Originally Posted by
LAX/HKG
I will have a 12-hour layover in LJU (on 2 separate tickets).
I will be flying from IST, does that mean I will have to clear immigration and customs in LJU? Visa required for US passport holders? How long would that process take?
Does LJU have luggage storage service?
What is the best way to get to downtown from the airport? I have heard airport taxis will charge an arm and a leg.
We were in Ljubljana earlier this year and flew out of LJU.
Flying in from Istanbul, you will have to clear border services in LJU. You will be entering the Schengen zone of which Slovenia is a member, however for U.S. passport holders there is no visa required (there will be an electronic authorization, ETIAS, required as of 2024). LJU is a very small airport and border control is unlikely to take a long time (not sure the times of your flights).
There is a bus between the airport (which is a long way out of town) and the central bus station (which is next to the main train station downtown). We didn't use it as our flight was at the crack of dawn.
Ljubljana is a very pleasant city. Too bad you only have a short layover, it's worth two or three days. On a 12 hour layover you could have a couple of nice meals, walk by the river, visit the castle. Be sure to ride the funicular.