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Emphasis for those who can't understand the difference between starting in Germany and going to Germany. Clearly for those of rather low knowledge of the English Language. Res ipsa loquitur.
Croatia will be lowering annual tourist tax for yachts.
- Thread starter Baggywrinkle
- Start date
RichardS
N/A
There's that naughty word "to" popping up again. The little devil just won't die gracefully.
Richard
Metabarca
Well-known member
Baggy, presumably you're going down to Croatia and back in a matter of days (suggested by your Slovene route for which you need to buy a vignette lasting a certain amount of days). Otherwise it would make sense to go via Tarvisio.
I'll be in Izola on Monday and will report if there any border problems.
I'll be in Izola on Monday and will report if there any border problems.
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
Would be great to know of any issues on the Trieste/Koper border thanks
It will be just a long weekend to get the lift-out, antifoul, anodes etc. organised and to do a few odd jobs. It's actually not much different in cost over a long weekend to go via Ljubljana or Tarvisio - tolls in Italy are €12,10 each way and it's 30km longer one way.
So, being one for working these things out, €30,20 via Tarvisio (€12,10 each way tolls + approx 6€ extra in fuel) vs. €30 via Ljubljana (€15 vignette + 2 x Karawanken tunnel - €15) only a 20 cent difference on a weekend return journey
.Timewise, the extra 30km and A/B-roads through Slovenia in Koper add on average about 30 mins to the journey (with normal traffic) - depending on my mood and the traffic forecasts, I usually end up deciding in Villach on the way down, or Koper on the way back depending on what google traffic says and if I still have a valid Slovenian vignette. The €15 vignette is only valid for 7 days so useless for a week visit (need 10 days, like in Austria, to arrive Friday evening and leave Sunday lunchtime of the following week) ... so the sums work out different for a week.
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Tarvisio is good if you want a leather jacket whilst passing through. I also, memorably, bought a bottle of "Fuhrerwein" in the shop over the road from the market, before it was banned. Good talking point for visitors.
Metabarca
Well-known member
Depends too if you hit the rush hour around Ljubljana. The coffee's better on the Italian side too! Of course, the really scenic route is to exit at Tarvisio, head into Slovenia and then up to the Vršic pass and down along the Isonzo/Soča river, one of the most beautiful in Europe. But don't be in a rush!Would be great to know of any issues on the Trieste/Koper border thanks
It will be just a long weekend to get the lift-out, antifoul, anodes etc. organised and to do a few odd jobs. It's actually not much different in cost over a long weekend to go via Ljubljana or Tarvisio - tolls in Italy are €12,10 each way and it's 30km longer one way.
So, being one for working these things out, €30,20 via Tarvisio (€12,10 each way tolls + approx 6€ extra in fuel) vs. €30 via Ljubljana (€15 vignette + 2 x Karawanken tunnel - €15) only a 20 cent difference on a weekend return journey
Timewise, the extra 30km and A/B-roads through Slovenia in Koper add on average about 30 mins to the journey (with normal traffic) - depending on my mood and the traffic forecasts, I usually end up deciding in Villach on the way down, or Koper on the way back depending on what google traffic says and if I still have a valid Slovenian vignette. The €15 vignette is only valid for 7 days so useless for a week visit (need 10 days, like in Austria, to arrive Friday evening and leave Sunday lunchtime of the following week) ... so the sums work out different for a week.
If I'm being a cheapskate, I often do the Tarvisio stretch as far as Carnia on the normal road, which is very good, has little traffic and is... free! There's a also a great place to fill up water bottles just beyond Chiusaforte: a spring that has been tapped and spills out mineral water (in the lay-by on the right just after passing under the motorway just beyond Chiusaforte).
There were heavy queues over the weekend to get into Slovenia apparently, but that's because only a few roads were open and only local (Friuli Venezia Giulia) residents were allowed through, so there were checks. Today I believe that the secondary crossings will also be open and to all Italian residents, so presumably no checks; will advise this evening if I encounter problems.
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
? - I was going to put the Ljubljana rush hour and the Italian coffee into my reply too ... you're absolutely right.
Somehow I always seem to be in a rush to get to the boat or get home, and haven't really explored anything off the motorways, apart from Bled a few times for a food stop. Must try harder.
RichardS
N/A
I seem to have missed this Ljubljana rush hour thing.
I've been driving down through the Karawanken tunnel and then round the LJ ring road to the south of the city before heading towards Zagreb on 3 or 4 occasions every year for the last 10 years. We used to go via Zagreb and did hit traffic there a couple of times but we now turn off south just after LJ and go non-motorway down to the Croatian border at Vinica.
Apart from the tunnel itself, we've never had a single hold up going around LJ but perhaps that's because it's always around midday.
Richard
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
I seem to have missed this Ljubljana rush hour thing.
I've been driving down through the Karawanken tunnel and then round the LJ ring road to the south of the city before heading towards Zagreb on 3 or 4 occasions every year for the last 10 years. We used to go via Zagreb and did hit traffic there a couple of times but we now turn off south just after LJ and go non-motorway down to the Croatian border at Vinica.
Apart from the tunnel itself, we've never had a single hold up going around LJ but perhaps that's because it's always around midday.
Richard
Between 5pm-7pm when you exit the tunnel then the traffic can back up from where the motorway splits to Koper/Zagreb ... the Koper side is usually the problem - can lose 20-30 mins if it is really bad. I drive up the outside lane looking for an "opportunity" to merge right as late as possible .... if there isn't one I follow the Zagreb motorway and take the next exit, and use a b-road to join the Koper motorway losing only a few minutes. I usually check Google Maps because it has predictive traffic - make a quick coffee/fuel stop in Villach and compare the google maps arrival times via Slovenia or Italy and decide there.
