Travel to Piran
During the first 2 months of our family trip around the world, we moved rapidly. From our start in Paris, we only stayed in one place for more than 7 nights and used 12 different overnight accommodations. We were ready to slow down for a bit and knew we were heading to Slovenia. Moment of honesty: we didn’t even know about Piran. We found it because of an amazing Airbnb deal on a great 2-bedroom apartment. It was easy to arrive in Slovenia from Italy via FlixBus, and we didn’t even care what there was to do in Piran. We were looking for a place to rest and booked 12 nights in the old city. We figured we needed downtime, so why not travel to Piran?
Piran turned out to be one of our favorite destinations so far. It has very little vehicle traffic, the best sunsets we’ve seen, and a laid-back pace of life. There is an amazing history to explore, starting during Roman rule before Christ and into heavy fortification during the 7th century. The people were amazing: Jon ended up swimming the Adriatic multiple times with a new friend and going on a 3-hour bike ride up and down (but mostly up) the coastal hills with another local.
It is a short and easy walk along the coast to arrive in Portoroz. We spent a relaxing evening in the thermal pools at the spa in Portoroz. However, we mostly stayed in Piran. There is a local bike shop that was wonderful to work with, and we rented from them multiple times. We are always nervous for our kids to ride bikes on roads with vehicle traffic, but the entire area is very cyclist-friendly. After a short ride along roads (all with designated bike lanes), you can arrive at a slew of non-motorized path options, including riding through a great tunnel.
The city has its own Mercator, and although slightly smaller than typical, it had everything we needed during our stay. The main square has several lovely cafes to buy a croissant and coffee. There are several restaurant options, including our two favorites: Bosnian/Serbian style mixed meat platters and doner kebabs. Sarajevo 84 is still one of our family’s favorite meals of our entire trip! Try the family meat platter and, if you are adventurous, the Bosnian coffee that is served with the grounds mixed in.
We spent several days catching up on school and work in the mornings and going to the park for the afternoon. Piran has an amazing park up on top of the hill, with kids always playing soccer and using the playground. We also took an hour one day to climb and walk the walls of the old castle.
Slovenia has become one of our favorite countries in the world for an extended stay. Find other articles on Slovenia on our site here: 5 family adventures in Slovenia and how expensive is Slovenia. Piran was inexpensive and amazing, and we will plan to return in the future. Do yourself a favor and go, relax, and enjoy an amazing sunset.
Slovenia was one of our stops during a year-long trip around the world! To see all our travel adventures, head over to our Instagram page.
If you have questions or tips for traveling to Piran with kids, let us know!
