Thank kja. That helps.

Originally I had planned to stay in Piran and now I'm not sure I will get there. Do you think that is a huge miss?

Piran is a really lovely town, but it is roughly similar in feel to Rovinj. I think it's a shame to miss Piran but less of a shame if you are also visiting Rovinj. (I love both towns.)

I loved walking the Lungomare along the Kvarner Gulf, but I'm not sure you need a night there to do the walk. I spent a night in Lovran and just an hour exploring Opatija. I liked Opatija better than expected (pretty waterfront) but do not regret not having a night there. Lovran was OK but didn't particularly charm me, either. I think parking your car and doing the walk in one direction (maybe take a bus back) isn't a bad choice. I parked my car at a lot out by the Lungomare when staying at the hotel across the street in Lovran anyway - it's a public lot, there must be more of them along the Lungomare, and in October, the area shouldn't be busy - a bit swimming season. (There are a lot of beach/swimming areas along the Lungomare that must attract lots of summer visitors.)

Thanks Andrew. I was wondering if it was a worth a night. Maybe just leave early from Rovinj and spend the day there and then off to Plitivice.

I think that's a good plan. I prefer getting into Plitvice late one day and hiking early the next morning, though the park may not be busy in mid-October. You should see some pretty fall colors there.

You don't have to walk the entire Lungomare - I didn't. It's a nice walk with neat old Austrian villas along the way. But after a while, I felt I'd seen enough. I walked back to my car. Had I had bus schedule and info handy, I might have walked further and taken the bus back instead. (Today I'd use my phone to find it, probably.)

For what it's worth, I really enjoyed morning walks in Rovinj - when the fisherman are getting their boats ready, stray cats are out checking things out, and there aren't many other people around. If it were me, I wouldn't leave Rovinj at the crack of dawn the final morning just to spend all day at the Lungomare. I think a few hours there is enough, and it's maybe four hours or so(?) from Rovinj to Plitvice so that is a good break.

Stopping for the Kvarner Gulf Lungomare on your way from Rovinj to the Plitvice Lakes could make sense -- it depends on your level of interest in the chestnut festival.... If it helps you plan, I took two hours for the walk from Lovran to Opatija (skipping the last little bit of the walk) and that includes stopping very frequently to take pictures, and then another hour to find the bus station, wait for the bus, and return to Lovran.

Thanks kja and Andrew. You are really helping me narrow down my trip. I appreciate your specific experiences on the Lungomare.

Now I'm just trying to figure out if it is worth a night in Piran.

So where would you put the night in Piran? Would you take a night from Rovinj or a night from somewhere else in Slovenia?

Keep in mind that lodgings are unlikely to be booked up in mid-October in Slovenia. You shouldn't have a tough time finding places to stay. In other words, you can "wing it" if you want. I did that in Croatia in May 2015, when it also wasn't the busy season yet, and it worked out well for me. Obviously, having an internet device like a phone or tablet handy to be able to book lodgings last-minute would make it a whole lot easier.

Thanks Andrew. Here is my latest itinerary after Fodorite advice:

Oct 14 arrive-Ljubljana
Oct 15 Ljubljana
Oct 16-17 Bled (Skofja Loka and Radovljica on the way)-Lake Bohinj, Vintgar Gorge Hike,
Oct 18-Drive through the Julian Alp-Triglav, Vric Pass, Kranjska Gora. Overnight in Bovec or Kobarid or? Nothing booked
Oct 19-Caves and Predjama Castle-Overnight in Piran? Nothing booked
Oct 20-23-Stay in Rovinj-visit towns-Motovun, Lovran, Pula?-late drive to Plitivice
Oct 24-25 Plitivice Lakes National Park
Oct 25-26 Drive back to Ljubljana via Zagreb and other Slovenian towns-Nothing booked.

I don't have lodgings booked between Bled and Rovinj and I have two days there. Also, nothing booked after Plitivice on my way back to Ljubljana before flying back to Paris.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions. Thanks!

