On Foot - Classic Slovenia Traveller Reviews

We are a couple in our mid fifties and mid sixties , respectively. This was our first organised walking holiday and we loved the concept, the route, the organisation, Slovenia and the Slovenians equally. We initially spent two nights in Ljubljana under our own steam since the city hotels were exceptionally busy due to a number of big sporting events and conferences in town, so the relatively small hotels used by 'On Foot' were fully booked. We booked direct with the Hotel Slon (Elephant) and had two very comfortable nights there in a very pleasant, standard European city hotel. Ljubljana, we felt, was an absolute gem of a city - beautiful, friendly, hugely walkable (10 minutes from side to side), cultural, international...the positive feelings go on and on. Although the city hotels were full, the feel in the city itself was of of 'busyness' but still with space and calm. It has a picturesque river, a dramatic castle on a hill, numerous excellent restaurant, bistros, bars - simply sublime! Now the walking. We had three days walking in glorious sunshine and three in pelting rain. We loved them all. WE wlaked from alpine meadows all the way to the coast. There was a large range of landscapes and vistas from upland mountain, conifer and mixed forests, moorland and, finally the (Italian) coast. We have never seen such a profusion of wildflowers anywhere in Europe, and this at a time (August/September) when they should not have been at their peak. It had been a wet summer in Slovenia though, which helped the plants but not our walking - see below. Virtually all of Slovenia appears not to use fertilisers or other agri-chemicals which explains the profusion of flowers and also the quality of the ingredients we ate as we travelled the country. WE followed the walks provided for us by 'ON foot' ranging from about 14km (10miles) per day to 8km (5 miles). All the walks were accurately described in the detailed descriptions we received, which also came with timings. We found these timing to be just slightly slower than we actually achieved by maybe 5-10% which is just about as accurate as you could ever hope for. WE also found it invaluable to have downloaded the file that 'On Foot' had offered onto our hand-held GPS device. WE bought this especially for the walk and were very glad of it. It gives you a moving arrow to follow along a live map of the terrain. Very straightforward and very useful when faced with a map instruction which says 'take the second fork' and you are not sure whether a little path constitutes a fork or not. The machine will tell you that you need to walk another 400 yards to the fork. We possibly only needed it four or five times over the week we walked but, on those occasions, it was invaluable. The package form on foot comes with detailed printed walking maps in addition to the walking instructions, together with notes for each day's walk, distance, times, picnic sites, contact telephone numbers for that night's accommodation etc. Exceptionally thorough. Most of the accommodation is in in farmhouses which have converted outhouses into bedroom blocks. We also had one rural hotel on our first night of walking and one night in a castle gatehouse (in Stanjel). All the rooms we had were very comfortable. In all the farmhouse accommodation, you have no choice of food - you get what they are servingthat nighht unless you have decalred a dietary preference beforehand. The food we had ranged from the good (2 nights) to the exceptional (also two nights). It is a bit meat-heavy in the mountains, getting lighter as you near the Italian border. In Stanjel, which is B&B only we were advised not to eat tin the castle restaurant, which did look very pretty, but had had numerous bad reports. INstead Marya, the owner of the accommodation drove us 20 minutes to what looked like a very drab, moderm, pizza parlour. We were very glum. The food we were served (no choice again) was simply exquisite,; Slovenian produce, Italian cookery, minimal prices - no pizza. Highly recommend. The other superb food we had was on the last night in Slovenia in Tomaj. All sourced from their farm, all fresh and simply superb. All meals are served with Slovenian wine. For the last 4 days or so, this comes from their own vineyards. Very good, very cheap. The red is very potent! For the walks, we found ourselves pleasantly tired, but no more, at the end of the longest days. Our first three days, in the uplands, were sunny and warm (perhaps 25C/75F). We then had two days of heavy rain. One (the day we walked to Stanjel), the rain was biblical. We still enjoyed the day, though. One of the good things about being on a walking holiday is that you know you have nothing else to do that day - no shops to visit, no funfair to kill time in...... The reception we received in Stanjel could not have been warmer. We were literally stripped down to our undies by Marja, the owner, placed in front of a fire and given tea and schnapps to warm us up. An excellent welcome and not unlike most of those we had during the walk. A few travel tips for Slovenia. You will need to take ALL your needs with you every day. We passed literally ZERO shops and one bar from the time we started walking until we reached the Italian border a week later. This is not a cafe society. Do not expect to meet other walkers. We met one walker during our week's walking, plus perhaps a dozen cyclists. In the villages and on the footpaths, everyone we met was very friendly, though sometimes a bit mystified. There are not many walkers hereabouts. There is absolutely no problem with rights of way or access. It seems to be assumed as a given. There are multiple paths and few wire fences. Mobile phone signal everywhere was significantly better than most of the UK. All accommodation had free wifi. Tourist attractions we saw 1) Ljubljana - love at first sight 2) Disappearing Lake Cerknika Museum (Walking Day 1)- Fascinating. 2) Caves at Postojna (Walking day 2). Had seen caves before. Hadn't expected to like these. Left 3 hours later. Gobsmacked. Final recommendation. On Foot's taxi driver/guide Gregor Sustersic was friendly, funny, exceptionally knowledgeable and clearly very proud of his country, as well he should be. It is a welcoming, beautiful country with much to be proud of. Hugely recoimmend this holiday. Can only think of one thing that could have been improved and that was the rain. Still marvellous, though.

