How to get to Ljubljana – Getting to Ljubljana by plane, train, bus or car

1. Tips for studying abroad in Ljubljana – Study abroad in Ljubljana
2. How to get to Ljubljana – Getting to Ljubljana by plane, train, bus or car
3. Public transport in Ljubljana
4. Accommodation for students in Ljubljana & Cost of living
5. Save money in Ljubljana - Tips for living in Ljubljana on a student budget
6. Ljubljana neighbourhoods – The most important districts of Ljubljana
7. Ljubljana Nightlife – A guide to nightclubs and going out in Ljubljana’s
8. Where to eat in Ljubljana – Slovenian cuisine and gastronomy in Ljubljana
9. The best things to do in Ljubljana
10. Festivals in Ljubljana – Festivals and events in Ljubljana
11. Day trips from Ljubljana – Places to visit and Excursions around Ljubljana
12. Ljubljana in 3 days – what to see and do in 3 days

The capital of Ljubljana is situated in the centre of Slovenia and it has good bus, train and flight connections. Going there by car is possible as well if you are living in a neighbouring country for example or if you like driving for some hours. As it gets financial support from the EU and is getting more and more popular for tourism, the roads are expanded perfectly and more and more flight companies make Ljubljana a destination to go to. With the train it might take a little time, some train companies already changed their connections to busses when you arrive Slovenia. In the following you will find the different options to get to Ljubljana.

Flights

Ljubljana just got popular to visit in the last years. Therefore direct flights from certain cities are rare but it is changing. If you come for example from Germany, only Frankfurt offers direct flight but not regularly. From all the other cities a transit stop would be necessary, e. g. in Paris or Brussels. Also from countries like Spain or Finland, you would need a transit stop e. g. in Zurich or Belgrad. Furthermore these kind of flights can take a long time with the transit stops so if you want to choose that option, be prepared of waiting at airports and taking some time to get to Ljubljana. The price range shows also a big variety as from Spain a one direction flight may cost between 85€ and 150€, from Finland it can be between 135€ and 174€ and from Germany it can be between 170€ and 230€. Just this year (2017) there is a new flight connection from Amsterdam to Ljubljana which is very cheap, between 30€ and 85€ for a one way ticket (Transavia). So if you are living close to Amsterdam or in a neighbouring country of the Netherlands or find cheap connections to Amsterdam, this might be a good option.

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport is not big, so you will be able to orientate yourself within some minutes. It is situated about 30km in the north of Ljubljana and you can get to the capital with different options. First, there is the local bus No. 28, a ticket is about 4€ and it is the cheapest option. Therefore the traveling time from the airport to the center takes about 50 minutes with several stops but if you are prepared for that, it is the best and cheapest option. Secondly, you can take a taxi which is more expensive. With BookTaxi Slovenia it costs 23€ to the city centre and with the Airtrail Airport Taxis & Transfers it is 28€.

Train

Otherwise going by car, bus or train to Ljubljana is the best option. As I said, it is located in middle Europe so many train lines go from Austria, Italy, Germany and Switzerland to the capital Ljubljana. The train station is in the city center, near Slovenska cesta, the biggest and busiest street concerning traffic. The station itself (Trg Osvobodilne fronte 6) has a big information centre in which you can buy train tickets for abroad as well as for the local trains. The staff speaks English quite well, so you will not have a big problem to communicate with them. From the train station you can easily walk to the bus stops in Ljubljana (3 of them are located at Slovenska cesta). At these stops most of the city busses stop so you can go in and get to your destination. Be aware that it might rain when you arrive and that your luggage might get a bit wet while you are waiting for the bus.

It is possible to do the distance by train e. g. from Germany. They offer a bus from the Train company that goes straight from Munich to Ljubljana for about 30€ to 60€. If you are coming from another city from Germany you can combine this ticket with an overnight or day train and if you are lucky you get the European train ticket price for 40€ only. I will take some hours too, to get to Ljubljana (between 12 and 17 hours) but if you have a good book, maybe nice company, an overnight train or enjoy the views from outside the window, this journey should be manageable. From Budapest there is also a train going straight to Ljubljana but it takes about 8 hours, the train only runs during day time and is quite slow so you should be fine with enjoying the views from the window.

Bus

Cheap bus lines start to conquer the long distance transportation service as Flixbus offers a lot of journeys from one capital of Europe to another. For example you can get a bus ride from Budapest to Ljubljana for 15€ (running 4 times a day), from Vienna to Ljubljana for 23€ (running 5 times a day), from Bologna to Ljubljana for 19€ (running 6 times a day) and from Stuttgart to Ljubljana for 29€ (running 12 times a day). The bus station in Ljubljana for busses abroad is located just next to the train station. Also from this bus station the local busses run to other cities in Slovenia, such as Maribor, Kranj or Bled. It is easy to navigate at the bus station as the platforms are marked by numbers and the busses show their destination as well. Furthermore the bus drivers speak some English so you can communicate if you have some questions. From the bus station (same as from the train station) you will get to Slovenska cesta, the main road for traffic in the city centre, in about 5-7 Minutes. From there the city busses run so that you can take one to get to your destination.

Car

If you have your own car and want to take it to Ljubljana and live not too far away, driving there is possible as well. You can take as much luggage with you as you want, maybe even some ski or a bicycle. Also you can put your journey on Blablacar so that others give you company along the road and you share the fuel costs. It would be good if your accommodation in Ljubljana has a garage or a place for your car, otherwise you might pay some fee that you do not want to every day to the city you are living in for some months.

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