Trieste to Opatija

Hi, we are planning on travelling to Italy, Slovenia and Croatia in May 2009. We would like to take train from Venice to Trieste, from Trieste we are wanting to go to Opatija.

What is the easiest way to travel from Trieste to Opatija and how long will the trip take?

Whilst in Opatija we would like to take day trip to Piran. Is this possible, what is best way to go and how long would trip take?

Thanks

you need to change to bus, possibly again in either SLO or hrvatska. Simply take the fistbus going there somewhere from he autosilo=busgarage next to FS in Tri. Then ask on board about best place for onward connection. Or even better:first scan dep.board or ask at infodesk if there maybe a dep. going there (no bus ends in Opa, If they go, they go via).Forghet the train for this matter. Ditto for going Piran: there will be a bus.

There are several buses from Trieste to Opatija daily, first one at 08.30 last one 18.30. The bus station in Trieste is beside the train station

Piran/Pirano can easily been reached from Venice by catamaran: www.venezialines.com
From Trieste, you may take a direct bus to Pirano or a bus to Koper/Capodistria and change there to a Piran bound bus.
There are a few direct buses from Trieste to Opatija/Abbazia.
As far as I know, it is rather difficult to go from Opatija to Piran.
Timetables: www.autostazionetrieste.it, www.autotrans.hr, www.croaziainfo.it/Trasporti.html, www.pulainfo.hr/en/autobus, www.Saf.ud.it, www.trasporti-fvg.it/italiano/auto4.htm

Thank you for information, has given me some other options to consider.