isabel

I have six nights for this portion of my trip. Right now I have 3 Ljubljana (day trip to Bled), then two in Rovinj and one in Trieste (then go on to other parts of Italy). But now that I look at the logistics I see I'll be spending 6 hours on a bus to get from Ljubljana to Rovinj and another three to get from Rovinj to Trieste. So I'm wondering if Rovinj is 'worth' about nine hours bus ride versus going to Piran which is 2.5hr from Ljubljana and 1.5 from Trieste - so less than half the time total? I don't want to rent a car.

So - how much better is Rovinj than Piran?

If I choose Piran would you suggest overnighting there (so total of 3 hotels in 6 nights) or do it as a day trip from Trieste or Ljubljana (and if so which one)?

I am a photographer and mostly just like to explore back streets, climb hills for great views, sit and look at the sea, etc.

bobthenavigator

Isabel, I have not been to Rovinj but we did spend 2 nites in Piran and loved it---so will your camera.

Sher

I wasn't in Piran but was in Rovinj for a few days. There are some pretty nifty back streets there.
I just realized this doesn't help much! I didn't give you a comparison, did I?

Andrew

I haven't been to Rovinj, but I loved Piran - probably got some of the best pictures of my trip there.

I considered adding Rovinj to my last trip to Slovenia (at the expense of time in Italy), but I opted to put off seeing Istria until a future trip. To me, seeing the hills of Istria (with a rental car) was a big part of the appeal of the area, not just seeing Rovinj. So for me, taking a bus just to see Rovinj and nothing else would not be worth all the extra time. I'd opt for spending those extra hours you'd spend on a bus taking pictures instead, somewhere else.

isabel

Well apparently they are both nice towns. And apparently it's not very easy to travel between any of them without a car. Despite several guide books saying there are 'frequent' buses between Trieste and Piran there is really only one, at 6:45 in the morning (I emailed the Piran tourist authority).

If anyone has been to both Piran and Rovinj and Korcula I'd love to see how they compare (I've been to Korcula, and the photos of all them look rather similar).

This is my only sea-side time in an almost month long trip so I really did want at least a couple days on the coast. Anyone have any other suggestions?

kja

I enjoyed a day in Rovinj, but would definitely not spend 6 hours on a bus to get there. Sorry, I haven't been to Piran yet.

Have you considered Porec?

Jojonana

I've been to both, and enjoyed both places, although it was rainy when I went to Piran. Given the long ride to Rovinj, I would stick to Piran. But the transportation could be an issue, and from my experience, it's easier to take a dip in Rovinj.

We fell in love with Slovenia. You could also stay a few nights near Bled instead of making a day trip. It's not the coast, but the lakes and the mountains are spectacular.

gertie3751

I've been to both Rovinj and Piran. I much preferred Rovinj. There were more independent travellers there. In Piran there were large groups and the restaurants reflected that. But adding in the consideration of your travelling much further to reach Rovinj, it's hard to say! The back streets of Rovinj are a photographer's dream as are the waterfront scenes. Having seen some of your pics on here I would like to see some more.
I travelled by bus from Pula to Rovinj and back. Then from Pula via Rovinj to Piran and finally to Trieste. You will be startng at the other end so I guess Piran makes sense. Re-check the buses; there were several a day a few years ago and it was a nice ride.

Jojonana

Porec is another beautiful place. Transportation might indeed be easier....

Andrew

I've been to Korcula too, but I visited at the very end of the season in early October and it was pretty dead. I visited Piran on a warm weekend in mid-September still in season, when there were plenty of people there. There were very few people out in Korcula on a Saturday night in early October. In Piran, there were local events in the main square every day I was there, sometimes several a day. I imagine Korcula has more going on in September, but it still seemed smaller to me (the town, that is), maybe because it's on an island? Piran still looked like it would have been a more interesting place in October than Korcula was.

As I recall, Korcula doesn't really have the same big "main square" that is the center of the town's social life like Piran does. As a photographer I found great photo ops in both locations but better ones in Piran. Again, part of that may have been weather-related and season-related.

Yes, there's only one direct bus between Piran and Trieste - and that bus runs only on "Italian Workdays" that is not Sunday or Italian holidays! There are also several buses a day between Piran and Koper and Koper and Trieste. So it's really not a big deal taking a bus on "Italian Workdays" - takes a little longer because you have to connect in Koper. Or take the early, direct bus at 6:45am. Not a huge hassle I imagine.

Of course, I had to get from Piran to Trieste on a Sunday morning (to catch a train to Venice). But it turned out to require only a 40 euro taxi ride (cheaper than a regular taxi because the owner of my B&B was my "taxi driver.") In retrospect, while 40 euro extra was more than I hoped to spend (vs. what 10 euro for a bus?), it wasn't worth worrying about.

bobthenavigator

It cost me about 30E for a taxi from Koper to the staion in Trieste---Koper seems to be the contact point.

dreamon

I've been researching for a holiday to Slovenia (never been there before) and found some stuff that may be of interest, especially if you want to visit both.

