My husband and I will be joining RS tour on Sunday 5/17 (Best of Adriatic). We get to Ljubljana at noon on Saturday (after having spent a couple of days in Amsterdam) and will hit the big sites with the tour. Thinking about taking the train to Postojna Caves. Any other suggestions? Has anyone taken the train or bus to Postojna - any problems? Thanks.
Posted by
Phoenix
26 posts
Hi Sharon!
I travelled to Ljubljana in 2003 and twice in 2007 - it is a beautiful, tranquil place and I am sure you will have a wonderful trip! On the first trip, we went to Bled - I'm sure Rick is already taking you there, so no point in wasting your free day. On the second trip, we took a day to visit Postojna. We simply went to the bus station, which is right next to the train station, and bought tickets for that morning to Postojna. I think we arrived at the station at 8 am or so, then waited for about an hour for the next bus. As long as you pronounce it "Post-oy-nah" then there shouldn't be any communication problems. When you arrive in Postojna, you'll be let off at their bus station which seems to be on the edge of the little town. If you ask, "Postojna Jama?" then the locals will keep pointing you in the right direction. It's the main reason that people come to their town, so they are used to the lost tourists. You'll be sent on a footpath up a hill- you will temporarily think you are lost, walking in the countryside, but this really is the way. Then you'll come upon a touristy mall with cafes and shops. At the very end of this lies the ticket booth. I recommend going early in the day so you can arrive, walk and buy a ticket in time.
On our third trip, we visitd Piran. I wish we'd visited this adorable town all three times - it is a scenic and enjoyable little seaside village.
Having given you all of these great ideas, though, I actually would recommend that you just relax in Ljubljana! The other sites are a good two hours or so away, so you'll lose the time trying to get there and back, and you might feel rushed. There is an excellent juice bar and coffee shop right on the main square- I would relax and people watch with the locals. Or, I'd take the funicular to the top of the castle hill or visit the museum dedicated to Slovenia's independence.
Have a great trip!
Posted by
Puyallup, WA, USA
881 posts
We'll be coming through Ljubljana on the 18th, maybe we'll see you there! :)
Postojna is very easy to get to by bus. The bus station is at the first big intersection from the cave, so easy to find, and easy to walk to.
The train is not so convenient - it's about a 20-30 min hike to the caves, and fairly confusing. There will (usually) be no taxi's at the train station.
Car is a great idea, so you can see Postojna Caves, and Predjama, the cave castle. It's worth taking a look. (This quaint little castle is my favourite in all of Europe.) And you need to hire a taxi from Postojna Caves, or drive up there.
They sell a combo ticket at the caves for both. - If you're doing Postojan, DON'T miss Predjama.
Finally, there's also Skocjan cave. Somewhat more raw, rugged, and less touristed, but just as amazing as Postojna, and the final room is...incredible. It's about 30-40 mins down the road from Postojna if memory server.
All 3 are actually doable in one day, if you're a gung-ho cave tourist. :)
One Caveat on cars - if you wish to use the freeways, the only option is a 35EUR 6 month road tax sticker. If you're comfortable with maps or GPS, you can do it non freeway - not really all that much more time.