Save money in Ljubljana - Tips for living in Ljubljana on a student budget

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

I already mentioned some of the advantages you have as a student in Ljubljana – the low living costs in dormitories, the free SIM Card you get from the student organisation and the Studentski boni system for eating. Also getting a bike for riding to the university and into the city center will save you money on the bus and you can explore your surroundings.

ESN Card

Once you get to Ljubljana you'll have to decide if you want to get an ESN Card from the student organisation or not. They offer it to you and with that card you get some discounts in clubs and also on trips they organise.

Free Admissions to museums

Some of the museums in Ljubljana offer free entrance on the first Sunday of the month like the National Museum of Contemporary History, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art. On 18th of May in Ljubljana they celebrate the International Museum Day, on the second or third saturday in June it is Museum Summer night and on 3rd of December the Merry Day of Culture. On these days you can go to as many museums as you want for free.

Studentski boni

For eating there is a special system in Slovenia especially for students. It is called Studentski boni and means that you can have subsidised meals in most restaurants around Ljubljana. This service comes from the old communist time in which people got subsidised meals from the state to be able to eat something. You need to fill in papers and show your student card and then you get the studentski boni. It is an interesting system as you put a code into your phone when you want to pay for a meal in a restaurant. Then you hold your phone on top of a little maschine and like a fax it makes noises until it connects with your profile from studentski boni and allows you to pay the lower price for the meal. As a student you have 20 meals in a month to use with this system and it is worth it! The studentski boni consists of an appetizer (soup usually, sometimes salad), a main dish and a dessert (usually fruits, sometimes a yoghurt or something like that). The portions are sometimes very big and you can easily share one meal with your friend (e. g. a Pizza or something Mexican).

(Almost) Free Events and Festivals

In December Ljubljana will become brighter as the city loves to celebrate the time before Christmas (Ljubljana’s Festive Fair). In the center you will find food and drink stalls, free music concerts and other events for adults and children will be held as well. Also in June there is the Ljubljana festival in Kongresni trg with a lot of events (classical music concerts, DJ perfomances, theatre and puppet shows).

From the middle of March until October the Open Kitchen will be held in the city center. It is a really nice opportunity to stroll around the stalls and see a variety of food presented. You find everything from burgers to cheese, falafel and meat dishes. The prices might not be the cheapest ones but it is worth to try and often you get a bite for free if you are interested in a certain dish. Vegetarian and Vegans will find something as well as there is Slovenian food to taste.

Every Sunday along the river in the old town you will find a flea market in the morning times (8am until 2pm). You will find everything there and sometimes the question occurs if you really need all the stuff that is for sale (antiques, art, furniture etc. Also you might find old memories of the times in the former Republic of Yugoslav: coins, banknotes, uniforms, pins, medals and other military things) but to have a look around and get to know the atmosphere at an Slovenian flea market, it is worth a visit.

The botanical garden in the south of the city if for free as well. It is very small but beautiful and they even have some animals like ducks and turtles. There is a nice little café in the middle of the garden so you can sit down, relax, be in nature and calm down.

On 21st of June such as a lot of other cities all over the world, Ljubljana hosts the Fete de la musique (Slovenian Music Days) in the streets. You can go around the old town and see stages where a lot of bands and choirs sing, make music and have a good time with the audience. Especially when it is a warm day and the sun comes out this event is really enjoyable. Generations of people come together, families, grandparents, children and teenagers to celebrate the summer with nice music.

Also if you like live music there are quiet some bars that have regularly concerts of different bands. On Mondays you can go to Zoo, it is at Tržaška cesta 2 and at around 9pm bands play. Usually it is Jazz but they also have some evenings with Spanish music, Rock or Irish music. You pay for your drink and give a donation for the band. Prulček is another bar (located at Prijateljeva ulica 2) where bands play every Wednesday and you can enjoy it over a beer.

Every Thursday there is a Jam Session (mostly of students and other young people) at Rog (an old factory building). They grab their guitars, sing a little and time flies by.

Also at Daktari, every Sunday evening during the term, they will have Open Mic (no entrance fee). This is a really cool event, as Slovenes and Internationals gather together to show some of their talents. It does not matter if you are a very good singer or just feel like Eminem and rap a little, everyone is welcome and the applause is big for each particiapant.

Taking Walks around

Taking a walk is (of course) always free. As the old town of Ljubljana is very beautiful, you can walk around the old streets, watch some people making big soap bubbles, playing instruments or selling self-made jewelery from Spring until autumn. Also you can walk along the river Ljubljanisca and might happen to see musquashes near the clinical center.

If you go more south along the river you might see some boats with tourists or locals. Tivoli Park is the biggest park in Ljubljana, it even has a hill with a little pink chapel on it. Many Slovenes take a walk, go running or enjoy nature in this park and so can you. Closer to the city there is a rose garden as well you can visit. If you go to the south side of the park, there will be a restaurant and some horses, if you go to the north you will end up at a big lake which you can walk around and have a picnic at or just read a book.

Secondhand Book Stores

Talking about books, if you want buy any in English there are quite some secondhand book stores that also have books in English (sometimes even in Italian, Russia or German). At the river near the three bridges and Prešeren Square there are at least 2 secondhand book stores. In Summer they have wooden boxes filled with books outside and you can search for your favourite one (may it be a historic roman, a crimi, a lovestory or maybe even fairytales). The price of the books vary but it will be not more than 3-8€ for a book and you can trade if you take more than one.

Rent a Car

If you want to rent a car to do some trips in Slovenia or to visit the neighbour countries, renting a car is a very good option. The company Atet is specialised on students, so they offer very good prices for a car. At this company the ESN Card is helpful as you get 1 free day for 10 rental days, a low cash deposit (only 50€) and free GPS. I list more of the benefits for ESN Card holders below:

• Free cross-border card
• Free Slovene vignette
• Free additional driver
• Free upgrade from 5 to 7 seater when booking a D1 group
• Free winter tyres
• Free pick up the night before, if you plan a trip before 7am
• Diesel cars with excellent consumption
• Cash deposit is possible

But even if you do not have the ESN Card, they have good offers for students, speak English at the counter, give you nice cars and the service is good.

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