What this trip is
Two hire cars, a night by Trieste, two up at Krvavec, then Postojna on the way out.
Sixty seconds of the whole trip, if you would rather watch than read.
Monday, when the group splits
16:55, four of us BookedHao, Heidi, Liz and Steph Yung. Out of the Postojna cave car park about 12:40 and straight to Trieste, an hour away. That car is dropped at the airport.
22:15 Tuesday, five of us BookedJason X, Sarah, Jason V, Katrina and Steph Trinh. Predjama, then Ljubljana for Monday night and Tuesday morning, then south to Trieste.
Steph and Steph Trinh are two different people, so check which list you are reading.
Nine of us: Jason Xu, Sarah Wu, Elizabeth Trinh (Liz), Heidi, Jason Vo, Katrina Jiang, Steph Trinh, Yan Hao (Hao) and Steph.
The four stops the route is built around
Lake BledSaturday. Toboggan, castle, a rowboat to the island, Ojstrica at sunset.
Vršič PassSunday. Fifty hairpins over the Julian Alps in autumn gold.
Velika koritaSunday. An emerald gorge on the Soča, cold and fast and worth a wade.
Postojna CaveMonday. The cave train, booked, and where the group splits.
9h drivingAcross the trip, 12h if you stay to Tuesday, and one alpine pass
10 to 22°CMid September. Walking is moderate, nothing steeper than Ojstrica
The places
Press a picture for the timing, the price and the awkward bit.
Day by day
Two things are timed: check in from 15:00 Saturday, and the cave train Monday.
23:00
23:30
00:15
Morning
15:00
Before 18:00
Late aft
Late aft
Anytime
Sunset
Morning
Late morn
Midday
Afternoon
Afternoon
08:30
11:00
12:40The split, at the cave car parkEverything of the four's comes out of the airport car here. Who goes where is the split
The fourPostojna to Trieste airportAbout an hour from the cave car park, there by 13:45, and the car goes back at the airport. Flight time and who is on it is the split
The five
15:00
Morning
Lunch
AfternoonLjubljana to Trieste airportAbout 1h30 south, the last car back with a full tank. Check the drop off is staffed that late. Flight time is in the split
The route
In and out of Trieste, with the lake and the alps as day trips from Krvavec.
- Trieste airport to Monfalcone, 6 km, about 15 minutes.
- Monfalcone to Vila Klif, about 1h45, one border and no stop at it.
- Vila Klif to Bled, about 45 minutes each way, in the dark coming home.
- The Vršič loop, Kranjska Gora to Bovec and back, about 5h in the car.
- Vila Klif to Postojna, then Trieste in about an hour.
- Postojna to Predjama and Ljubljana, about 1h05, then 1h30 back to Trieste.
Every stop on this drive has a card of its own in Places.
Which stops actually matter
- Postojna Cave BookedMon, cave train
- Lake Bled DecidedSat, all afternoon
- Vršič and the Soča DecidedSun, half a day
- Ljubljana DecidedMon and Tue, the five
- Predjama Castle If timeMon, the five
- Straža toboggan If timeSat, closes 18:00
- Krvavec or Velika Planina Rain planSun, if the pass is out
- Vintgar Gorge Solo onlySat, not as a group
Flights, cars and beds
Nine out together on Friday. The return splits over two days, and so do the cars.
- Out, FR168 Stansted 19:55 to Trieste 23:00 BookedFri 11
- Home, 16:55 from Trieste, the split BookedMon 14
- Home, FR169 22:15 from Trieste, the split BookedTue 15
- Hotel Al Gelso, Monfalcone, all nine Booked1 night
- Vila Klif, Ambrož pod Krvavcem, all nine Booked2 nights
- Vila Emona, Ljubljana, the five Booked1 night
The two cars
Fri 11 to Mon 14Hao's booking. Carries the four home on Monday and is dropped at Trieste airport, so it does not come back.
Fri 11 to Tue 15Jason Vo's booking. The only car after Monday lunchtime, full at five, back on Tuesday with a full tank.
