Family Road trip Through Magical Slovenia

Our road trip through Slovenia was primarily due to a special invitation to a picnic in Solkan. Since we were planning to attend as a family with a baby and a five-year-old, we were looking for an idea of ​​where the four of us could easily spend the night near the event.

Due to the regular Italian guests in this region, accommodation prices are higher than we are used to, and due to a combination of circumstances, just a few days before the event, we were offered the opportunity to spend the weekend with Grga - the oldest member of the Balkan campers family. We were delighted to grab the opportunity and set off on a unique family weekend adventure.

Visit time: May 2018

Child age: 8 months and 5.5 years

Suitable time of year to visit: all seasons, except winter. If you are going with small children, it is especially important that the temperature does not drop too low at night. In this case, Balkan Campers will provide you with a small heater.

Suitable for children: babies, toddlers, preschoolers and schoolchildren

A paradise for: lovers of slow, panoramic driving and off-roading. (Yugoslav)nostalgics and fans of retro cars will especially enjoy it. We also recommend it to all those who do not mind a change of plan and to all those who are ready to indulge in a simple nomadic lifestyle for at least one weekend.

Who do we recommend renting Balkan Campers for:

• to all those who would like to show their children how we used to travel on vacation,

• (Yugoslav)nostalgic people,

• to all those who are close to sleeping with their children and luggage in a tent or a similarly small space,

• to all those who are clear that this time you will not be putting your luggage in the closet,

• to lovers of back roads and slow driving, as driving on the highway with older Balkan Campers is not allowed,

• to those who do not put much on the schedule, as you will have to stop every now and then for the old-timer to rest and catch their breath,

• to those who are satisfied with driving 150 kilometers per day, as the older Balkan Campers have a daily kilometer limit.

We do not recommend renting Balkan Campers to:

• fast-moving enthusiasts,

• perfectionists and comfort lovers,

• people who are stressed by extraordinary events,

• those who find it difficult to survive a 2-hour downpour in a small space with their family

• allergy and asthma sufferers, as the van has old seats and cushions that may cause them some inconvenience. I myself have a mild form of allergy to dust mites and I spent the weekend without any problems.

Our journey with Grga:

Tržič – Bohinjska Bistrica – Soriška planina – Petrovo Brdo – Tolmin – Tolminska korita – GO Skate park Nova Gorica – Solkan – Most na Soči – Cerkno – Železniki – Škofja Loka – Tržič

From Tržič to Tolmin

We picked up Grga in Tržič on Friday afternoon. Nejc explained all the specifics and rules regarding driving to us. He started a sentence in English several times, since most of their guests are foreigners. Around 6:00 PM, we set off towards Tolmin, since my wish was to spend the first night near the Soča River. The first rule of Balkan Campers is that driving on the highway is not allowed, so the road ahead of us was “over grass and steep slopes”.

Google said to go to Tolmin via Kropa, but Nejc advised us against the steepness and curves that lead over Kropa and directed us to Bohinjska Bistrica. From there, in Grga's slow rhythm, we climbed to Soriška planina, descended to Sorca, from where a detour led us to Petrovo Brdo. If we had known that we would make such a detour, we would have gone to Petrovo Brdo via Škofja Loka, because for Grga the path over Soriška planina was quite demanding.

The 30-kilometer ride through Baška Grapa is picturesque, as it is certainly one of the less crowded in Slovenia, which certainly does not apply to motorcyclists. You drive along the Bača River the whole time, which flows into the Idrijca, which flows into the Soča. We had fun while driving, looking at the picturesque names of the villages (Hudajužna). As night was approaching, we started calculating alternative places to stay for the night, and Camp Koritnica was on the shortlist, but this time we left it out and bravely headed on towards Tolmin, as our youngest member slept the whole way, so without stopping, after a little over three hours of driving, we arrived at the Labrca guesthouse, where we just wanted to have something "small" to eat, and then head to Camp Gabrje. The late hour, the excellent children's playground and the idyllic parking lot right by the Soča meant that we slept there. Despite the warning that there was a motorcycle rally there the next day and that we had to leave before 11am.

Overnight stay at Labrca Campsite, Tolmin

Labrca also offers the option of camping right next to the Soča River. Don't expect glamping, as the toilets and showers are part of the guesthouse, and there is no possibility of connecting to electricity. Under the circumstances, this didn't bother us too much. We moved the tent to a flat area and prepared sleeping mats. It started raining right after that. Out of all the excitement over the new environment (read: retro curtains) and the three-hour sleep over Baška Grapa, our youngest member had the most trouble sleeping. The fact that all four of us ended up sleeping on the bottom bed was a credit to us for practically catching the sunrise and the awakening of the Soča River. Every thing is good for something.

