Camping in Slovenia, everything worth knowing

Wild camping: banned and fined

It’s worth being clear from the start. The Tourist Board says you can’t camp just anywhere in Slovenia, and gov.uk adds that wild camping is illegal, that you may only camp at registered campsites or, in a motorhome, at signed stops, «Parking za avtodome», and that fines run from €40 to €500 depending on the municipality, with especially strict enforcement in Triglav National Park. In the Julian Alps, municipalities have unified and raised their fines, which now reach €500 per person. More rules worth knowing are in is Slovenia safe.

What the campsite stars mean

Every campsite except those on tourist farms has an official rating of one to five stars, and the Tourist Board sets out what each requires. At one star, the average pitch is at least 55 m² and 40% have electricity. At three, the pitch rises to 70 m², 70% have power and there’s a playground, organised activities, a shop and a food outlet if there’s none within 500 m. At five, the average pitch is 90 m², every pitch has electricity, half are marked and there’s hot water at every sink, a restaurant and a shop.

Glamping and motorhome stops

Glamping is found within some campsites, as standalone resorts or as part of other accommodation. There’s no official rating, but there are minimums, clean facilities, running water and waste sorting. For motorhomes, many campsites have their own facilities, and there are also official stops across the country, more than 130 according to the Tourist Board, with an entrance barrier, level marked spaces, electricity at every space, fresh water, recycling bins and a disposal point. If you’re travelling that way, see Slovenia by motorhome. Some resorts have rules of their own; in Bohinj, for example, Bohinj Tourism restricts overnight motorhome stays to four places, two car parks, at the railway station and at Senožeta, and two campsites in the valley. Other places to sleep are covered in hotels in Slovenia.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Bohinj on Expedia and filter by area before price.

Green labels and cost

The Tourist Board encourages choosing campsites with the Slovenia Green label, which commit to their surroundings and work with local producers, for example when sourcing food. If you want to save in high season, it’s worth comparing a campsite’s price with a hotel’s, and mixing in a few nights of farm stays in Slovenia gives you another way to see the country. If your campsite backs onto forest, bear in mind that Slovenia has bears, as gov.uk warns; more in bears in Slovenia.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Bohinj and pick one that fits your day.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Bohinj on Booking.com and filter by area before price.