I also buy the tunnel passes for Austria online just before I need them so I can go through the video toll gates .... but even if you don't do this, you can use the video tolls and the gate system will just divert you to a credit card payment machine when you try and go through without a pass (no Amex though, only Visa/Mastercard) .... still quicker than waiting in line at the booths. Is obvious really, the system design has to have a fall-back to allow for unreadable number plates due to snow etc. or customers who accidentally end up in the wrong queue.
Used to travel overland in Slovenia but had a bad experience with a traffic cop .... totally my fault .... was driving too fast and the bugger was hiding behind a tree with a laser. He took great delight in pulling over a speeding BMW with German plates and fined me a hefty chunk of money - apparently I could have gone to court and challenged the fine, but then if I lost it would have doubled.
If it all goes smoothly I can leave work around 4pm and be sitting in the marina restaurant with a cold beer around 11pm the same day.
RichardS
N/A
Can you tell me more about this, please?
We usually go through the credit card lane as the queue is shorter than the cash lanes and we buy the motorway vignettes for Austria and Slovenia at the service station in Bad Reichenhall as we cross the border. However, I've never seen the electronic tunnel passes for sale there. Can you buy these online for just a couple of uses ... once the way down and once the way back?
Thanks
Richard
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
The online shop is here .... Webshop ASFINAG
Read the faq here ..... Frequently asked questions about the digital tolls
While the video tolls for tunnels are active immediately .... the 10 day/Annual vignettes are subject to the following ...
So a bit of forward planning might be necessary.
They've recently introduced "Digital Section Toll Flex" where you create an account with ASFiNAG, log your payment details and simply get charged when one of your registered number plates goes through one of their section toll cameras. Might also be of interest to you - no need to pre-pay.
Digital Section Toll FLEX
... and finally ... if you create an account with them then you can access live feeds from over 1000 traffic cams across Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Hungary ...
Metabarca
Well-known member
Interesting, thanks. I drove to Izola yesterday and can confirm no problems. It's single-lane crossing and the police stop (I gather) non-Italian or non-Slovene cars for a quick temperature check. At 3pm, no-one in front of me; at 6pm on the way back, I saw there was a tail-back of some 20 cars. I have read that Friday evening and at the weekend, the queues were much longer, but that's probably for two reasons: last weekend was locals only, so a lot of checking; plus all the triestini were desperate to get across for cheap petrol and ciggies! Plus the customary weekend lunch in a gostilna. A very few Austrian and German cars around.
As for the virus, the Primorski (Slovene coast) had very, very few cases, and it's pretty much business as usual. You'll see a few people in masks, including shop and bar employees, but there's no obligation to wear one yourself that I know of and gloves only if you're handling fruit in the supermarket. Srečno!
As for the virus, the Primorski (Slovene coast) had very, very few cases, and it's pretty much business as usual. You'll see a few people in masks, including shop and bar employees, but there's no obligation to wear one yourself that I know of and gloves only if you're handling fruit in the supermarket. Srečno!
RichardS
N/A
I like the sound of that. ANPR simply records the car and debits your account and you can use any lane.
I'm going to try and create an account now and see if they will accept UK plates.
Many thanks
Richard
OK .... that's now done. Both our mile-munching cars are assigned to the FLEX account and UK number plates are accepted. From now on we just drive through any lane and the charge is made to our Euro credit card automatically.
That's brilliant. Many thanks for the info Baggywrinkle.
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Mr Cassandra
Well-known member
Good news
Austria: lifting of quarantine from 16 June 20 (return of Croatia)
To get into Croatia more quickly, they advise pre-registering here :
Enter Croatia
I'm planning to go Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia on the 19th June ... will post on my experiences.
Please do, I normally drive Austria, Croatia , Northern Republic Macedonia.(Don't go) will try Bulgaria ,Greece.
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
I like the sound of that. ANPR simply records the car and debits your account and you can use any lane.
I'm going to try and create an account now and see if they will accept UK plates.
Many thanks
Richard
OK .... that's now done. Both our mile-munching cars are assigned to the FLEX account and UK number plates are accepted. From now on we just drive through any lane and the charge is made to our Euro credit card automatically.
That's brilliant. Many thanks for the info Baggywrinkle.
Thanks for asking, your question caused me to visit their site to get the links and I discovered their new Digital Section Toll FLEX - so I signed up too before posting. Been using the online Videomaut purchase for a few years and it hasn't failed me yet - the FLEX account should be even easier.
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Laibach ist immer soooo schön.
Metabarca
Well-known member
... yup and the centre is literally seven or so minutes from the motorway exit. Park under the square (Kongresni Trg) and you're 100m from the three-bridge heart of the city. Saturday morning for the market is great, when the smallholders come into town and sell their products.
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There is one major problem with Slovenia AND, indeed, Croatia. And that is, a serious lack of vowels.
Metabarca
Well-known member
...worse in Slovenia, where there's a lack of vowels AND it's all in cyrillic! Slovenian is harder than Croatian to learn as it has not only three genders and cases but also the midva, the dual (singular, dual, plural), so a single adjective could have nine different endings according to what it's describing... Res je naporno delo... One beer = eno pivo; two = dve pivi; three or more = tri piva.
But everyone there speaks English and/or German or Italian. Na srečo!
But everyone there speaks English and/or German or Italian. Na srečo!
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Er.... do you mean Serbia? I've never seen any Cyrillic script in Slovenia. Not saying there isn't mind you, but none around Maribor when I went there last year. Nor Bled. Worry not, I know all about Croatian grammar. I've been learning about 5 years now. In fact I had a lesson via Skype this am. Slavic languages are all notorious for inflection. Did you know they are thought to have been mutually intelligible until around 1000 AD? Polish and Russian have diverged a lot since. You would almost think they did the complex grammar deliberately to confuse me.