E-vignette includedIt comes with both rentals and they sort it at pick up, so do not buy one. Get cross border cover written on the agreement.
45 min from BledVila Klif is up at Krvavec, not on the lake, so pick the driver before anyone starts on the Laško.
Before we go
Confirm the late check in at MonfalconeHaoThis week
Get the Vila Klif door code from the hostHaoFri 11
Check in online for your flight homeEveryoneBefore you fly
Bring euro cash and a UK to EU adapterEveryoneFri 11
Slovenia essentials 9
- Euro both sides of the border. Cards work nearly everywhere, cash for huts, kiosks and parking machines.
- CEST, one hour ahead of London.
- Postojna sits at about 10C all year, so a warm layer on Monday. The Soča is cold and fast.
- Type C and F sockets at 230V, so a UK to EU adapter for every charger.
- Tap water is drinkable everywhere, mountain springs included.
- Dial 112 for anything. Slovenian police direct is 113, AMZS roadside is 1987. Pharmacies are signed Lekarna.
- Roads are calm, driving is on the right, and Ljubljana old town is car free.
- UK passports need to be under ten years old and valid to mid December. Bring your GHIC.
- Most UK plans roam in Slovenia, so check the fair use cap. Download the Julian Alps offline map.
Pack for September 6
- Warm mid layer, plus a separate one for the cave.
- Light waterproof, and a warm hat for the evenings up at the house.
- Hiking shoes or trainers for Ojstrica and the gorge.
- Swimwear, quick dry towel and water shoes for the Soča.
- Passport, driving licence if you booked a car, GHIC.
- Euro cash, plug adapter, power bank, offline maps.
What it costs
Per person, nine sharing. Green is booked, amber is an estimate. Squared up in Splitwise.
Flights, return Booked£82
Vila Klif, two nights Booked£38
Monfalcone, Friday night To confirmto confirm
Postojna cave train Booked£30
Bled day: toboggan, castle, island Estimate£55
Cars, fuel and parking share Estimate£70
Food and drink Estimate£140
Buffer Estimate£30
Extra for the five: Ljubljana night and a day Estimate£110
Home Monday, four of us~£445
Home Tuesday, five of us~£555
Cash only EstimateThe pletna gondola is 20 euro a head return. Parking machines want coins too.
Card is fine EstimateIsland church 12 euro, Straža 14, Bled Castle 19, and nearly everywhere else.
Still open
Two unbooked meals, three rain swaps, and a festival weekend around the lake.
On that weekend 4
- National Costumes and Heritage Days, Kamnik. Free, 11 to 13 Sep, half an hour from the house. Sunday is the parade, and also the Vršič day, so it is a rain swap rather than an addition. narodnenose.si
- World Rowing Masters Regatta, Lake Bled. Free to watch, 9 to 13 Sep, so racing should still be on for our Saturday. Expect a busier lakefront and tighter parking.
- Trail Ljubljana. 11 to 13 Sep, and over by the time the five reach the city on Monday. trail-ljubljana.eu
- Central Market, Ljubljana. Monday to Saturday under Plečnik's colonnade, free, right on the old town loop. One off gigs are not announced yet, so check Songkick or Visit Ljubljana.
Open ideas and rain plans 6
- Bled group dinner, Saturday. Not booked. Decide on the day whether the evening finishes at the lake or back near the house.
- The last meal, Tuesday. Not booked. Ljubljana old town is the obvious call, Trieste the fallback.
- Vintgar Gorge, solo only. Decided against as a group. 15 euro including car park, shuttle and audio guide, hourly timed slots, tickets online only at tickets.vintgar.si. Peak days sell out by midday.
- Krvavec cable car. Rain plan. Right by the house, so it is the shortest possible swap if Vršič is closed in cloud.
- Velika Planina. Rain plan, near Kamnik, with a card of its own in Places.
- A slow Bled day. Rain plan. The flat lakeside loop is about 6 km and the castle is open until 20:00.