dgunbug

When you pass into the Slovenian border, you must pay a special tariff and buy a vignette which gets affixed to car windshield. You buy this at a gas station prior to entering the toll road. The tariff is 7.50 euro for a one week stay and goes up a bit for longer stays.

However, there are no signs telling unsuspecting visitors that they must purchase a vignette or that they will be subject to a heavy fine without procuring the same. Immediately after entering the border there are patrol cars set up to catch those who were unaware. Many cars were lined up while we sat there and all were fined 160 euros. This is done purposely in order to collect a high fee. The tariff could easily have been charged at the border patrol. This is not a very welcoming sign for those who want to visit this country. Beware! Slovenia has much to learn about tourism.

unclegus

so you didn't check the requirements for driving in the country ,got caught and are now winging like heck.maybe next time do a bit of research.

thursdaysd

That is what guidebooks are for.

I'm pretty sure I've seen that mentioned on the forums, as well.

rtt0921

This is in no way a rip-off. The vignette system operates in the same way in a number of European countries, including Austria, Hungary, Switzerland and the Czech Republic to name a few, with steep fines for non-compliance in all countries. The system is described in detail with warnings on most websites that provide information on driving in Europe and Slovenia, including the US State Department website. The lack of signs can also by disproved by a simple Google Street View check. Border police are only present on one of Slovenia’s four national borders and it is also not in the police’s jurisdiction to provide toll collection for a public company.

xcountry

This is similar to the reception Dgunbug received entering Slovenia.

PalenQ

Ah you can poohpooh it and blame the naive tourist for being one - there could and should be a sign at border - large sign informing folks of that requirement and maybe officials should check at border for such decals and ask driver and tell them to buy one.

Nope I'm with Dgunbug on this one - not trying to be a scufflaw and seems yes with so many caught just a way to make money.

But yes caveat emptor - learn the rules - ask car rental agencies about any such requirements.

janisj

>>there could and should be a sign at border <<

There is . . .

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/410/2...500afc17_b.jpg

When someone criticizes your beloved Switzerland re vignette's -- what will you say then?

PalenQ

However, there are no signs telling unsuspecting visitors that they must purchase a vignette or that they will be subject to a heavy fine without procuring the same.>

Come on janis - that sign could be a lot better - says very little really - should be signs in German, English, etc in big letters and maybe a check at the border of all cars for vignettes and selling them to ones in need. OP said was no sign -my point - no effective sign.

You can defend stopping them just after the border and then slapping 160 euro fines?

janis -you have NO sympathy for the OP and other naive drivers? You really think that sign you link to could not be clearer - you do not think this all could be better done?

PalenQ

When someone criticizes your beloved Switzerland re vignette's -- what will you say then?>

I'll bet Switzerland has much better signage and way of informing folks and I bet cops do not wait a km down the road to catch miscreants.

NewbE

I agree with Pal on this one, fwiw. I really don't understand why so many Fodorgarchs feel free to be so very rude to a poster like the OP.

janisj

It says <B>Vignette</B> and <B> Buy</B> in HUGE letters (they are even nice enough to include English).

I have total sympathy - but it certainly is not a scam like the OP suggests.

PalenQ

I agree with Pal on this one, fwiw. I really don't understand why so many Fodorgarchs feel free to be so very rude to a poster like the OP.>

Yes indeed -whenever these things pop up many Fodorgarchs indeed are harsh on OP - why? They just cannot put themselves in a shoes or in this case car of a novice tourist. Weird.

BTW - Love that term Fodorgarch!

Simple - each such country should have a car check at border and tell drivers without vignette to just go over to a booth and buy one. Such signs as janis points out are part of the problem -thanks for showing that jan!

vincenzo32951

This does sound a bit rip-off-ish, though we seem to have a dispute about the signage. The OP says there are no signs. Someone else says there are. I haven't seen them for myself.

I've never driven in that part of Europe, but someone who did told me the signage wasn't great and could easily be missed by someone unfamiliar with the requirement. I'm taking his word for it, which to me is somewhere between "there aren't any signs" and "the signs are clear."

BTW, the person who told me about it said the rental-car agencies make no mention of it when you rent nor try to sell you one when you rent or provide any info. I don't know what question you would ask them to get the info: "I'm going to Slovenia. Are there any special laws I should know about?"

It is true that one is responsible for knowing the laws in a country one visits. But I think there's a gray area where there are little-known laws that seem designed to snag the unaware, especially in this case when the vignettes are sold "at a gas station," as the OP says.

I would be curious to know what percentage of tourist drivers get fined under this system.

PalenQ

I have total sympathy - but it certainly is not a scam like the OP suggests>

How do you know it is not a scam? Pray tell us that?

You ever heard of speed traps in U.S.?

It's like long ago when I was driving thru commie Bulgaria and speed limit signs cascaded down the km/hr speeds in a very short distance and many got instant tickets and had to pay on site -I see very little difference.

But yes how can you say 'it CERTAINLY is not a scam'?

PalenQ

The OP says there are no signs. Someone else says there are.>

Someone showed a Googled picture of a sign but no indication at what border that sign was at? What border was that sign at janis?

xcountry

What’s the record for most posts in an hour by one poster?

vincenzo32951

I'm confused about the sign and its placement. Is it at the "gas station" the OP mentions? It looks like it's just before the toll road. Or is it both?

dgunbug

There is a difference between a speed trap in the Usa where speed limit signs are clearly posted and persons ticketed knowingly disobey the speed limit; and where a traveler is not made aware of the vignette. Perhaps we should have done better research in advance, but still, when so many people are pulled over without purposely breaking the law, it seems that the Slovenian government can do a better job of warning visitors ahead of time.

In any event, my main purpose in sharing this information was less about griping than warning others not to make the same mistake. The negativity here makes me less likely to share information in the future.

janisj

Everything one needs to know about them

https://www.dars.si/Dokumenti/Toll/M...nette_308.aspx

From the FAQ: >>We advise you to buy the vignette on the border crossing with Slovenia or before it. A control point is always after the first point of sale in Slovenia, which is usually a petrol station. <B>The sales points are marked with the vignette logo.</B><<

Which the above linked sign clearly is

rtt0921

The vignette system is widely used among countries in Central Europe, it is not a little-known law by any means. The checks are also not systematic but random. Sometimes they may occur right after the border, other times they may occur on the outskirts of Ljubljana, I have even encountered some just before exiting the country but most often a driver will encounter no checks whatsoever.

Regarding the signs, I'll indulge. Since the OP makes no mention of exactly where they crossed into Slovenia (hopefully not from Hungary or Austria, as they would have been breaking the law there, too!), here's a set of signs informing drivers approaching the San Andrea/Vrtojba crossing between Italy and Slovenia, the one I am most familiar with:

The first one 5 km before the border: https://goo.gl/maps/vPi11VAGiuz

The next one, 1 km before the border: https://goo.gl/maps/UcpxBkiu3ST2

And finally, at the border: https://goo.gl/maps/Njft3y6ttn12

Another one at the border: https://goo.gl/maps/uS8dYFNHNvj

And another one at the border: https://goo.gl/maps/bnQqsodmPHQ2