Lake
Lake Bled at golden hour
Island, castle, cream cake, lake loop and Ojstrica at sunset.
Highlights
What makes it Slovenia
The stops worth building the route around, and why they are in.
Plateau
Velika Planina
Shepherd huts, alpine pasture and the most Slovenian extra stop.
Castle
Predjama Castle
Cliffside cave castle, nine minutes from Postojna.
Gorge
Vintgar and Bohinj
Turquoise boardwalks first, then a quieter alpine lake day.
At a glance
What kind of trip is this?
A relaxed five-day road trip around Slovenia's alpine lakes, a capital morning and dramatic cave country — scenery and sightseeing first, not a hiking expedition. It comes in six shapes depending on how you base it. Pick one below and the whole page — the day-by-day, the route map and where you sleep — follows your choice (and a compact switcher follows you as you scroll, so you can change your mind any time).
DatesFri 11 – Tue 15 Sep · 4 nights
PaceRelaxed–moderate
StyleCar-based · scenic · sightseeing
Per person~£750
Start here — pick the shape of your trip
🚶 Walking: moderate (town loops, lake paths) · ⛰ Hiking: light — the Vintgar boardwalk and an optional cable-car summit · 🚗 Driving: ~6–9h total · 🏛 Caves, castles, lakes & mountain views, easy to dial up or down by group energy.
Your five days — V1 · Lakes & Mountains Core
Route & map
In and out of Trieste
Land at TRS, loop Slovenia and drive back over the border to fly home. The shape of the loop follows the version you pick — tap V1–V6 in the bar above to preview each one live on the map. You'll cast your vote further down.
Tap a pin for details
Driving route in Google Maps ↗
Which stops actually matter?
Here's what's essential, what's flexible, and what you can drop if time, weather or energy is tight.
The icon: island, castle, cream cake, lake loop. Non-negotiable on any plan.
Boardwalk through a river gorge near Bled. Book the timed entry and go early.
Compact, walkable capital. Half a day covers old town, market and the castle.
Easy show-cave train plus a cliff castle. Swap to Škocjan for a wilder, bigger cavern.
Quieter, wilder lake 30 min from Bled. Easy to add or skip depending on energy.
Shepherd-hut plateau by cable car. Lovely, but the first thing to cut if days are tight.
You land right beside it — an Italian seaside city worth an hour if you arrive earlier or detour on the way home.
Venetian coastal old town. Not in any of the five plans now, but an easy detour if you fancy bolting on a sea day.
Trip day by day
Your five days
Day 1 is always the late landing near Trieste, and the three days after that flex with the base plan you pick. Tap a stop for detail, or “Directions” to open it in maps. Read Day 4 and Day 5 by group: Group 1 leaves Bled around 14:00 on Monday for the 16:55 flight, so Day 4 ends at TRS for them and Day 5 is Group 2 only.
Previewing V1 · Lakes & Mountains CoreChange plan ↑
Day 1Fri 11 Sep
Today
Land at Trieste, sleep in Monfalcone
A late Friday landing. Grab the car and drive ten minutes to the hotel in Monfalcone. No midnight border dash.
RouteTRS → Monfalcone
Drive~10–15 min
Day feelLate arrival
- 23:00
- 23:30
- Midnight
While you're there
What's on that weekend
You land too late on Friday for the 11 Sep events, but Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th overlap a few things worth folding in — and two land right on your route. Free to attend unless noted; one-off gigs for the exact dates aren't published yet.
Slovenia's biggest folklore festival (30,000+ visitors), 11–13 Sep, in Kamnik — the town you drive through for Velika Planina. The Sunday national-costume parade is the highlight; crafts, food and music all weekend. Free to attend. narodnenose.si ↗
Masters crews from around the world race on Lake Bled, 9–13 Sep — Sunday the 13th is the final day, when you reach Bled. Watch from the promenade if racing's still on. Free to watch.
