Self-Launched Vienna to Ljubljana: Austria, Italy & Slovenia in 12 Days
12 days · Austria, Italy & Slovenia
PALMA DMC & TO charges £3,180
No-markup version: ~£810 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of PALMA DMC & TO's 12-day Vienna-to-Ljubljana group tour, using trains and buses instead of a coach, and hostels/guesthouses instead of 4-star hotels. You'll hit the same headline sights - Schönbrunn, Melk Abbey, Salzburg's old town, Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Lake Garda, Verona, Venice, Trieste and Ljubljana Castle - but at your own pace and with free walking tours, self-booked palace tickets and cheap regional rail in place of guided coach excursions. Costs are approximate backpacker/mid-budget estimates per person in GBP, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Vienna
Vienna, Austria
Land at Vienna Airport and take the S-Bahn S7 or CAT train into the city centre (~£4-13, 25-30 min depending on route). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse near the Ringstrasse, then spend the evening getting your bearings: stroll the Ring boulevard at dusk, grab a sausage at a Würstelstand and a beer for around £10-12.
🚌S-Bahn S7 from Vienna Airport to Wien Mitte ~£4.50; or CAT ~£13
🛏Hostel double/budget guesthouse near Mariahilfer Strasse or the Ring (~£30-45 pp)
- →Airport train to city centre
- →Evening walk along the Ringstrasse
- →Cheap eats at a Würstelstand
Vienna: Imperial Palaces and the Old Town
Vienna, Austria
Join a free (tip-based) city walking tour in the morning to cover the Ringstrasse, Hofburg exterior, Parliament, City Hall, Urania and St. Stephen's Cathedral, then book a timed Schönbrunn Palace ticket online (~£22-24 for the Grand Tour). Walk Graben Street, peek at Karlskirche, and treat yourself to a slice of Sachertorte (~£6) at a café. Optional: Spanish Riding School morning exercise ticket if you want the equestrian fix.
🚌On foot + Vienna U-Bahn day ticket ~£5
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Vienna
- →Free walking tour of the Ringstrasse and old town (tip ~£5-10)
- →Schönbrunn Palace timed entry ~£23 (book on schoenbrunn.at)
- →St. Stephen's Cathedral
- →Sachertorte stop on Graben Street
Vienna to Salzburg via Melk Abbey and Linz
Salzburg, Austria
Buy a Railjet or Westbahn ticket from Vienna to Salzburg (~£25-40 if booked ahead, 2h20m) and break the journey in Melk: hop off at St. Pölten or Melk and visit the Benedictine Abbey (~£14, includes the terrace and library). Continue to Linz for a self-guided wander of the Hauptplatz and old town, lunch for ~£10, then take the regional train to Salzburg (~1h10m, ~£10-15). Check into a hostel or pension in the Neustadt.
🚌Vienna-Linz-Salzburg by Westbahn/Railjet with Melk stop ~£35-50 total; regional hop ~£10
🛏Hostel/pension in Salzburg (~£35-50 pp)
- →Melk Benedictine Abbey entry ~£14
- →Self-guided walk of Linz old town
- →Train journey through the Danube valley
Salzburg Old Town
Salzburg, Austria
Take the free walking tour of Salzburg to see the Residence, Cathedral, Franciscan Church, Mozart Square, Mirabell Gardens and Nonnberg Abbey. Climb to the fortress or ride the Festungsbahn (~£10) for the view, and consider a Mozart dinner or a Sound of Music self-guided walk if that's your thing. Cheap dinner option: Bosna sausage or a supermarket picnic for under £10.
🚌On foot; bus day ticket ~£5
🛏Same Salzburg hostel/pension
- →Free walking tour of Salzburg (tip ~£5-10)
- →Salzburg Fortress funicular and entry ~£10-13
- →Mirabell Gardens and Nonnberg Abbey
- →Optional Sound of Music sites walk
Salzburg to Innsbruck with Swarovski Crystal Worlds
Innsbruck, Austria
Take the direct Railjet to Innsbruck (~1h50m, ~£15-20 booked ahead). Drop your bags, then take bus/train to Wattens for Swarovski Crystal Worlds (~£25 entry + ~£5 return transport). Back in Innsbruck, self-guided walk of the Golden Roof, St. Jacob's Cathedral and the Hofburg exterior - the old town is compact and free to wander.
🚌Railjet Salzburg-Innsbruck ~£18; local bus to Wattens ~£5 return
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Innsbruck (~£35-50 pp)
- →Swarovski Crystal Worlds entry ~£25 (book online)
- →Golden Roof and Maria-Theresien-Strasse
- →St. Jacob's Cathedral
Innsbruck to Bolzano, Merano and Lake Garda
San Felice del Benaco, Lake Garda, Italy
Cheapest and prettiest route south is the train over the Brenner Pass from Innsbruck to Bolzano/Bolzano (~2h, ~£12-18). Spend a couple of hours in Bolzano's medieval lanes with Gothic and Romanesque churches and the archaeology museum if you want to see Ötzi (~£10). Detour by regional train to Merano (~30 min, ~£5) for the promenades and Passerini villas, then continue by train via Verona to Desenzano or Peschiera del Garda and a local bus/ferry to the west shore (~£15-20 total).
