Ljubljana City Guide

Public transport

Operator. The operator is Ljubljanski potniški promet, a company of the municipal holding Javni holding Ljubljana. LPP runs not only city routes but also integrated intercity lines into neighboring municipalities, including Medvode, Vodice, Domžale, Škofljica, Grosuplje, Ig, Dobrova and Polhov Gradec. The network comprises a good forty daytime lines numbered 1 to 61, plus five night lines. Separately, the funicular to the castle is operated by the city agency Zavod Ljubljanski grad and has its own tickets. For people with disabilities there is a dial-a-ride service on 01 58 22 555, and on line 23 a bus only runs by prior booking. LPP tickets are valid within the national IJPP system, which brings bus and rail together under one fare umbrella in Slovenia, which is why the airport ticket machine already sells a combined bus-and-train ticket.

Network. Buses only, paid with an Urbana card. The centre is car-free.

Modes of transport. Bus · Night bus · Funicular to the castle · Dial-a-ride on individual lines

Operating hours. LPP states the standard operating hours for city and integrated lines as 5 am to 10.30 pm on weekdays and Saturdays. On Sundays and public holidays, the start shifts back an hour, with most lines not starting until around 6 am. Anyone at the station early should plan for this, since the first long-distance train already leaves at 5 am. The funicular to the castle runs year-round, from January to April and October to December between 9 am and 7 pm, and from May to September until 10 pm. The ticket counter at the train station is staffed daily from 5 am to 10 pm, the counters at the adjacent bus station Monday to Friday from 5 am to 10.30 pm, Saturday until 10 pm, Sunday from 5.30 am.

Night service. Ljubljana has five night lines. N1 runs Bavarski dvor via Stanežiče P+R to Brod, N3 Bavarski dvor to Rudnik, N5 Podutik via Bavarski dvor to Štepanjsko naselje, and 11B Bežigrad to Zalog, these four running every day of the year. N3B from Bavarski dvor to Škofljica runs weekdays only. The time window matters here, because night bus doesn't mean continuous service. Monday to Saturday, the night lines run between 10.30 pm and midnight and again between 4 am and 5 am, on Sundays and public holidays between 10.30 pm and midnight and between 5 am and 6 am. Between midnight and 4 am the network stands still, so anyone leaving a bar later walks or takes a taxi. Almost all night lines run via the central stop Bavarski dvor on Slovenska cesta.

Buying tickets. Without a card or bank card, you won't get far on the bus, since the driver sells no tickets and carries no change. The yellow Urbana stored-value card is transferable, costs 2 euros and can hold a balance between 0.05 and 50 euros. It is sold and topped up at the green Urbanomat machines, which stand around the clock and accept both cash and card, as well as at kiosks and newsstands bearing the red Urbana sign, post offices, tourist information offices and LPP's Potniški center on Slovenska cesta. One card is enough for several people; you just need to tell the driver how many are traveling before validating. Every boarding is validated, including when transferring. Checks happen on board, the fine from the city inspectorate is 40 euros, and the card is confiscated on top of that, with reissue costing another 40 euros.

App and payment. The official app is called Urbana, available for Android and iOS, and works as a virtual card with everything the physical card can do. It shows balance, validation history, departure times and a route planner. To pay, the phone needs Bluetooth, mobile data and location enabled. Top-ups work with Visa and Mastercard as well as the wallets Valú and Aircash, but not at the Urbanomat. The key everyday difference concerns the bank card. Visa and Mastercard can be tapped contactless directly at the validator without buying anything in advance, but this payment does not include a free transfer. Anyone changing buses within 90 minutes pays again each time with a bank card, but only once with Urbana or the app. LPP also provides real-time departures via Google Maps.