International trail race (6–165 km) starting and finishing in the city centre, 11–13 Sep. Runners pour through town across Saturday and Sunday — good buzz if you're in Ljubljana on Saturday evening. Free to spectate; entry only if you fancy running. trail-ljubljana.eu ↗
The Saturday market on Pogačarjev and Vodnikov trg under Plečnik's colonnade — local cheese, honey, produce and riverside stalls. An easy, free add to your Saturday in the capital.
Just outside your window: you'll just miss Odprta kuhna (Open Kitchen), the famous Friday street-food market on Pogačarjev trg (Fridays ~10:00–21:00 — you land at 23:00). The Ljubljana Coffee Festival (19–20 Sep) and the tail of the 74th Ljubljana Festival (its summer programme winds down by early September) fall just past your dates. One-off concerts for 12–13 Sep 2026 aren't announced yet — check Songkick or Visit Ljubljana nearer the time.
Where to stay
Where you'll sleep
You land at TRS at 23:00, so everyone sleeps near Trieste the first night — no midnight border dash. After that, your beds follow the shape you picked up top. Note the split return: Group 1 checks out of Bled on Monday morning and needs two nights there, Group 2 needs three.
Beds for V1 · Lakes & Mountains CoreChange plan ↑
Where to actually stay — by town
Friday night is booked at Monfalcone. The rest are concrete picks for each base.
Via Sant'Ambrogio 22, 34074 Monfalcone, about 10 minutes from the TRS terminal. Confirmed for Friday 11 September; the Airbnb is cancelled.
Reception shuts at 22:00 from 1 September and you won't be at the door much before midnight, so message the hotel before you fly and they'll send key-collection instructions.
No hotel car park (pedestrian street, old centre). Closest street parking is Corso del Popolo, then Viale San Marco, Via F.lli Rosselli or Via Duca d'Aosta, with the multi-storey at Via della Resistenza 30 as the fallback.
If the room is a twin, tell them at least a day ahead whether you want a double bed or two singles. Their double rooms can't be split into singles.
Open question: the confirmation covers one reservation under Yan Hao. Nine people landing at 23:00 need several rooms, so check what the Gelso actually holds and book the rest before September.
Only if the Gelso falls through. Trieste's old centre is ~20 min from TRS — Borgo Teresiano by Piazza Unità: Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta / Savoia Excelsior Palace (smart), Barbacan Boutique or Hotel Coppe (mid). ~€110–190.
No one sleeps here now, but V3 folds in a half-day — old town by the river, the Triple Bridge, the market and the castle. Park at a garage and walk in.
Lakeside promenade. Grand Hotel Toplice / Vila Bled (luxury), Hotel Triglav, Rikli Balance or Hotel Kompas (4★); quieter on the Mlino shore. ~€120–250.
Getting there
✈ Flights — London (STN) ↔ Trieste (TRS)
Out together on FR168, Fri 11 Sep, landing 23:00. The return is split. Group 1 (Heidi, Hao, Liz, StephY) takes FR169 on Mon 14 Sep, 16:55, landing STN 18:05. Group 2 (Jason, Kat, Jason, Sarah, StephT) keeps FR169 on Tue 15 Sep, 22:15. Fares below are an indicative snapshot for the original 11–15 Sep shape; tap a card to book direct on Ryanair.
Loading flight prices…
On the ground
🚗 Car rental & border crossing
One car, one booking. The Priceline account was opened up on 8 Aug and carries exactly one Trieste rental, so the old backup holds are gone and Noleggiare is cancelled and refunded. The €24 cross-border fee gets settled at the desk and the Slovenian e-vignette is on you to buy.
⚠ One car, one named driver, and he flies home on Monday
Group 1 (Heidi, Hao, Liz, StephY) is on FR169 Mon 14 Sep, 16:55. Group 2 (Jason, Kat, Jason, Sarah, StephT) stays for FR169 Tue 15 Sep, 22:15.