🚌Trains Innsbruck-Bolzano-Merano-Garda ~£25-35; local ferry/bus ~£5
🛏Guesthouse or campsite bungalow on Lake Garda (~£35-50 pp)
- →Bolzano old town walk and Arcades
- →Optional Ötzi museum ~£10
- →Merano promenade stroll
- →Train through the Brenner Pass
Lake Garda Free Day
San Felice del Benaco, Lake Garda, Italy
Slow down: swim off the pebble beaches, rent a kayak or paddleboard (~£12), or take a ferry between the lake towns like Salò, Gardone and Sirmione (~£8-12 a hop). Gardaland theme park (~£35-40) or the zoo safari are options if you want an adrenaline day. Evening aperitivo on the lakefront for ~£8 with a pizza dinner ~£10.
🚌Lake ferry pass ~£10-15
🛏Same Lake Garda guesthouse
- →Swim and kayak on Lake Garda ~£12
- →Ferry hops between lake towns ~£10
- →Optional Gardaland theme park ~£38
- →Aperitivo and pizza on the waterfront
Verona en route to Venice
Verona / Venice, Italy
Train from Desenzano or Peschiera del Garda to Verona Porta Nuova (~30-45 min, ~£5-8). Store bags at the station and walk into the old town: Piazza delle Erbe, the Roman Arena exterior (or arena entry ~£8 with the Verona Card), Juliet's House courtyard (free) and Ponte Pietra. Late afternoon, take the regional or Freccia train to Venice Mestre/Santa Lucia (~1h-1h30, ~£10-15 booked ahead). Stay in Mestre or the Cannaregio area of Venice to save money.
🚌Regional train Garda-Verona ~£6; Verona-Venice ~£12; vaporetto 75-min ticket ~£8
🛏Hostel or budget B&B in Venice Mestre/Cannaregio (~£35-50 pp)
- →Piazza delle Erbe market square
- →Roman Arena and Juliet's House
- →Self-guided Verona old town walk
- →Evening vaporetto ride into Venice
Venice: Basilica, Doge's Palace and the Grand Canal
Venice, Italy
Book a skip-the-line St. Mark's Basilica ticket (~£5-10 online, or combined with the Pala d'Oro) and a Doge's Palace ticket (~£27, or combo with the museums pass). Take the Line 1 vaporetto down the Grand Canal (~£8 for 75 min) instead of a private water taxi, cross the Rialto Bridge, see the Astrological Clock and campanile from the square, and wander Cannaregio for cicchetti lunch (~£10-12). A coffee at St. Mark's Square is pricey - sit inside to save.
🚌Vaporetto day pass ~£20
🛏Same Venice hostel/B&B
- →St. Mark's Basilica entry ~£8
- →Doge's Palace ~£27 (book online to skip queues)
- →Grand Canal vaporetto ride ~£8
- →Cicchetti and spritz in Cannaregio
Venice to Trieste to Ljubljana
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Regional train Venice Santa Lucia to Trieste Centrale (~2h, ~£12-16). Explore Trieste on foot: Piazza Unità d'Italia, the Grand Canal and the Greek Orthodox Church of San Nicolò. Lunch at a traditional trattoria (buffet-style for ~£12-15). Then take the FlixBus or regional bus/train from Trieste to Ljubljana (~1h30m-2h, ~£10-15). Arrive and settle into a hostel or guesthouse near the old town.
🚌Regional train Venice-Trieste ~£14; FlixBus/bus Trieste-Ljubljana ~£12
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Ljubljana centre (~£30-45 pp)
- →Piazza Unità d'Italia
- →Greek Orthodox Church of San Nicolò
- →Trattoria lunch in Trieste
- →Evening walk along the Ljubljanica river
Ljubljana: Castle, Old Town and Farewell Dinner
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Join the free Ljubljana walking tour (10am, tip-based) covering Prešeren Square, the Triple Bridge, the fish market and the Town Hall. Ride the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle (~£4 funicular, or free walk up) and buy castle entry (~£8-10). Afternoon free for Metelkova street art or Tivoli Park. Farewell dinner of Slovenian štruklji and local wine at a konoba for ~£20-25.
🚌On foot; funicular ~£4
🛏Same Ljubljana hostel/guesthouse
- →Free walking tour of Ljubljana (tip ~£5-10)
- →Ljubljana Castle funicular and entry ~£12
- →Metelkova alternative district
- →Farewell dinner ~£22
Depart Ljubljana
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Take the local bus from Ljubljana city centre to Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (~£3-4, 45 min) for your onward flight. If your flight is late, squeeze in a coffee by the Ljubljanica and one last browse of the Central Market.
🚌Local bus to Ljubljana Airport ~£3.50
🛏N/A - departure day
- →Bus to Ljubljana Airport
- →Optional last coffee by the river
Self-launched vs. PALMA DMC & TO
| This itinerary (self-launched) | PALMA DMC & TO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£810 | £3,180 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,370 per person (75%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more PALMA DMC & TO-style trips? Check them out here.~£810
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Vienna to Ljubljana: Austria, Italy & Slovenia in 12 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £810 per person for 12 days in Austria, Italy & Slovenia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with PALMA DMC & TO?+
Yes — PALMA DMC & TO charges around £3,180 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £810 — a saving of roughly £2,370 (75%) per person.
How long is the Austria, Italy & Slovenia trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Austria, Italy & Slovenia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Austria, Italy & Slovenia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.