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Venice to Ljubljana by train, not bus No reservation needed, it's turn up & go with unlimited availability. Great scenery - bring a picnic & beer if you like! |
Venice to Ljubljana for 28.35
Train service between Trieste & Ljubljana was restored in 2018 with two daily regional trains each way. These trains are the best way to travel between Venice or Trieste and Ljubljana.
It's cheap, comfortable, no prior reservation necessary, can't sell out, turn up & go. Much better than a cramped bus. The trains have air-con, toilets, plenty of luggage space, bike spaces, power sockets at seats, and there are sights to see along the way.
Option 2 is a variation on the direct route, using the historic tram between Trieste and the Slovenian border at Villa Opicina - the tram is a great experience, it was out of service after an incident in 2016 but it resumed running from February 2025.
Option 1, using the Trieste-Ljubljana trains
Option 2, using the historic Trieste tram
Venice & Trieste to or from Lake
Bled
Trains from Venice to
other European cities
Trains from Ljubljana to other cities
Option 1, Venice & Trieste - Ljubljana by train
A twice-daily regional train has linked Trieste & Ljubljana since 2018, restoring rail travel between Italy & Slovenia after a gap of some years. It's an integrated service, though you need switch trains at Villa Opicina. Here are the 2026 timings:
Read downwards, each column of times is a service you can take. You switch trains at Villa Opicina.
* = Venice Mestre, on the mainland. No onward train to Venice Santa Lucia in central Venice until morning.
Regional = Air-conditioned regional train, 2nd class only, no reservation necessary or possible, fixed price, cannot sell out, sit where you like, turn up & go.
There are only 2 trains per day between Trieste & Ljubljana, shown here. Venice-Trieste regional trains run every hour, only the relevant connections are shown.
How to check these train times:
You can check Trieste-Ljubljana train times at potniski.sz.si/en/international-travel/italy-i/trieste-trieste-airport-palmanova-udine.
You can also check the Trieste-Villa Opicina train times (and Venice-Trieste train times) online using www.trenitalia.com.
You will not, I repeat, not find any Trieste to Ljubljana trains in the data held by Trenitalia.com or Thetrainline.com or Bahn.de.
But yes they exist, as shown above. I repeat, see potniski.sz.si/en/international-travel/italy-i/trieste-trieste-airport-palmanova-udine.
Alternative route via Villach: Once a day there's an alternative train service between Venice & Ljubljana via Villach in Austria rather than Trieste. It's a longer way round but a useful alternative. See Ljubljana to Venice info here & Venice to Ljubljana info here.
Stop off in Trieste!
The timetable above shows the most suitable Venice-Trieste connection into or out of each Trieste-Ljubljana train, but Venice-Trieste regional trains run every hour through the day. By all means take an earlier train from Venice to Trieste eastbound or a later one from Trieste to Venice westbound to give yourself some time in Trieste, a great city that's well worth a stop. Indeed, along with Turin I'd say Trieste was one of Italy's most under-rated cities. Check train times at www.trenitalia.com, www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
How much does it cost?
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Venice-Trieste costs 16.45. Fixed price, unlimited availability, can't sell out.
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Trieste-Villa Opicina costs 3.90. Fixed price, unlimited availability, can't sell out.
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Villa Opicina-Ljubljana costs 8.00. Fixed price, unlimited availability, can't sell out.
How to buy tickets
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There are no through tickets between Venice or Trieste and Ljubljana, you need to buy a ticket for each train. But you can easily do so on the day, no need to pre-book and they can't sell out!
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Venice-Trieste
Buy a ticket between Venice & Trieste at the station in Venice or Trieste on the day. No reservation necessary, tickets can't sell out, it's that simple. Or buy on your phone at www.trenitalia.com, www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. How Italian online regional tickets work.
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Trieste-Villa Opicina
Simply board the train in Trieste (eastbound) or Villa Opicina (westbound) and buy from the conductor with cash or card. Easy!
Or buy on your phone at www.trenitalia.com or www.raileurope.com. How Italian online regional tickets work.
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Villa Opicina-Ljubljana
Eastbound, simply buy on board the Slovenian train when you board at Villa Opicina, cash only. Easy!
Westbound, buy at the ticket office at Ljubljana station on the day - by all means ask for Trieste, if they can sell tickets to Trieste let me know!
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If you have an Interrail or Eurail pass, no reservation is necessary or possible on any of these regional trains, you can just board any of these trains, sit where you like and show your pass when asked. Easy!
Route map
What are the trains like?
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The Trieste-Ljubljana regional trains were originally air-conditioned 5-car ETR 563 trains which were authorised for both Italy and Slovenia so could run all the way. Currently, the Trieste-Ljubljana regional is advertised as a direct service, but actually consists of two separate trains: A Trenitalia regional train between Trieste Centrale & Villa Opicina on the Italian/Slovenian border and a smart modern Slovenian regional train between Villa Opicina & Ljubljana. See the video.
