Slovenia Travel Information
Arrival, Weather, Food and Language
Getting to Slovenia by Air
Easiest Airports for the Farmhouse are Ljubljana (30 mins) and Klagenfurt (60 mins). For the Retreat it's best to land at Trieste (60 mins).
Ljubljana's Brnik Airport is reachable from London Stansted with Easyjet and London Luton with Wizzair. See also notes on the previous page. Note that Ljubljana's airport is still very small and a real pleasure to travel through - aircraft arrival to you leaving in a hire car is normally done in just 45 mins.
Ryanair fly from Stansted to Klagenfurt three times weekly, Stansted to Trieste daily.
If you need any advice on plane tickets, car hire or anything else, please ask us and we'll be happy to help.
Getting to Slovenia by Train
Direct intercity trains to Ljubljana’s main station operate on these routes: Zurich (overnight sleeper); Munich – 6 hours; Slazburg – 3 hours. All trains run via Villach in Austria and there are many routes that connect here. For The Farmhouse, these Intercity trains stop at Lesce-Bled station, which is just 15min away. It's worth looking at a dedicated website (such as seat61.com or German Railways) or contacting a travel agent.
Getting to Slovenia by Car
Driving in Slovenia is a pleasure. The main routes are well maintained and the drivers are (mostly) polite. Off the beaten track, though, be prepared for lots of bends and some rough surfaces. There are good motorway connections to Villach in Austria and Venice in Italy. There is also a good motorail service from Hamburg, Hanover & Düsseldorf to Villach (overnight) from German Railways. Note that both Austria & Slovenia operate a motorway vignette system - make sure you display one (or both) as spot fines are imposed.
Make it Part of your Trip
Fly to Venice, take in the sights, then drive across to Slovenia (about 3 hours to the Farmhouse or 2 hours to the Retreat). Fly into Paris, stay a few days then fly direct to Ljubljana or if you're having a very romantic trip, take the sleeper train to Venice and then drive over to The Retreat for some alone time. Fly direct to Vienna before continuing on by car or perhaps fly into Croatia, spend some time exploring the coast and combine that with a trip up to see the fantastic Julian Alps around Bohinj. Slovenia is perfectly placed to be part of a two, three or four destination holiday.
Getting around in Slovenia
Having a car makes a big difference in Slovenia as it makes just about the entire country accessible within two hours. We suggest guests use ATET Rent a Car to get the best rates on car hire from airport or to arrange a car to be delivered to the house.
Staying with us without a car is also very easy. We can arrange airport transfers and advise on bus & train routes and times - there are hourly buses from our village to Bled and Bohinj and a train station just a short walk from the house.
Weather
We love the weather in Slovenia. It's hot and sunny in the Summer (25 – 35C) and cold and snowy in the Winter (-5 – 10C) just the way a country should be. The sky seems to be clear all year round and when it rains it's usually a quick downpour and then back to sunny business.
Food
The food in Slovenia is excellent. A combination of rolling mountain pastures, local coastline and proximity to Italy and Austria means that everything from the calamari and pizza through to the steak and przut (Slovenian prosciutto - a favourite of ours) is among the best you'll find anywhere in the world. There are heaps of restaurants to choose from. In Bohinjska Bela the 'Batišt' opposite the train station is deservedly famous for its steak and trout and neighbouring Ribno's “Pri Dveh Petelinih” does the best calamari we've ever had. If you feel like a bit more hustle and bustle there are all kinds of restaurants in Bled, the fanciest being the one in the castle which offers food good enough to match the views.
We can arrange for some beer, wine, bread, cheese, salami, eggs, milk, coffee to be waiting for you when you arrive, but if you want to cook something more substantial stop at a "Mercator" (supermarket chain) to get some supplies. There's one in Bohinjska Bela for the Farmhouse (or if you want to go shopping crazy there's a huge Spar in Radovljica- 15 minutes drive) and for the Retreat there's one in Tolmin and Kobarid too.
It's worth knowing that most shops are closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays so, make sure you stock up on whatever you need before the weekend, or use it as an excuse to eat out.
Language
Slovenian is a complicated language but fun to have a bash at. Don't panic if you get it horribly wrong because Slovenians are so friendly they'll just be pleased you're giving it a shot. The younger generation ALL speak excellent English and many of the older people do too. If not they invariably speak excellent German, or will find someone nearby to help them out.
Getting around in Slovenia with just English is a piece of cake but a couple of words just to be polite don't go amiss.
Hello – Dober dan.
Thank you – Hvala.
Goodbye – Nasvidenje.
Beer – Pivo (essential).
Wine – Vino (ditto).
And finally...
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you need help with anything or advice on planning your trip. We live here, so we know what works!