| Slovenia ((sl)Slovenija, (it)Slovenia) | |
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| Flag | |
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| Information | |
| Capital city | Ljubljana |
|---|---|
| Area | 20 300 km² |
| Population | 2 000 000 hab. (2010) |
| Density | 98,52 inhab./km² |
| Form of State | Democratic Republic |
| Cash | euro (EUR) |
| Electricity | 230 V/50 Hz, European plug |
| Telephone prefix | 386 |
| Internet suffix | .if |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 1 |
| Location | |
 46 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ N 15 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| https://www.gov.si/en/, https://www.gov.si/it/ Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Slovenia is a country located in central Europe. It has a border with theItaly, the'Austria, the Hungary and the Croatia.
Understand
Regions
 Regions, cities and other destinations in Slovenia |
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Cities
Other destinations
- 1 Triglav National Park – located in Julian Alps
- Soča Valley – located along the Italian border
- Bohinj Valley – located in the Gorenjska region northeast of Ljubljana
To go
Formalities
- See as well: Traveling in the Schengen area
Slovenia is part of theSchengen area. The citizens of the Swiss and the European Economic Area which includes theEuropean Union, the'Iceland, the Norway and the Liechtenstein only need a national identity card or a passport valid. They don't need any Visa to enter or circulate in the Schengen area and are generally allowed to stay as long as they wish.
Remarks (1) Nationals of these countries need a biometric passport to enjoy visa-free travel. (2) Serbian nationals with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (residents of Kosovo with Serbian passport) need a visa. (3) Taiwanese nationals need their ID card number (a letter followed by nine digits) written in their passport to enjoy visa-free travel. |
Nationals of the following countries do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area: Albania(1), Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and herzegovina(1), Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, United States, Grenade, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, North Macedonia(1), Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova(1), Monaco, Montenegro(1), New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. LUCIA, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia(1,2), Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan(3) (Republic of China), East Timor, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela as well as holders of a passport of Hong Kong SAR, of Macau SAR and all nationals British (including those who are not citizens of the European Union).
- The visa-free travelers mentioned above and not members of theEEE or from Swiss cannot stay more than 90 days out of a 180-day period in the Schengen area in its entirety and, in general, cannot work during their stay (although some countries in the Schengen area allow certain nationalities to work). The counting of days begins once you enter one of the Schengen countries and does not return to zero when you leave one Schengen country for another.
- New Zealand citizens can stay longer than 90 days, but without working if they do not have a work permit, in some countries of the Schengen area, namely Germany, Austria, the Benelux, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland
If you are not a national ofEEE or from Swiss, even if you are exempt from a visa, unless you are Andorran, Monegasque, San Marino or Vatican, make sure your passport is stamped both when entering and leaving the Schengen area. Without an entry stamp, you may be treated as having exceeded your stay when trying to leave the Schengen area. Without an exit stamp, you may be refused entry the next time you seek to enter the Schengen area as you may be assumed to have exceeded the time allowed on your previous visit. If you cannot get a stamp in the passport, keep documents like boarding passes, transportation tickets, etc. which can help convince border control personnel that you have stayed in the Schengen area legally.
By bus
Many buses travel across countries and leave from Ljubljana station. They are quite slow but go almost everywhere. You can buy your ticket at the driver or at the ticket office.
The site to consult the timetables is here (On the English site, choose Ljubljana avtobusna postaja
By plane
- 3 direct flights per day with Air France from Paris CDG.
- Adria Airays link for Ljubljana the capital from most European capitals, very expensive except during promotions.
- Possible connection of Brussels and Venice by Ryanair and Wizzair (note that if you are in Venice you are less than 150 km border with Slovenia)
- Regular connection with Easyjet for Ljubljana since London Stansted and Paris Charles de Gaulle
On a boat
By train
You can easily come to Slovenia by train, the network is developed and trains are plentiful. We will mention the more than daily connections since theItaly, the'Austria and the Croatia. All three connect the capital, Ljubljana.
- Train times in Slovenia
By car
The developed motorway network in good condition allows you to cross the country in just two hours. A sticker is mandatory for passenger vehicles, trucks must go through a toll. The stickers are systematically checked a few kilometers from border posts at the tolls for trucks, the fine for non-payment is high.
You can arrive from the same places as by train, namelyItaly, the'Austria, the Hungary and the Croatia. Distances are short in this country whose area is only two thirds of Belgium. Some distances in kilometers between the main cities:
- Ljubljana - Maribor: 105 km;
- Ljubljana - Bled: 46 km;
- Ljubljana - Koper: 110 km;
- Ljubljana - Trieste (Italy): 100 km;
- Koper - Portoroz: 30 km.