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Changing trains at Villa Opicina is easy, it usually just means getting off, walking forward along the same platform, and stepping on to the waiting onward train, no big deal. It's still an integrated service, the connection is guaranteed.
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Both trains are comfortable, modern and air-conditioned, 2nd class only (although the Slovenian train has a small 1st class section). There are no seat reservations, you get on and sit wherever you like. Luggage isn't a problem, you can take what you like and it simply goes on the floor.
Switching trains at Villa Opicina is easy. That's the Slovenian train to Ljubljana in the foreground, the Trenitalia train from Trieste in the background, on the same platform. Courtesy DiscoverByRail.com.
What's the journey like?
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Prosecco station, closed 2012. The sign is no longer readable, but this is it! Courtesy of Darryl Woodman |
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At Trieste Centrale, the trains to Ljubljana often leave from platform 8, hidden away a short walk along platform 7 and poorly signed. Don't miss your train!
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Between Trieste & Ljubljana these trains take the classic international route once used by the famous Simplon Orient Express from Calais & Paris to Istanbul. Trains cannot climb the steep escarpment between Trieste & Villa Opicina (on the Slovenian border) like buses and the historic tram do, so after leaving Trieste Centrale the train runs a fair way west along the coast before making a giant U-turn inland and climbing steadily towards Villa Opicina. You can see on the route map above just how far out of Trieste the train has to go before turning right onto the line to Villa Opicina.
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The Prosecco connection
Just after making that sharp turn inland, the train passes non-stop through the now-closed station of Prosecco - that's right, the village where prosecco wine originated, although the village itself lies a little way from the station between the railway and the sea. Have your camera ready as the station building dating from 1857 will be on the right hand side going towards Ljubljana, or the left hand side going towards Trieste - as far as I know the station name-board is still displayed, though dilapidated as Prosecco station has been closed since December 2011 when passenger service was discontinued.
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You switch trains at Villa Opicina from an Italian to a Slovenian train. This leaves a few minutes later and crosses into Slovenia, the Slovenian side of the border is Sezana. From here the train wends its way through lovely green hills towards Ljubljana.
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The Borovnica valley & viaduct
Approaching Borovnica, just south of Ljubljana the train enters a lovely rural valley, does a 180 degree turn at the far end and heads back out on the other side of the valley, calling at Borovnica station in the process. I assumed the railway builders hadn't the funds for a viaduct across the valley mouth, but I was wrong. The builders of what was then the Vienna-Trieste Southern Austrian Railway completed a magnificent double-arched masonry viaduct across the valley in 1856.
The viaduct was the scene for high drama on 28 June 1942, when Yugoslav partisans attacked an Italian train carrying arrestees to concentration camps, freeing 300 prisoners. However, those that refused to join the partisans were executed, see the Wikipedia entry for Borovnica here. The viaduct had reached a poor state of repair by World War 2, and the after the Italians withdrew the Germans constructed a diversionary route around this vulnerable link. The viaduct was attacked and partially destroyed by the USAF 489 Bombardment Group in 1944 and never rebuilt, the railway was diverted around the valley in 1947 where it still runs today. The remaining structure was dismantled by 1950, leaving just one pier still standing today as a monument in the centre of the valley.
You can see this pier from the train if you know what to look for and where to look. See Wikipedia entry for Borovnica Viaduct. See Google Map showing site of remaining Borovnica viaduct pier, and the loop of the current railway around Borovnica valley through Borovnica station.
The views over the valley will be on the left hand side of the train going north towards Ljubljana, or the right hand side travelling south towards Trieste. If you get more photos, please let me know!
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You arrive at Ljubljana's large central station, walking distance from the city centre. Built in 1848 and renovated in 1980, the Irish Author James Joyce once spent a chilly night sleeping at the station in October 1904 on his way to Trieste -there's a small plaque to mark this event.
Option 2, using the historic tram from Trieste to Opicina
This is basically the same route as option 1, but instead of taking a train from Trieste to Ljubljana, you use the historic Trieste tram for the 6 km (3½ miles) between Trieste and the Slovenian border at Villa Opicina (also known as plain Opicina), picking up the train to Ljubljana there.
The tram line isn't marked on the route map above but you can imagine it as a direct line from Trieste to Villa Opicina, a much shorter distance than that taken by the train, which cannot scale the escarpment behind the city. You don't go past Prosecco station as you do on the train, but the tram is an experience, the only tram in the world that becomes a funicular half way through its journey to climb the steep escarpment out of Trieste to the plateau above the city, with great views over the city and the Adriatic.
IS THE TRIESTE TRAM RUNNING?
