Incredible Road Trip in Slovenia | OMG the Vršič Pass!

A road trip to Slovenia should be on every traveller’s bucket list!

Slovenia is a country you’ll definitely fall in love with; at least we did! It makes you feel like you’re living in a fairy tale!

Our road trip to Slovenia became one of our favourites in Europe. We were mesmerized by all the fascinating things this country has to offer. For anyone visiting Slovenia, here’s all you need to know about this beautiful country. Oh! Wait until you see the Vršič Pass!!

Driving in Slovenia

Is it Safe?

Driving in Slovenia is very safe. Since it’s a mountainous country, most roads are narrow and winding, so be careful not to exceed the speed limit.

Car Rental

When renting a car in Slovenia, you need your license, passport, and credit card. You must provide an International Driving Permit (IDP) if your license is from outside the EU. If you start your road trip from Italy or Croatia, we highly recommend Discover Cars, as they are super affordable. We paid €154 for 11 full days and couldn’t believe how cheap it was.

Car Hire Insurance

This is the most important. Usually, it’s insured by the rental company itself. If not, you can do it directly with Discover Cars as we did.

Borders Crossing Fees

This depends on which borders you’re crossing. We crossed the border from Croatia to Slovenia, which cost us €20, while crossing Italy’s border was free.

Tolls & Vignette

Most highways and major roads in Slovenia are tolled, and a ‘vignette’ sticker is required, which sometimes will be included with the car rental. If your car hire does not supply it, you can buy one from any gas station for just a few euros. You’ll risk a massive fine if you don’t buy a vignette!

TIP: You can buy a vignette for one week, which costs €15 or a month for €30. If you stay more than seven days as we did, buy a 1-month vignette immediately.

Use a GPS

In today’s world, GPS and Google Maps are a blessing. Most hire cars have a built-in GPS; if not, use your phone.

Speed Limits

On highways, the speed limit is 130km/h, while in towns, it’s 40km/hr. Be very cautious to avoid speeding tickets.

Not to Miss in Slovenia 

Ljubljana 

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is easily accessible, especially from Croatia. We heard so many beautiful things about it that we definitely couldn’t skip it, but unfortunately, we only did a stop-over, so we had less than 24 hours there.

Must See in Ljubljana 

The Fascinating Graffiti

We call it art! In Ljubljana, you can notice creative street art and colourful Graffiti. Some of them are just beautiful art pieces. If you’re interested in seeing the graffiti-covered buildings in Ljubljana, you can’t miss Metelkova! You can book your graffiti tour now.

Ljubljana Old Town 

Old town streets are stunning. We loved wandering around Ljubljana Old Town. One of the most remarkable landmarks was the River Ljubljanica—a river with a colourful history. At night, seeing the lights reflecting on the water was just magical.

Tivoli Park

Whatever your mood, you’ll feel calm and peaceful walking through Tivoli Park. This tranquil park has numerous pathways and benches to sit down and relax. We had the chance to see Tivoli Park covered in snow. It was picturesque! However, the ideal time to visit is in Autumn.

Logar Valley 

Logar Valley was love at first sight! It’s in the Kamnik Alps, in the Municipality of Solčava, Slovenia and one of Europe’s most beautiful Alps glacial valleys. If you’re planning a road trip to Slovenia, you should visit Logar Valley, only 10 minutes away from the border of Austria. 

Top 3 Hiking Trails in Logar Valley 

• Koča na Klemenči jami 
• The Kamnik Saddle
• Okrešelj Glacial Amphitheater

You can’t visit Logar Valley without driving the Solčava panoramic road!

Solčava Panoramic Road is a route with the most stunning views! There are over 20 viewpoints along the way. It’s impossible not to stop taking pictures. Seeing 360° panoramic views with mountains covered in snow was unreal for us! We couldn’t stop admiring the beauty of nature.

Along the way, there are various viewpoints where you can stop, sit on a bench, and quietly enjoy nature. You’ll also find information boards. We urge you to go and see this amazing place for yourself; it’s a must-see during a road trip to Slovenia!

Where to stay in Logar Valley

There are various fairy-tail-like accommodations in Logar Valley. We stayed in one of the most charming guesthouses, which we highly recommend. You can go ahead and check out Guesthouse S for yourself.

Kranjska Gora

You can visit Kranjska Gora all year round. When it gets warmer in the summer, you can explore the natural beauties of this beautiful place, but what about Winter? Winter in Kranjska Gora means snow!

If you love skiing, snowshoeing and Winter hiking, Kranjska Gora is your place, as it’s the best resort in Slovenia for winter-based activities. We spent most of our time hiking the beautiful snow-covered trails, taking marvellous photos, and admiring nature.

