# Anyone Been To Slovenia or Croatia?



## Dont Taz Me Bro (Jun 20, 2015)

My wife and I are going to Naples in September to visit some of my family over there, but we're going to take a few days to go to Venice first since we've never been there.  While in Venice we were thinking about renting a car and driving over into Slovenia and Croatia for a day because they are so close, but I didn't know what the border crossings were like in those countries and if there are any kind of special visa or auto insurance requirements.  Do they actually have border guards you have to speak with or can you just drive through?

I've been all over western Europe and driving from country to country is no different than crossing from state to state here in the U.S. and I've always rented a car with my American driver's license, but I know things can be a little different with those former Eastern Bloc nations.

Anyone know?  Statistikhengst are you in Europe?  Would you know the answer to any of this?


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## Statistikhengst (Jun 20, 2015)

Dont Taz Me Bro

I can help you some with this.

In Slowenien (Slovenia), you must also have an *international driver's license* to go with your American license and at the border crossing, probably at a gas station very close to the border to Slovenia before you get there, you must buy what is called a "Vignette" - a sticker that essentially works like a tollpike ticket. A weekly vignette costs €15 and most gas stations will only accept Euros. The fine for failure to have a vignette if you are caught: between €300-800 !

In Slovenia, your headlights *must* be on at all times, night or day, regardless of weather conditions, or you will get a fat ticket, guaranteed. There is no such thing as "right on red" in Slovenia and the police love to catch foreigners who take a right on red. Slovenia is the tailgating capital of Europe. Prepare to be nerved when driving through that small yet beautiful country.

I have driven through Slovenia 3 times. Do not go off major roads at night if you can avoid it. Car jackings are very common in Slovenien.

In Kroatien (Croatia), you must also have the international driver's license to go with your American license. Or, in Croatia, an official, notarized translation of your American Driver's license will do. And in Croatia, you must also buy a "Vignette" for that land before entering it. Most gas stations starting 50 KM away from the border will start offering vignettes. A weekly vignette in Croatia costs around €8, I think. They are cheaper than their slovenien counterparts

In Croatia, *do not go off a paved road at any time.* There are still mines from the war that have not all been removed from side roads. This is a very serious warning for all foreigners driving through any of the war-torn parts of the former Yugoslavia. The roads that are newly paved have been cleared of bombs. Anything else is a total crapshoot.

BTW, some entities call an international driver's license an "international driver's permit" (IDP) - it means the same thing and you can get one easily through AAA in the USA. You cannot get one as an American once you are inside the EU, you must get it on your side of the big drip.

Good luck, hope that helps. Let me know when you are in Europe. And have a good journey.


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## waltky (Oct 20, 2015)

Slovenia preparing for migrant backup...

*Slovenia gives army more power amid migrant crisis*
_Wed Oct 21, 2015 - The Slovenian parliament passed legislation early on Wednesday that will give the army more power to help police guarding the state border as thousands of migrants flood into the country from Croatia after Hungary sealed off its border._


> The new legislation will enable the soldiers to control the border when there are no police present. The army began helping guard the border on Monday, but so far only when police were present.
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## waltky (Oct 22, 2015)

Slovenia overwhelmed with refugees...

*12,000 migrants arrive in Slovenia; authorities ask EU for help*
_Thu Oct 22, 2015 - More than 12,000 migrants have crossed into Slovenia in the last 24 hours and thousands more are expected, prompting authorities to ask the rest of the European Union for help dealing with the flood of people._


> Slovenia has asked the EU for police to help regulate the flow coming from Croatia, Interior Minister Vesna Gyorkos Znidar told TV Slovenia. Some 10,300 of the migrants remain in Slovenia, an interior ministry spokesman said.  Croatia also decided on Thursday to seek international help, the news agency Hina reported. The government said it will ask for blankets, winter tents, beds and containers. Since mid-September, 217,000 refugees have entered Croatia.
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## Delta4Embassy (Oct 22, 2015)

Dont Taz Me Bro said:


> My wife and I are going to Naples in September to visit some of my family over there, but we're going to take a few days to go to Venice first since we've never been there.  While in Venice we were thinking about renting a car and driving over into Slovenia and Croatia for a day because they are so close, but I didn't know what the border crossings were like in those countries and if there are any kind of special visa or auto insurance requirements.  Do they actually have border guards you have to speak with or can you just drive through?
> 
> I've been all over western Europe and driving from country to country is no different than crossing from state to state here in the U.S. and I've always rented a car with my American driver's license, but I know things can be a little different with those former Eastern Bloc nations.
> 
> Anyone know?  Statistikhengst are you in Europe?  Would you know the answer to any of this?



Am there now man. Like wow, every atom of the planet is connected to every other atom including to our own. Distance is illusion.  

Is probably a State Department site with any travel adviseries and notes you can consult.


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## Delta4Embassy (Oct 22, 2015)

Croatia

Travel Information | Ljubljana, Slovenia - Embassy of the United States


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## longknife (Oct 22, 2015)

The drive from Venice to Trieste is quite interesting and enjoyable.


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