The Ultimate Slovenia Itinerary (10 Days Without Renting a Car!)
Slovenia: A Journey Through Europe’s Fairytale
June–July 2026
“More than a destination, a collection of small moments.”
Table of Contents
Practical Travel Guide
Flights
I flew from LAX → Chicago→ London Heathrow→ Ljubljana (DON’T do three flights again… I warn you).
Then I flew from Ljubljana Ljubljana → Belgrade → London and spent 24 hours in London (always a fun time!)
And finally, London → LAX, an 11 hour straight shot.
AirBnbs
I booked entirely in AirBnbs because it seemed easier since I was only gone for about two weeks… Next time, especially for single night stays, I’ll go with a hotel. AirBnbs are insane sometimes. More on that later.
- $309 for three nights Ljubljana (June 24- 28)
- Not bad! Shared bathroom and kitchen, but it hardly felt like it. Ice cold AC and comfy bed.
- $345 for three nights Lake Bled (June 28- July 1)
- Best stay by far. A cutsie farm cottage stay where the host made me tea and breakfast. No AC and slow to non existent internet (seriously, it was a bit scary when I couldn’t load my tickets for reservations…), but worth it to be in the mountains and still close to Bled Lake.
- $393 for three nights Piran (July 1- July 4).
- CUTE place. Adorable balcony window, very walkable cobblestone streets, 5 mins from the main town.
- $130 one night stay in Ljubljana (July 4)
- TERRIBLE. Ew ew ew. Confusing directions, not cleaned, a tinsey tiny Harry Potter closet of a space. Spend the same price for a hotel, please.
- $216 Two night stay in London (July 5-7)
- Horrid- it took me THREE separate keys to get to my bedroom, then I had to go back down to each lockbox and replace the keys. Moldy bread in the kitchen, clogged bathtub, the works. Folks in the apartment building were so kind in helping me find the place, however!
Tours and Reservations
- $130 Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle Tickets and Tour from Ljubljana
- Not special with the tour- the guide was just fine, very nice, but really this just gave me transportation to and from anything without needing to hassle with getting a car, international drivers license, filling up with petrol, insurance, blah blah. Tickets included. Great caves and castle, a must see if you’re vising Ljubljana!
- $146 Triglav National Park & Soča Valley Tour from Bled
- Probably the best tour I’ve ever had in my entire life. Adventure, incredible sights, and genuine moments of connection and quiet reflection. This one will stick with me.
Bus
Simple, easy, mostly on time. There is ZERO reason to go through all the hassle of getting a car to explore this country imo.
Google Maps is sometimes accurate- I found the MOST accurate info to be at this website. No need to prepay for bus tickets. Show up around 10 minutes early just in case (I have seen busses leave about a minute early but nothing too egregious). The bus company is mostly Arriva.
Buy tickets at the bus station in Ljubljana with cash only, or just tap to pay on the bus. This is for the little busses that take you across town for the nominal €1.50 fee or the Arriva two hour + ones that cost €10+. Bus drivers tend to get irritated if you take out cash because it slows them down- just bring a card. They like it even better if you prepay with a bus card that you can get at the airport bus kiosk (and probably at other places, but I didn’t check) but it’s really not necessary.
Airport→ Ljubljana €4.50
Ljubljana → Lake Bled €4.80
Lake Bled → Ljubljana hard to calculate since I stopped in Radovljica along the way (very much worth it as a half day excursion). The cost is likely somewhere under €5 though.
Ljubljana → Piran €14
Piran → Ljubljana €10.50
Ljubljana → Airport €20 JESUS at least it’s cheaper than a taxi. There are technically Ubers in Slovenia but they’re Uber Taxis.
All the cities are extremely walkable and easy to navigate, with few cars rushing at you ready to kill you (looking at you, Bucharest and Los Angeles). Ljubljana, Piran, Bled, and Radovljica are all cleared by me as top tier bike- and people- friendly cities!
Emergency numbers
Emergency
112
Police
113
Useful Slovenian phrases
The MOST useful (I used literally every single day): “dober dan,” “hvala,” “oprostite,” “ah lako eno ___, prosim.”
Ljubljana: loo-blee-ana
Hello: zdravo
Please: prosim (pro-seem)
Thank you: hvala (quickly say huh-vala, with a nearly silent “h”)
Can I have one ______, please?: lahko eno _____, prosim?