The historic tram between Trieste & Villa Opicina had a prang on 16 August 2016 and was out of action for some years, but resumed operation from 1 February 2025.
Update 2026: Oh no, it's out of action again from 15 January 2026 for 4 months while they do yet more overhaul and repair. Back in action May 2026?
Further update: Nope, still out of action in June 2026...
I have yet to find an easy way to check the current situation. In theory the city transport website is www.triestetrasporti.it, if only they had a tram page saying yes or no!
Venice & Trieste ► Ljubljana
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Step 1, travel from Venice Santa Lucia to Trieste Centrale by hourly regional train, journey time 2h05, fare 16.45.
Buy at the station on the day or in the Trenitalia app, no reservation necessary or possible.
Check train times at www.trenitalia.com - you want a train taking 2h05, not one taking 3h on a longer route.
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In Trieste, it's a 6-minute walk from Trieste Centrale to Piazza Dalmazia tram terminus.
Since it resumed in 2025, it no longer leaves from its original Piazza Oberdan terminus.
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Step 2, take the historic tram from Trieste Piazza Dalmazia to Opicina near the Slovenian border, 6 km, 3.7 miles.
The tram runs every 30 minutes 07:00-20:00, journey time 31 minutes, fare around 1.50.
The tram is an old-fashioned piece of Trieste heritage, and it's unique in that for 10 minutes of the journey it buffers up to a 'drogue' and becomes a funicular railway up the steep escarpment out of Trieste. The tram website is www.tramdeopcina.it.
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At Opicina, it's a 12-minute walk from the tram terminus to Villa Opicina railway station.
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Step 3, take a regional train from Villa Opicina to Ljubljana.
There are two departures a day, fare 8, as shown in the timetable in option 1 above.
However, if you're prepared to walk or taxi the 8.2 km across the border from Villa Opicina to Sezana you'll find around 6 trains per day to Ljubljana, check times at potniski.sz.si.
No reservation is necessary or possible on any of these trains, just hop on and pay on board. The journey is relaxing and scenic as the train wends its way through the hills past pretty villages, and finally down into the plain to Ljubljana. The route passes Borovnica, see the section about Borovnica valley and viaduct in option 1 above.
Ljubljana ► Trieste & Venice
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Step 1, travel from Ljubljana to Villa Opicina (the Italian border town) by regional train.
There are two departures a day, fare 8, as shown in the timetable in option 1 above.
However, there are up to 6 departures per day from Ljubljana to Sezana on the Slovenian side of the border, if you're prepared to walk or taxi the 8.2 km from Sezana to Villa Opicina. Check train times at potniski.sz.si.
No reservation is necessary for any of these trains, just buy at the station and hop on. The train crosses the plain, then wends its way up into the hills past pretty villages. At one point it enters, circumnavigates then leaves a long green valley, climbing for height all the while.
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At Villa Opicina, it's a 12-minute walk from the railway station to Opicina tram terminus.
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Step 2, travel from Opicina to Trieste Piazza Dalmazia on the wonderful historic Trieste tram, 6km, 3.7 miles.
The tram runs every 30 minutes 07:00-20:00, journey time 36 minutes, fare around 1.50.
The tram is an old-fashioned piece of Trieste heritage, unique in that for 10 minutes of the journey it buffers up to a 'drogue' and becomes a funicular railway down the steep escarpment into Trieste. Leaving the drogue behind, it then runs a few hundred metres more to the Trieste Piazza Oberdan tram terminus. The tram website is www.tramdeopcina.it.
Since it resumed in 2025, it no longer goes to its original Piazza Oberdan terminus.
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In Trieste, it's a 6-minute walk from Piazza Dalmazia tram terminus to Trieste Centrale.
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Step 3, travel from Trieste to Venice by hourly regional train, journey time 2h05, fare 16.45, check train times at www.trenitalia.com.
No reservation is necessary, just buy a ticket at the station or in the Trenitalia app and hop on the next train. You want the hourly trains taking 2h05, not the ones taking 3h on a longer route.
Tip: Take your time, have a look round Trieste and take a later train, it's a lovely city.
What's the tram ride like?
Above left, for the ascent of the escarpment the tram couples up to a 'drogue', the only tram in the world to transform into a funicular railway for part of the ride. Above right, the tram terminus and cafe at Villa Opicina, the Italian border town next to Slovenia.
Opicina tram terminus.
Slovenian train from Villa Opicina to Ljubljana. These are modern & air-conditioned with on-board information displays, toilets & ample room for luggage. Take provisions with you, as there's no catering at Villa Opicina station or on the train. These trains run twice a day between Villa Opicina & Ljubljana, but up to 6 times a day between Sezana (on the Slovenian side of the border) to Ljubljana. You can check train times at the Slovenian Railways website potniski.sz.si. Photos courtesy DiscoverByRail.com.