Earlier this year, on a bit of a whim, I decided to go to Slovenia. The flights were easy: I could fly into Zagreb, travel through Slovenia and then fly out of Klagenfurt in Austria, just over the border from Bled.

The trip was intended to be another foray into Yugoslav history and the wars that erupted in the early 90s, but due to a lack of museums on the topics and a reluctance from many to dwell on the topic, it instead became an accidental adventure in Austro-Hungary history. Many of the cities I visited flourished under Austrian rule and it seems that these historic ties benefit tourism more than the brutal Yugoslav wars (funnily enough).

I really enjoyed the short trip and found plenty to write bout over the coming weeks, but here is a quick glance of the places I visited.

The route

I flew into Zagreb with Eurowings, then travelled on to Ljubljana after two days. There I spent one day in Ljubljana and did a day trip to Trieste, before spending my last full day in Bled. I flew home from Klagenfurt, also with Eurowings.

For practical advice on transport, see below.

Zagreb

Zagreb isn’t a city you hear about often. Thoroughly upstaged by its coastal rivals, Croatia’s capital sees far fewer visitors. But the city is well worth taking the time to visit and would be a perfect stop for interrailing.

Zagreb has a compact centre, made up of the upper and lower towns, which were separate cities (named Kaptol and Gradec) up until 1850. Today the city is spruced-up, green and very metropolitan, but still with a distinct Mitteleuropa air. In fact, if you ignored the Croatian flags on every corner, you could literally be anywhere in Central Europe.

Most guidebooks (and one very annoying American in my hostel) wax lyrical about the city’s café culture, but I found the most interesting sight to be the Museum of Broken Relationships – a must for anyone.

Read more on my adventure in Zagreb here.

How to get from Zagreb to Ljubljana

Buses leave several times a day for Ljubljana. The journey takes around two hours. My ticket cost 87 Kuna, including an extra charge (of 3 Kuna) for “reservation charge” (see below).

Ljubljana

Yes, Ljubljana really is that small. But it is also really that nice. My day in the city was easily the best weather I’ve experienced so far this year (my sunburn was proof enough alone) and strolling around the city’s pretty streets was the definitely the best way to enjoy it.

Ljubljana has a compact, walkable centre, located on both sides of the Ljubljanica River. On a sunny day, the cafes and bars spill out onto the pavements and you can easily find a seat in the sun next to the water. I also took the short, steep walk up to the castle for a spot of history and great views over the hills and spent an hour or two in the City Museum.

I spent two nights at the welcoming Celica Hostel, which is practically a destination in itself. A former-prison-turned-cultural-centre, Celica offers accommodation in the form of artistically renovated cells – check out my full review here.

Travelling from Ljubljana to Trieste

Buses leave several times a day from Ljubljana Avtobusna Postaja (main bus station). The journey lasts around 1 hour 44 minutes. Prices vary depending on the service, starting at €6.60, including “reservation charge” (see below). For the best views over the Gulf of Trieste on the approach to the city, sit on the right-hand side.

Buses leave at: 04:43, 05:00, 06:35, 07:10, 07:50, 11:30, 14:47, 16:10.

How to get from Ljubljana to Bled

Buses leave from Ljubljana Bus Station hourly from 10am onwards, with the journey taking just over an hour. A single ticket cost me €7.80, including “reservation charge” (see below). For the best views of historic Kranj en-route, sit on the right-hand side of the bus.

Trieste

Trieste was a last-minute addition to my trip (it won in a toss-up against Slovenia’s Piran), but the city had been on my radar since it was named the most underrated destination in the World by Lonely Planet back in 2012. And though it might be clichéd, I can really see why.

Trieste has all the appeal of classic Italian cities – Roman ruins, wide piazzas, neoclassical architecture – but with an added ‘layer’ of history: the city has Greek Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox and Lutheran churches, Viennese-style palaces on every corner and its karst hinterland boasts a Slovene majority and is officially bilingual. In fact, Trieste felt like it could easily be Italy’s least Italian city.

The cherry on the top of this coastal beauty is the stunning Miramare Castle, which juts out into the Adriatic Sea just thirty minutes down the coast.

Travelling from Trieste to Ljubljana

Buses leave from the main bus station several times a day. The journey lasts around 1 hour 44 minutes. Prices vary depending on the service, but start at €6.60, including “reservation charge” (see below).

Buses leave at: 08:45, 10:25, 12:30, 14:00, 17:00, 17:45, 18:20, 22:30.

Bled

Bled is the ultimate poster boy. Who by now hasn’t seen photos of the beautiful church rising out of the crystal clear waters before a stunning Alpine backdrop?

I spent a happy day in Bled cycling around the lake, hiking to the impressive Ojstrica viewpoint, before cycling through Slovenian countryside and admiring the Vintgar Gorge. But if I’m being brutally honest, I wasn’t entirely blown away by Bled.

How to get from Bled to Klagenfurt

DON’T. If you are travelling on to Klagenfurt Airport, make sure to travel back to Ljubljana first. I ended up stranded at Lesce-Bled station due to a complete lack of trains (or information) and ended up shelling out €90 for a taxi over the border to the airport. I repeat: DO NOT TRY TO TRAVEL FROM BLED TO KLAGENFURT AIRPORT.

On travelling solo

One novelty for me on this trip was that I travelled alone. This is something I’ve only done a handful of occasions and mostly out of necessity, rather than choice. This time I decided to jump straight in and do a mini-trip with just me, myself and I.

The verdict? As much as I’d love to say that I absolutely loved it, that it was a journey of self-discovery, or that I came away with a new sense of self, I honestly just felt like I spent an inordinate amount of time on my phone chatting to friends I wished were with me. I’ll write more on the topic soon but could it be possible solo travel isn’t for everyone…?

Practical information

When buying tickets at the bus station in Slovenia and Croatia, you will have to pay an additional charge for the ‘seat reservation’. You can avoid this by buying directly on the bus, though this might be riskier in high season.

Border information (correct as of 24 April 2016): Due to the ongoing migrant crisis, there are currently boarder checks between Austria and Slovenia. There are also border checks between Croatia and Slovenia, as Croatia is not yet in the Schengen Zone. There are currently no border checks between Italy and Slovenia.

Which of these four destinations would you most like to visit?
Comment below!