Only one month after launching more trains on the cross-border route from Ljubljana to Graz, the Slovenian Railways (Slovenske železnice, SŽ) are at it again! This time launching a brand new rail route connecting Italy and Croatia for the first time (in recent history anyway).
Until now, anyone who wanted to travel between the Adriatic cities of Trieste and Rijeka by public transport would most likely opt for a coach as the current once-a-day only connection has its limitations. This long-standing departure involves two trains – firstly joining the afternoon EuroCity Emona from Trieste Centrale (or nearby Villa Opicina) to Pivka and then taking the fast train from Pivka to Rijeka, which originates in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana. The drawback is the afternoon departure and the connection of two hours and twenty five minutes in the small town of Pivka. The same story applies to the northbound option.
Thanks to SUSTANCE funding, as part of the Interreg Central Europe Programme, and collaboration between railway operators, a new direct train has been made available in addition to this previous connection. The brand new once-a-day direct international train from Villa Opicina and Rijeka in each direction now runs from 24th April until 30th September 2024 at least.
The southbound train, operated using a brand spanking new Slovenske železnice Stadler FLIRT, leaves Villa Opicina in the morning at 07:50, arriving at Rijeka for 09:54 (Train MV 1801), with the northbound service departing in the evening at 18:25, arriving at 20:40 (Train MV 1812). This opens up an option for those staying in Trieste, or for those who reside in several places in Slovenia, to make a day trip to the Croatian city known for its attractions and shopping and travelling with a journey time competitive to the coach.
I was lucky enough to be invited by the Slovenske železnice to the inaugural launch of this train on 24th April 2024.
UPDATE: In 2025, this train is unfortunately not running at all cited due to infrastructure work. It is hoped that more cross-border trains such as this one will operate in the future.
Here is the all important map of the new direct train route with its stops in between:
Departure from Villa Opicina
Villa Opicina is located 6.2km away from Trieste which means anyone travelling to or from Trieste will need to hop on a bus for the thirty minute journey to and from the station. Unfortunately, the unique Trieste-Opicina Tramway ceased to operate in 2016, leaving the only option of the bus or travelling by car/taxi where there is some parking available at Villa Opicina railway station.
In the future, the desire is to operate the service to/from Trieste Centrale. However, for now, as the Slovenske železnice Stadler FLIRT units are not certified for travel on the Italian rail network, this won’t happen anytime soon.
Facilities are fairly limited at Villa Opicina with a waiting room, toilets and a coffee machine that was having a day off and decided to give our money back a couple of seconds later.
Onboard the Slovenske železnice Stadler FLIRT
The Slovenske železnice is in the midst of a new trains revolution thanks to a large order of new trains from train builder, Stadler. The new Villa Opicina to Rijeka service is operated by the FLIRT variant of these trains. The livery, resembling the company colours and the elongated Slovenske železnice logo, is modern and striking.
The train offers two classes of accommodation, First and Second Class, plenty of space for bikes and WiFi, free of charge.
As indicated on the side of the train, the train is certified for operation in Slovenia (SLO), Croatia (HR) and Austria (A). Italy, for now, isn’t listed and operation from Villa Opicina to the border with Slovenia works on an agreement with the Italian rail operator.
Second Class Accommodation
There are 201 Second Class seats on the Slovenske železnice Stadler FLIRT. These comfortable seats are arranged in a 2+2 configuration across the four carriages. Most seats are in an airline-style configuration and some are situated around bays of four.
The seats are missing tables, which is the only drawback I could find on the otherwise fantastic interior on these trains. The ambience of these trains is perfect with soft glow lighting and a just-right temperature onboard. Legroom is also more than enough.
First Class Accommodation
There are twelve seats available at one end of the train in the First Class compartment – separated to the rest of the train with an automatic door. These are arranged in a 2+2 configuration in the same way as Second Class.
Contrary to Second Class, all seats come with a table of some sort – large fold out tables at tables of four with the airline-style coming with a regular seat-back folding table. As with Second Class, legroom is fantastic. This is the ideal space for working in a hopefully quieter environment.
Border Crossings
Despite the train crossing two borders on the course of its journey from Italy to Slovenia and Slovenia to Croatia, there were no formal passport or ID checks on the train from Villa Opicina to Rijeka. This is due to Italy, Slovenia and Croatia all being part of the Schengen free-travel area. As Croatia was only admitted recently, there can be ad-hoc border checks between Slovenia and Croatia so do remember to bring all of your documentation with you!
Scenery
The scenery onboard the train from Villa Opicina to Rijeka is delightful with the lush green landscapes followed by a view of the Adriatic Sea for the last leg into Rijeka.
Inaugural Launch Festivities
The Slovenske železnice put on a great show for their inaugural event, including speeches and a breakfast buffet on the platform prior to departure.
