May to June or September to October is the best time to visit Slovenia, with mild weather and fewer crowds than peak summer. June to August brings the warmest weather, ideal for the Adriatic coast and Julian Alps, but also the busiest crowds. Winters bring heavy snow to the alpine northwest, supporting a ski season from December to March. There are highlights year-round: Kurentovanje sees costumed Kurents parade through Ptuj's streets every February to chase away winter, the Ljubljana Festival fills the capital with opera and classical concerts each summer, and St Martin's Day marks the blessing of the new wine across Slovenia's vineyards every November.

The best things to do in Slovenia include exploring Ljubljana's old town, visiting Lake Bled, and hiking in the Julian Alps.

• Exploring Ljubljana's old town and riverside cafés, or taking the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle

• Visiting Lake Bled, with its island church and hilltop castle

• Hiking or rafting in Triglav National Park and the Julian Alps

• Wandering the Karst region's cave systems, including Postojna Cave and the UNESCO-listed Škocjan Caves

• Relaxing on the Adriatic coast around Piran

• Wine tasting in the Vipava Valley

• Touring Predjama Castle, the world's largest cave castle, built into a 123-metre cliff face

• Rafting or canyoning the emerald waters of the Soča River through the Julian Alps

Slovenia is reachable from London via a change of trains in Paris, with high-speed and sleeper train services connecting onward through Munich, Stuttgart or Zurich to Ljubljana and other major cities. Within Slovenia, trains connect Ljubljana with towns including Bled and Maribor.

Our price includes all transport, accommodation and a personalized itinerary for your trip. Byway's travel experts are also available on WhatsApp throughout for disruption support and travel tips.

No, flights to Europe aren't included, but all transport and accommodation once you're here is. Short-haul flights are highly carbon-intensive, and traveling around Europe by train, ferry or bus is an easy, enjoyable alternative.

Yes. Different hotel options are available to choose from on the trip page, and any room upgrade requests can be added in the booking form. Our team will then find upgrade options and discuss them with you.

No. If you'd like to leave Europe from a different city, our concierge team can build you a custom one-way trip.

Yes. Prices on our trip pages are shown in your local currency by default, or you can select your preferred currency, including USD, CAD, EUR or CHF, from the dropdown in the top right corner of the trip page. The payment page will always show the price in your chosen currency.

You can generally bring as much luggage as you can carry, as long as it fits in the luggage racks or overhead space. On Eurostar, UK and most European trains, the standard allowance is two large bags and one smaller item, provided you can manage them yourself; let us know in advance if you're planning to bring anything oversized. Since you may need to change stations or walk to hotels, packing light makes the journey more comfortable.

Most European train tickets are digital and sent to you by email. A few, including tickets for Spain, Portugal and some EuroCity trains, require paper tickets, which can be mailed to a hotel on your itinerary.

No, Byway trips are self-guided, not part of a group tour. You'll have on-demand personalized support by WhatsApp, text or phone throughout, so all the planning and booking is done for you, and any disruptions are handled without you having to worry about them.