Travel and accommodation

Bratislava Airport (otherwise known as MR Stefanik, BTS) is located around 9 km north of the city centre.  You can take a 30 minute public bus journey into town; bus number 61 runs regularly between MR Stefanik and the main railway station.  Or look out for the airport shuttle service which travels between the airport and the city centre.  Alternatively, take a taxi from the rank outside arrivals, the journey time will be around 15 minutes.  Other airports in Slovakia inlcude Košice Airport(KSC), Tatry-Poprad Airport (TAT), and Airport Sliač. 

Air Slovakia has domestic services from Bratislava to Kosice. 

You could consider getting to Slovakia by instead flying to neighbouring countries such as Prague in the Czech Republic, Krakow in Poland or Vienna in Austria (Vienna International Airport is only 50km from Bratislava), and then taking a train to Bratislava. 

The Intercity (IC) and Eurocity (EC) trains are quite comfortable and there are direct international rail connections to Vienna, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, Moscow, Kiev and Prague from Bratislava.   

Travelling by train or car

For eco conscious non-flyers the train is a good consideration.  Seat 61 has details about trains to Slovakia from London via Vienna travelling either via Paris or Brussels, the route via Paris is easier but the route via Brussels can often be cheaper.  Call Rail Europe on 08708 371371 for advice about prices and routes. 

Driving is on the right in Slovakia and car rental companies are located in the larger cities and at the airport.  Slovakia has an expansive network of roads with highways, expressways and 1st, 2nd and 3rd class roads.  316km of highways were constructed in 2004 and there are tolls for using the highways and expressways paid by highway stickers (valid for one year/ month or week).  For driving tips and advice see The NationalAutomobileClubofSlovakia (NAMK).  There are good road connections from Bratislava to the spa towns and plenty of scenic driving in Slovakia but drive carefully as some curves and bends in the roads are in poor condition.

Public transport

There are public buses, trolley buses and trams in Bratislava, and most networks run from 5am to midnight.  Tickets for all public transport need to be purchased in advance with a slightly complicated ticketing process involving tickets for the duration of the journey, eg from 10 to 60 minutes.  Each journey time is listed on the timetables but it might be best for short term visitors who don't know how long a particular route will take, to purchase either a 24 or 48 hour ticket to make life simpler!  More information about the public transport in Bratislava can be found at imhd.  You can get around most of the country by train while public buses travel to the more remote villages.

In terms of accommodation a four star hotel in Bratislava will cost between approximately €100.  A double room in a luxury four star styled hotel like the Radisson in the Old Town of Bratislava for example will cost 50% more but a three star 50% less.  However you can find rooms in hotels outside of the capital at much lower prices and you might get a room for as little as €40.

The currency in Slovakia has been the Euro since 2009. Slovakia is GMT + 1 (or + 2 in daylight saving time).