Hello Friends! We’re going to be in Slovenia during the last week of May and we’re debating hiring a local tour guide for the day vs renting a car and going to places on our own. My dad’s ancestors are Gottscheers so I have some small villages in southern Slovenia that I want to visit. My question is how easy is it to drive in Slovenia? Relatively easy or is it challenging due to mountains or narrow roads? Anyone driven in Slovenia and care to share your experiences? Thank you!!
Posted by
Hood River, Oregon, USA
66 posts
We were there last September for 10 days with stays in Solcava, Bled, Bovec and Piran. We did go to Ljubjana on a day trip from Bled, but that was by bus. I found the driving to be fairly routine and not too challenging. There were all varieties of roads and all in good condition, from four lanes, two lanes, and some narrow mountain roads. Most of them were paved. The drivers were respectful and courteous. I generally rent a small to intermediate size SUV with Apple Car Play for my Apple Maps navigation. Cell service was reliable even in the mountains. We live in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and get a lot of those same conditions here. My advice would be to just be patient where ever you drive and you will be fine. Remember to buy a vignette, which is a national toll ticket, if you decide to drive.
Posted by
Belgium
351 posts
Remember to buy a vignette, which is a national toll ticket, if you decide to drive.
Normally, cars hired in Slovenia are automatically fitted with a digital vignette. Simply check with the rental company.
Posted by
1360 posts
It kind of depends. I drove from Piran to skocjan to Kobarid and then from Kobarid to Ljubljana. For the most part, everything before the Soca valley was dead easy, often on modern highways. Getting around Tolmin, in places where the road follows the river got a little more challenging. Kind of narrow, one lane each way roads winding around with a fair amount of truck traffic. The worst leg was the route I took to Ljubljana which followed the river valley east and cut through low mountains. It was wearying, but I’ll say my fault for picking that route. There were easier alternatives.
That probably sounds discouraging, but I’ll add this: I did it. I would do it again, but be more conscious about the geography. Having a car was extremely helpful. I was also driving solo, so there’s an extra level of stress. It helps having someone riding shotgun to help with the decision making.
Posted by
Chicago
1275 posts
As a tourist, I don't think driving in Slovenia is all that difficult. Pretty good chance your
car would be equipped with sat nav and you can use your phone as well.
If you rent in Ljubljana, the city is not that crowded or large so getting in and out, while
best to plan ahead for, is not that difficult.
However, if you get off the main roads and head towards small villages, who knows. You
might try Street View and see what the roads are like as you get farther away from the
main highways.
Posted by
844 posts
Driving was routine for the most part. Our rental car had a good navigation system. The only issue we had once or twice was finding parking in small towns.
Posted by
Lexington, KY (formerly Southeast US)
4579 posts
I did quite a bit of driving in Slovenia during my big 25-day trip in 2019. I found driving to be pretty easy. There were some narrow, windy roads in the mountains, but I found them manageable (and I tend to be kind of anxious). I found almost every road I took to be available for a look on Google Maps, so you may do the street-level view of your routes to see what you think.