On our last morning in Bled, Slovenia, we woke up early and hopped in the car for a day of driving and adventure. We had mapped out a route that would be much longer than the usual 45 minute drive from Bled to Ljubljana, but much more interesting. Our journey centered around the Motorail, which would take us from Bohinjska Bistrica to Most na Soči, then continue on to Ljubljana by car.
It was raining hard this day with intermittent downpours. At times it was like the sky had opened up. Still, we had a great day exploring and once again, we were thankful for our waterproof suits.
Lake Bohinj
The train station is located in Bohinjska Bistrica, a short drive away from scenic Lake Bohinj. Like Bled, Lake Bohinj is a picturesque spot with turquoise waters, surrounded by mountains. We couldn’t see much around the lake in the downpour and mist, but what we did see was lovely. It reminded us of Lake Tahoe.
Splat Savica
The main event for us in Bohinj was Splat Savica. As we drove away from the lake, the landscape began to change. We passed through boulder fields then to forests filled with snow. The drive is not long, but the terrain and weather conditions were shockingly diverse.
When we arrived, there were quite a few cars in the parking lot considering it was technically closed and lots of family groups. We passed by the sign declaring the site closed and that by passing, we’d be proceeding at our own risk. Up through the woods and snow, we hiked the nice trail to the epic waterfall, Splat Savica.
It was worth the risk and climb and rain to get to this beautiful spot. The website describes it as “magnificent” and it wasn’t wrong! Unfortunately, my photos from my waterproof phone case come nowhere near to doing this sight justice. It is huge! We could see the rising mist over the trees from the parking lot.
After, we drove back into town with enough time for lunch before the train. We stopped into the adorable Strud’l for a delicious meal. I had the sausage and potato salad and it was the best sausage I’ve ever had. So good! I also got coffee with cream because I am straight gluttonous. Delightful.
Motorail to Most na Soči
After lunch, it was time for the Motorail! This train takes you and your car under and through the Julian Alps. We weren’t quite sure what this would involve. When the train arrived, it was honestly a bit smaller than I was imagining.
You queue up your car at the train station and buy tickets from the conductor when the train arrives. When they’re all situated, they give you the go ahead and you drive straight onto the flatbed train. Put the car in park and you’re ready to go! You can choose to sit in the train itself, but it is definitely a lot of fun to stay in the car.
The journey begins with a long ride through a tunnel. If you are claustrophobic, staying in your car during this part may not be the best idea for you. Since we were first on the train, we could see a little bit of the tunnel around the train’s engine, and in the dark it felt quite small.
It is dark in there. The train bumps and wiggles along. It was more thrilling than I anticipated!
We emerged on the other side of the mountain about 15 minutes later to spectacular views. The Alps, adorable villages each with their own church and spire, the fog and mist and clouds – it was a ride to remember.
We couldn’t resist filming a timelapse. Check it out!
The ride takes about 40 minutes and it was a lot of fun experiencing the countryside from the car on the train. We had much better views than just a seat by the window on a train and we both got to enjoy the sights, as neither of us had to drive during this portion. For something different, this is a really cool way to get through the mountains.
From the train, we had an hour and a half or so drive to Ljubljana. In the pouring rain, this wasn’t the most fun, but there were definitely gorgeous moments out there in the mountains.
Just before the rain stopped, we arrived in Ljubljana. Stay tuned for more from there!
Jenn is an American expat living in London, spending her time freelancing, traveling and writing on this here blog. Thank you for reading. Are you planning a trip here? Tell me your plans in the comments!
Hi
I have just read your blog about Motorail in Slovenia. We are planning to go there next week and hoping to get motorail as well. I am wondering do we need to book the ticket first or just straight go to the station. I am just worried that they sold the ticket very quickly.
Thanks
Amanda
Author
Hi Amanda! We visited in the off-season, so that may have affected our experience, but we didn’t book ahead and bought the ticket as we were driving onto the motorail. There were three cars on our trip.