Balkanology  ::  Explore Southeast Europe

Slovenia | Frequently Asked Questions

Some general questions about the Balkans are answered in the Overview section. See the Slovenia Links page for websites where you can check the schedules of buses and trains referred to below.

Questions

1. What is the best way to get to Bled and Bohinj?
2. Is it possible to get to Škocjan Caves by public transport?

Answers

1. What is the best way to get to Bled and Bohinj?

   Bled is served by hourly buses from Ljubljana via Kranj and Lesce; the journey time is less than 1.5 hours. Lesce, a small town about 5km from Bled, has a train station on the fairly busy Ljubljana-Jesenice line (which continues to Villach in Austria) - in fact the station is sometimes rather misleadingly known as "Bled-Lesce". Lesce there are one or two buses an hour to Bled. If you are arriving from Ljubljana, it's simpler just to get the bus.

   There is a train station called Bled Jezero overlooking the lake; it is on the much less busy (but scenic) Jesenice-Most na Soči line. It is on the opposite side of the lake to Bled town and most accommodation - a pleasant half-hour stroll if you don't have bags, a bit of a trudge if you do.

   Most of the Ljubljana-Bled buses continue to Lake Bohinj, a 40 minute journey. They stop at the eastern end of the lake (Ribčev Laz, the largest concentration of accommodation in the Bohinj area) and continue to Ukanc at the western end, which is convenient if you want to visit the Savica waterfall or the Vogel cable car. These two stops are shown on timetables as "Bohinj Jezero" and "Bohinj Zlatorog" respectively. As with Bled, trains are generally less convenient. The Jesenice-Most na Soči line has a stop at Bohinjska Bistrica, several kilometres east of the lake; you can pick up the Bled-Bohinj buses there.

   Timetables for all of these train and bus journeys can be checked online at the sites listed in the Slovenia Links page. As always in Slovenia, you should check the precise date on which your intend to travel, as schedules can change quite a lot depending on the day of the week and time of year.

2. Is it possible to get to Škocjan Caves by public transport?

   Trains and buses go to the small and rather sleepy village of Divača about 4km from from the caves - the trip takes about 1.5 hours from Ljubljana. In the other direction you can reach Divača from Koper. Until quite recently there was no public transport between Divača and the caves. Fortunately a shuttle bus (free for train ticket holders) now links the train station and the caves four times a day - see the timetable on the Slovenian Railways website.

   You can also reach the caves on foot in about 40 minutes by following a path signposted to Park Škocjanske Jame (don't be distracted by signs aimed at motorists). The first part of the trail is slightly tricky to follow but once you reach the park surrounding the cave it's a very pleasant walk. There is a sketch map on the Škocjan Caves website, and you may be able to get a map from train station staff.