Summer in Slovenia - recommendations please

[Marmadukebones]

We plan to go to Slovenia next Summer. I'd love to hear your tips and thoughts for the best places you visited - going with teens. Should we also go to Croatia?

Predjana Castle .Postyana Caves. I'm spelling those phonetically. Are you camping or in hotel?

It will be hotels/air bnb. Def no camping!

Is it a nice/interesting place for teens?

Lake Bohinj. Much quieter than Bled. Swimming, SUP, hiking to mountain huts even if just for coffee and cake.

Agree that Postonja Caves are well worth a visit.

Ljubljana is a great city. Very compact, lovely to sit by the river with a drink, great places to eat in the old lanes, the central food market is fab.

Depends what they are into. We camp because we go climbing so stayed in Treglev National Park. Then we went to a campsite that had a cave system linked to the Postyana Caves.
You may be better staying on the coast (Adriatic Sea).
Croatia might be better with teens.

@DownThePubWithStevieNicks I'd forgotten lake Bohinj!
Kranski Gora? The ski jumps are mental when you actuysee them up close.

Went with two teens earlier in the summer. They loved it and would happily go back. Things they enjoyed included:

• Lake Bohinj for swimming/paddle boarding etc *Sunset at Lake Bled for the Insta photos *Cable car at Vogel *Toboggan at Kranjska Gora and Bled *Swimming in the rivers

We wanted to to do rafting on the Soca but couldn't fit it in.

We then went to near the Croatian border and stayed at Terme Cadez which is has a huge water park with loads of slides.

Mine are quite active though so depends what hours like doing

We did 2 nights in Venice, train to lake Bohinj for 5 nights (day trip to lake bled), 2 nights in Llubljana, 3 nights in Piran, last night in Trieste.
Flights were significantly cheaper to Italy.
Bus/train travel is easy.
Didn't hire a car.
Teens loved it - kayaking, sightseeing, hiking, Vogel cable car, paddle boarding.

In July we did 2 nights Venice (lovely apartment near rialto bridge), 5 nights Bled (gorgeous apartment 1 mile outside of the town), 7 nights just outside Rovinj in Croatia (originally staying in a hotel near Porec but it was too busy so we moved to a great villa near Rovinj). Had a brilliant time and the kids (DS 16 and DD12) loved it. Would stay longer in Slovenia if doing at again though, the scenery is just amazing and there's loads of outdoor activities available.

We visited Bohinj while in Slovenia but found it very busy (struggled to park anywhere near the lake) and were glad we weren't staying there. It's only half an hour or so to visit from Bled, which we found to be a better base (busy town, but still pleasant atmosphere, gorgeous scenery and we enjoyed staying just outside the town).

We hired a car and DH loved driving from Venice to Bled through the mountains. The drive back from Rovinj to Venice for the flight home was less fun but not too bad.

It's the absolute undiscovered gem of Europe, extremely good value, good food, beautiful and very varied scenery.

It’s a very small country, when we were there we carried our passports because it’s very easy to drive into Croatia unintentionally.
We stayed on the coast at Portoroz and it was easy to get out and about for day trips to Lake Bled, Ljubljana and the caves.

What is the temperature like in August? Bearable?

Hot but bearable. We hiked on several days. I found Venice the hardest with the heat, but without stopping in a cafe there was little shade.

Yes, I found Venice very unpleasant in August. I wouldn't go back

The caves are insane.
I preferred Bled to Bohinj - possibly because when we went to Bohinj there had been a flood off the mountain and it was too cold to swim (for me). Bled was a bit smaller, friendlier and more going on
Ljubljana is great - try the Enigmarium escape room, super fun.

Went this summer with teens. Lovely holiday. First Ljubljana - great - quite hot (32 degrees), pretty, compact, pedestrianised, good castle, amazing ice cream. Then rural south - high 20s, little guest house with lovely views, great countryside walks, bear watching, absolutely incredible caves at Skocjan. Finally, a week in a rural Air Bnb near Bohinj. Mid 20s, hiking in the mountains (helpful cable car), swimming, paddle boarding. Glad we didn't stay in Bled - absolutely beautiful for a day trip, but very touristy. Wanted to go to Soca but no time.

Great country - clean, eco, beautiful, affordable, good food (hearty schnitzel and chips or pizza, but also had some fancier things like roast suckling pig and wild boar). Teens loved it.

Sounds great, marking for ideas.

Adding on Croatia (Istria I assume?) really depends on whether you want beach/sea time, I would say.

I'd love to know where/what guest house you stayed in. Is it possible to PM you?

We’re going to Bohinj for two weeks next summer staying in a little chalet. Our kids are younger though. We plan to do some hiking, SUPing, mountain biking and probably a via Ferrata trip. We do these kind of things (not via ferratas!) but in cold Scotland regularly.

Slovenia is lovely, DH and I have been before. We prefer Bohinj to Bled, but it depends on what you want. Easy to travel about, quite good value.

You might want to consider Montenegro as well.

Slovenia is lovely, beautiful nature, great choice for summer when it is too hot elsewhere. Croatia also great but veryyy hot in July/August and very busy. adriatic coast is amazing

Ljubljana has a great bike hire network for getting around, and it's very very cheap

It sounds ace and I’m another thinking I’d love to go!

Can anyone who has been in summer comment on the mosquito situation pls? I’m thinking it’s quite a green place plus all those lakes…

@Marmadukebones we stayed here in the south https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g6206670-d6864614-Reviews-Guesthouse_Ana-Glazuta_Lower_Carniola_Region.html. It's nicer than the photos suggest. Not glamorous, but rooms immaculate, and lovely views from the terrace. Very cheap, and food portions massive! From there, it was a manageable drive to Lake Cerknica, Skocjan and Postojna caves, Trieste if wanted, Croatia if wanted,. (NB we'd been planning to drive into Croatia for fun, but car hire company wanted an extra sixty quid to drive cross border, so we didn't bother). Driving is very easy, roads are great (far better than the rural UK.) A few rougher roads to get to eg bear watching, a couple of forest hikes, but still fine. We booked a bear watching evening in advance via the Notranjska Park office https://www.notranjski-park.si/en. Do not miss the caves - didn't go to Postojna, but Skocjan was genuinely jaw-dropping. And book in advance - we had, but they were totally sold out to walk-ins on the day we went.

@AndCallMeNancy no problems with mosquitoes. Took repellent, didn't really use it. The odd bite, nothing more.

It does look really beautiful!

But is it a bit 'chocolate box' ish? It all looks very perfect - if that makes sense.

Depends what you want. Mountain and lakes perfect. Beaches don't bother

I love Slovenia though been 4/5 times mostly winter and love it.

Due a trip back.