Budget. Cost. Money. Topics usually shied away from in perhaps all social, and digital, circles. And hey, I get it. But over here I am nothing if not an open book. This time we are talking about Slovenia.
For our summer family holiday in 2024 we decided upon exploring Slovenia.
As a family we love to travel to lesser known but doable places in the world and after visiting North Macedonia last year (a beautiful and wholly surprising country) we were keen to explore more of what central and south eastern Europe had to offer. The mountains and lakes of Slovenia felt like they were calling us. And boy am I glad. Slovenia was epic. We all fell in love with it’s charm and emerald rivered beauty.
But how much was it going to cost?
Budgeting trips, travels and family holidays can be tough. Unless you are choosing an all in one package where you know the cost upfront. Or have alot of experience for your chosen destination. It can be a minefield. Especially when money isn’t typically something either travel bloggers or even your friends and family tend to share easily and openly. At least not here in the UK.
Yet it is also a really important topic and decision maker because, let’s face it, infinite money isn’t something many of us tend to have. So garnering as much information about various countries on your ‘to visit’ list is the best way to make informed decisions. And something I do as part of any trip research because some destinations are just unaffordable for us. That’s ok.
So whether you’re planning to travel in Slovenia, curious to add it to that ever growing (if you’re anything like me anyway) to travel list or maybe, just maybe, you’re merely a little bit nosey, I am sharing our budget here.
If you are purely here for that total I get it. As usual scroll to the end for the very quick version.
*Disclaimer*
Now, written fast like I’m Claudia Winklemen with T&C’s, Strictly Come Dancing Saturday night live style (can you tell it’s Strictly Season?). The Disclaimer.
Budget is personal to everybody. There’s no right or wrong, there’s no judgement passed here either way. This post is purely me being transparent about what it honestly cost us in 2024 for our family, for our travel, with our specific set of circumstances (ie I broke my back halfway so may well have spent more had that not happened) and sharing in case it helps you to plan your adventures too.
Our goal is to get as much out of our money when travelling as is feasible whilst being authentic and achievable. We like to travel as much as possible in any given year for the same price as we would spend on a more traditional style resort family holiday. Travel is something we love, so we prioritise it in our lives. Sometimes we splurge and sometimes we are frugal, it’s a balance we are personally happy with for the most part *though wouldn’t turn my nose up at a windfall any day now allowing me to travel ALL THE TIME yes please* we save in our non travelling life to enable this. Therefore please take this information as you will to guide; in the way it is intended.
That out of the way, let’s get into it.
Travel – £1380 + €213.60
Flights – £1100
Direct flights to Slovenia’s Capital City Ljubljana are available from London with a flight time of just over 2 hours. As we are Staffordshire based we opted for indirect flights from Manchester to Ljubljana via Brussels/Frankfurt with short layovers.
This price is for 2 adults, 2 children (13 & 9) with two 23kg checked in bags and hand luggage each (standard with Lufthansa) from 24th August – 4th September 2024. Booked 4 months earlier in April 2024. We didn’t pay to be seated together, we ended up on the same row and with one child next to one adult. We know this is a risk and we are happy to take it to save. Plus each flight was only just over an hour.
Car Hire – £280
Our hire car, a Suzuki Vitara, cost £280 booked through booking.com with Free2Rent which was right across the road from arrivals in Ljubljana and also included the vignette which you require to drive on the motorways in Slovenia. Booked in June 2024.
Fuel – €90
Quick tip that fuel prices are regulated in the towns and cities in Slovenia so it is generally cheaper to fill up there than in more remote areas or motorways. The fuel prices were on par with the UK at the time (maybe a little less taking into account exchange rate) around €1.4 euros per litre. Although Slovenia is a relatively small country with great accessibility we were travelling around to 4 different areas and knew therefore we were going to cover some ground. Our whole trip was about 650 miles.
Public Transport – €13.60
Despite having the car, we caught the bus to central Ljubljana one day from our accommodation to save on parking (a largely unexpected cost in Slovenia) which was €1.30 each for a 10 minute journey.
