Slovenia is a small country with everything you’d normally have to visit three countries to get: a charming capital with a river and a castle, Alpine lakes, an emerald-green river for rafting, a Venetian coastal town and huge caves full of stalactites. Distances are short, so you can see most of it in a week, but deciding where to stay in Slovenia still takes some thought.
That’s exactly why your choice of base matters more than you might think. Pick the wrong spot in high season and you get crowds instead of peace and quiet, and if you stay in one place all week, you’ll spend too long in the car. Here’s my answer to the question of where to stay in Slovenia: six areas with hotels in three price ranges.
Contents
Where to Stay in Slovenia: The Best Areas
- Ljubljana - best area for first-time visitors and city breaks
- Bled - best area for romance and families
- Bohinj - best area for hiking and peace and quiet
- Soča Valley - best area for active travellers
- Piran & Portorož - best area for beaches and a seaside holiday
- Postojna & Karst - best area for caves, castles and wine
Below, I go through the six areas one by one. You’ll get a map, the key distances, the price level and three hotels in each area, and at the end I’ll tell you where I wouldn’t stay in Slovenia and how I’d put a week together myself.
1. Ljubljana - best area for first-time visitors and city breaks 🐉
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the middle of it all. The Old Town runs along the Ljubljanica river below Castle Hill, and from Prešeren Square it’s just a few minutes’ walk to Tromostovje (the Triple Bridge), the market halls and the Dragon Bridge.
- 🚶 Transport: The centre is largely car-free, so you walk. The funicular runs up to the castle, city buses cover the rest of town, and if you have a hire car, you park it in a multi-storey car park on the edge of the centre.
- ✈️ Time from Ljubljana Airport: According to Visit Ljubljana, Jože Pučnik Airport is about 26 km north of the city. By taxi or shuttle (GoOpti, Nomago) it takes 20 to 30 minutes, and the bus to the main station takes around 45 minutes and costs about 10 to 15 euros (around £8 to £13).
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around £145 to £245 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
- 👮 Safety: Ljubljana is one of Europe’s safest capitals. Watch out for cyclists in the pedestrian streets and keep an eye on your bag in the crowds along the river in the evening.
Ljubljana is a capital in miniature, and that’s its strength. The Old Town winds along the Ljubljanica river below Castle Hill, and much of what you’ll want to see was designed by the architect Jože Plečnik: Tromostovje, the market colonnades along the river and the National Library. His works in the city are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and you’ll walk through them without even thinking about it. You can reach the castle on foot via several paths or by funicular, and a combined funicular and castle ticket costs 17.10 euros (around £14) online. The car-free city centre is one of the largest in the EU, so the city is pleasant to explore on foot, even with small children.
I’d stay in Ljubljana if it’s your first trip to Slovenia and you want some city life for the first few days before heading out into the countryside. Two nights is about right. You can reach Bled and Postojna Cave on day trips by bus or train, go for a morning run in Tivoli Park, eat your way through the Odprta kuhna food market, held in the market square on Fridays during the warmer months, and round off the evening in the alternative bars of Metelkova.
The downsides are minor, but they exist. Hotel prices in the Old Town itself have risen sharply, and you often pay the same as in Vienna for smaller rooms. Parking in the centre is almost impossible, so with a hire car you’ll need to use a multi-storey car park and walk. Rooms with windows facing the riverside embankments can be noisy on Friday and Saturday nights, when the bars stay open late. And the city really is small: if you have more than three nights, spend the rest by the lakes or on the coast.
Hotels in Ljubljana
April1550 Boutique Hotel - small boutique hotel below Castle Hill
April1550 is on Rožna ulica in the quiet end of the Old Town, right below Castle Hill and a few hundred metres from Prešeren Square. It’s a small hotel with only a few rooms and a score of 9.9, the highest in this entire guide, and it was the most expensive of my three picks in Ljubljana when I searched. There’s no parking at the door, so with a hire car you’ll need to use a multi-storey car park on the edge of the centre.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely small and cosy boutique hotel in the Old Town, just a 5-minute walk from the main square and the sights of Ljubljana.”
