Slovenia on a budget, without skipping what matters

Cheap transport: trains and buses

Trains are where you save most. Slovenske železnice sells a single to Zagreb for €9 on the Spezial fare, to Villach from €9.90 on First Minute and to Budapest from €16, with limited seats and no refunds. Within the country, an adult can take two young children, those under 6, free, the child’s ticket up to 15 is half price, and anyone aged 15 to 26 can get the youth card for 30% off. At weekends and on public holidays there are also discounted IZLETka tickets, according to the Tourist Board. Buy before boarding, because you pay a penalty on the train if the ticket office was open. It’s all in trains in Slovenia.

Free shuttles and buses

Several resorts lay on free transport to take cars off the road. In Bohinj, guests staying at least two nights with partner accommodation get the Julian Alps Card, with free buses around the valley, and summer shuttles cost €2 a day with the Bohinj ticket; getting around there is covered in Bled to Bohinj. The Tourist Board also mentions a ski bus in Kranjska Gora and a seasonal service to the beaches at Ankaran, both free.

Ljubljana on a budget

With the Urbana card, which costs €2, the city bus is €1.50 a journey and transfers within 90 minutes are free; with a bank card, each bus is separate. If you’ll see several museums and the castle, the Ljubljana Card bundles admissions, the castle, a guided tour and LPP buses for 24, 48 or 72 hours. The castle on its own costs €17.10 online against €19 at the desk. And on the first Sunday of every month, according to the city’s tourist board, most museums and galleries don’t charge.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Ljubljana before prices climb.

Sleeping and eating for less

What things cost, from coffee to hotels, is in prices in Slovenia. Don’t save by wild camping, because it’s illegal and gov.uk cites fines of €40 to €500; in the Julian Alps they now reach €500 per person. Campsites and motorhome stops are the alternative, as I explain in campsites in Slovenia. According to the Tourist Board, mains water is perfectly drinkable and on hot days many towns have fountains, so with your own bottle you won’t spend on water all trip. And in bars it’s common to be served tap water with coffee or wine, the same source says. My round-up of museums, walks and sights with no entry fee is in free things to do in Slovenia. And before you leave, check your mobile tariff’s fair-use terms, set out in Slovenia roaming.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Ljubljana and choose by the reviews.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Ljubljana before prices climb.