Parking – €110
The last but very much not least travel aspect is the parking. Slovenia loves to charge for parking and it absolutely does add up, even at locations you have paid to buy tickets to visit that typically in the UK you wouldn’t then expect to have to pay for parking in top of. You do.
Mostly it ranges from €1.50 per hour to the most in Bled at an eye watering €6 per hour. I have highlighted the amount we spent as a total here but I will mention in the detail below where we had to pay it. If you are driving around visiting various places in one day then it can quickly mount up.
It also may be worth seeing if the parking outweighs the saving in accommodation if you stay closer to your desired location. Especially in Bled. Although do check that free parking is included in the accommodation too otherwise you could get stung on both sides!
Accommodation – €1772.78
City – Ljubljana – €235.32 {€117.66 per night}
10 minutes outside of Ljubljana we stayed for 2 nights in a studio apartment with a double bed and a double sofa bed that the children shared. There was free parking outside and lovely clean decor.
Coast – Koper – €272.55 {€136.28 per night}
10 minutes from the coastal town Izola and 20 minutes from Piran we stayed in Koper for 2 nights. The apartment was bijou with one bedroom housing a double bed and bunkbeds and the very welcome huge above ground pool for the children.
Soča Valley – Žaga – €570.51 {€190.17 per night}
A short drive outside of Bovec we stayed in Žaga in the Soča valley for 3 nights. This was by far the best accommodation with the views being out of this world from the many balconies and a mostly modern interior. We would go back in a heartbeat. It has 3 bedrooms with a double, two singles and a bunk bed so we each had our own space with such comfy beds we didn’t want to leave. There was shared outdoor space with the apartment below. The living accommodation was a little small but the location in the mountains was *chefs kiss* perfection.
Bled – Zgornje Gorje – €615.40 {€153.85 per night}
10 minutes outside of Bled (because this area is the most expensive) we paid a little more for a two bedroom apartment. There was a double bed in both rooms and then a single bed squeezed into the second aswell. It had a balcony (although it was very small and the view was mostly obscured) parking and an open plan kitchen living area.
The beds were unfortunately some of the most uncomfortable thin foam mattresses and the shower flooded the bathroom so it wasn’t ideal for the most we spent. It was however lovely to sit at the breakfast bar of a morning in the well equipped kitchen with a coffee from the machine and talk about the day ahead.
All of our accommodation was actually booked super last minute through booking.com and literally 10 days before we left! Not always our style but; life! How this affected the price we’ll never know.
For mid range accommodation in Slovenia you usually are looking around €150 per night for family rooms in the summer. We veer towards apartments over hotels as a personal preference and as you can see we chose to save a little on the first two stays in order to pay a little more for the last two. I will write full reviews in another post but accommodation 3 in Soča valley outdid all the others by a country mile for the views and comfy beds alone. It is also the only one we would happily book again.
We generally stay a little outside of the main areas to either pay less and save or get a little more for the same money whether that is space or aesthetics. The last thing I would note is I would suggest always checking the air conditioning as it can get very hot and in some places the air con was confined to the shared space and not the bedrooms. Some hot nights sleeps were had with open doors and a very cold living space.
Tourist Tax – €80
Another unexpected cost for us was the tourist tax you have to pay when staying in Slovenia. Not something I was aware of even in my research. Some accommodations will ask you to pay in advance whether via paypal or bank transfer and others require cash on the table on departure. You are required to fill in a tax form with your details. The fee depends on the location and accommodation rating and is a per person per night tax with children being half the adult cost. On average this cost was between €2-4 per person per night.
Activities €216.50 + £220
Depending on what type of destination you go to and what kind of travel family or traveller you are means this section can of course differ wildly. We wanted to get a good balance between exploring the area and relaxing by the water. Of course as in any country there is more to see and do than any trip could ever contain so picking and choosing based on your preferences or budget is key.
