Essential Things to Know Before Traveling to Slovenia

CAPITAL
Ljubljana

LANGUAGE
Slovene, which is closely related to Croat and Czech. Most Slovenes speak German, Hungarian or Italian, with English as a second language.

RELIGION
Most of the population is Roman Catholic (75%), with small communities of other Christians including Eastern Orthodox; there are Muslim and Jewish minorities.

ELECTRICITY
230 volts AC, 50Hz. European plugs with two round pins are standard.

PASSPORTS & VISAS
Passports must be valid for at least six months from date of entry into Slovenia. Passports must also have at least one fully blank page for entry/exit stamps.
Most nationalities (including citizens of the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US) do not need a visa to enter Slovenia.
All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Passports are required; in addition, travelers are advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding Visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is sole responsibility of the traveler.

LOCAL CURRENCY
The monetary unit in Slovenia is the Euro (€) Euro = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Be careful with your belongings when anywhere in Slovenia and make sure that you keep firm hold of your bags and wallet. As with many European cities, tourists can be especially targeted by pickpockets.

Credit cards:
American Express, Diners, MasterCard and Visa are accepted at upmarket establishments; elsewhere cash is preferred. Credit cards can be used to get cash advances from banks.

ATM:
ATMs are widely available throughout Slovenia.

Travellers cheques:
Traveller's cheques are widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Euros, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Banking hours:
Mon-Fri 0830-1230 and 1400-1700; Sat 0830-1100/1200.

CLOTHING
Medium-weight clothing and heavy overcoats in winter; lightweight clothing and raincoats for the summer, particularly for the higher Alpine north.

COMMUNICATIONS
One of the cheapest ways to make a phone call from Ljubljana to someone back home is to purchase a pre-paid phone card. These can be purchased at the local post office or from some stores around town. Prepaid cards are a must for using payphones on the street – no coins accepted!
Mobile phone: Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good.

Internet:
Virtually every hotel and hostel in the land now has internet access – a computer for guests’ use (free or for a small fee), wi-fi – or both. Most of the country's tourist information centres offer free (or very cheap) access, many libraries in Slovenia have free terminals, and many cities and towns even have free wi-fi in the centre, including Ljubljana.
If you want to get online anywhere, you can get a Visitor SIM for any smart device from €15 for 15 days

Post office hours:
The post offices in Ljubljana are open long hours during the week – usually from about eight in the morning until six in the evening. They’re also open for a few hours on Saturday mornings.

FOOD
Slovenia's national cuisine consists of simple fresh produce and has been influenced by its neighbours and occupiers, namely Austria, Italy and Hungary. Soup is a typical starter followed by a pork, chicken or turkey dish with seasonal vegetables or salad.
Each region has its own special dessert, but pancakes are popular too. As Germany and Austria supply the bulk of tourists in many parts, dishes such as sauerkraut, grilled sausage and apple strudel can be found on most menus too.

MEALS
Breakfast is provided each day on most tours and many tours also include a number of dinners. Lunches are rarely included to give you more freedom. Approximate costs for meals and snacks not included are shown below but please note that the exact cost varies widely depending on whether you are in the capital cities or smaller regional towns;

• Simple snack - € 5-15
• Light meal - € 15-25
• Fancy restaurant - € 25+

SPECIALTIES

• Potica (a circular cake with a variety of fillings, namely nuts, honey, cream, raisins and cinnamon)
• Goulash (a stew of meat and vegetables popular in the Hungarian influenced eastern Prekmurje region)
• Gibanica (a popular layer cake made with pastry, cheese and eggs)
• Nanos (a Slovenian hard cheese, it is one of many tasty varieties produced across the country)
• Seafood (popular along the coast of Slovenia)
• Bled cream cake (lashings of vanilla cream between two slices of pastry)

REGIONAL DRINKS

• Ganje (a potent brandy made from local fruit, but most commonly blueberry)
• Wine (Slovenia’s best kept secret is its outstanding wines which include whites, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Furmint and Rebula, and rich reds such as Terrano)
• Union (a popular Slovenian beer)
• Lasko (another popular beer brewed in the eponymous town)

WEATHER & CLIMATE
This compact and strategically important country is dominated by mountains, rivers and major north-south and east-west transit routes. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast and Croatia to the southeast, with a 47km (30-mile) Adriatic Sea coastline, where the main port is Koper.

BEST TIME TO VISIT:

Low Season (Nov–Mar)
Ski season runs from mid-December to March or even April. Christmas through New Year can be crowded. Attractions in smaller towns may close or have limited hours.

Shoulder (Apr & May, Sep & Oct)
Sunny, dry September is a great time for climbing Mt Triglav. Lower tariffs are in effect at many hotels. Rafting is great by late May; swimming is over by October. Best overall time for hiking.

High Season (Jun–Aug)
Mostly sunny skies with occasional rain. Crowds in Ljubljana and the coast; advance accommodation booking essential. Museums and other attractions open for business. Party atmosphere everywhere.

SLOVENIA - WEATHER AVERAGES

SUGGESTED TIPPING SCALE:
When a gratuity is not included in your bill, which may or may not be the case, paying an extra 10% is customary. If service is outstanding, you could go as high as 15%. With taxi drivers, however, you usually just round up the sum.

Here are some guidelines that you may find helpful:

HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance. Your home country health plan may only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Indus Travels can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance, however they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased. Most insurance companies do have exclusions in their coverage. Pre-existing medical conditions are not insurable.