rcasper73

Looking for some opinions on our proposed itinerary for Slovenia and Istria. We will be driving, as it seems almost necessary for the area and should provide the most flexibility.

Here goes:

- Drive to Bled from LJU airport (evening arrival in Bled) – Stay 2 nights – (Lake, Julian Alps, Vintgar Gorge, Bohinj?)
- Drive Vršič Pass on the way to Kobiard Continue to Kobarid – Stay 2 nights - (Soca Valley, WW1 Museum, Historical walk)
-Drive to Piran, and see Predjama Castle and Skocjan Caves on the way. Evening arrival Piran – Stay 2 nights - (Walk the town, swimming, people watching)
-Drive to Rovinj – Stay 3 Days- (Island Ferries, Swimming, people watching, daytrips to hill towns??)
- Drive to Ljubljana – Stay 3 Days (Funicular to Castle, River Stroll, National Gallery)

Does it make the most sense to day trip to Motovun, Grožnjan and Pula from Rovinj? Is Rovinj the best place to be in the evenings? Or, should we stay one day and night in Rovinj and spend the other nights the other towns, perhaps sleeping in Motovun and checking out the countryside a bit? Also, Is there anything else we may be missing? Our interests are Food, Wine, Light to Medium Hiking, photography, relaxation and people watching.) Any advice or opinions are welcome.

Thanks,

Rich

bilboburgler

Looks basically good, you may be jet lagged so think twice before driving to Bled on the first night. Ljublijana is pretty small I'd give it about 8 hours without the people watching but I guess you may also want to do a little shopping before coming home, but 3 days (2 nights) looks very generous. I'd pull one night and stretch the island hopping

rcasper73

Hmm, I'm seeing 24 minutes drive from Ljublijana airport to Bled. That doesn't sound all that bad. However, we may very well take your advice on pulling a day from Ljublijana. Appreciate the input, thx.

bilboburgler

Much of the road is single lane (one each way) but generally clear, I might add a bit to the journey but I normally do it by bus. As you get to Bled, you drive through the outskirts and then up a little hill and the lake suddenly opens up in front of you. Be prepared, it is dramatic.

Andrew

Consider a visit to the town of Škofja Loka, which is between Ljubljana and Bled. The town is nice but the scenic drive from Škofja Loka to Bled (through Dražgoše, not via the highway) offers beautiful scenery, through narrow, windy roads. You could do this on arrival day before you even get to Bled, depending on how early in the day you arrive.

xyz99

Doesn’t look bad. The drive from Ljubljana to Bled is short, I don’t think that would be a problem even after the long flight. But make sure you have good directions to where you’re staying, or a GPS.

2 nights in Bled will only give you 1 day, I don’t think you can fit everything you want to do there (Lake, Julian Alps, Vintgar Gorge, Bohinj?). Not sure if you’re interested in the castle (beautiful views from there).

Click on my name, there are 2 separate trip reports with pictures, one for Croatia and one for Slovenia. They will give you some ideas and hopefully help you decide what to keep.

We loved our stay in Rovinj and took day trips from there. Consider adding Porec for the mosaics at the Euphrasian Basilica.

We only had 1 day in Ljubliana, and it rained heavily so I cannot comment on the length of time to spend there. It looked nice and I know a lot of people like it. No matter you decide, you’ll have a great trip.

Andrew

Ljubljana is a beautiful town especially at night, but there isn't necessarily a lot to do/see in the town that could take up three days. You can take a 30 minute tour of Jože Plečnik's house - he was the architect who designed most of Ljubljana's famous bridges and some of its buildings. I enjoyed the tour, but I understand you can't take it every day.

WordlTraveler

In Slovenia you can really enjoy. The country offers everything, but the best and the most popular attractions that are a MUST to visit is Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle (you can see world famous attractions in one place). THis is their webiste: http://www.postojnska-jama.eu/en

I have been there and I can guarantee you unique experience but I suggest you also to check reviews on Tripadvisor.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...la_Region.html