If you are traveling to Ljubljana by car, there are a few things that you should know while driving in the Slovenian capital. Whether you are driving your own car or you're renting one, it’s always nice to be prepared and enjoy a safe and pleasant trip.
Vignette requirements, parking options, speed and alcohol limits, and emergency and roadside assistance numbers. All these things would help you plan your trip and have pleasant and safe travels. Driving in Ljubljana is always nice; roads are very well maintained. Traffic is well organized, and drivers are relatively tolerant. Sometimes you could witness aggressive driving, but it happens very rarely.
We love visiting Ljubljana and created a YouTube video to share some useful info and tips that will help you navigate through this beautiful city. Continue reading below, and then watch the video to get all the info you need for your trip.
The city center of Ljubljana is a pedestrian zone, and you cannot drive your car there. If you want to explore the city center, it’s better to find a parking space, leave your car, and have a nice walk. Ljubljana is a very compact city, and you practically don’t need a car in the city center. Finding a free parking space can be a bit challenging, and parking garages are a bit expensive, like in most European capitals. You can also try street parking, but on most of the streets it is paid to park too - 40 -50 cents per hour, still cheaper than the parking garages, but usually it's very hard to find a free spot. There are a few buffer parking lots in the suburbs of the city, which you can also use and get public transport from there to the city center. You can check on Google Maps for directions.
You probably wonder if you have to purchase a vignette. Having a valid e-vignette is not mandatory for driving on the city streets in Ljubljana, but only if your route doesn't cross the roads covered by toll fees. Driving on the motorway or expressway to enter, exit, or bypass the city requires a valid electronic vignette. The Ljubljana bypass (the motorway ring around Ljubljana) and all roads marked with A for motorways and H for expressways are part of the toll road network of Slovenia. If your trip includes even a part of this bypass, you will be caught on some of the toll cameras, which are everywhere. The fine for driving without a valid vignette could reach up to 800 euros. You decide if you want to take that risk. You can buy an e-vignette online from the website evinjeta.dars.si.
A weekly vignette currently costs 16 euros for cars and motor homes up to 3.5 tons - class 2A and 32 euros per month. In comparison with the fine you can get, it’s much cheaper. During rush hours, traffic in Ljubljana can be very dense, and you can get stuck in a traffic jam, so it's better to avoid traveling during these hours. Many people who work in Ljubljana live outside the city and travel every day to work and back home; this creates long car lines that try to enter and exit the city during rush hours. You can find more useful info in our video.
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