Where to stay

For a week or less, one central base is enough: Ljubljana, with Bled 40 minutes away and the caves 45. Beyond a week, two or three bases cut the backtracking. For a first 7-day visit I recommend 3 nights in Ljubljana, 2 in Bled, 1 in Bovec and 1 in Piran.

The five base camps

• Ljubljana (2-3 nights minimum): central, well connected, evening life included, and the only base that truly works without a car: frequent buses to Bled, Bohinj and Postojna, trains to Maribor and the coast, organised tours for the Soča Valley.
• Bled (2 nights minimum): perfect for the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park: Vintgar, Bohinj, Pokljuka, and a lap of the lake before breakfast. Romantic, and touristy in summer.
• Bovec / Kobarid (2-3 nights): base camp for the Soča Valley, with whitewater sports, hiking, via ferrata and sunsets over the Kanin range.
• Piran (1-2 nights): the jewel of the Adriatic, with the Karst, the Škocjan Caves and the Sečovlje salt pans as day trips.
• Maribor (1-2 nights): gateway to the Styrian wine country and the eastern spa towns, with medieval Ptuj 25 minutes away.

Choosing your spot at Lake Bled

The east shore to do everything on foot, the west shore for calm and the view, the villages of Zasip and Gorje for families at half price, and Lesce if you arrive by train.

Which kind of bed, at what price

• Hotels: €30-200 a night. Thermal hotels (Terme), with pools and spas included, are a Slovenian specialty.
• Apartments: €25-120, ideal for families and stays of 3 nights or more.
• Glamping: €40-180. Slovenia pioneered it in Europe: tree houses, domes, transparent bubbles.
• Tourist farms (turistične kmetije): €20-60, half-board with farm produce, children among the animals.
• Mountain huts (koče): €15-40, run by the Slovenian Alpine Club along the Triglav and Julian Alps trails. Book in July-August.
• Youth hostels: €15-35. Celica in Ljubljana is a former military prison turned design hostel.

My advice

Try at least one typically Slovenian night: a tourist farm, an Alpine Club hut in the Triglav area, or glamping. And don't change hotels every night: the country is compact enough to day-trip from each base.

Key takeaway: pick Ljubljana as your base for a short or car-free trip, and split a longer stay between two or three bases.

Read the full guide