips for traveling to Slovenia

Internet in Slovenia

#46 All the accommodations we checked had free WIFI access, and all the ones we evaluated during our research had this information, so WIFI shouldn’t be a big concern. Still, we always advise you to check the comments about the quality of it.

If you want to use mobile data, you can use the data card of any European country and pay the same amount you pay in the country of origin. So, if you have data in one, you have data in Slovenia and the rest of the EU.

Cleanliness / Pollution in Slovenia

#47 In general, Slovenia is a very clean country. We found it on par with Austria and Luxembourg, some of the cleanest countries we have ever visited. There may, of course, be exceptions from less clean places, but they are smaller and less serious than in most other countries.

In fact, in rural areas, in the National Park, and in other tourist or nature areas, it is extremely clean. So, nothing to point out here; on the contrary, Slovenia is an example to follow.

Power Plugs

#48 Electricity inputs in Slovenia are type C and F, with a voltage of 230V and a frequency of 50 Hz, similar to the rest of Europe. Thus, those traveling from continental Europe do not need any adapters.

If you are traveling from a country with another type of entry (such as England, or the USA), this is the adapter we recommend. In addition to being an adapter, it also has several USB ports to charge your cell phone and other equipment directly.

Documents for traveling to Slovenia

#49 Since Slovenia is part of the Schengen area, European citizens do not need any special documents to travel to Slovenia. You only need a valid identification document: your citizen card or passport and your driving license if you want to drive.

Otherwise, click here for more information on how to enter Slovenia and the Schengen Zone and which nationalities need a Visa.

As you would expect, you also don’t need any kind of vaccine to go to Slovenia.

Slovenia Travel Guide

#50 If you want to buy a travel guide with this and all the information you need to travel, we suggest the Lonely Planet guide. You can buy it by clicking here or on the image below.