One coffee with milk, please: Eno kavo z mlekom, prosim. (EH-noh KAH-voh zuh MLEH-kom PROH-seem)
Yes: da
No: ne (neh)
Excuse me: oprostite (oh-pro-steet-eh)
Do you speak English?: Govorite angleško? (go-vor-EET ang-GLAY-shko)
How much does this cost?: Koliko to stane? (koh-LEE-koh toh STAH-neh)
Where is the toilet?: Kje je stranišče? (kye yeh strah-NEE-shchay)
My name is: Moje ime je (MOH-yeh EE-meh yeh)
Good morning: dobro jutro! (DOH-broh YOO-troh)
Good day: dober dan (DOH-ber dahn)
Good evening: dober večer! (DOH-ber veh-CHAIR)
Goodbye: Nasvidenje (nahz-VEE-den-yeh)
Money
They use Euros. Only bring cash if you’re silly like me and didn’t realize that Capital One now stupidly is considered a Discover (gag inducing), meaning it’s only taken by merchants every third Thursday on a blue moon when mercury is in retrograde. Aka never. Can you tell I’m pissed at Capital One?
I tried my lucky tap to pay with the one credit card I brought (dumb idea- always have 2, with one in your luggage tucked away and one in your day bag. Credit cards are easy to freeze and it’s worth the protection because you never want to be stranded in a foreign country without access to money. Trust me.) and it was declined everywhere I went. I had to use my debit (ugh no free money with points), and subsequently on my return home I replaced that card ASAP because that puppy had tapped everything.
The only places that were cash only in my experience was the Ljubljana bus station (just tap to pay on the bus instead) and the Shell Shop Museum in Piran which is really not an essential experience. I took out cash at a bancomat near my AirBnb for a €6 fee for €150 withdrawal, not bad imo.
SIM card
E sim, I used Airalo, 20 gb for 15 days for $32. I had a lot leftover but I really scrounged (turned my phone on airplane mode when I wasn’t actively using the internet) when I shouldn’t have.
I also got a 3 gb for 3 days for the UK ($8.50) since I spent 24 hours in London. I used WAY less data than I thought I did- and I’m the type of person that has out Google Maps constantly to tell me which way to turn when walking on the sidewalk. I used about half that for 24 hours- maybe range yourself about 1.5 gb per day? That’s how much I spent, but you might be different. Worst case scenario- just top up and buy more. It’s not worth the stress.
Packing Ideas
This doesn’t cover everything because everyone is different, but these are the key details:
- Passport
- Credit cards (2, one in your day bag and one in your luggage tucked away)
- Debit card (only way to take out cash if you need it)
- Portable charger
- Universal adapter
- Power bank
- Crossbody bag
- Walking shoes
- Sandals
- Light sweater
- Rain jacket
- Swimsuit
- Hat
- Reusable water bottle (free water is everywhere in Slovenia, and very clean!)
- Sunscreen
- Laundry detergent sheets
- Kindle/books
- Journal
- Pen
- Mini first aid kit
- Protein bars
10-Day Slovenia Itinerary (No Car Required)
- 📍 Cities: Ljubljana • Škofja Loka • Postojna • Bled • Piran
- 🚌 Transportation: Bus only (no rental car)
- ⏱️ Length: 8 days (plus 4 optional days)
- 💰 Budget: ~$2,500
- ⭐ Favorite Stop: Lake Bled! It was clear and gorgeous and amazing. I hear Lake Bohinj is nicer/less touristy, but I didn’t have time to travel there on this trip. Next time!
- 🥾 Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (lots of walking, but no car needed, and everywhere is very walkable/bikeable and safe for solo female travelers. Everyone speaks English.)
Day 1 — Ljubljana
- Triple Bridge
- Dragon Bridge
- Ljubljana Castle
- Museum of Puppetry
- Virtual Castle History Experience
- Castle Viewing Tower
- Central Market
- St. Nicholas Cathedral
- Robba Fountain
- Preseren Square
- Old Town
- Walk along the Ljubljanica River
- Congress Square
- Plečnik House
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 1
Day 2 — Škofja Loka Day Trip
- Bus from Ljubljana
- Capuchin Bridge
- Medieval Old Town
- Mestni Trg
- Škofja Loka Castle
- Škofja Loka Museum
- Lace exhibit
- Beekeeping exhibit
- Traditional Slovenian lunch at Pr’ Pepet
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 2
Day 3 — Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle Tour
- Bus from Ljubljana
- Predjama Castle
- Walk through the castle
- Secret passages
- Cliffside fortress
- Postojna Cave
- Underground cave train
- Guided cave walk
- Return to Ljubljana
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 3
Day 4 — Lake Bled
- Bus from Ljubljana
- Walk around Lake Bled
- Pletna boat
- Bled Island
- Church of the Assumption
- Ring the wishing bell
- Bled Castle viewpoint
- Swimming
- Cream cake (Kremšnita)
- Sunset around the lake
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 4
Day 5 — Julian Alps Day Tour
- Radovna Valley
- Peričnik Waterfall
- Kranjska Gora
- Zelenci Nature Reserve
- Italian border and Lago del Predil
- Soča Valley and River
- Vršič Pass
- Russian Chapel
