Driving in a different country can be daunting and many travelers opt to go without a car. While traveling around Europe is the perfect place to be without a car because many cities have affordable and well-connected public transportation. Having access to a car and driving in Slovenia can help you to reach a lot of places you otherwise couldn’t.
The first few years I lived and traveled Europe my access to a car was limited to friends who had one (which isn’t many) or to rentals. I didn’t drive for years. I was terrified to drive in another country. As an American, I am used to wide roads, slower speed limits, big parking spots, and right turn on red (Pennsylvania represent!).
The decision to start driving again happened after moving to Slovenia. While I live in the capital city, let’s just say I am more in suburbia with a dash of farms. I still greatly benefit from a few bus lines, but it isn’t ideal for getting everywhere and especially in bad weather (see: November-March).
Present-day, I have my own car, which is also my first big adult purchase (yay), and a Slovenian license. Throughout the tedious process of learning the rules of the road, driving school, and a few failed exams I wanted to share with travelers some tips to ease their driving experience in Slovenia.
Driving in another country doesn’t have to be stressful if you familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the road and some street signs. Here are the most significant differences between driving in the US and driving in Slovenia.
Table of Contents
1. Vinjette
This is probably the biggest mistake travelers make when coming to Slovenia. The vinjette (vinjeta in Slovene) is serious business. You will not be able to get by without one if you are driving on the highways, which you will be. The vinjette is simply a toll similar to paying at a toll booth. With no toll booths this eliminates waits and worries about having correct change.
If you are renting a car in any of the neighboring countries do not forget to stop at a gas station (Petrol, OMV, Agip, MOL) to purchase before crossing the border.
Weekly vinjette 15.00 EUR / Monthly vinjette 30.00 EUR
Penalties run from 300 to 800 EUR.
2. No Parking or Stopping Signs
Parking Prohibited 
Parking and stopping prohibited
Round signs with a red outline are called prohibitory signs and yes, they prohibit you from doing something. In this case, we are referring to parking and stopping. The first sign with one line means no parking but if you need to drop off/pick up put on your hazard lights and you may. If there is an X through the sign that means no parking and no stopping, ever.
3. Do Not Enter and One-Way Signs
Entry prohibited (road with one-way traffic) 
Entry prohibited
Now that you are familiarizing with prohibitory signs here are two very important ones. The first one, that looks like a minus sign means do not enter. It is a one-way street.
If the sign is like the one on the right just white with a red outline, that means entry is prohibited for whatever reason.
A blue square sign with a white arrow means you are on a one-way road. Be mindful especially when driving in Ljubljana. Many one-way roads suddenly turn to two-way roads after an intersection.