TO THE JULIAN ALPS BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

But since every journey starts at home, why not act sustainably and visit the Julian Alps by public transport?

This is especially easy on the »Gorenjska« (east) side of the Julian Alps, where you can choose between bus and train. You can get to Radovljica by train, where the train station in the immediate vicinity of the old town offers a starting point for cycling and hiking trails, and you will also find some special suggestions for visiting Radovljica by train. Jesenice, where the Gorenjska and Bohinj railway lines meet, is also a starting point for cycling – for example, along the cycle path all the way to Kranjska Gora. From here, the Bohinj railway can take you to Bled or further, to Bohinjska Bistrica and through the tunnel all the way to Most na Soči. From Bohinjska Bistrica to Most na Soči, the car can also be loaded onto the auto-train. This is an extremely picturesque railway journey in any case.

The bus offers you even more options for stress-free movement, as it connects important starting points and attractions of the Julian Alps. Good connections connect the capital with Bled, Bohinj, Kranjska Gora and other interesting places along the route (Radovljica, Žirovnica, Jesenice, Mojstrana), during the summer there is also a direct Ljubljana-Bovec connection. The places in the Soče valley – Bovec, Kobarid and Tolmin are also well connected with the surrounding places  by regular bus lines, from where you can also reach Nova Gorica.

REACHING THE STARTING POINTS OF THE HIKING TOURS BY BUSES

During the main summer season, the destinations of the Julian Alps organize special transports to the key starting points of hiking trails. Buses or shuttle vans run between tourist centers and larger parking lots as well as alpine valleys and other locations. For example, you can take a bus to Pokljuka from Bled or Bohinj. The Bled bus to Pokljuka also passes the entrance to the picturesque Vintgar gorge. From the end station at Rudno polje on Pokljuka, you can go on many adventures, including cycling, as the shuttle bus also has the option of transporting bicycles.

A free bus runs from the villages of Dovje and Mojstrana to the Vrata valley in July and August. In the summer, a special line also operates between Mojstrana, Kranjska Gora and the Nordic center Planica.

From Kranjska Gora, bus lines also lead over two passes to the Soča valley. On the road over the highest Slovenian pass – Vršič with an altitude of 1611m, which is also a popular starting point for mountaineering, the bus runs between June and August and connects Kranjska Gora and Bovec. Bovec and Kranjska Gora are also connected by a cross-border bus line that goes over the Predel pass. The bus on this route also stops on the Italian side, at the BoscoVerde railway station, the center of Trbiž and Rabelj Lake.

The “Park and Ride” bus transport in Bohinj is especially branched out. In support of sustainable mobility, 8 special shuttles are organized that take visitors from more distant parking lots and villages through the upper and lower Bohinj valleys all the way to Lake Bohinj or starting points in the surrounding area. Visitors can take a bus to the Vogar-Blato intersection, which is the starting point for visiting mountains and Triglav lakes, or to the Voje Valley with the Mostnica gorge or the Soriška planina mountains. The area is popular especially among hikers and mountain bikers, for the latter the bus also has some space for transporting bicycles. Transports are free and are carried out daily or several times a week, depending on the individual line.

There are 3 summer lines in the Soča Valley, namely “Bovec Hop On-Hop Off”, “Kobarid Hop on – Hop Off” and “Tolmin Shuttle bus”.

• The first one connects Bovec with Mangart pass, (Soča spring and Dr. Klement Jug’s home as well)

With the mentioned line, visitors to Bovec can go to several interesting locations every day in July and August. From Bovec, they can take a daily ride to Mangart pass, for instance. An interesting line from Bovec also leads to the Trenta valley and near the source of the Soča River. In between, it stops at popular spots such as Velika korita Soča, Šumikov vodni gaj and Dr. Klement Jug’s home, which is a well-known starting point for visiting Krnsko jezero lake.

Bus lines to the Boka and Virje waterfalls are also organized.

• “Kobarid Hop on-Hop Off” (Planina Kuhinja, Kolovrat, Breginj, Drežnica)

Attractive bus routes also run from Kobarid in July and August. The connection Kobarid – Planina Kuhinja leads to the starting point for discovering the Krnsko foothills. The Kobarid-Kolovrat line connects the Kolovrat viewpoint and the open-air museum. The line from Kobarid to Robidišče and Breginje leads to remote idyllic villages on the far western edge of Slovenia, and the connection to Drežnica will also impress the visitor.

“Tolmin shuttle bus” (Tolminska korita, Javorca)
From Tolmin, between 25 June and 4 September, connections take you to the vicinity of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca and the Tolmin basins.

VISIT THE POINTS OF INTEREST BY BUS AND A TOURIST GUIDE

For guests staying in Bled and in Radovljica and its surroundings, summer guided tours are a special experience, which in addition to transport to interesting attractions, also include a guide. Six days a week, you can go on a half-day trip with the “Visit and explore” bus from Bled. Every day of the week, a different trip is available: visitors, together with a local guide, discover Kropa, Tržič and its surroundings, Begunje with Kamen Castle, Jesenice and Bled. Excursions are free for holders of the Julian Alps benefit card: Bled or Radovljica, which they can obtain in their accommodation provided they stay there for at least 3 nights.