Ljubljana – €17.20
In Ljubljana we walked up to visit Ljubljana castle grounds for free (tickets for the watchtower, chapel and exhibits cost €12 Adults €8.40 children) and experienced some great viewpoints over the city from around there. We took the funicular down which cost €11.20 for a family and visited both Ljubljana Cathedral €6 and Franciscan Church of the Annunciation which was free. It’s a great city with a lovely vibe and sitting by the river with an ice cream soaking up the atmosphere or people watching in Tivoli city park was really enjoyable.
Coast €110
On our way to Koper we visited Postojna Cave €101.50 and Predjama Castle (we visited the grounds, a family ticket would have been €61 to go inside the castle). We paid for parking at both places which are only a 15 minute drive from one another.
In visiting the coastal towns Koper, Izola, Piran and Moon Bay Beach we only paid to go onto Piran City Walls at a cost of €8 and then of course parking at each.
The coast was our least favourite area of Slovenia. There was nothing wrong, it is actually beautiful and the towns are really pretty with their terracotta roofs and historic buildings. I just think that for us, the call of the sea which is quite choppy and salty there isn’t the best of what Slovenia has to offer and had we lived our time again we would have chosen to explore more of the eastern part of Slovenia that we couldn’t fit into this itinerary.
Soča Valley €16 + £220
On the way to our accommodation near Bovec we stopped off at a pretty town of Kanal ob Soči. We visited a bakery and sat by the river in the sunshine. This was what we did alot of in the Soča region. We found a myriad of different places, beautiful bridges and off the beaten track ‘beaches’ to paddle in the *freezing* cold Soča river just paying for parking.
The biggest activity here, and the most expensive by far, was river rafting which I booked before we came through Soča Splash who run lots of water activities in this area. We didn’t have a great experience with them after I got injured but if it all ran smoothly, where I guess it does 99% of the time, I am sure it would be ok. Just don’t jump into the river from the rock is all I would advise! This cost £220 for a family (plus parking) and the rafting itself Eddy and the children LOVED. It was a great experience.
Kozjak waterfall costing €16 cash for 2 adults and 2 children plus parking on site was the next paid for activity. There are many waterfalls in Slovenia and this was the most accessible with our route and also my injury.
The last (free) activity of our favourite area in Slovenia was to experience the Great Soča Gorge and its stunning Emerald waters. You can view and enter at many different points and there are plenty of stunning ‘wibbly wobbly’ (as the girls like to call them) bridges crossing the gorge for incredible aspects. It really does take your breath away.
Bled – €90
We took the scenic route along the Vršič Pass to Bled area which is the highest mountain pass in the Julian alps with 50 hairpin turns; 24 up and 26 down. It was nerve wracking at times but really good fun and Eddy loved driving it. The views are just incredible. We planned to stop at Lake Jasna after but as we drove through it was really really busy and just wasn’t for us so we kept going towards our accommodation.
Vintgar Gorge which I had booked online for €30 is one of the most beautiful gorges in the world. It’s a one way walk along the gorge ending at Sum waterfall then a hike back, it looks incredible. Unfortunately due to my back injury I wasn’t able to go. Eddy did take the girls and had a lovely time and fed back all about it.
We visited Lake Bohinj and Lake Bled numerous times paying only for parking. Bohinj being our personal favourite. It is up there with one of my favourite places I have ever been. So serene and absolutely stunning.
Our plans to hire a boat at Lake Bled to visit the church in the middle were again scuppered by my injury and the Straza Bled toboggan that Eva wanted to do was scuppered by the frequent rain that seemed to come every day around 3pm! So there wasn’t much activities cost here.
Another plan was to walk the 6km loop around Lake Bled which wasn’t doable. Though Eddy did run it. We instead treated our horse mad 9 year old to the same loop on a horse and carriage ride that you can pick up at one side of the lake. We paid €60 and it was worth every penny just for her little face. Maybe not so good on the back!
