Ljubljana's old town is car-free, and the city prices your car out to the edge: €1.50 at a park-and-ride buys 24 hours of parking and two bus tickets. Every kerb in the centre is paid, every day, and since January 2026 at night as well.
My plan: come off the ring road, leave the car at P+R Barje or Dolgi most, and take the bus in. If the car must be close, the city garages charge €2 an hour for the first three hours.
Parking in Ljubljana: €1.50 at the edge, €3 an hour after the third hour
1. Buy the e-vignette before the border
Every motorway and expressway in Slovenia needs an e-vinjeta, and the Ljubljana ring road is part of that network (A1, A2 and the H3). The shortest is 7 days for €16; a month is €32. It's tied to your plate and read by cameras, and DARS puts the fine at €300. Coming from Zagreb, Trieste or Villach, you're on a vignette road almost from the border. From Austria, the Karawanks tunnel charges its own toll on top. Buy at evinjeta.dars.si and nowhere else.
2. Don't drive into the pedestrian zone
The old centre, more than 30 streets and squares and about 10 hectares, is closed to cars. Driving in needs a city permit and is meant for deliveries. Inside, the Kavalir electric carts run every day 08:00–20:00; wave one down or call 031 666 331.
3. Park and ride for €1.50
Pay at the Urbana machine at a P+R site: Barje (347 spaces, bus 9), Dolgi most (349, buses 6 and 1), Stožice (1,220, buses 13, 18 and 20), plus Stanežiče, Studenec and Ježica. €1.50 buys 24 hours of parking and two single bus tickets, loaded onto an Urbana card. LPP's English page still says €1.30. LPT, which sets the price, raised it on 12 January 2026, and LPP's Slovenian page agrees.
4. Leave the garage before the fourth hour
The city's four garages, Kongresni trg, Kozolec, Rog and Ilirija, charge €2 an hour for the first three hours, then €3 an hour, 06:00–24:00, and €4 for the night. Eight hours on a day trip is €6 plus €15: €21, against €1.50 at the P+R. Kongresni trg (715 spaces, entry from Slovenska cesta) is the most central. I'd pick Ilirija, opened in March 2025 with 322 spaces and the most chargers.
5. Read the zone on the kerb
Street parking runs in three zones, charged every day 06:00–22:00: Zone 1 €1.70, Zone 2 €1.00, Zone 3 €0.70 an hour, then €2 for the night. A May 2026 Ljubljanainfo report gives the limits as two to four hours in Zone 1, six in Zone 2 and ten in Zone 3; the sign decides. Pay at the meter or an Urbanomat, by Urbana SMS, or in the Urbana or EasyPark apps.
A day in town? The P+R beats the garage by almost €20, and that's what I'd do.
Car parks worth knowing
| Car park | Price | EV |
|---|---|---|
| Kongresni trg garage (LPT)Under Congress Square, entry and exit on Slovenska cesta; the most central garage | €2 an hour for the first 3 hours, then €3 an hour (06:00–24:00); €4 for the night (24:00–06:00). 715 spaces (the English page says 720). | The Slovenian page lists 11 EV bays, the English page 6; price not published. |
| Kozolec garage (LPT)Between Slovenska cesta and Kersnikova ulica, entry from Dvořakova ulica | Same city garage tariff: €2 an hour for 3 hours, then €3; €4 for the night. 432 spaces. | 5 EV bays; price not published. |
| Ilirija garage (LPT)Between the Ilirija pool and Narodni dom, entry from Bleiweisova cesta; opened 18 March 2025 | City garage tariff from 12 January 2026: €2 an hour for 3 hours, then €3; €4 for the night. 322 spaces. | 8 EV bays: two AC posts (4 cars) and one DC post (2 cars); price not published. |
| Rog garage (LPT)Under the renovated Center Rog, entry from Rozmanova ulica; 06:00–24:00 | €2 an hour for 3 hours, then €3; €4 for the night. Small: 86 spaces. | 4 EV bays; price not published. |
| Trg MDB surface car park (LPT)Trg mladinskih delovnih brigad, south of the centre beside the Roman wall at Mirje | Tariff class II: €1.00 an hour by day (06:00–22:00), €4 for the night. | Not published. |
| P+R StožiceAt the Stožice sports park, north of the centre; covered; buses 13, 18 and 20 | €1.50 for 24 hours, two single bus tickets included, loaded onto an Urbana card. 1,220 spaces. | Not published. |
The cheapest way to park, by how long you stay
| If you stay | Cheapest | Cost | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours in the centre | P+R Stožice | €1.50 | Includes two bus tickets |
| …and the cheapest central garage | Trg MDB surface car park (LPT) | €2 | Class II; night €4 |
| …and the kerb, for comparison | Kerb, Zone 1 (red) | €3.40 | €1.70 an hour, every day. Ljubljanainfo gives a 2–4 hour limit in Zone 1 (I use 2); Zone 2 is €1.00 and Zone 3 €0.70. €2 for the night. |
| A full day (10 h) | P+R Stožice | €1.50 | Includes two bus tickets |
| …and the cheapest central garage | Trg MDB surface car park (LPT) | €10 | Class II; night €4 |
| 24 hours | P+R Stožice | €1.50 | Includes two bus tickets |
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Towed in Ljubljana: Cesta dveh cesarjev, open all night
1. Ring LPT before you panic
Tows are run by the city company, JP LPT. Call 01 300 12 00. Its towing page also lists towed cars by make, model, street and date.
2. Go to Cesta dveh cesarjev
The car pound is on Cesta dveh cesarjev, south of the centre. It's open 24 hours a day, every day, and so is the pay desk; cash or card.
