Introduction
West Ham United would like to thank the Club’s loyal supporters for following the team to Slovenia for the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg tie with NK Domzale.The Club is rightly proud of its fans and would ask that you uphold the Hammers’ reputation by respecting local customs, amenities and cultures.
Ticket details for this fixture can be found here.
Fixture information
NK Domzale v West Ham UnitedUEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg, Stadion Stozice, Vojkova cesta 100 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Thursday 28 July 2016, 8.45pm CEST (7.45pm BST).
Stadium information
The tie has been switched from Domzale’s own 2,813-capacity Sports Park home to the modern 16,038-seater Stadion Stozice in Slovenia’s capital city Ljubljana – ten miles south east of the town of Domzale.It is part of the Stozice Center, which is labelled as the ‘heart of sport in Ljubljana and Slovenia’ and is also home to the indoor Arena Stozice, which hosts handball, volleyball, basketball, ice hockey and concerts.
Opened in 2010, the stadium is the home ground of Olimpija Ljubljana and is also used regularly by the Slovenian national team – England won 3-2 in a Euro 2016 qualifier there in June 2015.
Stadion Stozice has a futuristic design in that it is laid out under the plateau of the Stozice Center, so the pitch is well below the surrounding ground level.
Fans travelling to the stadium from central Ljubljana will need to take a bus, since the city has no metro system.
From the central Bavarski dvor stop, take bus No13 to Center Stozice – the final stop. Services run every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 20-30 minutes off-peak. Extra busses will be laid on for the match to take supporters to and from the stadium.
An alternative is to take bus No20 from Bavarski dvor to Nove Stozice – also the final stop – on the other side of the Stozice Center complex.
For full details of the Ljubljana city bus network, click here.
Should you be more adventurous and want to drive to the game, 1,280 parking spaces are available for cars, accessed from Entrance 1 and Entrance 5.
Parking is priced at €2.40 per day and entitles users to a return journey on city busses, should you wish to leave your vehicle at the stadium and travel into the city and back on match day!
Getting to Slovenia
The Club is not arranging any official travel to Slovenia.By plane…
Unsurprisingly, flights from London to Ljubljana’s Joze Pucnik Airport have rocketed in price since Domzale were confirmed as West Ham’s opponents.
At time of writing, the Thursday afternoon Easyjet flight from Stansted to Ljubljana had sold out, while the Wednesday afternoon flight was priced at £230. Coming home on the same airline, the Friday and Saturday afternoon flights are both sold out.
An alternative is to fly with Wizzair, but you will need to fly out on Tuesday 26 July as there is no flight on Wednesday and the Thursday flight is sold out. There is a return flight on Saturday 30 July.
Should you be one of the fortunate fans who have already secure flights, the cheapest way to get into the city is to take the bus, which takes 45 minutes to complete the 16-mile journey.
Alternatively, airport shuttles are run by GoOpti and Markun Shuttle, or you can take a taxi – expect to pay between €35 and €45 each way for the latter.
Ljubljana
The capital city and largest city in Slovenia is the current Green Capital of Europe, with a largely traffic-free centre and the beautiful Ljubljanica River flowing through it – take a river boat cruise!.Towering over the city is its No1 attraction Ljubljana Castle, which sits on a 375m high hill east of the Old Town and dates from the 16th century. Throughout July, movies are being shown every evening at a ‘Film Under The Stars’ festival – with the English language Steve Jobs biopic being screened on Wednesday 27 July.
In the middle of town, visitors should explore Presenov Tog, a square and public space blessed with magnificent architecture, including the Triple Bridge and Preseren Monument.
If there is time, fans should also visit the Central Market, the National Gallery of Slovenia, Cathedral of St Nicholas and National Museum of Slovenia.
With more than 50,000 students based there, the city also has a vibrant nightlife, with bars, restaurants and clubs galore for visitors to enjoy.
For more details, head to the official Visit Ljubljana website now.
General information
The official language of Slovenia is Slovene.The currency of Slovenia is the Euro. The current exchange rate is approximately €1.20/£1.
Slovenia is on Central European Summer Time (CEST), one hour ahead of British Summer Time (BST).
For full details, visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website here.
Crime
Slovenia generally enjoys a low crime rate, but supporters should remain vigilant as petty crimes such as theft and pickpocketing do occur, so valuables should be kept secure and out of sight.
Road Travel
If you hire a car, you may drive in Slovenia using your full UK driving licence. However, you must have adequate insurance cover to drive a hire car.
If you take your own vehicle, you will need to pay for and display a road toll ‘vignette’ to use on motorways. You can buy the vignette (sticker) at most petrol stations or DARS (the Slovenian Motorway Company). Failure to display the sticker will lead to an on-the-spot fine of up to €800.
Cars of up to 3.5 tonnes must also be equipped with snow chains in the boot. You can be fined €125 for not having this equipment.
By law, you must have your headlights on at all times while driving in Slovenia. You must also carry a reflective jacket, a warning triangle and a first aid kit in the vehicle.
Finally, heavy on-the-spot fines are imposed for traffic offences including speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and using mobile phones without a wireless headset, as well as jaywalking.
Taxis
Taxis in Ljubljana are usually clean and reliable, but different companies charge different fares for their services. Rates are higher for taxis which are hailed in the street.
Supporters are advised to use taxis that have signage on the vehicle in addition to a ‘Taxi’ roof light.
You are advised that it is always better to enquire and agree on a fare before you enter a taxi.
Entry requirements
Passport validityYour passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you don’t need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.
Visas
British nationals don’t need a visa to travel to Slovenia.
Emergency contacts
112 Emergency services – urgent medical help, firefighters, veterinary help, rescue teams
113 Police – emergencies
1987 AMZS – roadside assistance and towing
+386 - International code for Slovenia