Inland, the climate is continental with warm summers (75-80F) and cold winters - some of Slovenia's alpine resorts are ski destinations in winter. The heaviest rainfall is in June and September/October, though sudden rain storms can occur throughout the year, especially in the mountains. The coast enjoys a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers. For lower prices, avoid the main tourist season: July-August.
January 1 and 2 New Year's
February 8 Prešeren Day, Slovene cultural day
Easter Sunday and Monday
February Kurentovanje Festival
April 27 Day of Uprising against the Occupation
May 1 and 2 May Day holiday
Pentecost
June 25 Slovenia Day
August 15 Feast of the Assumption
October 31 Reformation Day
November 1 All Saint's Day
December 25 Christmas
December 26 Independence Day
To search flights across all airlines, we recommend using Skyscanner
SLOVENIA:BY AIR
From the UK: carriers include Wizz Air, easyJet and Ryanair. Flight time is around 2 hours and 15 minutes from London.
Within Europe: try Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Air France.
By train: There are direct trains to Ljubljana from Austria (Salzburg, Vienna, Villach), Germany (Munich), Italy (Venice, Trieste, Rome, Milan), Hungary (Budapest) and Croatia (Zagreb). For further detail check Rail Europe or Seat 61.
By boat: in summer, hydrofoils run from Venice (Italy) to Portoroz (Slovenia), and from Trieste (Italy) to Piran (Slovenia) and then down the Croatian Adriatic coast.
BY CAR: You will need to use your own car if driving across Europe (and make sure your insurance covers you for Slovenia). We have yet to find a rental company that will allow you to drive a car rented in Western Europe through former Yugoslav states. A vignette road tax system is in place, requiring all vehicles less than 3.5 tonnes to purchase a toll sticker for motorway travel - if found without one, motorists face an on the spot fine. The vignettes can be purchased for weekly, monthly or yearly periods, and are available from petrol stations and DARS (the Slovenian Motorway Company) offices, as well as border crossings.
See our car rental recommendations.
BY TRAIN: Traveling by rail within Slovenia is easy and cheap. See Seat 61 for more details.
HEALTH
Tap water is considered safe and drinkable throughout the country. However, bottled water is widely available if you prefer. Dairy products, fruit, vegetables, meat and poultry are generally considered safe for consumption.
No innoculations are necessary. If hiking, wear long trousers to avoid tick bites.
Medical care in Slovenia is good but expensive, so make sure you have valid health insurance.
TIPPING
A 10% tip is generally expected in hotels, restaurants and for taxis.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN
Children are warmly welcomed in Slovenia.