There is a daily ferry from Piran to Rovinj. Check triestelines.it

Also the Slovene bus timetable is at http://www.ap-ljubljana.si/eng/vozni_eng.php?uIfr=1 but you probably already have this.

On another forum I found that there is a bus from Piran to Portoroz and from there to Rovinj but not sure that it runs all year. When I checked the timetable it didn't run at the dates I was looking at.

If your purpose is to get to Italy, there are also ferries from Piran and Rovinj to Venice but not all year, I think.

Good luck. Looking forward to the day I make it there myself!

KayF

We stayed for 2 nights in Piran and 3 in Rovinj and enjoyed them both but would go back to Rovinj but not Piran. Piran was quite small and the square is picturesque. Rovinj is still walkable but bigger than Piran and very attractive. We explored all over on foot and did a side trip with the car here and there, we didn't think much of Porec, not much character and not terribly attractive, it seemed more modern. Rovinj has a definite Venetian look.

We stayed at an apartment in Rovinj that looked out over the marina with the boats, it was a fantastic way to start the day, looking out at the sparkling sea and watching the activity, from locals walking dogs to others getting their boats ready to go out. There was a small beach area further round, about 10 min walk (near a ghastly looking modern hotel) but we didn't swim at all.

Kay

Sher

Hi Isabel. Let me say that a car rental in Croatia, I felt, was quite reasonable. We rented a car and just traveled all over the North.
I must add that parking in Roving, depending when you are traveling, can be quite an experience. Our apartment rental provided us with a lovely parking spot.
Have a wonderful vacation.

SloJan2

Hi, We have been to all three places as we lived in Slovenia for 4 years. I much prefer Rovinj. It is a little jewel. Piran is nice, for 1/2 day, or as a day trip from Ljubljana. Korcula is nice, but only in high season. It is dead otherwise.
In Slovenia, I would be tempted to skip the coast altogether and head into the Julian Alps, visitin Bovec and Kobarid to explore the Soca River Valley.
Finally, renting a car for a week in Slovenia is easy and the driving is very reasonable.

isabel

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful. Of course now I'm even more conflicted.The more I think about that 6 hour bus ride, and see the great photos of Piran (thanks Andrew) the more I want to go to Piran. But, clearly, the edge seems to go to Rovinj.

The car rental really just won't work for me this time. It's looking like my husband won't be able to come with me so it will be a solo trip and I'm definitely not renting a car alone.

SloJan2 - in terms of the way they look - not in terms of amount of tourists or places to eat, etc. - how do the three compare? I see that in terms of population Rovinj is at least twice as big, but doesn't that include the 'new' part of the town inland? I'll probably just stick to the peninsula old town in either case. I can see how Korcula would be dead off season, it was pretty quite when we were there in July.

Kay - why would you not go back to Piran?

Kodmania

Hi Isabel!

If you really love your photograpahy then you will love a A2A
tour! Check them out http://adriatic2alps.com/
Luka is amazing!

Cheers

Andrew

isabel, if Rovinj and Piran were the same effort to reach, I'd most likely go with Rovinj, even having not been there. It seems a more substantial town. I liked Piran for sure, but it is small, and though I got some nice pictures there, I have no real need to return. (In my case, I took it easy for my two nights there, because I was EXHAUSTED by then and needed a break, and Piran is a great place to relax, go for a dip in the ocean, etc.) By contrast, I was eager to go back to Ljubljana (and did for a 2nd visit on this last trip in September), just because Ljubljana is a wonderful city and and a more substantial place to visit. Piran is a cute, photogenic town, and I'd go back again if I were passing through and wanted a stop in a nice beach town but for no other reason.

I must say, I tend to lean toward convenience and practicality on my trips. You really can't go wrong going to Piran, and it is pretty practical on your itinerary. If you have extra time and want to see more, you could probably see Koper as well, which looks much less touristy but might have some interesting "backstreet" photography of its own. And it's really not that difficult to get up from Piran to Trieste as I've pointed out above.

nfldbeothuk

A friend & I stayed in Koper (cheaper, because not touristy, but actually the old town is quite interesting to stroll) & visited Piran from there, as well as seeing the church in Hrastovlje. We went on to Rovinj, where we stayed 2 nights, using it as a base for driving to inland Istria & Porec.
I have to say that I would agree with SloJan that I'd use the time for the Julian Alps, but I live beside the Atlantic, so sea-side time isn't as appealing for me as for most people.
Considering the time difference, I'd go with Piran, and if it palls, relax in Portoroz, which literally adjoins Piran, and is a string of seaside resort hotels.
Rovinj was larger and had a bit more to offer, but I wouldn't think it would compensate for the length of time you'd spend getting there.

nannibray

I have been to both Rovinj and Piran. We had 3 nights in Rovinj and could have stayed another!
We just loved it. We only had 3 hours in Piran enroute to the Julian Alps and would not even make the stop if doing it again. After Rovinj, Piran seemed flat.

As to the time -- there is only 5 hours difference between visiting the 2 places; 9 hours total vs. 4 hr total. And if you are going to stay for 2 nights, then the 5 hours extra is not so much. I would have been bored in Piran.