WE had not traveled with 'On Foot' before or, if we're honest heard of them, but they were excellent. Their responses to our queries before we booked were thorough, speedy and insightful. The folk we were e-mailing clearly knew the holiday they were selling us from personal experience. They were enthusiastic about it from personal experience. They also answered questions at hours of the day, night and weekend where we have never had responses before. They felt like a company that really cared about their customers. This was also reflected in the quality of all the documentation we received from them.

We have just completed the Slovenian walk from Lake Cerknica to Trieste through the limestone karst area. It took us 8 days and we took advantage of the suggested extra side trips as well. (Postojna Caves, Predjama Castle, Lipica Horse Stud and Skocjan Caves). We thoroughly enjoyed the experience of walking through varied countryside, local farm accommodation and getting to know the area intimately (particularly wild strawberries, figs and cherries). We were very fortunate with the weather, having mild sunny days most of the time. It was a wonderful holiday.

We have been dealing with On Foot Holidays for about a year now as we booked and planned our trip to Slovenia. They were so helpful even about advice not directly related to the trip (train travel in Europe for example). We cannot recommend them highly enough for their quick, honest responses and the care taken to ensure every detail of the trip was organised so there were no hiccups or stressful moments. Even to pre-booking taxis for the extra activities. We loved the cultural/ historical notes in our guidebook and the instructions, especially about when and how much to tip specific people, so that we could be politically correct and not embarrass ourselves in such gracious company. Their planning is meticulous and their interaction is personal and highly professional. We will definitely be using this company again.

First experience of organised self-guided walking holiday (we've arranged such holidays ourselves in the past). Everything was very good and would definitely do it again.

Excellent organisation, route notes and accommodation. Staff all willing to go the extra mile. Absolutely no complaints. Particularly good local representative who met us at the airport and introduced us to the area.

This is our second holiday with on foot holidays. Both holidays have been great and we have enjoyed them.

Very organised and great to deal with.

This is our second holiday with on foot holidays. Both holidays have been great and we have enjoyed them.

Very organised and great to deal with.

We had a marvelous nine day walking trip organized by Onfoot Holidays. Most interesting countryside and places to stay. We especially enjoyed the agritourist hotels where hospitality was outstanding.

We have been with this company three times and cannot speak highly enough of their organization and attention to detail. They are most pleasant to deal with and we intend to book with them again. Always pleasant and nothing is too much trouble.

A self guided walking trip commencing in Slovenia,ending in Trieste. Each day was a new adventure,with different challenges. A detailed map and compass readings ensured the correct route was taken. Once or twice had to stop fitting surroundings to the information. Here the compass readings saved the day! Meeting many friendly locals and experiencing a vast array of cuisine from five star four course dinners, to homely farmhouse family fare. Such a family friendly country. It was a delight, meeting mushroom forages and grape harvesters. Given some grapes to complement the packed lunch, provided prior to departure from our lodgings. Weather was very mixed, however this didn't detract from the picturesque surroundings. Wet weather gear was very useful. A wonderful time, with sightseeing incorporated within the daily walks. Variable weather normal for September prior to the snow coming according to the locals. A real treasure of a holiday.

Full guidance given prior to, during and after booking. Always pleasant and knowledgeable when approached. A delight to deal with. All the holiday walking guides, maps and compass readings arrived in plenty of time, to enable them to be read through, identifying any area of unrest that could be resolved before the departure. Reassuringly these were all straight forward. Another lovely touch was being contacted the day before departure to wish an enjoyable holiday experience. This inspired great confidence in the tour operator. Will certainly use them again.

We went walking in Slovenia. The places we stayed were varied in style but the quality was always great. Gregor our first face to face contact with On Foot holidays was so welcoming and informative. He certainly looked after us. The extra day at the beginning to see Lake Bled was well worth it despite the weather. The walk instruction were spot on and the routes very enjoyable. The accommodation at the end of each day was great the hospitality couldn't have been better. The special treat of a terrace pool on the Tourist Farm Skerlj at Tomaj really was the icing on the cake. The food on the tourist farms was exceptional, and frequently surpassed our expectations. We spent two days in Trieste which got us back into the real world after lovely days spent wondering through the beautiful changing Slovenian countryside. Lots more to explore in Slovenia and will definitely return to explore more!

I travelled with a friend and she dealt directly with On Foot. The were very informative and kept us very well informed, answered all questions we had and were very knowledgeable about the country and routes. Nice touch was a phone call a couple of days before we left to wish us a happy holiday followed by a call when we got back to make sure that our trip had gone well. Would definitely recommend them to others.

The whole holiday was marvellous - the walks themselves, the landscape,woods as far as the eye can see, flower-filled meadows, the people, a nice finale in Trieste and the organisation and support of On Foot Holidays.

Excellent range of holidays; great support. including very comprehensive maps and walking guides. And overall wonderful value.

We spent eight days following an excellently planned route through the Karst region of Slovenia. The route was very well explained and maps provided. The scenery was beautiful and varied and the walking suited our level. The accommodation in tourists farms was all excellent with generous and friendly hosts.

On Foot Holidays organise walking holidays for people who want to walk independently. They plan the routes using local people as advisors, book accommodation and organise luggage transportation between the hotels. They are an efficient and friendly company to deal with.