Slovenia is situated at the historical and geographical crossroads of western, northern and southern Europe, so it is not a surprise that it’s well connected to the rest of the continent in all direction.
Arriving to Slovenia by Car
Driving is by far the most convenient way to get around Slovenia, especially for those who would like to explore this beautiful country outside of the handful of cities and towns. The roads are generally in very good condition and well-marked, and if you ever find yourself lost (and without some sort of navigation in the car, on your smart phone or other electronic device) friendly locals are usually glad to point you in the right direction. There are service stations and petrol stations every 30 kilometres on the motorways. Petrol stations are also common in the cities and in smaller towns. If arriving from abroad, don’t forget to immediately purchase a vignette sticker for your winscreen, which is used on Slovenian motorways instead of paying tolls.
Driving is by far the most convenient way to get around Slovenia. Image by Keber1 / CC BY-SA 3.0
Arriving to Slovenia by Air
Slovenia’s most important international airport is the Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport (LJU). It makes access to all of the cities, towns and sights in Slovenia convenient from most anywhere in the world. Lots of info for the airport, including all onward ground transport options, can be found at the official site of the airport at www.lju-airport.si. Alternatively, the nearby airports in Klagenfurt, Austria (KLU), Trieste, Italy (TRS) and Zagreb, Croatia (ZAG) are also popular points of arrival for tourists headed to Slovenia, as they offer many connections on European budget airlines, while Venice’s Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is less than 2 hours away by car and has the best international connections in the wider region.
Slovenia from above. Image by Panhard / CC BY 2.5
Arriving to Slovenia by Train
Trains to Slovenia run every day from numerous European cities. A full timetable and price info can be found on Slovenian Railways’ very user-friendly site at www.slo-zeleznice.si.
Trains to Slovenia run every day from numerous European cities. Image by Orlovic / GFDL
Arriving to Slovenia by Bus
Buses to Slovenia run every day from numerous European cities. Most of Slovenia’s international bus connections go directly to Ljubljana, where transfers can be made to national bus operators. Prices and journey times from Ljubljana to the major towns in Slovenia are comparable to trains, but run much less frequently at the weekends. With a little luck, timetables and some prices can be found on the official website of Ljubljana Bus Station at www.ap-ljubljana.si.
Most of Slovenia’s international bus connections go directly to Ljubljana, where transfers can be made to national bus operators. Image by Mich973
Arriving to Slovenia by Sea
In the summer season (April, May, June, July, August, September and October) catamarans and hydrofoil boats operate frequent routes from Venice, Trieste, Porec and Rovinj. Cruise ships occasionally dock at Koper. If arriving in Slovenia in sailing vessels, motor boats or yachts (or on your own vessel), you should know that entry to Slovenia is only permitted at the ports of entry in Koper and Piran (and Izola from May to October).
Piran, Slovenia. Entry to Slovenia is only permitted at the ports of entry in Koper and Piran. Image by Rude / CC BY-SA 3.0