3. Bring €210 plus the fine
Since 12 January 2026 a tow costs €200, double the old €100, and storage is €10 a day. Collect the next day and you're at €210 before the ticket. The fine for an unpaid ticket isn't on the city's parking pages, so I'm not giving a number.
The tow price doubled this year. Ljubljana isn't bluffing.
If your car has disappeared
- Who took it
- The city company JP LPT (Ljubljanska parkirišča in tržnice) removes the cars. Its towing page lists towed cars by make, model, street and date
- Phone
- JP LPT, car pound and information, 24 hours: 01 300 12 00
- Collect it at
- Cesta dveh cesarjev, south of the centre. No house number is published; LPT links a map pin.
- Hours
- Every day, 24 hours; the pay desk keeps the same hours
- What it costs
- From 12 January 2026: tow €200, storage €10 a day (VAT included), up from €100 and €5. Cash or card. The fine for an unpaid ticket is not published on the city's parking pages.
- Bring
- LPT lists no documents. I would bring the registration document or rental contract, my driving licence and passport; for a hire car, ring the rental company first.
EV charging in Ljubljana: Card at the post, eight bays at Ilirija
1. Pay by card, no account
Most public posts in and around the city belong to Gremo na elektriko, Elektro Ljubljana's network. Enter your bank card on first use. AC is €0.35 per kWh (€0.22 on eco charging) plus €0.50 a session; DC is €0.45 per kWh plus €1.
2. Charge in a city garage
LPT lists charging bays in its garages: Ilirija 8 (two AC posts and one DC), Kozolec 5, Rog 4. For Kongresni trg, LPT's Slovenian page says 11 and its English page 6. No kWh price is published for any of them, so read the screen first.
3. Top up at the castle
The Ljubljana Castle car park has 40 spaces, two with chargers, at €2 an hour. The road barrier lets cars up 09:00–23:00, and the first 15 minutes are free.
Ilirija is where I'd charge: AC and DC under one roof, at the edge of the centre.
Where to charge
- Gremo na elektriko (Elektro Ljubljana) — Public posts across Ljubljana and Slovenia, more than 1,200 charging points nationally. Pay as you go with a bank card on first use, no account. AC €0.35/kWh (eco €0.22) plus €0.50 a session; DC €0.45/kWh plus €1
- Ilirija garage — 8 bays, AC and DC — Ilirija garage, entry from Bleiweisova cesta. Two AC posts for four cars and one DC post for two. Parking at the city garage tariff; the kWh price is not published
- Ljubljana Castle car park — 2 bays — Ljubljana Castle car park, up the castle road; barrier open 09:00–23:00. 40 spaces, two with chargers. €2 for each of the first two hours, then €2.50; first 15 minutes free. No buses or motorhomes
Free parking in Ljubljana: Nothing free in the centre, almost free at the edge
1. Treat €1.50 as free
There's no free kerb left in central Ljubljana. The zones charge every day and, since January 2026, at night. A P+R at €1.50 with two bus rides is the closest thing to free.
2. Use the free P+R on 18 October
On marathon day the organiser lists free parking at P+R Stožice, Barje, Rudnik and Dolgi most, with shuttle buses.
3. Sleep where parking is included
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons lists complimentary on-site parking on its own page, plus a paid garage and EV charging. AHOTEL's own site says free parking; it's by the Ljubljana-Center exit of the southern ring road, 2.2 km from the centre.
If you remember one thing: park at the edge for €1.50. Every price here was checked on LPT, LPP or DARS pages on 5 October 2026.
Free or nearly-free spots
P+R at €1.50, the nearest thing to free
Six sites: Barje, Dolgi most, Stožice, Stanežiče, Studenec and Ježica. €1.50 covers 24 hours and two bus rides into town.
Free P+R on marathon day, 18 October 2026
The marathon organiser lists free parking at P+R Stožice, Barje, Rudnik and Dolgi most, with shuttle buses, while the centre is closed from 08:00 to 16:00.
Castle car park: 15 free minutes
Enough for a drop-off at the castle; after that it's €2 an hour.
Hotels with free parking
- Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons — Pot za Brdom 4, 1000 Ljubljana Map. Its own page lists complimentary on-site parking, a paid garage and an EV charging station
- AHOTEL Ljubljana — By the Ljubljana-Center exit of the southern ring road, 2.2 km from the centre (no street address on the home page) Map. Its own site says free parking; no charging mentioned
⚠ The small print on 'free' parking
- The e-vignette (e-vinjeta) is required on every motorway and expressway, including the Ljubljana ring road. 7 days €16, a month €32, a year €117.50. It's bound to the plate and camera-checked; DARS gives the fine as €300, the AMZS club as €300 to €800.
- Driving in from Austria through the Karawanks tunnel, the tunnel has its own toll on top of the vignette. Since 1 January 2026 the coastal expressways H5 and H6 near Koper need no vignette.
- The old town is a pedestrian zone of more than 30 streets and squares; entry needs a city permit, issued for deliveries. I found no low-emission zone in force in Ljubljana, so a foreign car needs no registration or sticker.
- Since 12 January 2026 night parking is no longer free: €2 a night in the kerb zones (22:00–06:00), €4 in car parks and garages. Lose a garage ticket and it's €20.
- P+R price conflict: LPP's English page still says €1.30; LPT's January 2026 notice and LPP's Slovenian page say €1.50. LPT sets the price, so €1.50 wins.
Take these places with you
Every place on this page as a file you can keep — car parks with their prices, the free and park-and-ride spots, the chargers and the pound.