HEPA Europe 2026 is committed to sustainable travel. Before booking a flight, take a serious look at train and coach options. In many cases, they are more time-efficient than you think—and far better for the climate.

General Planning Advice

Travel by Train or Bus

• Check estimated rail travel times here:
  https://www.chronotrains.com/en/explore/3196359-Ljubljana#google_vignette
• Compare total door-to-door travel time, not just time in transit.
  Flights often exclude:
  • Travel to/from airports
  • Security lines
  • Boarding time
  • Transfers into the city
• Trains usually arrive directly in the city center, which often makes them competitive—or faster—in practice.
• From many cities in Austria, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany, Ljubljana can be reached within ~10 hours in one day.
• If you are travelling from Sweden or Finland, you can take a mix-transport mode with a ferry and rail/bus~Ljubljana can be reachable within 24 hours or 38 hours, respectively.

Where to Search & Book Tickets – Book Directly with National Railways & Ferry operators (usually cheaper)

• Germany – Deutsche Bahn
  https://www.bahn.de/
• France – SNCF
  https://www.sncf-connect.com/
• Austria – ÖBB
  https://www.oebb.at/
• Italy – Trenitalia
  https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
• Switzerland – SBB
  https://www.sbb.ch/en
• Sweden-Stena Line https://stenaline.com/
• Finland- Finnlines https://www.finnlines.com/

Long-Distance Coach

• FlixBus
  https://global.flixbus.com/

Tickets for buses and trains use dynamic pricing. Book early to secure the best fares.

Travel by car

Ljubljana is located at the crossroads of Slovenia’s most important road routes. Motorway access from any of the neighbouring countries is very easy. You can find some useful information here.

As part of its sustainability efforts, the organisers will secure access to the dedicated Planet Positive Ride Share app, where HEPA 2026 participants can offer rides to others or join existing rideshares. Use of the application is free of charge. The link to the app will be available at the beginning of June.

Travel by Plane

Ljubljana lies nearly halfway between Vienna and Venice. Its location within a convenient two-hour flight from the major European airports makes it a well accessible destination. All flights to and from Ljubljana are operated through the Jože Pučnik Ljubljana airport. The driving distance from the airport to the city centre is 25 kilometres.

Conference participants are advised to use the shared transfers from the airport to the city centre with the GoOpti shuttle service.
Book your transfer using the following link to get 8% discount. Go.Opti provides transfers from other nearby airports as well (Zagreb, Trieste, Venice,…)

Mobility in the city

When in Ljubljana, we recommend you to get to the conference venue as sustainably as possible.

• By bike or on foot – the best choice for those coming from Ljubljana. The city’s bicycle rental system Bicikelj  has stations near the Grand Hotel Union (the closest stations are Miklošičev Park and Prešernov trg) and several racks for your own bicycle.
• By public bus – the nearest bus stop is on Dalmatinova street, which is served by LPP lines 5, N5, 13, 20 and 20Z 
• By train – for participants coming from other cities, we recommend arriving by train to Ljubljana railway station, from where Grand Hotel Union can be reached within a 10-minute walk or a few minutes by bicycle, scooter or bus.
• By car – if arriving by private car, we advise a carpool (e.g. prevoz.org) and use the Park & Ride system (e.g. Dolgi Most, Stožice or Barje) and continue your journey by public transport or bicycle. 

HEPA Europe Travel Pledge

Choose the Planet Over the Plane

HEPA Europe 2026 encourages participants to prioritize low-carbon travel. Before booking a flight, apply this decision rule:

✔ Reachable in one day?

Take the train or bus. Flying is not justified.

✔ One overnight stay?

Compare total environmental and financial costs (flight vs. train/bus + hotel). Land travel is often competitive.

✔ Two overnight stays?

Still evaluate the full impact. Trains and buses may still be the smarter and greener choice. Consider combining ferry and rail routes before booking a flight.

Transport is one of the largest contributors to event-related emissions. By choosing rail or coach travel, you directly reduce the carbon footprint of HEPA Europe 2026 and support the event’s sustainability goals.

Checklist before you book:

• The arrival station in Ljubljana for trains and buses is Ljubljana (Železniška postaja / Railway Station). Most onward city travel is easy from there (walk, bus, taxi).
• Most AIs are reasonably good in helping you to plan the trip. Mistral is a European-based AI that is also free of charge: https://chat.mistral.ai/chat
• Build in buffer time for transfers. If you have a connection in Munich / Vienna / Venice, build in 20–45 min (more if crossing borders or switching operators).
• Check whether your train requires a seat reservation. This is common on long-distance services and can sell out on peak days.
• Cheapest train fares are usually ‘advance’ tickets. These are often non-refundable and tied to a specific train. Flexible tickets cost more.
• Choose overnight stays with early departures so that you can continue your journey smoothly the next morning.
• If your journey is long, consider packing items to improve your comfort. We recommend:

Power bank + charging cable
Water + snacks (some trains have limited catering)
Earplugs/eye mask
Layers (carriages can be hot/cold)

Ljubljana provides a wide range of accommodation facilities of all categories and types.
For the HEPA conference Grand Hotel Union Eurostars has been chosen as the main venue and HQ hotel.
Organisers have made preliminary bookings in the following hotels in its vicinity. 
We recommend booking using the links below.

Tourist tax of 3,13 eur/night is not included in the prices.
Breakfast and V.A.T. are included in the prices.
Deadline for reservation at the above prices is 7 July 2026.