Travel

 

Visa information

As Slovenia is part of the EU and Schengen zone, most visitors will not require a visa for their stay; however, please verify you are travelling with proper identification and visas by referring to the visa information site and upon arrival, contact your home countries embassy here in Slovenia.

Currency

Slovenia uses the Euro (EUR). Foreign currency is rarely accepted. You can exchange your currency at the airport or at one of many currency exchange stores and banks located in the city center of Ljubljana. You may also withdraw EUR from an ATM- most cards will be accepted, check with you bank if you are concerned your card will not work and to avoid unwanted fees. VISA and MasterCard are widely accepted. It is handy to have a small amount of EUR before traveling in case of emergencies, but it is not required.

How To Get There

Most visitors will be arriving to Ljubljana by airplane to the one of following airports:

  • Ljubljana airport (LJU) (25 min drive from Ljubljana, see map)
    Traveling from Ljubljana airport to Ljubljana is shortest and cheapest one and also offers multiple choices.

    • Bus: Bus connection between airport and Ljubljana main bus station is operated by Alpetour. The ride takes approx. 50 min and costs 4.1 EUR (on December 6th, 2015). For more detailed timetable of departures, check online timetable.
    • Shuttle: Multiple companies offer transport to and from airport (details on airport webpage). The price of one-way transfer is approx. 10 EUR per person.
    • Taxi: Transfer from airport to Ljubljana downtown with taxi takes approx. 25 min and costs from 25-40 EUR.
  • Trieste airport (TRS) (1h 20 min drive from Ljubljana, see map)
  • Klagenfurt (1h 30min drive to Ljubljana, see map)
    There is an bus connection between Klagenfurt airport and Ljubljana Main bus station and it takes approx. 2h 9min. Price for one person is around 13 EUR. More info (only in Slovenian and German language) is available on AlpeAdria Line webpage.
  • Zagreb (ZAG) (1h 35min drive to Ljubljana, see map)
  • Venice airport (VCE) (2h 20min drive from Ljubljana, see map)
  • Treviso (TSF) (2h 25min drive to Ljubljana, see map)

Unfortunately, there are no train connections between airports outside Slovenia and Ljubljana. The most convenient form of transport from the airport is by taxi, bus or shuttle. A popular option is GoOpti, a shuttle service for both shared and private transport which can be arranged online, a bank or credit card is required.

Power Adapters

Slovenia’s electrical supply and electrical outlets (sockets, wall plugs) are the same as those found in most parts of the EU. Adapters must conform to either Type F sockets. This socket also works with plug C and E.
The electrical supply is 230 Volts and 50 Hertz (cycles per second).

Speech

The national language of Slovenia is Slovenian and it is spoken by 91.1% of the population. English is spoken by a vast majority of the population and there should not be any problems with communicating. For those interested in learning a bit of Slovenian, click here.

Costs

A value-added tax (VAT) of 22% (with a reduced rate of 9.5% usually applied to foods and some soft drinks) is charged on most purchases, and is always included in the displayed price tags. Non-EU residents are entitled to get this tax back for purchases over a certain value when the goods are exported.

Travelers can ask the cashier to write down their name on a bill, then they can show this bill for tax returns when leaving Slovenia through Ljubljana Airport or any of the main border crossings with Croatia.
Until recently, tips were not used in Slovenia. However, in recent years, tips are becoming more common, especially in some of the areas highly visited by tourists. Giving a tip is of course completely optional and is in no way obligatory.
The standard operating hours for stores are Mo-Sa 8:00-20:00, with some stores also having opening Su 8:00-10:00 or 15:00. Be advised, store hours vary by location.

Telephone

The international calling code for Slovenia is 386, the prefix for international calls is 00, and the area code prefix is 0. Some number blocks are reserved for special use: 080 are toll-free numbers, and 090 are expensive commercial services.

For emergency phone numbers, see Emergency information.

Mobile

Mobile networks use the common European frequencies (900 and 1800 MHz). Three mobile companies, the Slovene Telekom Slovenije (formerly Mobitel) (major) and Tusmobil, as well as the Austrian Simobil, provide good GSM/HSDPA and LTE coverage. Roaming between European phone companies is becoming cheaper due to the EU regulation setting a maximum of €0.42 per minute for calls made and €0.132 for calls received, while calls to or from non-EU providers remain expensive. Pre-paid GSM SIM cards are widely available in supermarkets, post offices and gas stations.

Internet

WiFi is common in cafes and bars; the service is usually free of charge, however guests may need to ask staff for login details. Some cities such as Ljubljana offer limited free WiFi throughout central areas. Internet cafes are less common, however can be found in cities, and internet access is offered by most hotels and hostels.

Ljubljana public transport

There are over 42 bus lines in Ljubljana and can be used only with electronic keycard Urbana. One ride costs 1,2 EUR and is valid for 90 min bus switching period.
Bicikelj is a public bicycle rental system and consists of 300 bikes and 32 stations, 300 to 500 m away from each other. The stations are equipped with an automatic rental terminal for locking and unlocking approximately 20 bicycles each. The first 60 minutes of bike rental is free. After the first 60 minutes, the hourly rental rate for total hours beyond the first 60 minutes is debited from the user’s bank account. However, bikes can be rented for free longer than one hour “serially” during a day if a minimum of five minutes has passed between the two free rides. The total number of free rides over the period of users’ subscription is unlimited.
Short-term subscribers, such as tourists, pay only €1 for an on-line registration that is valid for one week. If the bike is not returned within 24 hours, the €350 deposit will be debited. Users are able to use the system with their Urbana public transit smart card and personal identification number.
For a more convenient stay in the city you can download the free Explore Ljubljana app.

Emergency information

Slovenia is a relatively safe country to visit, but as with traveling to any destination, common sense should be used in all situations. Should you need emergency services, dial 113 (details) to be connected to the police department. The nationwide emergency number is 112 (details).
The standards for hygiene are high and tap water is generally drinkable, though visitors from different continents are recommend to drink bottled water.

If you need help arranging your travel or have questions not answered on this page, email us at: ihpcss@lecad.fs.uni-lj.si. We are happy to help!

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