Suggestions for Koper

[Vineyard View]

Thank you Millybess. I appreciate this. I haven’t heard of GetYourGuide. Private touring is proving much more challenging to find for me post Covid. 
‘We are venturing away from Viking for this journey and trying Seabourn for the itinerary and the experience, plus a fantastic sale last year.  I know you will have a great time because how can you not when sailing them. 

[edinburgher]

You can then walk to nearby Portoroz, about 30-40 mins walk

 

We passed through Portoroz both going to Piran and returning from Piran to Koper on the public bus which serves that route.  it looked to be a quite pretty little seaside town but we didn't get off the bus there.

 

The bus does mean that it could be a viable stop before or after Piran on the way to or from Koper, so options now include walking as suggested above, taxi or public bus. 

 

As I have no idea if the bus ticket for the journey between Koper andPpiran allows a stop off at Portoroz then reboarding to finish the journey, maybe  better to buy two separate bus tickets if planning to spend some time there.

Edited April 10, 2023 by edinburgher

[ollienbertsmum]

On 2/22/2023 at 5:34 PM, edinburgher said:

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a bus route map anywhere,

 

 

 

We had read somewhat mixed reviews about a sort of HOHO bus which went from near the dock to Piran , but felt (given reviews at that time) that it could be too risky so we went by public bus instead.  you would need to check if it still runs, also if reviews have improved.

 

The local Touris Iinfo office people were very helpful and e-mailed a timetable and a map showing the route to the bus stop from the port. It was actually quite easy to find.  Go up to the road from the dock (ramp or elevator).  Do not cross into the old town, but head right following the road which skirts around the old town  Afterr a few minutes it sort of bends to the left, and around that bend, by a roundabout on the right side you will see several bus stops and stances.(It may be the terminus/bus station) Look for the one which is for Piran..

 

There is (or was then) really only one bus stop in Piran, on the main road a couple of minutes walk from where the road into Piran itself becomes pedestrian only.  We boarded for the return journey at the same stop.  At that time there was a little building (resembling a small garden shed!) where timetables were posted on the window.  We paid the driver on the bus, and back in Koper got off at the same stop where we had boarded..Return to the dock  can be  either through the old town (across from the stop) or backtracking the route taken from the dock..

 

I would contact the local Koper Tourist office to check the bus stop location in Koper in case there have been changes since our visit, also for the current timetable. Give them your date of arrival as there are often different winter and summer timetables.

 I think that I went on the ho ho tour referred to above.  I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, I thought it was well organised and good value for money.  It was not a HOHO in the usual definition.  We got off at a viewpoint, we got off for 2 hours in Piran and we had a guide talk throughout.  

 

Other tours were being marketed at the same kiosk at the port.  I think that I had missed the departure time for the others.   

 

[edinburgher]

I think that I went on the ho ho tour referred to above.

 

as mentioned above, we took the public bus for a reason.

 

At that time, we had read somewhat mixed reviews about a sort of HOHO bus which went from near the dock to Piran , but felt (given reviews at that time) that it could be too risky so we went by public bus instead.

 

As a bonus we only paid something like 2 or max 3 euros each way pp so a maximum of 8 or 12 eurostotal  compared to the 50 euros the hoho bus would have cost which is enough of a saving to pay for a moderate  lunch in Piran.

Edited May 17, 2023 by edinburgher

[ollienbertsmum]

1 minute ago, edinburgher said:

I think that I went on the ho ho tour referred to above.

 

as mentioned above, we took the public bus for a reason.

 

We had read somewhat mixed reviews about a sort of HOHO bus which went from near the dock to Piran , but felt (given reviews at that time) that it could be too risky so we went by public bus instead.

And I didn’t stop to look at any reviews, I just booked on impulse.  That is not like me, but it worked at the time.    If we had been late getting back etc I would not have  minded so much.  

 

We were stopping in Trieste the next day so not much traveling if there was a lateness issue.    I always take this into account.    We definitely left two people at Rijeka (saw them arrive late) when the next port was Dubrovnik.  Aargh

[edinburgher]

We were stopping in Trieste the next day so not much traveling if there was a lateness issue.

 

The reviews at the time made us hesitant to book although I think they actually left from dockside as we saw a little cabin to the right advertising the tour.  We walked the 5 minutes to the bus stop.

 

We thought that if there was an issue with the HOHO there may or may not have been a replacement in good time, even if there was a spare to be had, but should a public bus have an issue, there would be more chance of a replacement arriving fairly soon after, or a taxi would be another option given the very low cost of the public bus tickets.

