LJUBLJANA - GETTING AROUND

On foot

Most sights recommended by TripMasters are located in and around Ljubljana`s old town (roughly bordered by Presernova cesta to the west and Kopitarjeva ulica to the east). The old town covers roughly a third of a square mile, and distances between any two sights here are rarely over a half-mile apart from one another. Another great thing about Ljubljana`s old town is that many streets and bridges are closed to automobile traffic, making the Slovenian capital one of the most walkable cities in Europe. Walking, combined with public transportation, will take you to sights further away, such as Zoo Ljubljana, Mount Saint Mary, and Postojna.

By bus and Kavalir

Bus service in Ljubljana is provided by Ljubljanski potniski promet (LPP, Ljubljana Passenger Transport in English). In Ljubljana and its environs, LPP operates 23 daily bus lines, six nightly lines (running from 9 p.m. to 12:20 a.m., and then from 2:50 a.m. to 4:50 a.m.), and approximately 15 lines that run only on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or a combination of the three. City bus service typically begins at 5 a.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m. Fares begin at €1.30; to visit the sights inside Ljubljana`s ring road, no extra fee is charged. People using the Urbana smartcard will find that each ride includes bus transfers within 90 minutes of boarding the first bus. LPP also offers a special tourist Urbana card, which includes discounted admission to various Ljubljana museums and attractions. Prices vary from €31 to €45 for one to three days of sightseeing and bus rides. For more information, visit www.jhl.si/en/single-city-card-urbana/tourist-card.

Ljubljana bus station (Trg Osvobodilne fronte 4, dial 1991 from a Slovene telephone) is a hub for city and national transport. Bus lines 18, 18L, 51, 56, 60 and 78 take commuters to various sights around the old town and further afield. In addition, inter-city buses from the Ljubljana bus station will take you to Postojna (bus station at Titova cesta 2). There is a bus that takes people from AP Ljubljana to Postojna Cave. Buses drop off at Postojna Cave three times daily (leaving Ljubljana at 8:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and noon.)

LPP also operates an electric-powered people-mover vehicle called Kavalir (gentle helper). Kavalir vehicles traverse the normally-pedestrian-only old town, transporting visitors and those with mobility issues from place to place free of charge. Kavalirs can be hailed on the street or reserved via telephone (+386 (0) 31 666 331) between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. Two Kavalirs operate with open windows between April and October, and closed Kavalir cars are heated for comfort in winter. While you can see the Kavalir cars idling in the old town outside of winter, during the colder months they are parked at Žale Cemetery. For the closed Kavalirs, call +386 (0) 31 666 299.

By taxi

Thirteen taxi companies service Ljubljana and the surrounding areas. You can find taxi ranks near the train station, at the Ljubljana Tourist Information Center on Stritarjeva ulica, in front of the Grand Hotel Union, and around prime tourist sites. When hailing a cab from the street or taking one from a taxi rank, be sure to study the cabs closely and take the one that looks most legitimate. (For example, if a cab only has the word "TAXI" painted on it, a small light on the roof, and no other markers such as a telephone number, registration, etc., DO NOT take that cab. If you do, you may be overcharged.)

In addition to that tip, keep in mind two additional tips. First, taxis in Ljubljana can be hailed from the street, but they will cost more than a cab reserved via telephone. To save money, have your hotel reserve a cab for you, or reserve it yourself. (Taxi Laguna, +386 (0)1 511 23 14, is staffed with multiple English-speaking operators.) Second, there is no one set flagfall or price per mile that all Ljubljana taxis follow. You will find that the flagfall can be anything between €1 and €2, and the price per mile can vary between €1 and €3. If in doubt, ask your cab driver for the approximate fare price before proceeding. If you are traveling outside the city, calling ahead to a cab company can work in your favor as they may choose to offer you a discount. A taxi from Joze Pucnik Airport into central Ljubljana will set you back at least €40. Inside the Ljubljana ring road, overall fares average between €5 and €20 depending on distance.

Another option you can use to summon a taxi is the Hopin Taxi app. (Download by visiting www.hopintaxi.com/en.) The app (available in Slovene and English) allows customers to call for a taxi anywhere in Ljubljana using their smartphone or tablet.

By bicycle

Ljubljana was named the European Green Capital for the year 2016, and has also received the European Mobility Week Award from the European Commission twice, in 2003 and 2013. Cycling is a popular pastime and city governmental agencies have promoted the use of cycling in and around Ljubljana, to reduce traffic as well as the city`s overall carbon footprint.

The City of Ljubljana oversees a bike-share program called Bicike(LJ). There are 61 bike-sharing stations across the city, including 14 in the old town. At these stations, you can create a Bicike(LJ) account, which is paired with your credit card. A hold of €350 is placed on your account, so be sure to use this option only with a credit card. (The hold will be released in seven days, after your rides have been completed and it is verified that your bike is accounted for; if not, you will be debited for the amount.) A weekly subscription (allowing you to ride whenever you want) costs €1, and individual rides range from no cost (for rides that take less than an hour) to €4 for every hour after hour three. For more information on Bicike(LJ), visit en.bicikelj.si.

By car

If you are spending most of your time inside Ljubljana`s ring road of expressways (from north and going clockwise, the H3, the E57, the A2, and the E61), a car is not needed to get around. Parking is metered in most of central Ljubljana, and is usually at a premium, particularly on weekdays when many Ljubljanans go to work. When you do find get lucky and find available metered parking, it can cost as much as €0.80 per hour in the city center and €0.40 and €0.50 per hour closer to the ring road.

If you decide to rent a car, you can do so during your TripMasters reservation process; in Ljubljana you can request to pick your car up either from the airport upon arrival or in the city center. The companies Sixt, ATET, Budget, Avis, Dollar and Thrifty are represented at Joze Pucnik Airport. Sixt, Europcar, Budget, Avis, ATET, and Hertz (the latter through their local partner Kompas, the largest car rental company in the former Yugoslavia) are all represented with rental offices in Ljubljana`s city center as well.