Is Slovenia Dog Friendly? Pet-Friendly Accommodation & Travel

Overall, Slovenia is very dog-friendly with some planning. We have visited many places in Slovenia with Henry, my dog, and all have been great. There are many factors that show its pet-friendly credentials. For starters, there are lots of options throughout the country for pet-friendly accommodation.

Travelling around Slovenia by train is pretty straightforward too; however, most coaches and buses in the country are not pet-friendly. Dining out with dogs is also easy, as there are lots of options throughout the country.

There’s lots of beautiful countryside to visit, including lakes, rivers and mountains. There are many delightful towns and cities, and those we’ve visited with Henry have been pretty pet friendly.

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Places to Visit in Slovenia With a Dog

There are lots of nice places to visit in Slovenia. This includes stunning countryside, pretty lakes, historic castles and picturesque cities. These are places we’ve visited with Henry and found them to be pet friendly.

Visit Ljubljana

Ljubljana is the capital and a fantastic city to visit with a dog. The city is one of the smaller capitals in Europe and thus is very walkable when exploring the sights. Ljubljana has many options for things to see or do. The city centre is a fantastic place for walks, including on Castle Hill.

We found Ljubljana to be very dog-friendly and had a great time exploring the city with Henry. First, we found plenty of places to stay with dogs. We opted for a pet-friendly hostel on the edge of the central area. We visited many bars and restaurants; most had pet-friendly outdoor areas, and those that didn’t welcome pets had a sign saying they didn’t serve Henry’s type in here.

There were many options for dog-friendly places to stay for us to choose from in Ljubljana on Booking.com. We have tried a few hostels in the city over the last few years and found them very welcoming to pets.

Lake Bled For Beautiful Walks

Lake Bled is a beautiful place and one of the most popular places to visit with a dog. Lake Bled is a brilliant place for walks, including around the lake and on trails in the nearby countryside. A castle overlooks the lake and is also a pet-friendly attraction.

You can also hire a paddleboat or enjoy a boat trip with pets to see the lake. You can also enjoy water sports and other adventurous activities when visiting the area. There are lots of options for bars & restaurants at Lake Bled, including on the lakeside.

You can reach Lake Bled by public transport, including the pet-friendly train to Bled Jezero railway station. This is a fantastic spot to start your adventure, and within minutes you have fantastic views. You should note that the buses to get around Bled and the nearby sights are not dog friendly; thus, allow time for longer hikes or using expensive taxis.

Overall, Lake Bled is dog-friendly. The only tricky part is the bus service. The area is beautiful and deserves its status as one of Slovenia’s most popular tourist attractions.

Vintgar Gorge

If you like hiking and beautiful scenery or need ideas for a dog-friendly day out, then Vintgar Gorge is fantastic. Vintgar Gorge is a very popular tourist attraction near Lake Bled. The gorge is a mile long and 250 metres deep, with the Radovna River running through it.

The gorge section is the main attraction, with lots of wooden walkways that let visitors access the gorge. The path crosses the gorge at various points, offering splendid views of the river below, including rapids and waterfalls.

The walk back to the start is great too, taking you through some beautiful countryside. Hiking back also takes you past a few pet-friendly places for beer or other refreshments. Vintgar Gorge is one of my favourite parts of the country so far and was a thoroughly enjoyable day out.

Pivka

We only popped into Pivka while travelling between Italy and Croatia. However, we found it dog-friendly, including the fantastic restaurant where we had lunch. Pizzeria Herman had a fantastic menu, and I enjoyed a hearty mixed grill, which was delicious. The staff were welcoming of Henry. Pivka is rather small; however, it has some nearby mountain hiking trails and a military history park.

Celje: A City in The Countryside

The fourth largest city, Celje, is a lovely place to visit with a nice town centre. It has many things to see. However, the highlight of any visit is to see Celje Castle, which overlooks the city. Celje Castle is a fantastic dog-friendly day out, with lots to see and splendid views. Celje is also a great city for long walks, and many trails leave directly from the city centre.