 

What a pity 2 pax were left behind in Rijeka.  It happens, but not that often (I think) in Europe unlike places in the Caribbean or Mexico where there are more pier runners according to YouTube.

 

We also visited Rijeka where the rain poured down most of the day so we didn't see it at its best and it was also the end of the season with many closures which was a pity as we love the Adriatic ports.

Edited May 17, 2023 by edinburgher

[ollienbertsmum]

16 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

We were stopping in Trieste the next day so not much traveling if there was a lateness issue.

 

The reviews at the time made us hesitant to book although I think they actually left from dockside as we saw a little cabin to the right advertising the tour.  We walked the 5 minutes to the bus stop.

 

We thought that if there was an issue with the HOHO there may or may not have been a replacement in good time, even if there was a spare to be had, but should a public bus have an issue, there would be more chance of a replacement arriving fairly soon after, or a taxi would be another option given the very low cost of the public bus tickets.

 

What a pity 2 pax were left behind in Rijeka.  It happens, but not that often (I think) in Europe unlike places in the Caribbean or Mexico where there are more pier runners according to YouTube.

 

We also visited Rijeka where the rain poured down most of the day so we didn't see it at its best and it was also the end of the season with many closures which was a pity as we love the Adriatic ports.

Actually we did run into a potential delay on the bus.  There had been a RTA on the single lane road and we had to wait.  The guide was talking all of the time and she kept referring to “We have to be patient”, but the underlying message was that she was stressed because it might impact on her timings.  She had a bus load of people to take back to the port.   The road was cleared and we got to Piran for our 2 hour stop.  She was there  with minutes to spare to get her earlier bus load of passengers back to Koper.    Timing did seem important to her.  

 

I wondered if the 2 left-behind-passengers had not corrected their watches coming from a different time zone.  I. am sure it is not a great experience.  

[edinburgher]

I. am sure it is not a great experience.

 

The nightmare scenario every cruise pax would hope would never happen to them!

[Vineyard View]

Thank you for these further options. We are flying our Monday and sailing next Saturday - -after this long wait!  And of course I am scrambling! ha!  I think we will likely take a bus or taxi. That way we have the option to stay longer or leave earlier. I appreciate all this feedback

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Thank you for these further options. We are flying our Monday and sailing next Saturday - -after this long wait!  And of course I am scrambling! ha!  I think we will likely take a bus or taxi. That way we have the option to stay longer or leave earlier. I appreciate all this feedback

 

Bon voyage -- I look forward to hearing your thoughts after you return!

[Vineyard View]

I absolutely will come back here! 

[bennybear]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

I absolutely will come back here! 

Have fun!  Will look forward to your impressions.

[Steve007NY]

VV-

Where in Sonoma?

we are on the East side of Sonoma, looking to buy on the Rt. 12 corridor (checking out a place i Glen Ellen this weekend.

‘Assume you’re loving Seabourn.  We do!

[Vineyard View]

Our first SB. In Venice this week and boarding tomorrow. We are off hwy 12 -up Los Alamos   Great area to live so you are thinking in good locations. 

[Vineyard View]

We just returned from an amazing trip. We were very fortunate with the weather compared to the two weeks prior. Luck of the draw - however two days we did have rain and Koper was one of them. The thunderstorms we pretty intense, so we decided to have a late breakfast before going into port. We were told that cabs were not in numbers so with the weather we decided to just spend our time in Koper. It’s a lovely ancient city that, while quite small, was enjoyable to walk. We found a spot for a light lunch and drink that was completely covered in the main square. We enjoyed local cheeses and meats, as well as a good beer while we watch the rain, in an ancient small city in Europe. Not ta bad way to spend time.
Since it was our last day, we packed early and relaxed so it turned into a good day. If it weren’t our last day, or any other day for that matter, I would definitely look at either Lake Bled or Ljubljana. If it were my first visit and I did not want to travel that distance, I would definitely recommend going into port early to go to Piran as well because Koper is not enough to spend the whole day.

[cruisemom42]

34 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

We enjoyed local cheeses and meats, as well as a good beer while we watch the rain, in an ancient small city in Europe. Not ta bad way to spend time.

 

Indeed!

 

Sorry you encountered bad weather. The amount of rain in Italy and the Adriatic this spring has been truly out of the ordinary. At least you were able to enjoy a low-key day, and the weather was good for other ports that may have been more intensively planned.