See photos and book April1550 Boutique Hotel here.
The Hotel Ljubljana - modern hotel right on the river
The Hotel Ljubljana is on Cankarjevo nabrežje, the embankment along the Ljubljanica where the restaurants are most densely packed, about 300 metres from Prešeren Square. The rooms are modern and soundproofed, there’s a garden, a terrace and a restaurant, and the score of 8.7 is impressive for a hotel with such a central address. Reception is through the restaurant, which confuses some guests on arrival.
From one review: “The hotel’s location was perfect.”
See photos and book The Hotel Ljubljana here.
B&B Hotel Ljubljana Park - affordable and close to Metelkova
B&B Hotel Ljubljana Park is in Tabor, about 800 metres from the Old Town, right next to Metelkova and a ten-minute walk from the station. It’s a simple chain hotel with clean rooms, air conditioning and a 24-hour reception, and it was the cheapest of my picks if you want to stay centrally in Ljubljana. The walls are thin, and several guests mention that they can hear the room next door.
One guest highlights: “Fantastic location, clean, friendly and helpful staff.”
See photos and book B&B Hotel Ljubljana Park here.
2. Bled - best area for romance and families 🏰
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Bled is a small town, and the centre is the eastern end of the lake, where you’ll find the bus station, Hotel Park and Kavarna Park. The whole lake is around 6 km round, so everything is within walking distance.
- 🚌 Transport: Buses from Ljubljana run via Kranj and Radovljica and take around an hour and a quarter. The train stops at Lesce-Bled, which according to Bled’s tourist office is around 4 km from the lake, with buses and taxis from the station. By car it’s around 50 km from Ljubljana along the motorway towards Jesenice.
- ✈️ Time from Ljubljana Airport: Around 36 km, so just under half an hour by car. Arriva runs a direct bus from the airport to Bled, and shuttle companies such as GoOpti also operate the route.
- 💰 Price level: €€€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around £180 to £450 per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
- 👮 Safety: Very safe. The biggest risks are the traffic on Cesta svobode along the lake in high season and parking fines if you park in the wrong place.
Bled is the picture-postcard image of Slovenia: a green lake, an island with a church, and a castle on a cliff 130 metres above the water. The pletna boats that row you out to the island leave from Hotel Park, Mlino and Velika Zaka, and the tradition dates back to 1590. On the island you climb 99 steps up to the church and ring the wishing bell. According to the tourist office, the castle is Slovenia’s oldest, and admission costs 19 euros (around £16), which is pricey for a small museum, but the view from the terrace is the whole point. Four kilometres away is the Vintgar Gorge, with 1.6 km of wooden walkways along the River Radovna. It’s open from April to October, is one-way only, and you should buy your ticket, around 15 euros (around £13), online in advance.
Bled suits couples looking for romance with a view, and families too, as there’s a bathing beach below the castle, rowing boats, a summer toboggan run on Straža and short walks to the Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica viewpoints. And then there’s the cake: the Bled cream cake, kremšnita, was created by pastry chef Ištvan Lukačevič at Hotel Park in 1953, and around 16 million have been sold since. You’ll find the original at Kavarna Park by the lake.
The downside is that everyone else has seen the picture too. In July and August the promenade is packed from morning to night, the hotels are the most expensive in the country, and parking is both pricey and hard to find. If you want the lake to yourself, stay in Mlino on the south shore or in Zaka at the western end, and walk round the lake early in the morning. If you want peace and quiet all day, carry on to Bohinj, which I describe below, and do Bled as a day trip.