On the other hand, it should be noted that low beam headlights are mandatory day and night.
Some journey times (by motorway):
- from Bordeaux, a little more than 13 h road
- from Brussels, 10 h road
- from Geneva, 7 h 30 road
- from Luxembourg, approximately 8 h
- from Paris, not far from 10 h 30 road
Circulate
By train
Several train lines crisscross Slovenia, the trains are diverse, from the most modern to the oldest. Tickets are cheaper than in France. A first line allows you to go from Trieste To Ljubljana and continue bypassing the Slovenian national park to Austria. We therefore go through the cities of Kranj and Bled. Another solution from the capital is the line east towards Maribor and towards theAustria or towards Novo Mesto and then to the Croatia and Zagreb.
By bus
The bus can be a good alternative, timetables are posted at bus stations
By car
Switching on the dipped beam headlights is compulsory day and night. This rule is normally indicated by a sign when crossing the Italian, Austrian or Hungarian borders. Wearing a seat belt is compulsory in all places of the vehicle, under penalty of a fine of 120 €.
The authorized blood alcohol level between 18 h in the evening and 7 h in the morning (!) is 0.5 g / l unless you are towing a trailer where this rate becomes zero, the same for drivers of heavy vehicles. The other time slot does not allow any drop of alcohol in the blood before driving.
Speed limits:
- Highway: 130 km / h
- Fast lanes: 100 km / h
- Routes: 90 km / h
- City : 50 km / h
Vehicles towing a trailer are limited to 80 km / h.
It should also be noted that the fines for speeding are strictly applied and particularly high: it will cost 80 € for an overrun up to 10 km / h... Beyond that, the prices go up quickly!
The motorways are tolled, bank cards are in principle accepted as payment.
Traffic is difficult in the capital, traffic jams are frequent and there are few parking spaces.
Fuel is available almost everywhere and motorway service stations are open day and night, two major distributors are notably present: Petrol and OMV Slovenija.
To speak
The majority official language is Slovenian. It is very easy to speak English in Slovenia and especially in Ljubljana, the capital, in shops, restaurants or tourist spots. German is spoken more along the Austrian border. In the regions of the Italian coast and border, near Trieste, Gorizia and Tarvisio, Italian is widely spoken. The towns of the Slovenian coast are also officially bilingual, from Koper or Capodistria to Portoroz or Portorose. To the east, in the Prekmurje region, Hungarian also has the status of an official minority language.
To buy
Slovenia uses theeuro. It is one of the many European countries that use this common currency. Euro banknotes and coins are legal tender throughout the country.
Countries which have the euro as official currency:
These countries are collectively referred to as the "euro area". |
One euro is divided into 100 eurocents Where euro cents abbreviated cents Where cents.
The official euro symbol is €, and its ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol for Eurocents.
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- Tickets
- Euro banknotes are the same in all countries.
- Ordinary parts
- All euro area countries have issued coins with a distinctive national side on one side, and a common standard side on the other side. Coins can be used in all countries, regardless of the country of origin of the coin used, for example a one euro coin from Finland can be used in Portugal.
- Two euro commemorative coins
- They differ from normal two euro coins only on their "national" side and circulate freely as legal tender. Each country can produce a certain quantity of it as part of their normal parts production. There are also commemorative two euro coins "at European level". They are produced to commemorate special events, such as the anniversary of important treaties.
- Withdrawal of money
- Cash withdrawals from ATMs are billed at the same price as cash withdrawals in the country of origin for holders of a bank card from an account in a country in the euro zone. Money transfers between two accounts are also considered by banks as a transfer between two accounts in the same country.
Credit cards are widely accepted by department stores, hotels, restaurants. On the other hand, checks are little used. Also bring euro cash.
Slovenia, a member of the EU, is a prosperous country, where the cost of living is roughly the same as its other European neighbors: Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary.
Eat
The country is strongly anchored in Europe by three of its borders, the restaurants offering European gastronomy are legion. There is nevertheless a strong propensity for fish which is the main dish in the country.
Among the specialties, we can taste:
- a local cheese, the skuta, which can be bought for example on the farms of Triglav,
- pastries, such as kremšnita (compulsory if you visit Bled), krof from Trojane, potica and zavitek (filled with fruit or skuta), gibanica from Prekmurje, palacinka,
- spirits made in monasteries or elsewhere, such as brinjenec, zganje, slivovka,
- the spric, a mixture of white wine and sparkling water,
- Slovenian wines from Podravje, Posavje and Primorje,
- local craft beers,
- deer and roe deer, ubiquitous in Slovenian forests are served in restaurants.