One afternoon, we drove to Lake Jasna, near the village of Kranjska Gora, and surprisingly, we arrived at a frozen Lake! Due to frequent snowfall and low temperatures, Lake Jasna freezes every year. It was even more stunning!

We spent some time fooling around, trying to build a snowman and also trying to walk on the ice. We both felt like we were walking on water, which was so much fun!

Lake Bled

Lake Bled is as fascinating as it looks in pictures. It’s one of Slovenia’s most popular destinations.

Getting to Lake Bled

Don’t repeat our mistake!

We drove to Lake Bled and spent several minutes (almost an hour) looking for a place to park. All parking areas charged fees, which weren’t cheap and full. The ideal way to get to Lake Bled is by bus. Parking isn’t easy, if not impossible.

After several attempts to park, we finally managed and started the day in the best way possible by walking around the Lake, which took us around two hours. We stopped several times to take photos, as the location was captivating.

Since we wanted to see the view of the Lake from above, we hiked for another hour to the best viewpoint, Mala Osojnica. It was absolutely worth it! The view from above blew us away!

We wanted to see as much as possible since we stayed in Lake Bled for two days. There’s so much to see in the area beyond Lake Bled.

Top Two Attractions

Lake Bohinj

“The poetry of earth is never dead.” You’ll understand this quote when you visit Lake Bohinj! The Lake in itself is just magical. The snowy mountains reflecting in the calm water are unbelievable.

We were lucky we found free parking this time, so we were in no rush. We could enjoy the wonders of this magical place as long as we wanted. On our way down to the Lake, we noticed the snow was sparkling like a million stars.

You just can’t read or listen to what people say about Lake Bohinj. You have to go and see it for yourself!

Vintgar Gorge

Vintgar Gorge, carved by the Radovna River, is a 1.6 km-long Triglav National Park gorge. We were left speechless with its crystal-clear water. It looks more like emerald green.

We passed over a shaky bridge, walked through the gorge, and admired nature’s waterfalls and other masterpieces. We ended up admiring the stone bridge of the Bohinj Railway.

This place is worth visiting! Although the trail is crumbling in some areas, the walk alone is beautiful. We still managed to get through and captured some great shots of Vintgar Gorge.

Bovec

Bovec is a mountain town in northwestern Slovenia with so much to see. We could notice the peaks of the Julian Alps all around. Our top favourite attractions are the turquoise Soča River and the Boka Waterfall. These natural wonders are real hidden gems in Bovec.

Where to stay in Bovec

In Bovec, there are several accommodation options. You can choose between guesthouses, hotels, apartments, hostels, or campsites.

We stayed in a guesthouse, which was more than expected, and we couldn’t be happier. The location was a few minutes on foot to Bovec Letalisce Airport.

For other options with great prices, you can easily find your perfect stay on Booking.com.

Bovec Letalisce Airport was temporarily closed due to extreme snowfall.

The Nature in Bovec is incredible! We couldn’t get enough of it.

Brežice

Brežice is a small town in eastern Slovenia in the Lower Sava Valley, near the Croatian border. Nature has well-endowed Brežice with so many beauties. We were stunned by the green landscape covered in light snow.

If you go to Slovenia and pass through Brežice, we suggest you visit the Brežice Castle and the Brežice Water Tower.

Vršič Pass

And finally, the most awaited Vršič Pass experience is here!

The Vršič pass is the most beautiful mountain road in Slovenia. You can’t miss it, especially on a road trip! It leads from Kranjska Gora to the Soča valley. It’s the highest mountain pass in all of Slovenia. At its highest, it reaches 1,600m. In Winter, usually, it’s closed due to snowfall, but luckily we found it open.

We could enjoy the most scenic ride with incredible views over the mountains and valleys, even though it was very misty.

This winding mountain road led us to the most breathtaking views of the spectacular nature of Slovenia. We pulled over several times at the countless viewpoints, so it took us over an hour to reach the summit. It’s implausible that you won’t get out of the car to enjoy the scenery or take photos.

The drive is an easy one for most drivers. However, our first drive on the pass was challenging. The roads, especially the bends, are very narrow, so we had to go slow, around 10km/hr, to avoid unwanted incidents. It got foggier and mistier while reaching the top, so we had to be extra careful while driving.

Upon reaching the summit, we observed numerous hiking trails branching out to various parts of the mountains. Unfortunately, the weather was restricted, and we could barely see any of the views from up there since it was too foggy.

Despite the chilly -5°C temperature, we still stepped out of the car for a walk while enjoying the magnificent mountains around us.

Our road trip to Slovenia was like a dream!

If you’re still considering going for a road trip to Slovenia, go for it! It’s an incredible experience that you’ll keep remembering all your life! If you’re planning it already, choose your dates and book your favourite accommodations in Slovenia for the perfect deals!

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