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 three 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 depending on your base plan · 🏛 Caves, castles, lakes & mountain views, easy to dial up or down by group energy.
Your five days — Plan A · Straight to the lakes
Decide together
Pitch & vote — what do we actually want?
Five ways to run the trip. 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.
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 base plan you picked above — the map and legs update with it.
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. An optional add-on on the cave day if you're already south.
Getting there
✈ Flights — London (STN) ↔ Trieste (TRS)
Ryanair direct, 11–15 Sep. Indicative return fares for 4 (snapshot) — tap a card to book direct on Ryanair.
Loading flight prices…
Getting there
🚗 Car rental & border crossing
Three holds at Trieste Airport (TRS) — two Avis + one Noleggiare (Discover Cars) — as a late-arrival hedge. Noleggiare is fully prepaid and the clear pick; trim the rest once you've flown. Only the e-vignette + €6/day cross-border fee left to sort at the desk.
⚠ Three holds for one car — here's the play
Primary: Noleggiare (C) — Fri 23:30, desk open to 23:59, cheapest, fully prepaid, and its T&Cs already permit Slovenia/Croatia (€6/day, declared at the desk). Fallback: Avis (B) Sat 9 AM, if FR168 is delayed past the Friday desks. Avis (A) is now redundant with C — a pure delay backstop; cancel it once you've flown. The two Avis are $0 now (cancel free); Noleggiare is prepaid but refundable in the free-cancel window. Cancel whatever you don't use — and never pick up more than one.
Pick-up: Fri 11 Sep, 11:30 PM
Drop-off: Tue 15 Sep, 10:00 PM
Noleggiare conf: DG 272801
Discover Cars #: D014318903
Price: €173.36 — fully prepaid 15 Jun (receipt D014318903/2026); nothing more to pay for the car
Deposit: €800 hold · Full Coverage incl. (£2,600 limit)
5-seat auto SUV · unlimited miles · fuel same-to-same
Desk open 08:00–23:59 — latest of the three, so the most margin after a 23:00 landing. Cheapest, and fully prepaid. Slovenia + Croatia allowed per supplier T&Cs — just €6/day, declared at the desk. At counter: only the €800 hold + that cross-border fee.
Pick-up: Fri 11 Sep, 11:30 PM
Drop-off: Tue 15 Sep, 10:00 PM
Avis conf: 17294284MY0
Priceline #: 362-890-223-95
At counter: $233.62 · $0 now · booked 9 Jun
Now redundant with C (same Fri 23:30 slot, Avis desk only to 23:30, and pricier at the counter). With Noleggiare's cross-border sorted, this is just a delay backstop — cancel it once you've flown ($0, free).
Pick-up: Sat 12 Sep, 9:00 AM
Drop-off: Tue 15 Sep, 10:00 PM
Avis conf: 17791048US2
Priceline #: 367-831-573-97
At counter: $227.49 · $0 now · booked 15 Jun
Delay insurance — daytime, desk open for sure (Sat 09:00–21:00). Your fallback if FR168 is late and you miss the Friday desks; then no car Friday night (airport-area stay or taxi).
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. A refundable security deposit is held on the card.
Cross-border & tolls — not in the prepaid price
Tell the desk you're driving to Slovenia (and Croatia if you go), get it on the agreement and ask for the green card — an undeclared crossing voids your insurance. Noleggiare's T&Cs allow all EU countries incl. Slovenia & Croatia: €6/day, paid at the desk (~€24 for your 4 days). Avis allows it too. One-way is not permitted — return the car to TRS.
Required on every Slovenian motorway (Postojna, Ljubljana, Bled). No vignette = €300–€800 fine, camera-enforced. Often NOT included on an Italian-plated rental — confirm with Avis; if not, buy a 7-day e-vignette before the border.
Croatia uses pay-as-you-go toll booths (no vignette needed). Watch camera-enforced limited-traffic zones (ZTL) in Italian and Slovenian town centres — don't drive into the Ljubljana old town.
Trip day by day
Your five days
Day 1 is always the late landing near Trieste and Day 5 is always the drive back for the 22:15 flight — the three days between flex with the base plan you pick. Tap a stop for detail, or “Directions” to open it in maps.
Showing Plan A · Straight to the lakesChange plan ↑
Day 1Fri 11 Sep
Today
Land at Trieste, sleep nearby
A late Friday landing — grab the car and crash at a room by the airport. No midnight border dash.
RouteTRS → bed nearby
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: here's how the nights fall, and what to weigh for your plan.
Beds for Plan A · Straight to the lakesChange plan ↑
Where to actually stay — by town
Concrete picks for each base. Friday is the late landing, so book a room near TRS with self or late check-in.
Alloggi Tosca Airport Lodges (self check-in, ~15-min walk to the terminal), Hotel Furlan or Hotel Major (breakfast from 4 AM). ~€70–110. Pick one with self/late check-in — you land at 23:00.
Stay in Borgo Teresiano by Piazza Unità. Grand Hotel Duchi d'Aosta / Savoia Excelsior Palace (smart), Barbacan Boutique or Hotel Coppe (mid). ~€110–190.
Old town, by the river. Grand Hotel Union Eurostars (behind Prešeren Square), Hotel Heritage (boutique, riverside) or City Hotel Ljubljana (value). ~€110–180.
Lakeside promenade. Grand Hotel Toplice / Vila Bled (luxury), Hotel Triglav, Rikli Balance or Hotel Kompas (4★); quieter on the Mlino shore. ~€120–250.
Budget
What it actually costs
A per-person working number, assuming four people sharing the car. Flights and the rental are confirmed; accommodation isn't booked yet, so that line is the swing factor.
Per person · group of 4~£750
Flights and car are locked in; rooms aren't booked yet — treat accommodation as the main variable.
See the breakdown
| Item | Per person |
|---|
Confirmed
Locked in so far
Ryanair STN↔TRS, 11–15 Sep (out £61 / return £21). Cabin bag only — add a hold bag if you need one.
Paid in full 15 Jun (4 days, intermediate SUV). At the desk: €800 refundable hold + €6/day cross-border + the e-vignette.
The late-arrival hedge — nothing paid. Cancel whatever you don't use; see the Cars section.
Before you go
Slovenia essentials
The small practical things that make the first day smooth.
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.
0 of 0 packed
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.
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