Slovenia to Croatia Train

Train from Slovenia to Croatia is one of the most popular ways of getting between these two neighbouring countries. There are several train routes and they primarily connect the capital city Ljubljana with four cities in Croatia – Zagreb, Rijeka, Pula and Opatija. From these cities, it is possible to travel further by train to other Croatian cities. These train routes are operated by Slovenske Železnice (Slovenian Railways).

Below is the detailed guide for each popular train route from Slovenia to Croatia.

Ljubljana – Zagreb

Train from Ljubljana to Zagreb is one of the most popular international train routes in Croatia as it connects two capital cities of the neighbouring countries. There are up to 6 daily departures operated by following types of trains:

  • Regional (R) train 
  • InterCity (IC) train
  • EuroCity (EC) train 
  • EuroNight (EN) train
  • Local (LP) train

There are up to 3 direct daily departures from Ljubljana to Zagreb and up to 3 departures that require a train change in Dobova. Also, on one of the departures, the train goes to Celje and then to Zagreb.

The train stops at up to 4 more train stations between and the total journey takes approximately 2.5 to 3.5 hours, depending on if it was a direct train or not.

All trains depart from Ljubljana Main Train Station which is located less than a kilometre from the city centre. Trains arrive at Zagreb Main Train Station (Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor) located in central Zagreb.

Tickets

A regular one-way ticket for the 2nd class train from Ljubljana to Zagreb costs about €9 and a single ticket for children aged 6 to 12 costs about €5.

A return ticket for a group of more than 6 adults costs about €20 per person, and for a group of more than 6 young passengers costs about €12 per person.

Passengers who travel by train from Slovenia to Croatia only for a weekend can buy a CityStar return-ticket which provides additional discounts, depending on the number of passengers.

If the train departure times don’t suit you, an easier option for travelling this route is taking a bus from Ljubljana to Zagreb. There are far more daily departures (up to 18 of them) and the tickets start from €6. The journey also takes around 2.5 hours.

Ljubljana – Dubrovnik

There is no train from Ljubljana to Dubrovnik. Getting from Ljubljana by train is possible only to Split (changing a train in Zagreb). The railway in Croatia stops in Split so there is no further train connection to Dubrovnik.

Anyway, if you want to travel from Ljubljana to Dubrovnik by using the train as much as possible, here is how to do it:

First, you will need to travel by train from Ljubljana to Zagreb (see the section above).

You can continue by train from Zagreb to Split.

As there is no further train connection, consider alternative options to get from Split to Dubrovnik.

An estimated total travelling time is around 12.5 hours, not including the waiting time in between. An estimated total price of all tickets is around €46-€66. 

Of course, there is an easier and cheaper way to travel this route. Buses from Ljubljana to Dubrovnik depart up to 2 times per day, both being night buses. Tickets start from €36 and the journey takes around 12-13 hours.

Ljubljana – Rijeka

Train from Ljubljana to Rijeka is an important route as it connects the capital of Slovenia with the biggest port and a large tourist centre of Croatia. There are up to 2 daily departures operated by International (MV) trains. 

The train makes a stop at two more train stations between, Postojna (Postojna Cave) and Opatija. The journey takes approximately 3 hours.

All trains depart from Ljubljana Main Train Station which is located less than a kilometre from the city centre. Trains arrive at Rijeka Main Train Station located about a kilometre from the city centre.

Tickets

A regular one-way ticket for the 2nd class train from Ljubljana to Rijeka costs around €9 and a single ticket for children aged 6 to 12 costs around €5.

A return ticket for a group of more than 6 adults costs around €20 per person, and for a group of more than 6 young passengers costs around €12 per person.

Passengers who travel by train from Slovenia to Croatia only for a weekend can buy a CityStar International return-ticket which provides additional discounts, depending on the number of passengers.

Maribor – Zagreb

Train from Maribor to Zagreb is one of the most popular routes from Slovenia to Croatia. There are up to 8 daily departures, up to 3 of them are direct trains while others require 1 to 2 train changes at Zidani Most or Dobova (or both). Depending on the departure, the route is operated by the following types of trains:

  • Regional (R) train 
  • InterCity (IC) train
  • EuroCity (EC) train 
  • EuroNight (EN) train
  • Local (LP) train

The train makes a stop at up to 4 more stations, depending on the departure. Accordingly, the total travel time varies between 3 and 5.5 hours.

All trains depart from Maribor Main Train Station which is located in the city centre of Maribor. Trains arrive at Zagreb Main Train Station (Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor) located in central Zagreb.

Tickets

A regular one-way ticket for the 2nd class train from Maribor to Zagreb costs about €12 and a single ticket for children aged 6 to 12 costs about €6.

A return ticket for a group of more than 6 adults costs about €25 per person, and for a group of more than 6 young passengers costs about €15 per person.

Passengers who travel by train from Slovenia to Croatia only for a weekend can buy a CityStar return-ticket which provides additional discounts, depending on the number of passengers.

If you want to travel this route faster, then consider taking a bus from Maribor to Zagreb. There are up to 3 bus departures daily, tickets start from €12 and the journey takes approximately 2 hours.

Bled to Zagreb

Bled Lake is one of the most popular destinations in Slovenia. If visiting Bled Lake and want to continue to Zagreb by train, it is good to know that there is no direct train from Bled Lake to Zagreb. Still, if travelling this route by train is your desire, here are the options.

There are two train stations located close to Bled Lake. Lesce train station is the larger one with frequent train connections to Ljubljana. It is located about 4.5 km from the lake. Jezero Bled is the other train station located about 3 km from Bled. There are also several daily train departures to and from Ljubljana. Obviously, getting to these train stations requires taking a bus or a taxi, unless you don’t mind walking for several kilometres.

Once you arrive in Ljubljana, you can continue by train to Zagreb as described in the first section.

If looking for an easier way to travel this route, then consider taking a bus from Bled Lake to Zagreb. There are up to 3 daily departures, including a night bus. Tickets start from €13 and the journey takes approximately 4 hours.

Celje to Zagreb

Train from Celje to Zagreb is actually a train from Ljubljana to Zagreb that makes a stop in Celje. Therefore, there is one daily departure from Celje to Zagreb operated by EuroNight (EN) train. 

The train departs from Celje train station which is located less than a kilometre from the city centre. Trains arrive at Zagreb Main Train Station (Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor) located in central Zagreb.

Map of the Slovenian railway