EllaViv

We will be spending 3 x full days in each - Slovenia, Austria & Switzerland. It will be the middle of winter and we are looking for some recommendations on what people think are a 'must see or do'.

We are travelling with our 2 teen daughters who arent big on history / museums etc. Parents are moderately interested in that sort of stuff so if there is a 'must see' . . . . it might be worth talking the teens into it!

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice.

bettyk

Let me see if I understand you correctly. You are spending only 3 days in EACH country? Do you realize how large these countries are? WHY did you pick these particular countries?

If you really only have 9 days total, you will spend much of your time just getting from place to place.

EllaViv

Hi bettyk,

Yes, just 3 x days in each country. We are doing a winter trip to Europe (first time) and would like to sample many different places to get a small taste of what each has to offer.

We are hoping that next time we go back (with moore time up our sleeves) . . . we will have gained a better understanding of what we liked and enjoyed and want to see more of.

We are coming from Australia - a vast land - so distance travel is quite the norm for us.

Looking forward to hearing everybody's recommendations!

EllaViv

Sorry - I forgot to mention that we will be seeing other countries while in Europe but in planning my itinerary, I'm working a few countries at a time which is why I'm particularly interested in Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia.

bettyk

I guess it would be possible to visit Bratislava and then take the train to Vienna. But from Vienna, unless you want to fly to Switzerland, it would be too far to travel by train IMO. Someplace like Budapest or even Prague makes more sense than Switzerland.

Michael

Bratislava is in Slovakia, not Slovenia.

Vienna is fine because it has many indoors activities which would be attractions in any season. My impression is that Switzerland is attractive principally for what it has to offer outside large cities. To go there in the winter makes less sense.

If insisting on traveling in the depth of winter, I would go to Slovenia capital (I keep thinking Zagreb, but that is Croatia) and then Vienna and Budapest.

Kodmania

Hi there EllaViv!

Can't speak for the other two but the must see things to do in Slovenia are definitely Lake Bled\Bohinj, Ljubljana and Postojna caves\Predjama Castle.

When exactly over winter are you going? If directly over Xmas\New Year, Postojna caves do a really cool nativity scene through the cave itself. Lake Bled is magical any time of the year but the white of winter can be quite breathtaking. Ljubljana also turns on the style in winter with its Xmas Market and the streets, buildings are all lit up as they reflect off the Ljubljanica River.

Another option is skiing for 3 days. Cerkno is a fantastic family resort and Krvavec near Ljubljana have cool "igloos" you can stay in.

You will have to return as there is simply too much to see and do in Slovenia!

Cheers
Kodmania.

Ingo

Travelling from one country to another will take up a full day (if you want to hit the major tourist places, not just a border town), so deduct those days from your "3 days in each" and it's only 2 days in each country. Except for language and money these countries are not that different from each other in general, especially the landscape not in winter. You could easily have more diversity if you just visit one of them and pick three different (but typical for the country) regions there.

Example: In Switzerland pick a city (say Zürich), a mountain town/resort (say Wengen) and a town in Italien speaking Ticino (say Locarno) - all of them VERY different.

In Austria pick Vienna, a smller town with a spa (Villach comes to my mind) and a mountain town/resort (Kitzbühel e.g.)

I am sure the same applies to Slovenia, too.