Hi Lisa. I find it easier to understand itineraries if they are listed by night, not by day. So let me re-state your itinerary to see if I have it correctly:

Ljubljana (2 nights)
Bled (2 nights)
Kobarid or Bovec (1 night)
Piran(?) - (1 night)
Rovinj (3 nights)
Plitvice (1 night)
Ljubljana ((?) night)


I might suggest starting in Bled and saving Ljubljana for the end, so you don't have to split up your nights in Ljubljana (unless you plan to stay somewhere besides Ljubljana on the day back to the airport). Or, do the trip in reverse: start in Ljubljana, rent the car and drive to Plitvice, Rovinj, Piran...back to Bled and drive from Bled to the airport to fly out. Bled isn't too far from Ljubljana's airport, if you look on a map.

Really can't help you for where to stay between Bled and Rovinj - though I stayed a night in Kobarid and two in Piran (but then I headed to Venice on that trip, saw Rovinj on another trip). Kobarid is an OK little town with a sleepy war museum (which I found a bit of a letdown; maybe my expectations were too high). There's a nice waterfall called Slap Kozjak near Kobarid; ask locals how to get there, you can park your car near it and walk there up the river or stream in about ten minutes. Of course, you don't have to stay in Kobarid to see the waterfall (which is worth your time if you like waterfalls), but it makes more sense to stay in Kobarid if you want to see it plus maybe the war museum, if that interests you.

And again, I really loved Piran, so I can't not recommend it. But there's not a lot to see there - just a charming place to spend some time, somewhat similar to Rovinj.

If you want an alternative to Piran, I might suggest spending more time before Kobarid somewhere - take more time in Bled and explore the towns like Skofja Loka and Radovljica plus Lake Bohinj at a slower pace. Spending three nights in Bled makes even more sense if you take my suggestion to start or end in Bled...

But again you could just wing it. Book two nights in Bled and give yourself an option for a third. If you find you've had enough time there, move on, keep your options for Kobarid and Piran open (search ahead of time for possible lodgings, have some places in mind where you would stay), and decide on the fly. Missing a night in Piran as I said isn't so bad considering you will have three nights in Rovinj.

Bookmarking

I would not skip an overnight in the Soca Valley for the simple reason that daylight hours will be shorter in October and driving from Bled through the Julian Alps and the Soca Valley to a more southern town to spend the night would be a bit too much for me. Every time I do a day trip to the Soca Valley I feel as though I could use a few more hours than a day affords. As I live quite close, I never consider staying the night but I just might the next time.

Then again, I have the luxury to be able to choose when I visit and generally do so in nice weather. If October 18 happens to be a rainy day, you probably won't be doing as much sightseeing so a more southerly overnight location might be more appealing.

I would keep my options open and simply wing it, as Andrew suggested. In addition to Kobarid, look into places in the Vipava Valley or the Karst as alternatives should you wish to get to the south faster. Having a smartphone with a local data SIM or a roaming data plan from your home provider and checking accommodation online as you go makes this much easier.

Thanks again Andrew.

I left the dates between Bled and Rovinj open in case I do want to spend another night in Bled or two in the Soca Valley, etc. I booked all Airbnbs too. My preferred method of lodging I will have internet access via a Slovenian SIM card so I plan to book on the fly.

I'm staying at the airport outside of Ljubljana on my last night and returning my car, so I won't be going back into Ljubljana proper.

I feel like it is really coming together. Again, thanks everyone. I couldn't have nailed it down without you all. Please feel free to continue to comment on my itinerary.

Bookmarking

I think rtt brings up a really good point about the time of year and hours of sunlight. I think you have enough time to see / do what you want, but I don't think you have a lot of "free" space in your plan. If you can play it a bit by ear, that should serve you well.

Thanks kja

Thanks rtt0921 for the advice about the Soca Valley. I will definitely keep my remaining open days, open. And do plan to get a local SIM card for just that reason.