staying in slovenia

May 31, 2005 10:42 AM

Holiday lodging in Slovenia (and to a lesser degree, Venice).

We are going on holiday to Slovenia at the end of August. We're a family of four, all fully grown, and we're looking for pleasant, clean, not crazy-expensive place to stay.

WHERE?
We will spend only four nights or so in Ljubljana, so although I would appreciate recommendations for the capital, more important is that we find some suggestions for a place to stay away from the city, either in Bohinj or in the less-touristy zone around Lake Bled. We'll be renting a car and making day-trips around the country, but would like a base that's a little bit away from it all, perfect for reading novels, listening to music, eating food, talking.

We are also considering taking the train into Venice for a few nights. Does anyone have recommendations for somewhere nice, private, clean, and not too expensive there?

Search:

• balcony / deck (ie, somewhere to sit and read and stare at something lovely)
• shower (not bath)
• some sort of kitchen
• big enough that 4 of us won't be sardined
• renting by the night or the week
• hopefully still taking bookings!

Destroy:

• shared bathroom
• bugs/dirt
• megatouristy superzones

Thank-you in advance for all your advice!

posted by Marquis to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

I'd be happy to help with Venice, but can you give specific price ranges? Are we talking $30 a night inexpensive or $150 a night inexpensive?
posted by occhiblu at 11:25 AM on May 31, 2005

Well, "affordable by Venice standards" expensive. I realise prices are rather inflated in the city. Last time I was there I stayed in a hostel, and we're definitely looking for something upmarket of that.
posted by Marquis at 11:38 AM on May 31, 2005

When I was living there, my favorite budget hotel in Venice was the Bernardi-Semenzato. They were in the process of renovating, and the renovated rooms were totally charming -- lots of old Venice details salvaged from other historic buildings, great proprietor, etc. Near enough to the train station and vaporetto to be convenient, but tucked into a back street off a charming piazza and so a bit out of the tourist mainstream.

This was four years ago, though, so you may want to hunt down more recent reviews. (Speaking of which, have you tried TripAdvisor.com? They're pretty good for this sort of thing.)

In any event, from the 2003 Let's Go Italy: Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato, Calle dell'Oca, Cannaregio. tel. [phone]; fax [phone]; [e-mail]. This guide's claiming 72.30 for a double with a bath.

Another option may be the Foresteria Valdese, which my friend who also lived there loved. In Castello, near S. Maria Formosa, historic building very close to Rialto Bridge but VERY off the tourist route. tel. [phone]; fax [phone]; www.chiesavaldese.org/venezia. The guide's saying there are apartments with kitchens available, as well as private doubles, but the rest is dorms. (The common rooms are VERY upscale; not a hostel feeling at all.)
posted by occhiblu at 11:51 AM on May 31, 2005

Grr. Sorry about the link, which was both badly formatted and out of date: Foresteria Valdese.
posted by occhiblu at 11:53 AM on May 31, 2005

Oh, and it looks like the Bernardi now has a website, too: www.hotelbernardi.com.
posted by occhiblu at 11:55 AM on May 31, 2005

If he/she doesn't see this thread, you might try contacting Ljubljana.
posted by vacapinta at 12:12 PM on May 31, 2005

You can find very reasonable apartments in Bohinj, which is definitely worth a visit. Try the tourist information office there.
posted by cbrody at 4:21 PM on May 31, 2005

Sorry I'm late.

I recently wrote a post about where to stay in Ljubljana that might be helpful. (self-link, careful)

Otherwise I would definitely recommend Bohinj over Bled if you're looking for somewhere more "away from it all." It's definitely the more unspoiled of the two, and perfectly located for day trips into the Alps, Triglav national park and environs. When we went there, we just drove around and looked at different family-run places. We only had nice experiences. I don't think you'll have any problem finding something.

Slightly more to the west, closer to Caporetto, I can suggest taking a look at the Nebesa ("heaven") houses. I haven't been there yet, but it looks enchanting. Apparently you can see Venice from up there on good days. It's pricey for local standards, though.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Hope you have a wonderful time!
posted by Ljubljana at 10:34 PM on May 31, 2005