Hotels in Bled
Adora Luxury Hotel - small luxury hotel right on the waterfront in Mlino
Adora is at Cesta svobode 35 in Mlino on the south shore of the lake, where the pletna boats also depart, and it was the most expensive of my picks in Bled. The hotel is small and sits right on the water with views towards the island, and there’s a restaurant, free parking and a small beach. Some guests mention that the bar isn’t always open and that the staff can be hard to get hold of in the evening.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “A beautiful hotel with a fantastic view. The staff were very helpful and caring.”
See photos and book Adora Luxury Hotel here.
Hotel Park - the kremšnita hotel with an indoor pool
Hotel Park is at Cesta svobode 15 at the eastern end of the lake, opposite Kavarna Park, where the original Bled cream cake is served. It’s a large 4-star hotel from the Sava chain with an indoor pool, spa and lake-view rooms with balconies for a supplement. Parking and use of the saunas cost extra, something guests are quick to point out.
From one review: “Fantastic location. We paid extra for a room with a balcony facing the lake, and it was simply beautiful.”
See photos and book Hotel Park here.
Hotel Starkl - small 3-star hotel right on the lakeshore
Hotel Starkl is at Cesta svobode 45 in Mlino, with its own small beach and views across the lake to the island. It’s a small hotel with a restaurant, parking and a quiet location around 1.5 km from the town centre along the lakeside promenade, and its score of 9.1 is mainly down to the location. The price is high for a 3-star hotel, and that’s the criticism guests raise most often.
One guest highlights: “The location is outstanding: without doubt one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever stayed.”
See photos and book Hotel Starkl here.
3. Bohinj - best area for hiking and peace and quiet 🥾
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Ribčev Laz at the eastern end of the lake is the centre, with the stone bridge, the Church of St John the Baptist (Sv. Janez) and the tourist office. Bohinjska Bistrica, the valley’s actual town with the railway station and a supermarket, lies about 6 km to the east.
- 🚌 Transport: From Bled it’s about 30 km by car, just under half an hour, and there are local buses too. The train stops in Bohinjska Bistrica. With the Julian Alps: Bohinj card you can ride the buses in the valley for free in summer, and it costs from 21 euros (around £18) for three days for adults, without parking.
- ✈️ Time from Ljubljana Airport: About 1 hour and 15 minutes by car via Bled.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below came to roughly £130 to £230 per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
- 👮 Safety: Very safe. The risk lies in the mountains: the weather changes quickly, so don’t head up towards Vogel or the Seven Lakes without proper clothing and a map.
Lake Bohinj is Slovenia’s largest natural lake, about 4 km long, and it sits inside Triglav National Park, which according to the park’s own website covers around 840 km², four per cent of the country, and is Slovenia’s only national park. There’s no island and no castle here, and that’s exactly the point. The water is clear enough to swim in during summer, the mountains drop straight into the lake, and from the stone bridge in Ribčev Laz you get the classic view of the Church of St John the Baptist with the Julian Alps behind it. At the western end by Ukanc, the cable car runs up to Vogel at over 1,500 metres, with views of Triglav, the country’s highest mountain at 2,864 metres, and a little further into the valley you’ll find the Savica Waterfall.
I’d choose Bohinj over Bled if your priority is hiking, swimming and peace and quiet, or if you’re travelling with children who need space. The valley has four kinds of base: the hotels in Ribčev Laz right by the lake, the campsite and the handful of houses in Ukanc at the western end, the village of Stara Fužina with apartments and farmstays, and Bohinjska Bistrica with the railway station, a swimming pool and lower prices. The guest card gives you free entry to the Savica Waterfall and the Mostnica Gorge plus a free boat trip on the lake, so it quickly pays for itself.
On the other hand, there isn’t much nightlife. There are a handful of restaurants by the lake, most close early, and in the low season quite a few places shut altogether. The lakeside hotels are older than those in Bled, and in summer driving and parking by the lake are restricted and paid, so you’ll end up using the buses. Without a car you’ll need to plan your day around the timetable, but with the guest card in hand it works perfectly well.
