Inter-railing? Bored of looking at the bright lights of cities? Spend some time in Slovenia!

Slovenia, one of Europe's newest additions from the 1st May 2004, is also one of the most beautiful and friendly. An ex-Communist country, so far not that corrupted by Western ways, is not as yet littered with MacDonalds and Starbucks. It's a small country brimming with natural beauty, cheap bread and coffee and vodka for breakfast (be prepared to start at around 7am!).

Places of interest should include fairytale-esque Bohinj near the village of Bohinjska Bistrica. The Bohinj valley is protected by the mountains of the Julian Alps to one side and gorgeous forest to the other. Lake Bohinj is big enough to swim, boat or fish in (as long as you're planning on eating that fish!). Be careful when swimming, after a particularly impressive stormy night the water gets very, VERY cold as the ice on the top of the mountains makes its freezing way into the lake.

The further into Slovenia you go, the advice is to learn a few words of their Slavic language. There are no English-Slovenian signs to assist the tourist here, however, you can usually get by with friendly smiles and pointing if you really want! Learning a bit of German can get you around as well as you travel further East many countries also speak a bit of it too.

Slovenia is also your gateway to Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary to the Eastern European countries. The railway stations are great, it's straight onto the tracks or grass because there are no platforms, so you'll have to jump off the train with that big rucksack of yours! Be warned, trains are not that frequent and there's a lovely laid back attitude of 'train may come some time today, maybe tomorrow. Who knows? It's not important!'

You can enter Slovenia from any direction really depending upon if you have planned a route (the Thomas Cooke rail planners are a must have for the discerning inter-railer) or you can amble in at your leisure. Be prepared to keep your passport to hand as you may be asked quite a few times to display it - in many different languages too!

The Rough Guide to Europe is quite a good reference point for the first time inter-railer, but if you want to get away from everyone else following the same travel routes and recommendations, have a bit of a trundle around without a guide - go on, I dare you! Whatever you decide, you will have one of the most memorable adventures to make your mates jealous in that unfriendly, over-priced trendy bar when you get home.

Links:
http://travel.roughguides.com/default.html (click on Europe and Russia on the map)
http://www.slovenia-tourism.si/intro/ (Slovenian Tourist Board)
http://www.bugeurope.com/essentials/slovene.html (handy phrases to get you around!)

Jennie Bailey