Slovakia Maybe in May

Piran. Was there end of April beginning of May last year. Can't say for the fishing.

https://www.fewo-direkt.de/ferienwohnung-ferienhaus/p4822765?startDate=2024-04-21&endDate=2024-04-28&adults=2&utm_campaign=HADE_TRV_INQ_HASC_inquiryResponse_PPB&utm_medium=email&utm_source=SYS&utm_term=20240129&utm_content=listing-id-121.4822765.5820168&haExternalSourceId=40fc9a44-2ef8-4a32-a254-d22fa64a0fcd%2Ba69c3b1a-ad50-40a4-9568-30d53f5c3fc2%2Bhasc%2Bemail

For us, the only-in-Slovenia highlights were the Logar Valley, Karst truffle hunt and lunch with Mati-Truffle, and a guided visit at the WWI Museum in Kobarid followed by the Kolovrat outdoor WW1 museum.

We spent three nights at Farmhouse Lenar in Logar Valley, and I would have been happy to stay longer; it is quite special. We went with a local guide on a wonderful half-day tour combining beautiful scenery with Slovenian context and history (PM me for her details if interested).

We had an amazing customized tour through Dražgoše, Jamnik, Kropa, Radovljica, and Begunje with Barbara of ToursByLocals, but she has standard itineraries as well. She is very enthusiastic and fun to spend time with.

Thanks to the both of you. A lot of help.

Anyone know some good guides?

Books: I found the Rough Guide to Slovenia helpful

People: 25 Days in Slovenia trip report. Examples of guides who added quite a bit of value to my trip in the trip report + all guides used listed in 2 comments in the comments section.

And the things you most enjoyed seeing and doing in Slovenia?

Logarska dolina. Velika Planina & Mala Planina. Hike to former Bella Partisan Hospital where Lt Otto Hinds died from wounds sustained in B-17 Flying Fortress crash on Mala Planina during WWII. Ljubljana. Ljubljanyum Food Tour. Škocjan Caves. Military Park at Pivka.

Favorite accommodations, anywhere in Slovenia?

Lenar Farm in Logar Valley: https://www.lenar.si/en/

Memento B&B Piran: https://www.booking.com/hotel/si/memento.en-us.html

Reviews of all the places I stayed are in the trip report (lodging section)

Dave, a lot of effort. Thank you very much.

Steakhouse Berc in Bled was really good, if you want to go around to the other side of the lake. And the island is the iconic place to go. I wanted to take one of the old style wooden boats but apparently that wasn’t what was going when I was ready for a ride.

TTM, I am having a little trouble getting excited about this trip. Ljub might be (probably is) interesting for two days. Bled might keep my attention for a day. Slovenia in general seems to be one of those, "you cant get here from there" kind of places that still seems to suck in the tourists.

You might remember I wasnt too excited about Hallstatt last year and that worked out very good. My traveling companion loved it so I thought might love Bled too. Most of all I want to go fishing and my favorite in Bosnia is out of consideration because my traveling companion is pretty much stuck to Schengen. After my solo trip to Kyiv last week, I sort of have to plan the next with my companion.

Ljubljana things I enjoyed:

1. Ljubljanyum Food Tour -- great way to see the city while getting many nice tastes of the city -- we had an appetizer at a trendy new spot, market tastings, soup and sausage at one spot, meal at an Italian-influenced restaurant, coffee in the basement of a library, pumpkin seed oil at a cafe, gelato at the famous gelato spot in town. And we got to see parts of the city as we moved about.
2. National Museum of Contemporary History -- nice overview of Slovenia's 20th and 21st century history. Much, of course, is the story of Yugoslavia. https://www.muzej-nz.si/en/
3. Plečnik's House -- see the home of the architect whose stamp is all over Ljubljana and Slovenia. He created a chair that looked like him. It's also cool to see his work space. https://mgml.si/en/plecnik-house/
4. Stroll Tivoli Park -- there is often an art exhibit in the park.
5. Just wander around the old town.

Bled... well... everyone seems to love it. I was there in late August 2019. I went to Vintgar Gorge, then to the castle, then walked around the lake. While it was a perfectly fine stop (especially the gorge and hikes around it), I definitely would not call Bled a highilght of my 25 days in Slovenia.

Thank you Dave, a lot of help.

When we first visited Bled in 1977 it was pristine and quiet. We visited again in 2023 and it was very built up but not in a good way.
As far as lakes go, it is nice but nothing out of the ordinary.
We visited mainly to have coffee with a second cousin and to see Tito’s old villa which is now a hotel. We couldn’t get a restaurant reservation so we just walked around a little.
Ljubljana is a nice small city. We took a walking tour through the TI office, took the funicular up to the castle, and walked along the waterfront. There is a great Bosnian restaurant called Sarajevo where we had a nice dinner.

Maybe a visit to Radovljica to walk to the old town and grab a meal? There is a bus (not sure of hours it runs). I wouldn't expect a taxi to be much (assuming Bled has taxis).

Well nothing wrong with your plan and Slovenia really IS beautiful. And it will get you to somewhere new. Your problem is having to create 2 different somewhat compatible itineraries. But yes, you may be a bit bored.

Dave has given you some great ideas. Ljubljana won’t be a problem to fill a couple of days - you just need to figure out what happens for your travel companion while you are fishing.

Edit: I’d consider hiring one of Dave’s guides and heading somewhere else on Tuesday afternoon and/or Friday morning. Or fish Tuesday and do a tour Wednesday or Thursday.

Plan B, I fish in the morning, 3 mornings, while someone else sleeps. Its just so, so, so far away. I dont like trains. I am still having nightmares about the last two train rides.

Other options are Slovakia (done that) and Poland (for some reason havent gotten excited about that) or Romania ...... but not much more in Romania for the travel companion than in Slovenia. Montenegro would be perfect, but there is the lack of Schengen issue.

Austria is out of my income bracket as are the nordic countries. There is some pretty good fishing in Portugal I understand?

I love Poland. I am not a fisherman, but I suspect there are many good spots to fish there.

I think you can make Slovenia work, though.

Lets let this thread die. I will start a new one with two options. But i want to keep this one because of the great advice I got so far.
The new one https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/slovakia-or-slovenia-the-same-right-in-may-which-do-i-do