Statia

We're thinking of crossing the border into Slovenia for the day while staying in Venice. Any suggestions on what border town to visit? We are thinking that Koper has the most connections with Trieste in order to make the most of our time.

Or, would it be better to just stick with Trieste instead of going an hour or so farther for some different culture? I would really like to experience Slovenia, if even for a brief day.

Any suggestions are welcome.

PalQ

If going by rail Koper seems impossible after quick look at connections - six hours minimum from Venice - maybe a bus from Trieste would be quicker. Easy to reach Villa Opicina and Sezana, the Slovenia town across the border. From Trieste an antique interurban tram runs from near the Trieste station to Villa Opicina (was under reconstruction last time i was in Trieste - assume it's back in operation) Trieste itself is an intriguing town with an Austrian flare (was part of Austria off and on, called Fiume i believe - in the station we noticed the Austrian bent - rather than Italian coffees Austrian-style coffee was being served.

LoveItaly

Hi Statia, if you would like to read a beautiful article about Slovenia go to the International Herald Tribune website which is www.iht.com and click on Travel. It is the first article. Think you would enjoy it. Best wishes.

Statia

PalQ, I was looking at taking the train from Venice to Trieste (2 hours) and then a bus onward to Koper (21 km). It seems there are muliple connections daily according to my Lonely Planet guide.

I am also now looking at Piran, which is another 17km from Koper. I wonder if we could do both in day? Maybe that might be pushing it and I will need to decide on one or the other.

Thanks for the tips on Villa Opicina and Sezana, also, both of which my Lonely Planet Eastern Europe guide don't give any info on. I will have to research those two places some to see if they might fit our itinerary better.

LoveItaly, thanks for the article info. I'll check it out.

PalQ

I see Koper and Piran on the map - short hops from Trieste by bus - maybe there are boats as well from Trieste - looks like viable day trip - looks like both would be possible. I'd go to Piran first as you'll pass thru Koper by bus to get to it - and see which is better.
thanks for the idea - i may day trip there myself from Venice - if you find out bus/boat info please post.

Statia

That's a good idea about going to Piran first and then backtracking towards Trieste. Gosh, we'll be so close to the Crotian border at that point that maybe we can fit in Umag, too! (I think my husband would kill me.)

The following is the bus info I have, according to my Lonely Planet guide:

Koper to Piran (17k) - buses every 20 minutes on weekdays.

Koper to Trieste (21km) - 17 buses per day on weekdays (600 SIT).

Piran to Trieste (38 km) - 6 buses per day on weekdays.

I'm assuming that if a bus goes in one direction, it also goes in the opposite direction for the same amount of trips? That probably seems like a no brainer, but I'd prefer to be certain so I know my options of getting back to Trieste.

Thanks for the input and I'm certainly open to more suggestions or info.

stardust

The Slovene coast isn't anything special, because it is only 60km long and therefore crowded. The town of Piran is lovely though. If you want to go to Slovenia, I'd rather take one of the more mountanious places. The upper Soca river valley is magnificant but might be a bit too far for a daytrip, don't know too much about the lower Soca though.

candert

Statia - We stayed in Slovenia last Ocotber before going to Venice. We based out of Piran. Which is a very quaint little fishing village. We really enjoyed the place. The towns just to the north and south are worth a visit as well. Izola and Portoroz respectively. Koper is more industrial then scenic.

There is no reason to go to Umag other than to say you were in Croatia. We had cars so it was an easy adventure for us, but the place is still pretty new to western tourists. The place had "soviet" feel to the town.

A word of caution on making this a day trip. Yes, Slovenia is in the EU now, but its not like travelling in Italy. They are still building roads to catch up with the rest of the Europe. When we crossed the border we were instantly stuck in traffic. It took us an hour to get from the border to Koper (5 miles). They were building a major highway that could be done by now, but I wouldn't bet on it. As we were stuck in traffic we joked that the construction must have been done by guys with wheelbarrows. Well sure as can be half the guys we saw were moving dirt with wheelbarrows.

With that said we did enjoy Slovenia and the rest of the Istrian peninsula, but taking a day trip there might be a little agressive. If you have time on either end of your visit in Venice you might look to see if you can schedule a night in Slovenia.

rocknrollmom

Personally i enjoyed Slovenia loads more than Venice, no tourists, loads cheaper, amazing food, lovely place, beautiful countryside, more of an adventure. none of that is true of Venice.

Statia

Thanks for the further comments candert & rocknrollmom. After reading your posts I'm thinking that maybe we should just do an afternoon in Piran and skip Koper altogether (unless we just absolutely have time to stop there on the way back to Trieste).

We hate to overnight anywhere since we are already paying for our apartment in Venice for the week and would prefer not to pay two accomodations in one night and only use one of them.

That said, I do agree that a day in Piran might be a bit aggressive, but we are in Venice for a relaxing week so one agressive day won't kill us (although DH might disagree).

We would be traveling by public transport, so road issues won't be a problem. I will, however, have to carefully look at the connection possiblities and make sure we don't get stranded somewhere. We will bring some necessities along just in case, though!

Thanks again for the further info and any other suggestions are welcomed.

esthers

Check out a ferry between Venice and Piran as another option. Here's the website:
http://www.aferry.to/venezia-lines-ferry.htm
It's a long day trip, but Piran and Slovenia are great.

Statia

Thanks, esthers. I'll check it out.

RufusTFirefly

No beautiful countryside in Venice? Who woulda thunk it?

But there are superb restaurants in Venice, and we think it a very lovely and interesting city.

Yes, Venice has a lot of tourists--suppose there might be a few people in the world who like the place?

gnrbernstein

Doing Slovenia as a day trip seems like it would leave you very little time actually in Slovenia. Piran is beautiful and you could see all of it in an afternoon but you'd really be rushed. If I recall, transportation wasn't as readily available as it is in Italy so be sure to check the itineraries CAREFULLY including days of the week that things run. Maybe consider spending the night in Piran, then returning to Venice the next day.

You can see photos of Piran (and Venice) on my site.
http://groups.msn.com/bernsteinalbum
Click vacations then Italy and Slovenia.

~gnr~

gnrbernstein

Oops, just saw the reason for not staying overnight.

~gnr~

Statia

Thanks for the further info, gnrbernstein.

Statia

gnrbernstein, I enjoyed your photos. I noticed on another thread that you traveled by bus from Venice to Trieste. What method of transportation did you take onward to Piran? How long did the whole trip from Venice to Piran take?

GeoffHamer

Koper has an attractive old town on a hill. The bus from Trieste goes to Koper bus station from where you need to get a local bus to the old town.
Bus times from Trieste are on www.saf.ud.it/orari_internazionali_slovenia.htm
Note that in Italian, Koper is "Capodistria" and Piran is "Pirano". In Slovenian, Trieste is "Trst".
It should easily be possible to get to Koper or Piran for lunch, spend the afternoon sightseeing then return in the evening. The bus station in Trieste is next to the railway station, and, if you have time to spare waiting for a bus or train, you can take a stroll into the city.

Statia

Thanks for the info Geoff.

gnrbernstein

Unfortunately I don't recall how long it took. According to my planner, we were going to take the boat from Venice to Portoroz. We didn't and I have no idea why now. Therefore, the information isn't written down. Sorry.

BUT, have you been to the Slovenian tourism website? They have tons of info and you might be able to email someone to get the answer. Just an idea.

~gnr~