We found the city to be rather dog-friendly, and anywhere that wasn’t had signs to show they weren’t. The central areas had lots of green space for walkies, and across the river, there are lots of opportunities for hill walks. Finding pet-friendly accommodation was straightforward using booking.com. We ended up staying in a hotel just outside of the centre.

Ptuj

Ptuj is a fascinating town to visit. It’s a pleasant place to spend time, and the city has a fantastic laid-back vibe. Ptuj is the oldest city in the country; thus, it has a few interesting things to see. This includes the castle that overlooks the town, which has some fantastic exhibits to see.

Ptuj also has the River Drava and the country’s largest man-made lake. Both are great places to walk or sit by the water and relax.

There are many options for bars and restaurants in the city, many of which are pet friendly. Finding a place to stay with Henry was straightforward on Booking.com. We ended up staying in a casino hotel.

Maribor

Maribor is a beautiful city and a great place to visit. It has lots of interesting tourist attractions to see and things to do with your pet nearby. Beautiful countryside, including rivers, hills, vineyards, and forests, also surrounds the city. This is a great place for walking.

The city centre is rather beautiful, with some very interesting buildings and tourist attractions. The city has many options for bars and restaurants to visit, many of which are pet-friendly.

Finding dog-friendly accommodation in Maribor was pretty straightforward, and there were options. As usual, some of the city’s tourist attractions were not pet-friendly. However, the city was lovely to explore with Henry.

On searching Booking.com and Airbnb, there are many options for pet-friendly places to stay. If you use the pets allowed filter for your required dates, you can see what’s available. We opted to stay in an apartment just outside the central areas, which was nice.

Is Slovenia Dog Friendly?

Overall, Slovenia is a dog-friendly country to visit, with some limitations. Several factors make it so.

Pet-Friendly Accommodation

Across the country, you’ll find many pet-friendly accommodation options. This includes the big cities and smaller places in the countryside. You can find these using the pets allowed filter on Booking.com. Each property has its own rules, including nominal extra cleaning charges. We’ve used apartments and budget backpacker hostels.

Buses and Trains

We found that using public transport is hit and miss with a dog in tow, not great for exploring further afield. Trains are pretty straightforward unless you happen upon a strict conductor. The solution is tickets in cash only, though. Unfortunately, most coaches in the country are owned by Flix and Arriva, both of which don’t allow dogs.

The train is my preference for getting between places. The rules you need to follow while travelling include having a pet ticket. Your dog should either be in a carrier or, if bigger, with a lead and muzzle. We found that they rarely enforce the muzzle rule for a dog of Henry’s size.

Overall, trains are good, but buses are unpredictable with your time/money. Slovenia is beautiful, but with a pet, driving is the only way to see most of the country.

Bars & Restaurants

Dining out or having a drink out is easy when with a dog; most restaurants and bars are welcoming of pets. Many other places have outside seating, which is fine with canine guests. On our visits, we spotted lots of water bowls. The establishments that don’t welcome canine guests usually have a ‘no dogs’ sign at the entrance, making life simple.

Walkies

Both the cities and the countryside of the country are fantastic to visit with a dog. We didn’t see any strays while visiting, which is great for peace of mind. In the cities, there are many green spaces for walking, and the countryside has many hiking trails. I really enjoyed the walks in the countryside in Spodnje Gorje.

Travel to Slovenia With a Dog or Other Pet

You can reach many parts of the country by railway, including trains from Hungary, Croatia, Italy and Austria. The capital has an airport, and some companies allow travelling with pets. You can also do a road trip, hike or cycle across the border.

Travelling to Slovenia with a dog requires extra paperwork, depending on where you are arriving from. You either need an EU-issued pet passport, which is checked when entering the Schengen area. For non-EU residents, you need the “Animal Health Certificate”.