Bled and the Julian Alps
Lake Bled with its island, the Vintgar Gorge and quiet Bohinj: most of Alpine Slovenia fits into day trips from a single base near Bled. Roads in Gorenjska are surprisingly gentle for an Alpine region, there are plenty of campsites around Bled and Bohinj, and you can travel between the sights by bus or by bike, so the motorhome can happily stay parked all day. The last two days pull you further east to the Logar Valley, which no longer belongs to the Julian Alps at all, but sits conveniently on the way home. The route works from spring to autumn, when the gorges and mountain roads are open.
The first day is a straight transfer along Austrian motorways via Linz and Salzburg. Sort out the Austrian vignette and the Slovenian e-vignette at home or online, and you will not be held up anywhere near the border. Stop for the night in the Salzkammergut, or already in Carinthia, so that only a short stretch is left for the next morning.
In the morning you drive through the tolled Karawanks Tunnel and you are in Slovenia. In the afternoon claim a pitch at a campsite near Bled and then set off on foot – the lap around the lake is flat, waymarked and easy to manage with children. For the first evening it is enough to sit by the water and enjoy the view of the island with its little church.
You reach the island on a traditional wooden pletna boat or in a rented rowing boat, and a long stairway leads up to the church. In the afternoon walk up to Bled Castle on its cliff above the lake, from where you can see the whole island and the ridges behind it. The rest of the day belongs to the cafés along the shore and the local cream cake.
Vintgar has a limited capacity, so book your entry online for a specific time – no tickets are sold at the entrance to the gorge itself. You leave the vehicle at the central car park and an electric shuttle bus takes you down to the gorge, which is the better option with a motorhome. Allow three hours for the whole circuit through the gorge and the themed way back. The afternoon is a good moment to drive over to Radovljica and walk through its medieval centre.
Move on to Lake Bohinj, which is considerably quieter and wilder than Bled. Head for the Savica waterfall by local bus or by bike – a day ticket costs around two euros and saves you hunting for a space in the small car park below the falls. Entry to Savica is charged, around four euros for adults, and plenty of steps lead up to it, so sturdy shoes are no luxury.
The valley of the Sava Dolinka takes you to Kranjska Gora below the border ridge. Just outside the town lies the Zelenci nature reserve with its turquoise springs, reached by a boardwalk and an observation tower – a short but very rewarding stop. If you have a soft spot for sporting curiosities, you can drive on to Planica and its ski jumps.
Today you leave the Julian Alps and cross into the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, home to the glacial Logar Valley. Entry to the valley is paid at the gate near Solčava and the road is narrow and has no verge, so drive with care and preferably outside peak hours. At the end of the valley the Rinka waterfall and the scenic Solčava Panoramic Road are waiting for you. Spend the night down in the Savinja valley, a comfortable place to start the journey home from.
The way back runs via Maribor and Graz and is the longest transfer of the whole trip, so set off first thing in the morning and break it up with at least two proper stops. Fill up with diesel in Slovenia before you join the motorway, it tends to be cheaper than in Austria. If you prefer shorter daily stints, plan one more overnight along the way – near Graz, for instance – and arrive home the following morning.
Slovenia: vehicles up to 3.5 t need a compulsory e-vignette for motorways and expressways. Because its height above the front axle exceeds 1.3 m, a motorhome usually falls into the more expensive class 2B – around €32 for a week, around €64 for a month; the lower class 2A (around €16 for a week) only applies to low vehicles. Above 3.5 t the e-vignette is not used at all: there the DarsGo on-board unit is compulsory and the toll is charged per kilometre driven. The same logic applies in Austria on the way there – up to 3.5 t a vignette (around €12.80 for ten days, around €32 for two months), above 3.5 t the GO-Box. The Karawanks Tunnel has its own toll on top of the vignette – a single journey for a vehicle up to 3.5 t, motorhomes included, costs around €9. Entry to the Logar Valley is charged at the gate near Solčava: €10 for a car, €20 for a van or estate, and with a motorhome expect the higher rate. Anyone staying in the Solčavsko area pays only once for the whole stay.
Camping Bled, Bled (Zaka bay) · Camping Šobec, Lesce · Kamp Danica, Bohinjska Bistrica · Kamp Bohinj Zlatorog, Ukanc · Kamp Špik, Gozd Martuljek · Camping Kamne, Dovje near Mojstrana · Camping Menina, Rečica ob Savinji · Autokamp Šmica, Luče
Slovenia does not allow wild camping or overnight stays outside designated places, and around Bohinj this is actively enforced. The municipality of Bohinj permits motorhomes to stay overnight only in designated areas – by the railway station in Bohinjska Bistrica, at the Senožeta car park in Srednja vas, and at the Danica and Bohinj campsites. Elsewhere in the region a simple rule applies: park in marked spaces and sleep at a campsite. In high season the campsites around Bled and Bohinj fill up, so book your place in advance.
You can top up water and empty waste at the campsites; a disposal point for waste water and chemical toilets is available at Camping Šobec in Lesce and at Kamp Danica in Bohinjska Bistrica. Many Slovenian campsites will let passing vehicles use the service too, but arrange it at reception beforehand – it is not an entitlement. Before setting off for the Logar Valley it is worth filling the tank down in the Savinja valley, as there is almost no service in the valley itself.
Adria Compact
The Adria Compact is a nimble low-profile motorhome measuring 2,120 mm across – narrower than the roomier Matrix and Coral at 2,299 mm, so it fits more easily onto the narrow road into the Logar Valley and through the entrances of the campsites around Bohinj. Inside it is still a full-size vehicle with four travel seats and 3+1 berths, so a family can stay put near Bled for a whole week and get around by bus or by bike.
Get road trip ideas by email
Leave us your email and we will send motorhome inspiration and stock updates.