Slovenia Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving in Slovenia-
Slovenia drives on the right and you can use the photo licence of any EU country to drive here. Drivers from other countries need their own licence plus an international driving permit. Speed limits range from 130kmh on motorways to 100kmh on expressways , 90kmh on other roads and 50kmh in urban areas.
Main routes are classed as motorways or Autocesta which are dual carriageways with a speed limit of 130 kmh. A Hitra Cesta (HC) is an expressway dual carriageway but without a hard shoulder for emergencies. They have a speed limit of 110 kmh. Slovenia’s motorway routes are-
The A1 runs from Šentilj at the Austrian border to Koper on the Adriatic Sea and connects several of the largest urban areas of the country, including Maribor, Celje and Ljubljana.
The A2 motorway follows the route of the historic Brotherhood and Unity Highway connecting the Karawanks Tunnel at the Austrian border via the capital city Ljubljana to Obrežje at the Croatian border.
The A3 begins at the Gabrk interchange on the A1 near Divača and ends at the Italian border at Sežana, continuing on in Italy as the RA14. It connects Ljubljana with Trieste.
The A4 connects Maribor and Gruškovje at the Croatian border.
The A5 starts at the Dragučova interchange on the A1 north of Maribor and ends at the Hungarian border at Pince, continuing on in Hungary as the M70 motorway. It connects Maribor with Budapest.
All motorways and expressways are toll roads, as is the Karawanks Tunnel connecting the Austrian Karawanken Autobahn (A11) with the A2 motorway leading to Kranj and Ljubljana in Slovenia. Payment is via a vignette system or electronic payment called DarsGo. If renting a vehicle, ask the rental company if it has a DarsGo transponder fitted. If driving your own car, more detail on purchasing a vignette can be obtained here.
Slovenia has a good, well maintained system of roads between all major towns. Even roads in rural areas are generally in good condition. Roads are generally well signed and driving standards are high, though they may tend towards the Southern European driving style of speeding and tailgating in areas near the Italian border. Slovenia has strict rules on deployment of winter equipment on cars between November and March. Check with the rental company that your vehicle is adequately covered with winter tyres etc.
Slovenia has some famous scenic drives which include – the Vršič Pass through the Julian Alps, with hairpin bends and spectacular views; the cliffside 14km road between Ajdovščina and Predmeja; and the road to Mangart pass which ,at 2055 metres above sea level, is the highest road in the country.
Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.
Slovenia car rental –
Sixt, Hertz, Europcar, Alamo, National,Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Dollar, all operate in Slovenia. Also usually features on Car rental broker and Web discount sites such as Expedia.
We currently have no local car rental partners in Slovenia. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com
Slovenia Self Drive Rules –
Most of the big companies allow driving in most western European countries but there are restrictions on many Eastern European destinations plus Greece and Ireland with certain companies. There are also restrictions from most companies on taking cars into Serbia and Bosnia.