Hotels in Bohinj
Hotel Jezero - the classic lakeside hotel with an indoor pool
Hotel Jezero is at Ribčev Laz 51, a few steps from the lakeshore and the stone bridge, and it’s the most complete hotel in the valley, with a restaurant, an indoor pool with a view, a sauna and a gym. Several rooms have balconies facing the lake, and it was the most expensive of my suggestions in Bohinj. The hotel has a few years behind it, and quite a few guests feel it could do with some maintenance.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was excellent, and there was a lovely view over the lake.”
See photos and book Hotel Jezero here.
Hotel Gasperin Bohinj - family-run garni hotel 250 metres from the lake
Hotel Gasperin is at Ribčev Laz 36A, about 250 metres from the lake. It’s a 3-star garni hotel, meaning there’s no restaurant, with a sauna, lift, air conditioning and free parking. Its score of 9.3 is mainly down to the breakfast and the hosts. There’s no bike hire on site, so you’ll need to find that down by the lake.
From a review: “The breakfast is excellent, unusually generous and varied for a 3-star hotel.”
See photos and book Hotel Gasperin Bohinj here.
Art Hotel Kristal - 4 stars and wellness at a budget price
Art Hotel Kristal is at Ribčev Laz 4a, about 800 metres from the lake along the road towards Bohinjska Bistrica. It’s a 4-star hotel with a restaurant, sauna, hot tub and free parking, and it was by far the cheapest of my three suggestions in Bohinj when I searched. There’s no air conditioning in the rooms, which you’ll notice in the hottest weeks.
One guest highlights: “The hotel was clean and quiet and is in a good spot in Bohinj.”
See photos and book Art Hotel Kristal here.
4. Soča Valley - best area for active travellers 🚣
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Bovec is the valley’s main town and the base for rafting, kayaking and ziplining. Kobarid, with its museum and the Kozjak waterfall, lies about 20 km further down the river, and Tolmin, with its gorges, about 15 km further south.
- 🚗 Transport: You’ll need a car. From Ljubljana it’s about a 2-hour drive to Bovec, over the Vršič Pass from Kranjska Gora in summer and via Tolmin and Most na Soči for the rest of the year. The car train between Bohinjska Bistrica and Most na Soči saves you the mountain roads from the Bohinj side.
- ✈️ Time from Ljubljana Airport: About 110 km and 2 hours by car. Trieste Airport is actually closer, at about 86 km from Bovec.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below ranged from around £85 to £345 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
- 👮 Safety: Safe, but respect the river: it’s ice-cold and fast-flowing, so rafting and kayaking are done with local guides. The Vršič Pass is closed in winter and demands concentration in summer.
The Soča has a colour you won’t believe until you’re standing beside it: emerald green and crystal clear, from its source in Trenta inside the national park to Kobarid and on towards Italy. The road here from Kranjska Gora crosses the Vršič Pass at 1,611 metres, Slovenia’s highest mountain pass, with 50 hairpin bends. It was built by Russian prisoners of war during the First World War and is marked by a small Russian chapel on the north side. Around Bovec you’ll find the Boka waterfall, the Soča gorge Velika korita and Kluže Fortress, and in Kobarid the museum tells the story of the Isonzo Front and the 12th Battle of the Isonzo, the breakthrough at Caporetto that Hemingway wrote about in A Farewell to Arms.
This is the place for you if you’d rather spend your holiday rafting, kayaking, canyoning, ziplining and hiking than visiting museums. Bovec is full of small adventure operators, and a rafting trip typically costs around 50 euros (around £40) per person. The Julian Alps Card costs 25 euros (around £20) for adults, is valid for 15 days and gives free entry to the Tolmin Gorges, the Kobarid Museum, Kozjak and Kluže, plus free shuttle buses in the valley. You’ll need your own car out here, and the easiest place to pick one up is the airport: check prices on car hire at Booking.com, and remember that the motorways and the Ljubljana ring road require an e-vignette, which is linked to your number plate and costs 16 euros (around £13) for a week from DARS.
