What budget for activities and outings Slovenia?

When visiting the museums, don't forget your identity card or your child's. Discounts are available according to age, but also according to professional and social situation. Generalisation of the student discount is underway: don't forget your card. Cultural sites have a pricing policy quite similar to that of France, with the difference that here, free admission is rare. In Ljubljana, opt for the Ljubljana Pass 72h at €45, which allows you to visit twenty museums free of charge, use public transport, enjoy a stroll on the Ljubljanica and free entry to the zoo.

Urbana will allow you to discover the most famous sights at the best prices. It is on sale at tourist information centres and tobacconists - but also in the brand new Urbanomat, vending machines installed at various points in Ljubljana, at a price of €2. It gives you free access to the most important sights, such as galleries, museums, castles, botanical gardens, zoo; guided tours of the city; free rides on the city bus, small boat, small tourist train and castle funicular (the number of rides is unlimited as long as the card is valid); 4 hours of free bicycle rental. You even pay for your car park with it.

It all depends on the activity. The advantage is that there are a lot of them in Slovenia. Winter sports (around €30 for a day pass in an average resort), white water sports (between €50 and €75), caving (between €10 and €20), water sports (diving from €60) and of course a lot of walking trails in forest areas, perfect for mountain biking (€25 per day), jogging or mushroom picking in the autumn.

Food prices are more or less identical to those in France, as are prices for ready-to-wear clothing, household appliances and leisure equipment.

Entrance fees are usually free or at low prices. Consumption rates are obviously higher than during the day, but not out of price either. Count 7 € for a cocktail, 5 € for a pint.

What budget to eat Slovenia?

There are four main types of accommodation in Slovenia. They can be classified by price category. Theokrepcevalnica offers simple, quick meals from 5 €. The gostilna offers traditional dishes, often rustic, with dishes around 10 €. The gostisce, a kind of more upscale inn, serves more elaborate dishes that will cost you an average of a dozen euros. Finally, the restavracija, a real restaurant, will offer more noble and refined dishes with prices sometimes reaching 15/20 € for a main course. However, the budget varies according to the region, the reputation of the establishment and the quality of its cuisine.

Finnish company Wolt (www.wolt.com/en/svn), the equivalent of Uber Eats or Deliveroo in France, set up in 2019 in Slovenia's major cities. Thanks to the online site or via the app, it is possible to have dishes delivered in just under an hour from a hundred partner restaurants. The prepayment is made online, and then the order is delivered to the desired address in an eco-responsible way by a deliveryman on a bicycle. Very practical after an exhausting day!

Coffee will cost between €1 and €2.50, depending on the establishment. It always comes with a free glass of water. You'll have to pay between €1.90 and €2.70 for a pint of local beer, between €3.50 and €7 for a glass of wine, and between €2 and €3 for a Coca-Cola.

What is the budget for accommodation Slovenia?

There are many types of establishments. The cheapest will be the campsite (count about fifteen euros per person for a pitch in high season). A more urban alternative can be the youth hostel where you will be offered a bed in a dormitory for about twenty euros. In rural areas, gostilna often has the advantage of a satisfactory bed & breakfast offer. As far as hotels are concerned, there are three main price ranges. Let us start with the economic hotel, simple, without artifice, often a little out of the city centres (count about sixty euros per night on average). Let's continue with the charming hotel, which often offers better comfort and a better geographical location (count about a hundred euros per night on average). Finally, let's finish with the luxury hotel for which you will have to pay a minimum of €150 in high season but which will offer top-of-the-range facilities and services. Prices vary according to the tourist seasons, which are however very variable on the small Slovenian territory. Discounts are sometimes available for stays of several nights.

Travel budget Slovenia and cost of living

Don't expect to discover a "developing" European country under the pretext that it was part of the Eastern bloc. Slovenia is certainly the country of the former Eastern bloc that has suffered the least from the communist regime, or at least has made the best and fastest transition to the capitalist model. It is now a prosperous country where the cost of living is almost as high as in Western Europe. It is therefore not a destination where you will make économies ! As far as the average budget per day is concerned, it varies greatly depending on the region you visit and your travel priorities. For a small budget, you can get by for around 50 euros a day, provided you choose accommodation in a shared room, meals on the go, travel on public transport and cheap activities. For a slightly more comfortable budget, plan on average €80 per day.

As for tips, you should know that they are not mandatory but usual. You won't be ridiculous if you leave about 5 to 10% of the bill. French people are often considered stingy because they forget to leave a tip since in France the tip is included in the bill.

The value added tax in Slovenia (DDV, davek na dodano vrednost) is 22%, which is almost the "standard" rate. Slovenia applies a reduced VAT rate of :

- 9.5% on certain categories of goods and services, including water supply, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment for the disabled, foodstuffs, books, newspapers, hotel services... ;

- 0% on financial services, insurance operations, betting and lotteries, public radio and television broadcasting, education-related services, health and medical services, cultural services..

Haggling is almost non-existent. Here, it would be the Germanic rather than Balkan character of the Slovenes that prevails: not really in the morals..