Parking in Ljubljana without the hassle

Park and ride, the cheapest option

The park and ride system combines your car with the city bus. You leave the vehicle on the edge of town and ride in. According to LPP, a day costs €1.30 at Dolgi most in the west and at the multi-storey site at Stožice in the north, and paying at the Urbanomat machine loads two bus tickets onto an Urbana card. From Dolgi most take bus 6 or 1D; from Stožice, 13 or 20.

To the south, P+R Barje has 347 spaces beside Barjanska cesta, and bus 9 takes you into the centre. To the north-west, Stanežiče has 392 spaces and 15 motorhome bays, the city says. If you are staying a night or two and your hotel has no garage, this is the cheapest and least stressful choice.

On-street parking zones and meters

Street parking is split into three paid zones, known as Cona 1, 2 and 3. LPT lists three ways to pay. At the meters, with €2, €1, 50c, 20c and 10c coins only, no change given, displaying the ticket behind the windscreen. At an Urbanomat machine, with cash, bank card or an Urbana card. Or by text to 041 20 20 10, using a topped-up Urbana SMS Parking account. For a visitor passing through, the machine with a card is simplest.

Central garages

There are municipal garages around the edge of the pedestrian zone. The biggest is Kongresni trg, with 715 spaces between the Philharmonic and Slovenska cesta, entered from the latter. A smaller one under the renovated Rog Centre has 86 spaces, entered from Rozmanova ulica. Both charge by the hour from 6:00 to 24:00 with a separate night rate; prices are posted at each garage. On big event days, such as the October marathon, LPT closes some garages for hours.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Ljubljana for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Parking by the castle

If you only want to reach Ljubljana Castle, there is a 40-space car park at the top charging €2 for the first hour and €2.50 for each hour after, with 15 minutes free. Coaches and motorhomes are banned. Honestly, I would take the funicular or walk.

Before you drive into Ljubljana

Motorways require the DARS e-vignette for anything up to 3,500 kg, registered to your number plate; buy it from the official shop, not from resale sites. Once you are parked, my guide to getting around Ljubljana takes over, and if you choose a hotel for its garage, where to stay in Ljubljana covers the areas. For driving further afield, the Slovenia road trip guide sets out the rules worth knowing.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Ljubljana on GetYourGuide.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Ljubljana for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.