See hotels in the Soča Valley here.
The downside is the distance. The Soča Valley sits in a pocket next to Italy, 2 hours from Ljubljana and at least 2.5 hours from the coast, so it works best as a 3 to 4-night base in the middle of your trip. The weather is rainier than in the rest of the country, the nightlife is limited to a couple of bars in Bovec, and in July and August rafting groups fill the town. If you’re driving on towards Italy, the Dolomites are only a couple of hours away, and the two mountain areas make an obvious pairing on one trip.
Hotels in the Soča Valley
Hotel Soča - modern 4-star hotel with an outdoor pool
Hotel Soča is at Ledina 2, about 300 metres from Bovec’s square, and is the valley’s most modern hotel, with an outdoor pool overlooking the mountains, a sauna, a spa and large two-storey family rooms. It was the most expensive of my suggestions in the Soča Valley, and some guests feel the facilities are a little thin for the price.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The family room was lovely, loads of space with an upper floor for the kids.”
See photos and book Hotel Soča here.
Hotel Sanje ob Soči - quiet hotel with a sauna just outside town
Hotel Sanje ob Soči is at Mala Vas 105a, about 400 metres from the centre of Bovec, in a quiet area with mountain views. It’s a 4-star hotel without a restaurant, but with breakfast, a sauna, a hot tub, a playground and free parking, and its score of 9.1 is high. The rooms are laid out a little unconventionally, with sleeping areas on several levels, which divides opinion among guests.
From one review: “Breakfast was varied, healthy and delicious.”
See photos and book Hotel Sanje ob Soči here.
Sobe Vera - new rooms at a budget price
Sobe Vera is a small private guesthouse at Brdo 26, about 1 km from the centre of Bovec. The rooms are new and very clean, there’s free parking and Wi-Fi, and you’ll pay under 100 euros (around £85) a night for two. On the other hand, there are no hotel facilities: no restaurant and no 24-hour reception, and guests mention that the rooms lack fans on hot days.
One guest highlights: “Everything was new, extremely clean, so lovely.”
See photos and book Sobe Vera here.
5. Piran & Portorož - best area for beaches and a seaside holiday ⛵
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Piran and Portorož are about 3 km apart along the coast, with Fiesa Bay in between. Tartini Square is the heart of Piran, while in Portorož the centre is the Obala seafront promenade.
- 🚌 Transport: Piran’s Old Town is closed to cars. You park in the Fornače car park just outside town, where the tourist office lists the price as 3.20 euros an hour (around £2.70) or 32 euros (around £27) per day, and then take the little electric bus to Tartini Square for 1 euro (around 85p). Local buses run between Piran, Portorož and Koper. From Ljubljana it’s about 120 km by car, just over 1.5 hours.
- ✈️ Time from Ljubljana Airport: About 140 km and 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Trieste Airport is only about 60 km away.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £115 to £405 a night when I searched for a weekend in June.
- 👮 Safety: Safe. In summer the parking attendants are very strict, and the bathing jetties and rocks in Piran are slippery, so keep an eye on the children.
Slovenia’s coastline is only around 46 km long, and Piran is its most beautiful town: a small peninsula of narrow lanes that end at the sea, a bell tower modelled on the one in St Mark’s Square in Venice, and town walls you can walk along. The Venetians ruled here for centuries, and you can see it in every single facade around Tartini Square, named after the composer Giuseppe Tartini, who was born in the town. Piran’s wealth came from salt, and the Sečovlje salt pans south of Portorož are still in production. Portorož, 3 km further along the coast, is the complete opposite: a beach resort with large hotel complexes, saltwater pools, spas, a casino and a beach with imported sand.
