INTRODUCTION - Croatia and Slovenia - page 10

The Budva Riviera Glitzy emerging beach resort zone.
Slovenia
▲▲ Ljubljana Slovenia'svibrant yetrelaxing capital, withafun-to-browse riverside
market, scintillating architecture, and inviting riverside promenade.
▲▲▲ Lake Bled Photogenic lake resort huddled in the foothills of the Julian Alps,
with a church-topped island, cliff-hanging castle, lakefront walkway, tasty desserts,
and appealing side-trips.
▲▲ The Julian Alps Cut-glass peaks easily conquered by a twisty and scenic moun-
tain road over the Vrši č Pass, ending in the tranquil So č a River Valley, with the fine
WWI museum in Kobarid.
▲ Logarska Dolina and the Northern Valleys Remote mountain valleys with grand
vistas and traditional farming lifestyles.
Ptuj and Maribor InPtuj,acharming-if-sleepyhistorictowntoppedbyacastle;and
Maribor, Slovenia's “second city.”
▲ The Karst Windblown limestone plateau with world-class caves (Škocjan and
Postojna), the Lipizzaner Stallion stud farm at Lipica, and the dramatically situated
Predjama Castle.
▲ Piran Slovenia's adorable leading seaside resort town.
Surface Transportation: For the two-week whirlwind trip described in this chapter, al-
low $150 per person for public transportation (train, bus, and boat tickets). Train travelers
will probably save money by simply buying tickets along the way, rather than purchasing
a railpass (see “Transportation,” here ) . A basic car rental costs about $450 per week, not
including tolls, gas, and insurance. Car rentals are cheapest if arranged from the US, but ex-
orbitant fees for dropping off in a different country can make it prohibitively expensive if
you're going to both Croatia and Slovenia (for strategies to avoid this headache, see “Rent-
ing a Car,” here ) . Don't hesitate to consider flying as budget airlines can be cheaper than
takingthetrain(check www.skyscanner.com forintra-Europeanflights).Formoreonpublic
transportation and car rental, see “Transportation” in the appendix.
Room and Board: You can thrive in Croatia and Slovenia on an average of $100 a day
per person for room and board (much less in Bosnia-Herzegovina). This allows $15 for
lunch, $25 for dinner, and $60 for lodging (based on two people splitting the cost of a $120