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Bled to Venice: Bus or train or combo?

We are finishing our Sept RS Eastern Europe Tour in Bled, Slovenia, and we are personally extending our vaca with a trip to Venice. There doesn't appear to be a train from Bled, Slovenia to Italy. Do buses do that path or do we need to do a Combination ? Any assistance will be appreciated! Thanks.

Posted by
1743 posts

According to Rome2Rio, it appears your best option is a bus from Bled to Villach, Austria, and then a train from there to Venice.

Posted by
19637 posts

You can get there with 2 trains and a taxi transfer in 5 hours and 19 minutes. Take train from Bled Jezero on the west side of Like Bled to Nova Gorica. Depart Bled Jezero at 8:37 am, arrive Nova Gorica at 10:12. Then you can take a taxi to the other side of town in Gorizia, Italy. Take the Regionale train to Venice Santa Lucia. Depart Gorizia at 11:42 am, arrive Venice Santa Lucia at 1:56 pm.

You have 1 1/2 hours to make the taxi transfer and it is only a couple of miles. There is also a bus, but it'll take more research to pin it down.

Actually, walk 100 feet straight out of the Nova Gorica train station across the traffic circle and you are in Italy. Google street view shows a No 1 Bus parked at the bus stop. The front shows a destination of Ferrovia, Italian for train station. Any way, you should be able to ask when you get there.

Edit- I'll take www.bahn.com over rome2rio anyday.

Posted by
16893 posts

I did the train ride via Gorizia several years ago and at that time, there was a bus right across the street from the train station, which I think I found just by looking around.

For a bus option, www.drd.si runs from Ljubljana to Mestre train station about once daily or www.goopti.com is a popular shuttle service.

The Bahn schedules will also reflect additional connecting options, which vary depending whether you select Bled Jezero station (closest to the lake and serving the direction of Gorizia) or Lesce Bled station (faster connections northbound).

Posted by
470 posts

I second Sam's suggestion.

There are regular city buses running between Nova Gorica and Gorizia Centrale, be it the Italian no. 1 bus across the square or the international line that stops in front of the train station itself. Tickets are around €1, but note that you have to buy the ticket for the Italian bus beforehand, whereas on the international line you just pay the driver. The taxi will cost some €10-15.

Plus, the train ride between Bled Jezero and Nova Gorica is quite scenic.

Posted by
2 posts

What about taking a bus or even quicker mini van 1 hr from Bled to Ljubiliana Bus station. Book online the shuttle service to the Leonardo da Vinci airport 3 1/2 and there plenty of buses to Venice. That is how we got to Venice.
Holly

Posted by
33 posts

Thank you so much for the replies. Very helpful! Is it necessary or possible to get train tickets on line ahead of time? Thanks!

Posted by
470 posts

Both the Bled - Nova Gorica and the Gorizia - Venice are regional trains with no seat reservations, so booking ahead isn't necessary. For Slovenian trains, online booking isn't even possible.

Posted by
171 posts

After the end of our RS tour, we took a train from Lesce Bled station to Villach, Austria. Then a bus to Venice. (Drop off at St Lucia) The bus station in Villach is in the same building as the train station. This was the fastest and easiest way we found at the time of our trip.

Posted by
171 posts

The tour was exceptional! Great guide and great group of seasoned travelers. Europe didn't feel complete until we took this tour. So much history to experience by guides who lived it! Surprisingly one of the couples on Eastern Europe tour were booked on our recent Spain tour. It was great to reminisce and spend more time with them!