Which ticket. LPP has no day ticket and no multi-day ticket; the price list from October 1, 2025 lists only single trips and monthly or annual passes. For two to three days, you simply calculate per trip. A trip within one zone costs 1.50 euros with Urbana credit or the app, including a free transfer within 90 minutes of the first validation. Two zones cost 2.50 euros, three zones 3.50 euros. Contactless with Visa or Mastercard, the trip also costs 1.50 euros, but without transfer rights. On top comes a one-time 2 euros for the empty Urbana card. The verifiable thresholds work out as follows. The transferable monthly pass for one zone costs 42.50 euros, which is as much as 28 single trips, the personal monthly pass 37 euros, as much as 24 single trips. The Ljubljana Card from the tourism organization includes free travel on LPP, but costs 41 euros for 24 hours, 49 euros for 48 hours and 54 euros for 72 hours. It doesn't pay off through public transport alone, but through the admissions it includes, since as a transport ticket alone the 24-hour version corresponds to 27 single trips. Children up to age 6 travel free, as do luggage, strollers and small pets. The funicular to the castle has its own prices, 6 euros for the return trip up and down together, 3.30 euros one way.

Fare zones. Anyone staying within the city stays in zone 1 and pays 1.50 euros. Two zones apply from around Vodice, Iška vas or Polhov Gradec, three zones toward Grosuplje via Škofljica. On stored-value cards, you set the number of zones on the device before validating.

Tip. The little Kavalir electric carts run free in the centre and take anyone along.

Links

• LPP price list
• LPP payment methods and sales points
• LPP network maps as PDF
• LPP timetables and line overview
• LPP Park and Ride
• Ljubljana Airport, bus into the city
• Slovenske železnice, passenger service
• Funicular to the castle, prices
• Avtobusna postaja Ljubljana
• Network map

Getting there

Main station

Location. The train and coach stations sit side by side, ten minutes' walk to Prešeren Square.

Long-distance trains. Ljubljana is the hub of the Slovenian rail network, with three main axes dominating long-distance travel. Through trains run to Zagreb, about nine a day, the first at 6.50 am, the last at 8.45 pm, with a journey time between 2 hours 38 and 2 hours 47 minutes. To Vienna there are eight connections via Maribor and Graz, mostly with a change in Graz, journey time around six hours, the earliest departing at 5 am and arriving at 11.07 am. To Munich the route runs via Villach and Salzburg, also around six hours, with a change in Villach, plus a night train departing at 10.10 pm. Slovenske železnice also runs connections to Zurich, Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, Trieste, Rijeka and Pula. Within Slovenia, trains run to Maribor, Koper, Jesenice, Metlika and Kočevje. Long-distance buses depart from the bus station right next door, whose counters are open Monday to Friday from 5 am to 10.30 pm, Saturday until 10 pm, Sunday and public holidays from 5.30 am, with left-luggage accessible every day of the year.

Opening hours. The ticket counter at the train station is staffed daily from 5 am to 10 pm, the information center from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm. The first long-distance train departs at 5 am, the latest arrival from Vienna is after 1 am.

Airports

Local quirks

• The station is a construction site, some trains stop 600 meters further on. Ljubljana is rebuilding its train station. Some trains therefore don't depart from the station building at Trg Osvobodilne fronte 7, but from temporary platforms numbered 95, 96 and 97 at the junction of Masarykova cesta and Njegoševa ulica. Slovenske železnice reckons on at least a ten-minute walk covering 600 meters. Rail replacement buses start at the platform next to track 1. Before departure, it's worth checking the passenger notices, as the closures change from weekend to weekend.
• Park and Ride costs less than two bus fares. Anyone arriving by car parks at one of the Park & Ride lots and pays 1.30 euros at the Urbanomat for 24 hours. This price already includes two single tickets, loaded directly onto the Urbana card. Two single trips alone cost 3.00 euros. Access points are Dolgi most in the west with lines 6 and 1D, the Center Stožice parking garage with lines 13 and 20, and Fužine on Chengdujska ulica. Other city parking lots are not part of the system, where you pay for parking and the fare separately.

Good to know

Currency

EUR €

Emergency number

112

Plug type

C · F

Time zone

Europe/Ljubljana

Driving

right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h, outside towns 90 km/h, motorway 130 km/h, expressway (hitra cesta) 110 km/h

Slovenia distinguishes between motorway and expressway. On the hitra cesta, 110 km/h applies instead of 130. In traffic-calmed areas and pedestrian zones, only 10 km/h is allowed, and 30 km/h in designated 30 zones. Dipped headlights are mandatory even during the day.

Tipping. Ten percent in restaurants, otherwise rounding up.

Tolls. Motorways and expressways require a vignette. Sie ist digital und an das Kennzeichen gebunden. Für den Karawankentunnel kommt eine Sondermaut dazu.