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In December I'm planning to go to Bled as I'm passing through Villach by car with my girlfriend. I'm really not motivated to pay for the Slovenian motorways for a daily trip only and the public transport from anywhere in Austria to Bled is just a mess.

Does anyone of you have experience on that rather short route? Most of the websites on the issue are heavily outdated and Slovenia keeps upgrading streets and single roundabouts every once in a while.

So far my plan is to go via the Wurzenpass and following the Route 201 to Bled. (As Google Maps suggests) As I failed heavily getting there a few years ago via Loiblpass this time I want to be prepared better.

Is the suggested route toll-free? Are there better ways than the curvy Wurzenpass (in December)? And do you generally have suggestions or Alternatives?

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4 Answers 4

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Your best bet is still using the so-called "old-road" via Ljubelj pass. This is the route, as-per Google Maps (note that there's a "Avoid Tolls" option when plotting a route):

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Klagenfurt,+Austria/4260+Bled/@46.4795762,14.2091729,11.26z/am=t/data=!4m16!4m15!1m5!1m1!1s0x47707345308f7e65:0x687eb6df8c618d2b!2m2!1d14.3122246!2d46.6364598!1m5!1m1!1s0x477a8e1dd7139961:0x400f81c823fec50!2m2!1d14.1145798!2d46.3683266!2m1!2b1!3e0

The road is wide and well maintained, however it DOES have parts which snake quite a bit because you need to climb over a mountain and drop back down again (after all, you explicitly want to avoid the Karavanke tunnel). There could also be a fair bit of traffic since a lot of locals commute using that route to avoid paying tolls and tunnel fee as well. The route is pretty well marked with road signs as well (you need to follow Loibl/Ljubelj/Tržič markings).

Since you're planning to drive in december, do double check if you have proper winter equipment - the road can be slippery and in cases of severe snow they WILL close it down and you'll be forced to use the highway. That will also be marked pretty early on the route so you won't need to do a big detour if that's the case.

As for other alternatives: since you need to pass a mountain, there's really no good other routes - it's either the highway or the pass.

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  • I have just checked by calling the ÖAMTC. Your route is correct. I'll take it for the rest of the way
    – Qohelet
    Nov 4, 2019 at 16:53
  • Did it, works!!
    – Qohelet
    Jan 14, 2020 at 10:06
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In these cases I mostly trust the ÖAMTC internally they use publicly available software. Their "Routenplaner" gives a similar image like Google Maps, so I assume it's correct. I'll give it a try and hope I won't have to pay any toll.

Edit: Did it this way. Works!

You can go via Wurzenpass to Jesenice if you are in Villach already. The road via Trzic is a little weird, but no tollway included!

https://www.oeamtc.at/routenplaner/

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What I have found by putting that route into Apple Maps, is that the route from Klagenfurt to Bled which is toll-free is via the A2 as follows:

image

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  • Exactly as my described road. Are you sure it's toll-free?
    – Qohelet
    Nov 2, 2019 at 19:18
  • @Qohelet yes it is
    – Xnero
    Nov 2, 2019 at 19:40
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    I wonder as the A2 is a toll-road in Austria and it's a little strange that it would stop at the Slovenian border. Despite their efforts to make everything a toll road
    – Qohelet
    Nov 4, 2019 at 8:12
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what maybe is also good to know if you are travelling through the Karawanken tunnel to Slovenia: if you leave the highway on the very first exit possible, you don't have to pay any tolls for the Slovenian motorways. My mum is Slovenian, and shared the tip with me. In case the police stops you, you have to tell them that you know about this rule and are about to take the first possible exit from the motorway. That should not cause any problems.

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