 

I am still on the fence about Lake Bled vs. Lubljana for my October trip. Need to decide soon though....

 

 

[Vineyard View]

We were truly lucky to be in Venice first 4 night, then the Seabourn cruise with only two days of rain. They’ve had tons of moisture. It was pretty humid, but it was clear and we were grateful. 
I am not sure which of those I would choose if we were in Koper again. But likely one of them if I couldn’t find a private - then again it’s a long distance so a private needs a really good reputation. 
We do stop in Vodice again - this time we took a cab to Sibenik. Which was lovely. We need to find a different plan for next year though. 

[cruisemom42]

21 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

I am not sure which of those I would choose if we were in Koper again. But likely one of them if I couldn’t find a private - then again it’s a long distance so a private needs a really good reputation. 

 

I prefer to do things on my own, but I also have something like $800 OBC that has to be used -- and Azamara includes gratuities and drinks already.

 

First world problems, right?  😄

 

Anyway, thanks for your additional feedback.

[ollienbertsmum]

On 5/17/2023 at 2:30 PM, edinburgher said:

I think that I went on the ho ho tour referred to above.

 

as mentioned above, we took the public bus for a reason.

 

At that time, we had read somewhat mixed reviews about a sort of HOHO bus which went from near the dock to Piran , but felt (given reviews at that time) that it could be too risky so we went by public bus instead.

 

As a bonus we only paid something like 2 or max 3 euros each way pp so a maximum of 8 or 12 eurostotal  compared to the 50 euros the hoho bus would have cost which is enough of a saving to pay for a moderate  lunch in Piran.

Edited June 15, 2023 by ollienbertsmum
I mess up sometimes 🤣

[ollienbertsmum]

Ok so I had not thought about the public bus,  it would have got you to Piran in-the same way as the so called Hoho.  It was not really a hoho because it just took you to Piran and picked you up 2 hours later. I was on my own and appreciated the commentary from the guide.  
 

Not sure if I mentioned on this thread or another, had I seen the tours available I would definitely have gone for the Lippizaner visit.    Choosing between Ljubljana and Bled would be hard.  Can you do both?  I think our cruise may have covered them In Rijeka port stop as well. I actually think Ljubljana is winking at me for a long weekend, only problem is that we can’t get direct flights

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, ollienbertsmum said:

Choosing between Ljubljana and Bled would be hard.  Can you do both?  

 

Some private tours will take you to both; however, on close reading of what they actually do/visit, it seems like they only give you an opportunity to see Lake Bled from the shore. You don't get a chance to take the boat and visit the island....

 

I'm always of the thought that I'd rather see one place well than two places slap-dash. So that probably wouldn't work for me. 

 

The ship only offers tours to Ljubljana OR Lake Bled, not both. If I could be sure of visiting some of the Roman sites in Ljubljana, that would win me over, but they are not included in the tour description.

 

My 14-year-old self would love to see the Lippizaner farm and training facility. Back then I wanted to go to Vienna and attend one of their performances. I would still enjoy it now, but not as much as the other options -- maybe on a third visit. 😉

[Vineyard View]

I do not think I would choose to go to both. With the distances involved, I think it would feel really rushed and unsatisfied. 
One of the two excursions that we did do on this trip (OBC) felt that way. It took us to Porec and Ravinj. Both of these smaller but beautiful towns were worth exploring. The guide was a nonstop talker and we ended up with 30 min free time in each place. On the second excursion via boat to Hvar I asked the guide (he really didn’t want to) tell me what time to meet back at the boat. Great decision. Others who went along for the tour told me we were the smart ones! 

[edinburgher]

On 6/15/2023 at 8:28 PM, Vineyard View said:

. On the second excursion via boat to Hvar I asked the guide (he really didn’t want to) tell me what time to meet back at the boat. Great decision. Others who went along for the tour told me we were the smart ones! 

On the few occasions we take a shorex, if there is an opportunity to leave the group and meet up again at the departure point and time, we will do this, but it depends on where we are and how much info we want to hear from the guide, so we don't always leave the group.

[Vineyard View]

4 hours ago, edinburgher said:

On the few occasions we take a shorex, if there is an opportunity to leave the group and meet up again at the departure point and time, we will do this, but it depends on where we are and how much info we want to hear from the guide, so we don't always leave the group.

Totally agree. On the few occasions! Hvar did not call to us as one of those occasions though! Lisbon did, and several others, but not always.