After the train made its second call at Divača, a party atmosphere filled the train as local volunteer groups, tourist boards and singers jumped on. Various Slovenian cakes were being handed out including potica, kremna rezina, prekmurska gibanica and crostoli by ladies in traditional dress as well as some obligatory (not really, but I couldn’t say no) plum brandy, or slivovitz, served just after at approximately 9 am!
Below is a video of some of the key moments of the inaugural event:
Arrival into Rijeka
After just over two hours onboard, the train arrived into a rainy Rijeka – the city known for its 13th century castle and Baroque buildings. The city centre is a fifteen minute walk from the railway station. Left luggage lockers are available in the station building.
Booking and Fares
Tickets for the new Villa Opicina to Rijeka service come at a bargain flat rate. Travelling internationally, tickets are only currently available at station booking offices or onboard trains if this facility isn’t available.
An online facility to make international bookings is planned to be introduced in the future as the Croatian Railways (HŽPP) develop an online platform as part of the same SUSTANCE programme.
| Journey Leg | Second Class | First Class |
| Villa Opicina to/from Rijeka | €8,00 each way | Second Class fare + supplement Villa Opicina/Sežana to Šapjane +€2,70 Šapjane to Rijeka +€1,80 |
Plan Your European Rail Trip for Just £29*
(approx. €33 / $34)
Your custom European rail itinerary – expertly planned, ready to book and delivered within 72 hours.
Planning a multi-city train trip can be confusing and time-consuming. That’s where our Plan My Rail Trip service comes in. We research your route, compare ticket options, and show you how to book the cheapest and most efficient connections available at the time of research — checking both point-to-point tickets and Interrail / Eurail pass fares — so you don’t have to.
All for just £29* – no stress or hours spent researching.
Check out Plan My Rail Trip now at the Rail-Away Shop:
Please note: the above link takes you to the Rail-Away Buy Me A Coffee website where you can review options and, if you choose to, complete your purchase.
*Plan My Rail Trip permits 5 or less travel days and 4 or less stopover locations. Those requiring more will need to purchase the Plan My Rail Trip Plus option. Fares quoted are subject to availability and change. Rail-Away provides research and booking guidance only and does not sell tickets.
Conclusion
It’s always wonderful to see a new route being launched and it’s impressive that the Slovenske železnice have launched two in the space of a few months! The currently summer-only train from Villa Opicina (Trieste) to Rijeka opens up new journey opportunities for locals and tourists alike. It is highly competitive with the coach in journey time and offers a much more pleasant ambience and better onboard facilities. I hope the service will tempt customers away from the road and onto the tracks.
I’m very grateful to Slovenske železnice for inviting me to their inaugural launch. I wish them (and their partners) all the success for the new service and desire to improve cross-border transport connections and upgrade their fleet to offer customers a better experience.
It was great to spend the day with representatives of Slovenske železnice as well as @superalbs and @tech963 from Twitter.
This Travel Report was first published in April 2024 and updated in January 2025.
See More from Rail-Away
Planning a European train trip?
Save hundreds on Interrail* with our expert guide!
Flexible rail passes have their perks—but they’re often pricier than buying individual tickets.
Download our FREE Simple Guide to Booking European Train Travel and discover how to effortlessly save hundreds of Euros* by booking like a local!
*For example:
- Save €209 on the advertised Interrail trip to Slovenia and Croatia itinerary by booking point-to-point tickets right up to the day of travel**—compared to using the recommended Interrail pass.
- Save €107 on the advertised Top 10 Cheapest Cities in Europe itinerary by booking two weeks in advance**—again, compared to the recommended Interrail pass.
- Four easy steps, including:
- Knowledge Is Power – learn the best places to go before you book
- Where would you like to go? – tailor your itinerary to your travel goals
- Research Connections & Prices – use our proven methods to find the best fares and booking sites
- Tickets & Reservations – understand what tickets and passes are available to you
Also:
- A comprehensive list of European rail operators
- 12 beautifully designed, easy-to-follow pages
- Downloadable to your phone, tablet, or computer
**dynamically priced fares according to demand can result in lower or higher fares, book early for the cheapest fares
What else is in store?
*Please note that further Expert Guides and Ready-Made Itineraries are in development and will be available soon.
Already have the password?
Enter the password from your welcome email at the link below to access the Club Rail-Away home page:
Any issues, please get in touch!
*savings calculated as of 8th June 2025 for published itinerary for example dates on Interrail/Eurail website by purchasing point-to-point fares instead of recommended pass for the specified itinerary. Slovenia/Croatia trip for €77.00 travelling on 9th June 2025 and Top 10 Cheapest Cities itinerary for €228.00 travelling on 22nd June 2025 onwards.
Share your thoughts
Please get in touch if you have any feedback on this travel report by liking and sharing your thoughts below in the comments section. Have you made a similar trip? Please do share your own experiences on the rails.