Booking D is the only car. It matches Group 1 exactly: collect Friday 23:30, drop back at TRS Mon 14 at 16:00, fly at 16:55. $155.85 at the counter, nothing paid yet.
There is no backup any more. The two old Avis holds are not in the Priceline account in any state, so nothing is double-booked and nothing is covering you either. FR168 lands at 23:00 and the Avis desk shuts at 23:30, which is now a single point of failure: if the flight slips, phone Avis from the air bridge and expect to taxi the ten minutes to Monfalcone and collect on Saturday morning instead.
Group 2 has no car at all. The booking names Yan Hao Tan as sole driver on Wizard 8NE876, so it cannot be handed over on Monday. And nine people do not fit in a five-seat Kuga, so Group 2 needs its own rental from Friday in one of their own names. Noleggiare (C) is cancelled and the €173.36 is on its way back.
Pick-up: Fri 11 Sep, 11:30 PM
Drop-off: Mon 14 Sep, 4:00 PM
Avis conf: 22663729US4
Priceline #: 133-450-266-25
At counter: $155.85 · $0 paid now
Booked 8 Aug · driver Yan Hao Tan · automatic · A/C · unlimited mileage · 5 seats, 4 bags · collision damage waiver and theft protection included · free cancellation
✦ The only car you have. Drop-off at 16:00 lands just ahead of FR169 at 16:55, which works on cabin bags but has no slack. Bled to TRS is ~1h45 and the fuel-same-to-same rule means a filling stop on the way, so leave Bled by 13:00, not 14:00. Covers Group 1 for the whole of their trip.
Checked inside the Priceline account on 8 Aug. It lists two upcoming trips, a Barcelona car in August and this Trieste one, plus a single cancelled trip, an Amsterdam rental in June. Neither backup Avis hold appears in any state, and neither ever produced a confirmation email.
So there is no duplicate to unpick, and equally no fallback if Friday night goes wrong. Recorded here so nobody adds them back from memory: A was Fri 23:30 to Tue 22:00 (17294284MY0), B was Sat 09:00 to Tue 22:00 (17791048US2).
Cancelled 8 Aug on supplier reviews. Discover Cars D014318903, prepaid €173.36 on 15 Jun. Discover Cars refunds as booking credit by default, so the withdrawal back to the card was requested the same day: watch for the money landing, not for a confirmation.
Kept here for the record: Fri 11 Sep 23:30 to Tue 15 Sep 22:00, desk open to 23:59, €800 deposit, Slovenia and Croatia permitted at €6/day.
Aeroporto Ronchi dei Legionari, Terminal Building, 34077 · Driver: Yan Hao Tan · Avis Wizard 8NE876 · automatic · A/C · unlimited mileage · Avis tel +1-888-534-8237 (US) / +39 0481 777085 (TRS desk, open Fri to 23:30).
Driving licence, a credit card in the driver's name (debit is often refused), and a copy of your insurance policy if relying on your own CDW. Avis Italy pre-authorises the card before releasing the car, and for some vehicle groups asks for two credit cards on different networks, both in the driver's name, one of them the card the booking was made with. Theft protection is compulsory in Italy and already inside the rate.
Cross-border and tolls, not in the prepaid price
Avis Italy's own terms list Slovenia and Croatia as permitted countries (luxury H and L groups excluded, so the Kuga qualifies). The cross-border fee is €24.00 for the whole rental, charged once however many times you cross. Nothing to pre-buy: Avis states plainly that it sells no product for driving abroad, so this is a counter conversation. Declare the trip when you sign the agreement and get it written on there, along with the green card. Avis attaches charges to failing to declare, and an undeclared crossing is the usual way people void their cover. One-way is not permitted, so the car comes back to TRS. The old €6/day figure was Noleggiare's and is gone with that booking.
Required on every Slovenian motorway (Postojna, Ljubljana, Bled). No vignette means a €300 to €800 fine, camera-enforced. Avis Italy's terms say nothing about vignettes and it offers no toll device of any kind, so assume the car comes without one and buy the 7-day e-vignette online before you cross.
