General
In general Slovenia was everything but what I was expecting it to be. Honestly I did not have any clear picture of what to expect. Slovenia is a beautiful natural side, with good infrastructure for self driving, as well for internet and phone. In addition, it was really clean – reminded me in that point a lot of Norway – toilets at every parking lot, no rubbish at any side. They do a good job investing the tourist tax that need to be paid for everyday back into the country.
Transportation
The country provides a good street infrastructure for self driving. Streets are mostly one lined per direction but mostly paved and well-preserved. In order to drive in Slovenia you would need a toll vignette for our own car.
Even that Slovenia is a small country it has a well-developed bus system that can bring you to the main sides of the country. Starting from Ljubljana you can plan your trip to see the country.
Accommodation
In Slovenia, you can find accommodation for every range of budget, depending on your preferences. Hotels, Guesthouses, Camping, Camper parking space.
The following 2 guesthouses we stayed at:
- Apartment Wallas (Bovec) – newly constructed apartment with an amazing view in the Soca Valley
- Apartmaji Rabič (Stara Fužina) – the apartment is in a quite location with a great balcony view, but it saw better days
Accommodation can be found easily over booking.com. In case it was not paid during the booking, be aware that it mostly has to be paid in cash when it is a private apartment. On top a tourist fee of 2 euros per day per person has to be paid.
Money
In general all the places take credit card (restaurants, entry fees, …). You can pay in Slovenia with Euro. Price level is similar to other countries in West Europe like Germany, France, Spain and Portugal.
Food
Slovenia has a rich culture of traditional food. One dish that should not be missed is the Kraški Pršut a Prosciutto of salting and drying meat. It goes best with traditional Slovenian Red Wine. Another tasty starter is the Tolminc cheese plate. For a main dish drija žlikrofi is a great choice, it is small boiled dumplings filled with potatoes, onions, and lards.
Hiking
The Trivlag National Park is a hiking paradise and provides tons of hiking options. The Park is located in northwest of Slovenia. It’s centered on Triglav Mountain, the highest peak in the Julian Alps. In the west part, the Soča Trail follows the green valley of the crystal blue Soča River. Lake Bohinj is a clear water glacial lake. In the park Mountain huts are spread and give great opportunities for long distance hikes.
Outdoor Sport
The Soča Valley is an outdoor sport playground. Bovec and surrounding towns provide many renting agencies for kayaks and canoes. There is no shortage of water activities in the pictures blue water of the Soča.
Also, Lake Bohinj offers water sport activites like renting a boat or stand paddle.
Weather
Even that we traveled in the low season (Mid/End September) we were lucky with the weather.
- High Season: June, July and August (up to 30 degrees)
- Low Season: Mai and September, October (up to 20 degrees)
For us it was usually T-Shirt weather, when the sun came out it even was really warm and give some tan. At night, it became chilly which stretched into the morning hours. Even that all the campgrounds we saw were still open, keep in mind that the nights in September and October can become real cold.
