Cheapest Way To Lake Bled From Ljubljana

Ljubljana is a European capital city that still seems to fly under the radar of most vacationers. While everyone knows Paris and London, Ljubljana has tons to offer for the traveler who wants to go a bit more off the beaten path. In this article I’m going to tell you the cheapest way to Lake Bled from Ljubljana.

Anyone who has even heard of Ljubljana has also probably heard of Lake Bled. This beautiful glacier created lake is especially known for the tiny island in the middle of it. While there are hotels and guesthouses around the lake and in Bled town, the size of the lake makes it walkable in just a couple hours, perfect for a day trip from Ljubljana. Not to mention it is just 55 km away from the capital, so there are plenty of options.

What Is The Cheapest Way To Lake Bled?

The cheapest way to Lake Bled from Ljubljana is by bus. The bus costs 6.30€ and departs from the central Ljubljana bus terminal. It takes you to within a couple hundred meters of the lakes edge. Now, if you’ve looked into this before you may say the train is the cheapest option because it is just about 5 Euros, however the train station is 4.5 km away from the lake, so you’ll have to take another bus, or a taxi to the lake which makes it more expensive, not to mention far less convenient.

The intercity bus system is known as Arriva, and you can buy tickets directly at the station. The busses leave about once an hour and the trip takes 60-80 minutes depending on traffic. These busses are not local city busses, but rather charter busses so you will be quite comfortable.

Other Ways To Get To Lake Bled From Ljubljana

By Train: The train technically has the cheapest ticket price, but you have to pair that with either a 4.5km walk, or a local but/taxi to get to the actual lake. The train however is clean and comfortable and runs on schedule. The train takes around an hour to get from Ljubljana station to Lesce station.

By Car/Taxi: The fastest way would definitely be by car. This option takes a little over a half hour and you can go at your own pace. No need to wait for a bus or train schedule. However this is also the most expensive option. A taxi will run you around 50€ so it is only worth it if you are on a long layover and want to rush through the trip as quick as possible.

Driving yourself is also an option, but can be tricky if your car does not have a vignette to drive on the highway, you will have to take side roads which will greatly extend your driving time.

What To Do At Lake Bled

Walk Around The Lake: Probably the most popular thing to do for tourists to Lake Bled is to just walk the entire circumference of the lake. It takes about 2 hours and it absolutely beautiful. In fact, it took us a bit longer because we kept stopping to take pictures of everything. The trail is clearly marked and has an extremely low difficulty level.

Take A Rowboat To Bled Island: My favorite thing we did was to take a rowboat to the center island. You can rent a Lake Bled rowboat for 10€ per hour and it takes just 15 minutes to get from the shore to the island. You can also take a pletna boat which is 13€ per person and have a local ferry you across in a traditional vessel.

Visit The Church: Towering over Bled island is the Church of the Assumption of Mary. This baroque style church has a spire you can climb for 2€ giving you a fantastic view of the entire lake. Around the church are vendors selling gelato and other sweets, as well as benches to rest on.

Try a kremna rezina: This cream pastry is a classic Lake Bled specialty. In fact, the area has an annual festival celebrating this treat which brings in tourists from all over. Every bakery in the region makes their own, so if you are getting a bit hungry, give one of these a try.

Do You Need To Spend More Than A Day At The Lake

I firmly believe that Lake Bled is a perfect day trip, and you really only need half a day or so before you’ve seen and done everything. That being said, there are some areas around Lake Bled that are worth visiting if you have the time. I’m especially talking about Vintgar Gorge. This beautiful trail is about 4km from Lake Bled and is a serene nature walk. The water is extremely cold and delicious so I suggest filling up your bottle directly from the stream. You can also go to Lake Bohinj which is the largest lake in Slovenia and is less touristy than Lake Bled.

Lake Bled From Ljubljana Price Guide

Location: Blejsko jezero, 4260 Bled, Slovenia