Choose Piran if you want atmosphere, fish on the harbour promenade and swimming off the rocks by the lighthouse, and choose Portorož if you want a hotel with a pool, sunloungers and wellness facilities, where the children can walk straight into the water. The coast also works well as the last stop on a round trip, as it’s only an hour’s drive from here to Trieste and a short hop across the border to Istria. If you’re carrying on south, my guide to where to stay in Croatia can take over.
See hotels in Piran and Portorož here.
You should know the downsides. Piran’s hotels have small rooms at high prices, and your car has to stay in a car park for 32 euros (around £27) a day, as you can’t drive into town. Portorož, on the other hand, is more concrete than charm, and the traffic on Obala is noisy in summer, so ask for a sea-facing room. There are almost no sandy beaches: you swim from concrete platforms, jetties and rocks, and in July and August you share them with half of Austria and northern Italy.
Hotels in Piran & Portorož
Hotel Palace Portorož - the coast’s historic grand hotel with a spa
Hotel Palace Portorož is at Obala 45, right in the middle of the Portorož seafront, and it’s the coast’s only true grand hotel: 5 stars, a large spa, indoor and outdoor saltwater pools, a private beach area and a score of 9.3. It was the most expensive of my picks on the coast. The balconies are small, and on-site parking costs 25 euros (around £21) a day.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location, the spa and pool area, the bike hire, and the staff were so helpful and friendly.”
See photos and book Hotel Palace Portorož here.
Hotel Piran - 4 stars right on the waterfront
Hotel Piran is at Stjenkova 1, right on the sea and 100 metres from Tartini Square. It’s the town’s only 4-star hotel, with a restaurant, a small wellness area, its own sunloungers and a free shuttle from the car park. Go for the rooms with sea views and a balcony, as the standard rooms are small for the price. Parking in Garage Amfora costs 9.50 euros (around £8) per day for hotel guests.
From a review: “As the hotel is right by the sea, you get a lovely view from the balcony.”
See photos and book Hotel Piran here.
Art Hotel Tartini - affordable hotel with an address on Tartini Square
Art Hotel Tartini is at Tartinijev trg 15, so its front door opens straight onto Piran’s main square, a few steps from the harbour and the swimming spots. It’s a 3-star hotel with simple, bright rooms, a restaurant and a sun deck overlooking the rooftops, and it was the cheapest of my picks on the coast. You can’t drive to the door, and parking in the car park costs about 12 euros (around £10) per day with the hotel’s discount.
One guest highlights: “Lovely hotel with a fantastic location right in the centre of Piran.”
See photos and book Art Hotel Tartini here.
6. Postojna & Karst - best area for caves, castles and wine 🦎
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Postojna is about 50 km south-west of Ljubljana, right by the A1 motorway towards the coast. The cave is about 1.5 km from the town centre and station, Predjama Castle about 10 km to the north-west and Lipica about 40 km to the south-west.
- 🚗 Transport: A car is easiest, but Postojna also has a railway station on the line between Ljubljana and Koper, plus frequent buses from Ljubljana, both taking around 1 hour. From the station, it’s a 20-minute walk to the cave.
- ✈️ Time from Ljubljana Airport: About 75 km and 1 hour by car via the Ljubljana ring road and the A1.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost around £60 to £225 per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
- 👮 Safety: Safe. Inside the cave it’s around 10 degrees all year round and the steps are slippery, so bring a jacket and good shoes.
Postojna Cave is a 24 km long cave system, of which you see the central section: first 2 km on the underground train, then on foot through halls filled with stalactites and stalagmites of every size, and then back on the train. A ticket costs €34.90 (around £29), which is a lot of money, but this is also one of Europe’s largest show caves. In the vivarium you’ll see the olm, the blind “human fish” that can live to 100 years old. Ten kilometres away, Predjama Castle sits in a vertical cliff face above a cave mouth, where it has clung for 800 years, and it’s known as the world’s largest cave castle. Entry costs €24 (around £20), and a combined ticket for the cave and castle is around €50 (around £40).
