Zagreb to Ljubljana, and why the train wins

Zagreb to Ljubljana by train

Slovenske železnice lists eight trains from Zagreb to Ljubljana in its timetable from 7 September 2026, six daily, one on Fridays and one on Sundays, and nine in the opposite direction. They stop at Dobova, the border station, Sevnica and Zidani Most. Departures from Zagreb run from 5.11am to 9.25pm, and most trains take between about two hours twenty and a little over two and a half hours. Going the other way, the quickest leaves Ljubljana at 8.10am and reaches Zagreb at 10.31am, while the 6.50pm is slower because it involves a change at Sevnica. On top of that, there’s a direct Zagreb-Ljubljana-Pula train on Fridays, returning on Sundays.

Fares and where to buy

The Zagreb Spezial fare costs €9 one way and €18 return from Ljubljana or Celje, and €12 one way from Maribor. Children aged 6 to 12 travel at half price. Groups of six or more have their own fares, and a City Star return ranges from €20.20 for one person to €60.60 for five. The fare table has been in force since 15 December 2024, so glance at it again before you travel in case it has changed. One catch worth knowing, only the full fare to the border is sold on the train, so buy any offer beforehand at the ticket office or online. More discounted routes are in trains to Slovenia.

By coach

The Slovenian Tourist Board describes coaches between Ljubljana and Zagreb as regular and fairly frequent, with several operators, and Ljubljana’s tourist board lists Zagreb among the direct international destinations served from its bus station. They arrive at Ljubljana bus station, which shares a site with the railway station. If you land at Zagreb airport, Nomago runs a direct coach to Ljubljana, so you never have to go into central Zagreb. How routes work inside Slovenia is covered in buses in Slovenia. And to combine both countries, see my Slovenia and Croatia itinerary. If you’re coming from further afield, start with how to get to Slovenia.

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

By car on the E70

The E70 European road links Zagreb and Ljubljana, according to Ljubljana’s tourist board, and the Slovenian Tourist Board gives 153 km by road from Zagreb airport. As soon as you’re on a Slovenian motorway you need the e-vignette; sort it out before crossing with the Slovenian vignette. If it’s a Croatian hire car, check you’re allowed to take it into Slovenia.

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

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