Croatia uses pay-as-you-go toll booths (no vignette needed). Watch camera-enforced limited-traffic zones (ZTL) in Italian and Slovenian town centres, and don't drive into the Ljubljana old town.
Decide together
Pitch & vote — what do we actually want?
Now you've seen the route and the choices — put your name in, tap the version you'd fly for, add a one-line why, then submit. Latest vote per person wins — it updates live for everyone.
Who's voted
No votes yet — be the first to pitch.
Budget
What it actually costs
A directional per-person number, still costed for four people sharing a car. Real expenses get squared up in Splitwise, so read this as a rough sense of the damage rather than a bill.
Per person · group of 4~£750
Flights are locked in and Friday night is booked; the car is still pay-at-counter and the Bled rooms are the main variable.
See the breakdown
| Item | Per person |
|---|
Confirmed
Locked in so far
Ryanair STN↔TRS. Out together FR168 on Fri 11 Sep; back on FR169 either Mon 14 Sep 16:55 or Tue 15 Sep 22:15, depending on who you are. Cabin bag only — add a hold bag if you need one.
Noleggiare's prepaid €173.36 is cancelled and the refund is requested. Booking D is $155.85 at the counter, plus a refundable deposit, the €24 cross-border fee and the €16.50 e-vignette.
Antica Locanda al Gelso, Monfalcone. The Bled nights are still open; see Where you'll sleep.
The two old Avis holds are not in the Priceline account, so nothing is double-booked and nothing is covering a late flight. Group 2 still needs its own car. See the Cars section.
Before you go
Slovenia essentials
The small practical things that make the first day smooth.
Open the essentials
Cards work almost everywhere. Carry a little cash for mountain huts and small cafés.
One hour ahead of London. Your body clock barely notices.
English is widely spoken in tourism. Hvala = thanks, Prosim = please, Živjo = hi.
Highs around 20–22°C, cool evenings near 10°C. Pack layers and a light rain jacket.
Bled and Bohinj stay swimmable in September for anyone brave enough.
Different to the UK — bring a UK-to-EU plug adapter for every charger.
Drinkable everywhere, including mountain springs. Bring a refillable bottle.
One number for all emergencies. Pharmacies are signed “Lekarna”.
Not required. Round up the bill or leave about 10% for good service.
Opposite side to the UK. Roads are calm and well kept; mountain stretches are slow but straightforward. Vignette & cross-border are in the Cars section.
Packing
Pack for September
A shoulder-season list for lakes, mountains and city evenings. Your ticks are saved on this device.
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Layers & clothing
Outdoors
Docs & money
Tech & extras
Still on the bench
Other Slovenia ideas
The itinerary is not locked yet. These are extra places worth keeping open if the group wants more coast, mountains, food or adventure.
Show 6 more ideas worth keeping open
Soča Valley
Turquoise river, rafting, mountain roads and the bigger outdoor trip energy. Anchor it on Velika Korita (the "Great Soča Gorge") — easy to find on Google Maps with parking right beside it, and a shallow white-pebble stretch just past the gorge that's a popular (freezing) summer swim spot. From Bled it's ~1h15 each way over the scenic Vršič pass (open in September), so it's a full day-trip — best swapped in for the Vintgar & Bohinj day rather than added on.
Best for: adventure · a full-day detour
Kranjska Gora
Alpine town, Lake Jasna and a stronger Julian Alps extension if the weather is clear.
Best for: mountain views
Piran
Venetian lanes, seafood and Adriatic sunset if the trip tilts coastal.
Best for: coast
Lake Jasna
A photogenic Kranjska Gora add on if the route moves further north.
Best for: photos
Vipava Valley
Wine, villages and slower food stops if the group wants less lake time.
Best for: food and wine
Škocjan Caves
The dramatic cave alternative if Day 2 shifts away from Postojna.
Best for: underground canyon