- Lake Jasna
- Return to Bled
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 5
Day 6 — Piran
- Bus from Bled to Piran
- Tartini Square
- Piran Harbor
- Old Castle Walls
- Wander the narrow streets
- Sunset on the Adriatic
- Gelato
- Seafood dinner
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 6
Day 7 — Exploring Piran
- Cafinho Piran
- Pirani Klesani Kamni (Mermaid Sculpture)
- Benečanka (Venetian House)
- Minorite Monastery
- Shell Museum
- Waterfront walk
- Hugo cocktail
- Honey liqueur (Medica)
- Blueberry liqueur (Borovničevec)
- Strawberry pancakes
- Handmade pasta dinner at Rostelin
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 7
Day 8 — Slow Day in Piran
- Relaxing morning
- Writing travel journals
- Packing
- Opened the bay windows
- Final evening in Piran
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 8
Day 9 — Return to Ljubljana
- Bus from Piran to Ljubljana
- Burek Olimpija
- Dragon Bridge
- Triple Bridge
- Central Market
- Mango gelato
- Moje Tvoje thrift shop
- Tattoo appointment
- Lace bee tattoo
- Dragon tattoo
- Slovenska Hiša Figovec
- Savory štruklji
- Prekmurska gibanica
- Orange wine
→ Read my full travel journal: Day 9
Day 10 — Fly to London
- Bus to Ljubljana Airport
- Flight to Belgrade
- Layover
- Flight to London
→ Read my full travel journal extension to London: Day 10
So here is where yours will differ: I instead flew to London and spent 24 hours there which you can read about {here}. But here’s what you can do instead!
Optional Days (if you have more time)
Option A – Ljubljana Extras
- Tivoli Park and Mansion
- National Gallery of Slovenia
- National Museum of Slovenia
- Museum of Contemporary History
- International Centre of Graphic Arts
Option B – Bled
- Canyon Tour
- Vintgar gorge
- Lake Bohinj
- Savica Waterfall
Option C – Velika Planina
- Cable car
- Alpine shepherd village
- Hiking
Option D – Maribor
- Lent District
- Old Vine House
- Drava River promenade
Safety
I never felt unsafe, I was fine walking alone, using busses alone, and saw lots of other solo female travelers. Locals were always kind and helpful. I would absolutely recommend for first-time solo travelers. Obviously, keep your wits about you, know where your wallet and phone are at all times, and don’t drink at night and walk home alone, but other than basic safety, I felt safer all over Slovenia than I do back in Los Angeles.
Foods I Tried
- Burek
- Štruklji
- Kremšnita
- Gibanica
- Lamb goulash
- Fresh Adriatic sardines, marinated the traditional Istrian way
- Orange wine
- Honey liqueur (Medica)
- Blueberry liqueur (Borovničevec)
- Fresh peaches, or anything at a local market!
- Gelato
- Pizza burek
Kind People I Met
The waitress at Cafinho complimenting my Slovene.
The tattoo artist talking D&D, calling me a great teacher, and gifting me a mermaid art print.
Random bus conversations with British and Polish travelers.
Restaurant staff excited about my Thai tattoo.
Kind people helping me and friendly conversations all throughout the trip.
Wow. Travel has a way of making the world feel so safe and warm and sunny.
Final Reflection
What surprised me? Honestly, that Slovenia was so expensive. It is about as much as back home. It feels cheaper because Euros are worth more than dollars so I always had to do the mental math in my head and add more $$ to things. Other than that, I was surprised to learn and truly feel so safe while abroad alone. Solo female travelers, we got this!!
Would I return? YES! I would want to see more of the Karst region, Kranj, and spend more time in Bled or Lake Bohinj and spend some time in the Vintgar Gorge to really soak in the nature.
Favorite meal? Probably lamb goulash in Škofja Loka- it was so savory and packed with flavor. It was one of those where you put a spoon in your mouth and your mouth instantly waters and you know you’re gonna devour the whole thing. Bowl empty. And served with potato dumplings spiced with turmeric. Yuuuuummmmmm!
Favorite town? Bled, for the forest views and lakeside wanders, or Piran, for the ocean-beach cobblestone vibes. Argh it’s hard to choose!
What did Slovenia teach me? That people are genuinely kind and well meaning. I think I already knew that, but wow, this confirmed it without a doubt. If you’re in a negative mindset and think the world is out to get you, or that people are inherently selfish, or that humanity is a cancer destroying planet earth and she’s trying to get rid of us- travel. Talk to strangers. Meet new people. Smile at cats and children. Watch a waitress play peakaboo with a baby to make him laugh. Watch a group of boys giggle and chat with the bus driver as they take a smoke break together before getting back to their destination. Feel touched at the genuine interest and kindness in people’s eyes as you tell them your story. I’m getting verklempt just thinking about it all. Travel to Slovenia, folks. It is so worth the trip.
