We started our day early with a mandatory administrative task – COVID testing so we can cross the border in Italy and France. So we took a quick detour in Timisoara in the morning.
Travelling is thought to be tricky these days with each EU country imposing its own set of rules (pending arrival of the green certificate). If you need help in planning your trip, there is a cool app we just discovered from the European Commission – It is not fully updated at times, but you find info on local restrictions and entry conditions.
Reality check though – we found that we crossed borders with Hungary with only our passports checked (no need for tests or vaccination certificate) and Slovenia with no stop at all. But you still need to prepare by the book, so plan before you leave.
Also word of the wise – watch out when you set your Waze destination. In Hungary and Slovenia, you need a vignette. If you fail to check that you already have it, the app will avoid all highways. We figure it out halfway to Maribor.
It is not a big loss though. Hungary has beautiful sights and we all enjoyed the scenery. But if you are in a hurry, it is nearly 200 km longer.
Also, in Hungary don’t search gas stations on Waze, you will get zero results. Instead, look for the specific brand of gas station you prefer. Our car eats a lot of gas, so we were slightly stressed until we figured it out.
We really enjoyed the highway to Maribor, especially the segment alongside Balaton. It is really green and it has nice overdressing for wildlife, which we really appreciate. The weather was sunny and we had nice little stops and Schatzy even managed to challenge his fear of stairs, which is why we are proud to say this morning he went down and up the stairs at our motel with no hesitation. While Hungary is flat, Slovenia is more spectacular, with ups and downs and the motorway crossing hills.
We arrived in Maribor around 8 and we were tired and hungry.
Luckily our host suggested a very nice and well-hidden Italian place – Taverna Sicilia, where we had a great dinner.
Schatzy was also welcome and the waiter was kind enough to bring him a bowl of water as we entered.
We really enjoyed our stay at Pri Lesniku Motel, it has big luxurious rooms and the staff is kind. The Motel also offers minigolf, a spa and a farm, so I guess if we ever return with the kids, they would love it too.