|
| |
|
GETTING AROUND |
| |
|
|
| |
Traversing Slovenia by any kind of public transport is relatively
easy and usually very scenic. Generally speaking, trains provide the
fastest means of travelling on the main routes linking the capital with
Maribor and Koper, or with Austria and Italy. Everywhere else, buses are
far more convenient
Trains and buses
Slovene railways (Slovenske zeleznice) run a smooth and efficient
service. Trains ( vlaki ) are divided into potniski (slow ones which
stop at every halt) and IC (intercity trains which are faster and
slightly more expensive). Some of the latter, colloquially known as
zeleni vlaki (green trains), are designated on timetables by the
initials ICZV, and are express services on which prior seat reservations
( rezervacije ) are obligatory. Timetable leaflets ( vozni red ) are
sometimes available although most timetables have explanations in
English. Odhodi are departures, prihodi arrivals. Both Eurail and
InterRail passes are valid.
Slovenia's bus network consists of an array of small local companies,
but their services are well co-ordinated. Big towns such as Ljubljana,
Maribor and Koper have big bus stations with computerized booking
facilities where you can buy your tickets hours (if not days) in advance
- recommended if you're travelling between Ljubljana and the coast at
the height of summer. Elsewhere, simply pile onto the bus and pay the
driver or conductor. You'll be charged extra for cumbersome items of
baggage, like a backpack, which must be stored in the hold.
Driving and hitching
The road system is both comprehensive and of reasonable quality.
Stretches of the main Ljubljana-Koper, Ljubljana-Maribor and Ljubljana-Jesenice
routes are classed as motorways ( avtoceste ) and large stretches of
them have been converted to dual carriageway (tolls are levied on these
routes); elsewhere main roads soon get clogged up with summer traffic.
Speed limits on Slovene roads are 50kph in built-up areas, 90kph on
normal roads, 100kph on highways and 130kph on motorways. If you break
down, the Slovene Automobile Club (AMZS) has a 24hr emergency service (tel
987), and there are technical centres in all the larger towns. Car
rental charges are about £50/$75 a day for a standard mid-range vehicle
with unlimited mileage.
Hitching is pretty common on the main Ljubljana-Maribor, Ljubljana-Koper
and Bled-Bohinj routes, although you should be prepared to wait a long
time for a lift, and remember that hitching is forbidden on anything
classified as a motorway (recognizable by the green road signs).
Elsewhere in the country, prospects for hitching vary from one region to
another.
|
| |
|
