Practical Information for visiting Slovenia

Slovenia adopted the euro on 1 January 2007, so there is no currency to change for visitors from the euro area. The tourist board notes that cash can be withdrawn outside working hours at ATMs, which are widespread, using MasterCard, Visa, Maestro, Cirrus and Visa Electron Plus, and that money can be exchanged at exchange offices, hotel receptions, travel agencies, service stations and larger shopping centres; banks open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00. Card acceptance elsewhere and tipping are not summarised here until they have been read on an authority's page.

Slovenia's risks are outdoor rather than criminal, which is unsurprising in a country where most of the attraction is mountain.

Bears are present in wooded areas throughout Slovenia, including near cities. Visitors in mountain areas occasionally encounter bears and wolves, and in 2025 a bear attacked a person walking their dog at Škofljica, six miles south-east of Ljubljana. Take particular care where bears have been sighted.

For hiking, the advisory's list is worth following as given: consider the difficulty and distance, plan for the weakest member of the group, use a printed or digital map with marked paths and their descriptions, tell family or friends your plans, check whether mountain cabins are open, and do not use closed trails or take shortcuts. Some demanding trails include sections of via ferrata — steel wires and metal rungs — which need a climbing harness and helmet rather than enthusiasm.

In winter, off-piste skiing is highly dangerous because of avalanche risk in some areas. Check the national meteorological service and the police advice for hikers and mountaineers before you go.

All parts of Slovenia can experience sudden, extreme storms, with strong winds and rain, snowfall, lightning and powerful hailstorms, and storms can cause landslides and road closures. Check weather and traffic reports before travelling, and if a storm catches you, shelter until it passes and follow local advice.

On the motorways, a vignette is required before you join them; the fine for driving without one is the motorway company's business and not stated here, but the requirement is the tourist board's own first piece of driving advice.

At Bled Castle, photograph for yourself but not professionally without permission, fly no drone, keep pets on a leash and outdoors, do not litter, and treat the building as the heritage it is. At the caves, arrive on time -- Škocjan wants you 30 minutes before your slot -- and dress for 10 degrees at Postojna.

Shops close on Sundays and many museums on Mondays. Emergencies are 112 and the police 113; if you are the victim of theft, the tourist board says to dial 113 at once.

Laws on alcohol and driving, drones outside the castle, dress and wild camping are not summarised here until they have been read on the authorities' own pages.

Emergency numbers: 112 for the notification centre -- emergency medical assistance, fire brigades, rescue units, veterinary assistance -- and 113 for the police in an emergency. An anonymous police line for reporting offenders is 080 12 00.

Roadside assistance and towing: the Automobile Association of Slovenia on 1987.

Country code +386; outgoing international calls with 00.