Balkan Campers: 5 ideas for a road trip you will remember

In 2014, the Balkan Campers project was founded by Nejc Martinčič. His girlfriend at the time wanted to travel the world for a year, and he was so in love with her that he quit his job, sold his car and bought a plane ticket. He tells me that it was the best decision he made in his entire life.

“When we arrived in Australia, everything was expensive and it was difficult to carry a backpack. We rented an affordable old school camper and immediately fell in love with this type of travel. After that I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea that we should open a van rental company in Slovenia and the Balkans. People too often associate the Balkans with wars and problems. Here it is beautiful, safe, wild, and people are open-hearted. This is what we want to present to all interested parties. We followed our dreams and our vision and slowly made it come true.”

Nejc bought their first van in Slovenia in 2014. and named him Grga, after the main gypsy from the film “Black Cat, White Cat” by Serbian director Emir Kusturica. On the way back from the customer, the van had already broken down on the highway. After that, he slowly bought vans one after another and remembers when he reached the number 8, it was time to quit his job at the TV station and start renting vans exclusively. I was so happy for those three months that I partied and offered drinks to random people in Ljubljana’s bars and clubs.

Nejc also tells me how they have had ups and downs over the years when friends and close family helped him in difficult times, but they never gave up on the idea of ​​Balkan Campers. In general, the camping and van rental segment is constantly growing. People are looking for adventure in nature, freedom and independence. Even during the pandemic, people loved vans. They could pack up their families and head to the forest, away from crowded elevators, public buses and similiar.

Two years ago they made a big change. We really wanted to offer people a network of camper vans across the Balkans (including Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro) without long deliveries from Slovenia. That’s why we found partners across the region who own vans. They now rent adorable campers directly in their countries through the Balkan Campers platform Customers can therefore collect the vans without charge for delivery throughout the Balkans. We are still working online to expand our offer across our beautiful region.

The main difference between their company and other rental companies is probably the fact that, in addition to newer ones, they also rent old VW campers. This is a special way of traveling. Actually we can say a special way of life. To know how to slow down. Knowing how to enjoy regional roads, with the windows down and the wind in your hair. Play quality rock music and wave to people on the side of the road. Feel the energy of the van and enjoy its analog functions.

Today, the director of the company is Nejc’s new girlfriend Sara. She says that she is the biggest fan of old school vans and the Balkan Campers idea. We all follow her positive vibes. The only way is up. And straight down nostalgic dirt roads. Also, we believe that we should use things as long as we can and repair them instead of throwing them away so easily. We love nature and try to have as much respect for it as possible. We also love fairy tales and the fact that we lived in a country called Yugoslavia. This is the reason why every camper has a name and a story related to our area.

5 suggestions for a camper road trip in the Balkans

The Balkans is a great region for campers because it is safe, very diverse and cheap compared to other western countries. Some of the countries even offer free camping, like Albania for example. Most of the Balkan Campers vans are located in Slovenia, but there are several different pick-up location options. Some of them are based in Croatia, and a few in Podgorica, Montenegro. They shared with us suggestions for unforgettable trips in the Balkans.

1. Option Slovenia + Croatia

Pick up location: airport or bus station in Ljubljana
Route: 14-day trip Slovenia + Istria and Kvarner because it is a perfect combination of Slovenian mountains and the Croatian coast

2. Option Slovenia + Croatia

Pick up location: airport or bus station in Ljubljana
Route: Ljubljana – Bled – Bohinj – Kranjska Gora – Soča Valley (Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin) – Goriška Brda – Postojna Cave – Cres Island – Logarska Dolina – return to Ljubljana

3. Option South Croatia

Pick up location: city of Rijeka, Croatia
Route: Along the Adriatic coast to Dubrovnik and exploring everything that comes your way; from smaller to larger cities and national parks such as Krka

4. Option Montenegro + Bosnia

Pick up location: Podgorica or Tivat airport
Route: Podgorica – Montenegrin coast – Durmitor – Tara canyon – Mostar – Sarajevo – Una river – Kravice waterfall

5. Option Montenegro, Albania, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo

Pick up location: Podgorica
Route: If travelers can afford a slightly longer trip, they can also explore the countries of the southern Balkans all the way to Greece, since Montenegro is a good starting point.