It is very convenient to discover Slovenia by renting a car in Ljubljana and do a round trip around the country. You can pick up the car at Ljubljana airport which is 15 miles outside the city. And then drive around Slovenia and nearby countries like Italy, Austria, Croatia or even Hungary.
In a car you will get around very quick because Ljubljana is at the cross section of all highways that are connecting various landscapes. It will take you 1 hour drive West to reach the mediterranean coast and Italy. It will take another 1,5 hours from there to Venice. But even before you can stop in the Karst region to discover the caves and enjoy nice countryside and unique cuisine. Going South will take you to rural parts of Slovenia that will welcome you with firendlieness and fantastic hiking tours. North there are alpine lakes like Bled and even more beautiful Bohinj. Wherever you may decide to go you will always drive back to Ljubljana. Park your car. And enjoy the city’s night image.
General advice for driving in Slovenia
There are some general advices when hiring a car in Ljubljana and driving it around Slovenia:
- to be able to drive on highways cars should be equipped with a vignette (a sticker that proves the road toll has been paid). The price of a vignette is 100 euros per year. You can also buy a weekly vignette for 15 euros. When renting a car in Slovenia you should get the information wether the car already has the vignette or you should buy it on the spot additionally.
- the traffic is not cultivated like in western or northern Europe. It is more like driving around Italy with speedy local drivers and everyone nervous behind the wheel. Normally people will be tolerable towards a foreign drivers, but not when you have Ljubljana’s license plates. There are many fatal road accidents in Slovenia almost every day.
- diesel or petrol. When you are running out of gas this is the decision you must make based on sort of the rental car. A mistake here can cost you a lot of money and time.
- when leaving the country there are no border controls on borders with Austria, Italy and Hungary. But when going to Croatia there will be some waiting time because the border control is checking each car and its passengers.
Renting a car at Ljubljana Airport
When you land at Ljubljana airport there are many car rental providers available like Sixt, Alamo, SurPrice, Enterprise and GreenMotion. It is advisable to select a rental car of your chois according to your luggage volume, number of persons (or family) you are travelling with and your budget. Price of car hire at Ljubljana airport starts at 6 euro per day for a small car like Renault Clio. All the car rental providers are located on the airport of very close to it (couple of minutes walking time).
Renting a car in Ljubljana city
Car hire agencies in Ljubljana are situated in downtown or at the rail station. There also some at the major hotels in the city. Only SurPrice and Enterprise operate in Ljubljana city with prices from 10 euro per day.