It is busy in Bled and the lake is directly on the road. There are swimming spots (you can’t swim everywhere) but be aware there isn’t really a gradient so it gets very deep very quickly. The church in the middle of the lake is stunning and if you can, definitely visit. I would like to return just to do that. We did hike to the viewpoint on our last morning which is a very steep climb but my goodness the view really is worth every single step.
Food €800
The food in Slovenia, I would say, was the same or slightly more expensive than what you would find in the uk, especially when eating out.
We found the food to be a mix of pizza, meats, stews and bread. We of course also tried the famous Bled Cake which is kind of like a custard slice from the UK but with alot more filling, which was ok, it didn’t seem to have much flavour.
When travelling (and at home) we don’t eat out all of the time and will head to the supermarket for supplies for breakfast, snacks and sometimes a pasta and sauce dinner is all anyone needs after a long day exploring. Our family, for various reasons, has to manage energy levels and choose eating out vs other activities.
The activities almost always win.
Drinks wise, we don’t currently drink alcohol, took our own water bottles and water is safe to drink in all of Slovenia. Snacks, we also tend to take some of our own safe snacks from home to both save money and for convenience as an allergy family. Plus noone wants hangry children whilst travelling, or parents for that matter!
And yes we were 90% bread upon return with most of the bakery options bread based. For us I wouldn’t say the food was standout in Slovenia as it has been in other places we have visited and definitely didn’t become the focus although we did have some nice traditional meals. The seafood platter and polenta we shared in Piran for example was the best.
Additional Costs €100
We took a small amount of cash with us, paying pretty much everything else with a card but it was needed for things like having to pay for toilet facilities, even in places you have paid for a ticket. This ranged from 50 cent to €2 each. And some parking and waterfall entry. I would say always have a small amount of cash but Slovenia is perfectly set up in most places for cards.
Just Here For The Total
For a family of four spending a 12 day summer road trip around Slovenia in total we spent;
€3100 + £2025 = £4200 *depending on the exchange rate. 1.2 at the time.
Other Costs
Here are some other costs to consider that can increase the overall travelling amount. We don’t pay for these for each trip but always worth covering all bases.
Travel Insurance
Our worldwide annual travel insurance comes with a fee paying bank account so we don’t pay for individual trips. Do ensure yours covers any activities you are going to do, especially water based ones, and if you have insurance per trip ensure to purchase it on booking should anything prevent you from travelling rather than just before you go. Due to family illness we have had to claim in the past.
Bank charges
Don’t forget to factor in any bank charges for paying in a different currency or exchanging money. When travelling we use a Global Money Account with HSBC which allows you to hold up to 50 different currencies with no exchange or bank fees. The exchange rate varies so do check that.
Phone/Data
The signal in Slovenia was perfect for our trip. We used maps for navigation as my O2 contract has roaming included. Do check if you need to add this on to your package. Each accommodation also provided wifi.
Was it worth it?
To end I like to leave facts behind and add a little opinion with the overall ‘so, was it worth it?’ question for each destination that let’s be honest usually is exactly what people want to know.
Hindsight anyone!?
If you have read my Norwegian Fjord Cruise post you’ll know I had a lot to explain and wear my heart firmly on my sleeve.
For Slovenia, I have to say it is a *big* yes.
Slovenia is an incredible, beautiful and enigmatic place. It was so much more than we were expecting and although my accident and subsequent injury did change things. Plus the prices were a little more than we were anticipating once we got there, it was 100% worth it and I would go back in a heartbeat. Which I think always tell a story in itself.
I am interested to know if the price is more than you expected? Less? About the same? Or indeed if you have travelled to Slovenia if it looks like your budget and maybe how we could all learn to save? Let me know.
Also happy to answer any questions you may have if you’re planning your trip and ways to save/splurge to make your trip the best it can be for you.
Like to know the cost of our adventures? We don’t gate keep over here, I have shared others such as Lapland and Norwegian Cruise and have a child free break in Venice and our family holiday to North Macedonia to write up too. If this post has inspired you then look out for Slovenia travel guides to come.