I am in California USA and I cannot find these tickets for this train (Trieste to Rijeka) on any Italian or Slovakian rail site. Do I need to wait until we are at the station Villa Opicina or purchase them on the train itself? Robert
Hi Robert, tickets can be bought on the train with no penalty when travelling from Villa Opicina as ticket purchasing facilities don’t exist at Villa Opicina. There isn’t an online facility yet to purchase this train.
You can also purchase tickets at international ticket offices in larger stations in Slovenia – if you’d planned to visit Ljubljana beforehand, for example. If your trip starts in Rijeka you can also buy Rijeka-Villa Opicina at the ticket office there before departure.
Thank you Gareth! We’ll get our tickets onboard at Villa Opicina. We rent a car in Rijeka and drive to Split for a cruise back north to Opatija. We are very happy that this run is back open. Take care. Robert
Is it possible to overnight stop-offs with this ticket, or is it for a complete non-stop journey? If stop-offs aren’t possible is the ticket price the same from each station along the route? Thanks
Hello, I don’t think you can break your journey overnight but worth checking when you buy the ticket.
Hello there. Thanks for this very interesting and useful information. It seems very hard and confusing to find these details online. Please could you tell me if it really is only 1 Northbound train a day that leaves Rijeka 18:25, arriving at Villa Opicina 20:40 ? Seems a bit crazy having such a great route but only 1 train per day. Many thanks in advance.
Hello, thanks for you message. There is indeed only one direct train per day, and summer only at that. Not unusual in this part of the world. 🙂 There is another once daily departure requiring a change of trains at Pivka, but it’s a 2 hour wait in between trains. Have a look at int.bahn.de/en which has timetables for much of Europe, including this route for your desired dates to get an idea. You won’t be able to buy tickets there though.
Hi, how about the dogs? Let me know please.if they can also travel in that train?
Hello, please check with Slovenian Railways – I know they have an email or they are on X @slozeleznice (formerly Twitter).
https://potniski.sz.si/en/
Hello Gareth,
First of all, thank you so much for all this information!! I was trying to buy the tickets online, but now I understand that is really impossible. I’m planning to take this trip with my family on August 23rd, but I’m worried that I’ll arrive in the morning at Villa Opicina and the train will be full, as it’s high season. I live in Germany and unfortunately I can’t buy tickets at the ticket offices in Slovenia. Any tips on what to do? Is this route very popular? Regards from Munich,
Raquel Guarnieri
Hi Raquel, thanks for your message. I wouldn’t worry about the train being full, demand appears to still be low, mainly due to the early departure time from Villa Opicina and there’s plenty of seats onboard. As there isn’t a booking office at Villa Opicina, you can buy the tickets on the train. There aren’t any specific seat reservations, so just find empty seats. Perhaps boarding early for peace of mind. Enjoy the trip! :)Gareth
Hi Gareth thks for this great info, we are travelling from Ireland on Aug 27th to trieste, staying one night in Trieste & taking the train from Villa Opicina to Opatija next morning, you’ve answered alot of our questions thankyou 😀
Great to hear and thanks for the feedback! Enjoy your trip 😀
Hello Gareth, loved your informative and erudite write up. We are looking at a trip on this train in May 2025. Do you know if the train is scheduled to run next year and if so will it depart from Villa Opicina or from Trieste Central?
Looking forward to your reply – William
Hi William, thanks for your feedback. I haven’t had any news I’m afraid. I would suggest keeping an eye on the website of the Slovenian Railways: https://potniski.sz.si/en/international-travel/direct-connection-villa-opicina-i-divaca-rijeka-hr-sustance/
is there an online time table please ? I haven’t been able to find one , your article suggests the route may run past the 30th of September has this been confirmed please ?
Hello, I have heard news post-30th Sept I’m afraid. The timetable is available on the website of Slovenian Railways here: https://potniski.sz.si/en/international-travel/direct-connection-villa-opicina-i-divaca-rijeka-hr-sustance/
Will there be a train from Monfalcone Direct to Rijeka soon
I’m not aware of any plans to. There was a desire that the Villa Opicina to Rijeka will start back in Trieste Centrale which will provide a connection from Monfalcone at least but no time soon.
Hi! Do you know if this is running in summer 2025? thanks!
Hello, it’s not known yet for sure, but I hear that plans are being worked on between the Slovenian and Croatian railways. Fingers crossed.
Hi there!
Are there any updates on this train for next summer? I have looked for some information on the net but unfortunately I did not find anything. It. would be a pity if it could not run anymore.
Unfortunately, the train won’t run in 2025 – I read about this only yesterday. This is due to extensive infrastructure works. There is appetite to run in the future with more cross-border services so hopefully it will return next year.
More info in Slovenian:
https://potniski.sz.si/evropski-projekt-sustance-za-izboljsanje-javnih-prometnih-povezav-na-obrobnih-in-cezmejnih-obmocjih/