South and west of Postojna lies the Karst, the limestone plateau that gave its name to every karst landscape in the world. Here you’ll find Lipica, the world’s largest Lipizzaner stud farm with over 300 white horses and more than 400 years of history, the Škocjan Caves on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and small stone villages such as Štanjel, where you can eat air-dried ham and drink the dark red Teran wine. I’d stay here for one or two nights on the way between Ljubljana and the coast, either conveniently by the cave or somewhere more atmospheric at one of the small country hotels in the Karst, where you’ll need a car.
See hotels in Postojna and the Karst here.
Postojna itself is an ordinary provincial town without much charm, and the motorway runs right past it, so hotels near the junction get traffic noise. The cave is very touristy, and in the middle of the day the coaches arrive in droves, so go in on the first or last tour. And stick to two nights at most: the area makes a great stop, but it isn’t a destination for a whole week.
Hotels in Postojna & Karst
PIRA Boutique Estate - countryside boutique hotel with a spa
PIRA Boutique Estate is in the village of Hruševje, about 10 km west of Postojna Cave and 1.5 km from the motorway. It’s a newer 4-star boutique hotel with a restaurant, sauna, hot tub, garden and free parking, and its 9.7 rating speaks for itself. It was the most expensive of my suggestions in the area, you’ll need a car, and the place is geared more towards couples than small children, which some families mention.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Absolutely everything. Spacious. Clean. Well thought out.”
See photos and book PIRA Boutique Estate here.
Hotel Jama - 4-star hotel at the cave entrance
Hotel Jama is at Jamska cesta 30, about 100 metres from the entrance to Postojna Cave, so you can take the first tour in the morning before the coaches arrive. The hotel has been fully renovated with modern rooms, a restaurant and a terrace, and it’s the practical choice for an overnight stay on the way to the coast. Parking costs extra, even for hotel guests, which annoys quite a few of them.
From one review: “The hotel is very clean, and the rooms look brand new.”
See photos and book Hotel Jama here.
HOP HOUSE Garni Hotel - clean rooms on a budget
HOP HOUSE is in Zalog, a couple of kilometres south of Postojna’s centre and close to the motorway, and it was the cheapest of all the hotels in this guide when I searched. You get a simple, clean room with air conditioning, free parking and a snack bar, but no restaurant. The bathrooms are small, and the shower is very close to the toilet, as one guest points out.
One of the guests highlights: “The staff were friendly, and the room was comfortable and clean.”
See photos and book HOP HOUSE Garni Hotel here.
Where not to stay in Slovenia?
Avoid the cheap hotels along the Ljubljana ring road, especially around the BTC shopping area and the junctions to the east. You’ll save a little per night, but you’ll be staying in an industrial area with motorway noise and will have to take a bus to get to the Old Town. Lesce near Bled is the same story: close to the station and the motorway, but 4 km from the lake and with no atmosphere. Koper is a port town with a container terminal, not a beach resort, so stay in Piran, Portorož or Izola instead if you want to be by the water. And if you want peace and quiet by an Alpine lake in July and August, don’t stay in Bled, where the promenade is packed all day. Bohinj gives you the same water without the crowds, and Bled is only half an hour’s drive away.
If it’s your first trip to Slovenia, I’d split the week into three: two nights in Ljubljana, two or three nights at Bled or Bohinj, and two nights on the coast with a stop at Postojna Cave on the way. If you’re into active holidays, swap the coast for the Soča Valley. If you’re travelling with children, Bohinj and Portorož are the most relaxed choices, and if you’re travelling as a couple, Bled in May or September is hard to beat.
If you’re flying into Venice and hiring a car there, my guide to getting from Venice Airport can help you with the logistics, and if you’d like a few days in the city first, I also have a guide to where to stay in Venice. From there it’s only a couple of hours’ drive to Ljubljana, and you’re on your way.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
Psst 👀 Have you subscribed to my Youtube channel and my Instagram where I provide more useful travel tips?