Despite the not-so-idyllic night, the morning and breakfast with a view of the Soča River were priceless. The baby crawled on the grass, while the older one built a sandcastle and had fun finding the right tools.

Grga is well stocked with basic utensils for making scrambled eggs, cocoa (Benko is waiting for you right there) and fragrant Turkish coffee. In fact, there is enough dishes and utensils to prepare a simple meal. But to make sure you don't go hungry or thirsty, the Balkan Campers team will take care of it, leaving you the famous Domačica cookies, Benko and two classic Slovenian beers (Laško and Union) in the camper as a sign of hospitality, for which we are of course especially grateful.

Tolmin Gorges, Nova Gorica and Solkan Bridge

After a hearty breakfast, playing by the water and charging our phones in the toilet, each family member chose one activity they wanted to do before the picnic. First, at my request, we went to see the Tolmin Gorges.

From there we drove past Most na Soči to Nova Gorica, as the next thing on our wish list was to visit the Skate Park in Nova Gorica. This part was dedicated to our older kid, as it has been rumored for some time that this skate park is one of the best in Slovenia. And according to him, it really is.

This was followed by lunch at the request of our baby in the excellent Ošterija Žogica, located near the Solkan Bridge. It was also the starting point for the MTB trip of our oldest crew member, who went on a couple of descents from Sveta Gora with the team (the good people delivered his bike from Ljubljana). We ended the day with a great picnic and slept near the venue. Since we spent the night on private land, we will keep the location to ourselves.

Most na Soči, Idrijca valley, Cerkno and Železniki

The next day we headed to Most na Soči, where we again found a suitable place by the Soča River for a morning coffee and this time even took a dip in the (cold) Soča River.

Around 12:00 we set off towards Cerkno. The path took us across another idyllic valley – the Idrijca River. Our goal was lunch at Želinec, which we had been drooling over since our last visit. . Unfortunately, our plans fell through again this time, as both kids fell asleep and we all know that in this case you'd better drive a few more kilometers. In our case, that meant to Železniki. When we passed Cerkno, the navigation, or rather the lack of it, was a problem. Since there are two possible routes from Cerkno to Škofja Loka, we naturally chose the one that seemed shorter, but was unfortunately also steeper and slower. The route thus led us across Davča, instead of Gorenja vas. On this route, you can see, among other things, the Franja Hospital, or just before that, stop at the Gačnk guesthouse, where they have a huge playground.

Our Grga crawled to the top of the pass with his last strength. There we supplied him with water and made a longer stop, so that he could also make the way down. Davča is otherwise considered the most stretched village in Slovenia, the houses are scattered over a distance of 10 km as the crow flies. To Železniki you drive along a new, but narrow road right next to the Davščica River. The route through the Selška Valley is also interesting here, but we do not recommend it for Grga.

Our journey ended with a drive through Škofja Loka, Kranj and to Tržič. We regretted that we did not extend the journey for another day and stop in one of the lesser-known valleys (Baška Grapa, Idrijca River Valley, Selška Valley), because lesser-known Slovenian places are extremely interesting, especially when you see them from a slow van.

Here are some tips if you are going on a similar road trip with your family

Before booking the Balkan Camper:

• Check if the vehicle you choose has a three-point seat belt so you can attach child seats. Grga has one three-point seat belt in the back seat, so we sat with the baby in the back, while our older son was strapped into his seat in the passenger seat.

• In our case, the Grga was just enough for 2 adults and 2 small children. If you want more comfort or have older children, give them a call and they will be happy to advise you.

• When choosing the right Balkan Camper for you, consider the option with a pop up roof, as the Grga with its fixed roof has less space for the upper bed.

Before travelling with Balkan Camper:

• Pack as little as possible, as there is not much space in the camper.

• Consider which meals you can prepare in the shortest possible time. We took eggs, bread and some nostalgic products (Zdenka cheese, Cedevita, potica). We didn't cook lunches and dinners, as we ate out or at a picnic. If we had, we would probably have taken something already cooked from home and some pasta.

• If possible, start the trip in the morning. We started on Friday afternoon and arrived in Tolmin just before nightfall, when it was time for bed. After three hours in the car, the children were just right for running around, not sleeping.

• If you only have a weekend, choose a smaller Slovenian region and enjoy the stops and views. Since the goal of the trip was to attend a picnic, we had a specific goal. With Grga and others like him, it's best to let things flow.

• Have a rough backup plan in case of rain. We packed the board games Enko and Človek ne jezi se. In case of rain, we would look for a campsite or a tourist farm where you can have fun in the common areas.