- In the Kranj region and in Ljubjana, cabbage and rave sauerkraut is a specialty served with various meats or sausages and is excellent.
- In the Kranj region and in Ljubjana, you can often find freshwater fish, trout etc. in restaurants. They are excellent.
- Idrija in Primorska is famous for its slikrofi (dumplings).
- Towards the Italian border, you can taste gnocchi, squid with ham and cheese, prsut (cured Karst ham), Sezana truffles and jota (thick soup prepared with cabbage, beans, barley ).
- Zrerek (schnitzel-type cutlets), bograc (potato goulash), struklji (stuffed pasta boiled in water), knedeli (dumplings filled with potatoes, which are eaten with soup ) are naturally ubiquitous.
Glass of water (kozarec vode - "kozàretz vôde") and bread (kruh - 'h' pronounced as in English) are not automatic in restaurants. However, they are often free.
In the inns, meals are taken at any time of the day.
Drink / Go out
The price of drinks is low in bars. As an indication, we find the pint of beer between 2 € and 3 €. If you ask for a beer (pivo), you will automatically be served a pint (0.5 l). Ask for a small beer (malo pivo) if you are not very thirsty. Slovenian wines are very pleasant to drink, and restaurant prices are very affordable for a bottle of wine. The red wines of local or more "western" grape varieties (chardonnet, merlot, etc.) are of a good standard and surprise by their quality.
Housing
The hotels, relatively expensive, are numerous, whatever the category. Accommodation in hostels and boarding houses is cheaper there, but nevertheless with very uneven comfort. Campsites, youth hostels and shelters, always very well maintained, are also available in the country, which will keep everyone happy. University or high school residences in the capital, Maribor and Koper are open to tourists in July-August. There are also many homestay accommodation solutions all year round, "privat": rooms without breakfast, guest rooms, furnished tourist accommodation, farm inns. And even some unusual accommodation.
- Catalog of accommodation in Slovenia
To learn
To work
Communicate
European roaming
Since June 15, 2017, "European roaming" has been introduced. It allows all SIM card holders belonging to one of the European member countries to maintain the same pricing conditions as in the country of origin.
Telephone calls and Internet browsing are valid at no additional cost in all European countries, unless authorized by national authorities (generally minor operators) or when a data Gbit threshold is exceeded, which increases year by year. To use this service, simply activate the roaming option on your mobile phone.
The participating countries are those ofEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, UK, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and some Oversea territories (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).
Manage the day-to-day
Health
European citizens
Citizens ofEuropean Union (EU), who fall unexpectedly ill during a temporary stay, studies or a professional stay, are entitled to the same medical care as in their country of residence. It is always useful to take the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which constitutes physical proof of your insurance in an EU country. However, if you do not have the card with you or if you cannot use it (as in the case of private assistance), you are still entitled to treatment, but you are obliged to pay the costs on the spot. , then you will ask for a refund on your return.
The countries in which health coverage is provided are all those that are members of theEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), the Swiss, the UK and the Oversea territories member of the European Union (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).
Security
 | Emergency telephone number: All emergency services:112 |
Slovenia is one of the safest countries in Europe. Ljubljana, the capital, is a city where you feel safe, day and night. Slovenians are very disciplined. There is hardly any delinquency in Slovenia, it is truly a reassuring destination in which one can travel free spirit with family or alone, regardless of gender.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Respect
- Respect the cleanliness of public places and the environment in general. Slovenians are very hygienic.
- Say hello ( Dobro jutro until 9 a.m., then thereafter Dober dan, in Slovenian) as soon as you meet someone in a remote place. Young people easily say "Dan".
- If you drive don't drink.
- Observe smoking bans (special rooms in restaurants).
- Do not use laptops on trains and buses.
- In public transport, respect the priority places for certain disabled and elderly users.
- It is forbidden to throw cigarette butts or train or bus tickets on the road.
- Be dressed decently when visiting places of worship.
- Do not enter a restaurant or bistro with a dog.
- As French is hardly spoken, it is already a huge gesture if the person speaks to you in French. If, on the other hand, you manage to learn some Slovenian expressions it is a sign of respect for cultural diversity.
- Be discreet, people will approach you if they think you are an interesting group or individual, they quickly know how to judge for good or bad.
- In Slovenia, people are generally individualistic and not very nationalistic. Some may be sensitive to the use of the term "Slovenian" as this implies identifying the person concerned with an "average Slovenian".
- Do not behave in "conquered terrain", as some tourists do ...
