We’re flying into Vienna, taking a train to Salzburg, and would like to continue on to Slovenia with a bit of Croatia in 14 days. We like to hike, so would like to hike the Julian Alps, but one of the most important parts of our trip would be a stop in Turnisca, where my grandma immigrated from. Would it be difficult to include at least a day or two in Croatia? Is Dubrovnik too much to ask for? Thanks for any advice you can give us.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5511 posts
I would suggest a loop from Vienna to Salzburg to somewhere on the Eastern slopes of the Triglav down to Ljubljana then to Turnisca and back to Vienna. I would additionally suggest that you rent a car in Salzburg and keep it until you return to Vienna.
As for Dubrovnik, that is half a continent away and would require a flight.
Posted by
OP
Pennsylvania
3 posts
That sounds like a good idea, skipping Dubrovnik, but I’m using Rick Steve’s guidebooks and can’t find any information on either Varazdin or Trakoscan. Why do you recommend stopping there, and why no info in the guide books?
By the way, I’m trying to plan our trip using mainly public transportation, with perhaps renting a car in Ljubljana and driving to Maribor and Turnisca for the day.
Posted by
San Francisco
14988 posts
"...it belonged to Hungary until 1920." . Trianon.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5511 posts
The Rick Steves guidebooks are not comprehensive and only cover select locations. If you want to be surrounded by tons of English speaking tourists, by all means stick exclusively to his books. But if you want to see equally lovely places off the American radar, then buy some other books, use Google and pay attention when a local makes a recommendation.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1700 posts
Rough Guides and Michelin Green Guides are very comprehensive. Try those!
Posted by
OP
Pennsylvania
3 posts
Thank you! I’m taking your advice and skipping Dubrovnik, but Dobrovnik sounds very nice.
My two mail goals so far are hiking in the Julian Alps and visiting Turnisca. Do you know if it’s possible to rent a car in Bled? I would like to take the train from Salzburg and stop in Bled, rent a car there, and take a little drive through the Alps, stopping for an over night and maybe a little hike before returning the car to Bled and taking the train to Ljubljana. Does this idea sound too far fetched to you?
Posted by
Expat in Portugal
17 posts
Hi. We were there in April. Bled is between the Julian Alps and Ljubljana. Nothing is very far so maybe consider a “cheap” flight from Salzburg to Ljubljana and rent a car there. We drove from Ljubljana to Lake Bled then over the Julian Alps. We didn’t see any place to stay along the Alps highway but maybe there is-we stayed in Kobarid. We took a train from Ljubljana to Zagreb which is a nice city.
Posted by
Slovenia
470 posts
I recommend the train from Salzburg to Lake Bled, it’s very scenic, but if you are flying back from Vienna it’s a much better idea to rent in Salzburg and return in Vienna, as Emily suggested, saving you the cost of a cross-border drop off. The drive through the Alps from Salzburg southwards is very scenic, too, especially if you drive over the mountain passes and not through the highway tunnels.
If renting the car in Salzburg, don’t go to Lake Bled first but go straight to Kranjska Gora, cross the Vrsic Pass into the Soca Valley and then make your way to Lake Bled via Lake Bohinj, it will save you some backtracking.
If you want to include a day or two in Croatia, opt for Istria. Rovinj and the hill towns are lovely and a nice seaside break from your otherwise continental itinerary. You could also opt for the Slovenian seaside town of Piran, saving you the hassle of crossing the border, but make sure you have enough time to do this.
Don’t forget to buy the appropriate toll sticker to drive on the highways in Slovenia ahead of entering the country, it’s sold at major gas stations close to the border. The Austrian one will already be included with your Austrian rental.