How to Get to Bratislava and Slovakia - Transportation Guide

>> Find a flight to Bratislava

The airport is very close to the city. It may take only 30 minutes to get to the city center with local buses, trams or trolleybuses.

The timetable of local bus No. 61 from the airport terminal to Main railway station in Bratislava could be found here. Choose bus No. 61. If this link is broken, go to Bratislava's public transportation site - MHD and look for bus No. 61.

Phone information service - Airport Bratislava: (++421) (2) 3303 3353

Taxi - from airport to town center (ca. 10 km) could cost around 7 EUR.

There are a plenty of choices for transport from Bratislava Airport to Vienna Airport (VIE), which is only 50 kilometers away (60-70 min).

Bus service provides among others the Slovak company Eurolines.sk (Slovak Lines)

Budapest is another international airport close to Slovak borders. Budapest is 170 km away from Banska Bystrica.

•  Air Traffic Services of the Slovak Republic
•  Bratislava M. R. Stefanik Airport (BTS)
•  Kosice Airport (KSC)
•  Nitra Airport
•  Piestany Airport (PZY)
•  Poprad -Tatry Airport (TAT)
•  Sliac Airport (SLD)
•  Svidnik
•  Zilina Airport (ILZ)

Searching Slovak railroad connections.

Searching railroad connection from abroad to Bratislava - a page of German Railways - Deutche Bahn.

If you can not find information you need, call information board of Slovak railways in Bratislava: (00 421)(2) 50 58 75 65. This "Informacna kancelaria" works from 6.30 AM till 8.00 PM.

There is wide network of local railroad connections throughout Slovakia, but some of them were cancelled in the 2003. If you find the relatively low fare attractive, don't be surprised by the standard of traveling. However for the most part they are reliable and on time.

Quality of railway coaches differs - IC and EC are rather clean, other express and local may be dirty.

	The main railway station in Bratislava is close to the city center - about 5 minutes by bus.
	Majority of railroad connections to Vienna starts at the Petrzalka railway station.

The best starting point for searching a bus connection from abroad to Bratislava is a page of Eurolines - International lines timetable.

There is a wide network of international connections (from larger cities, e.g. Bratislava, Kosice, Banska Bystrica) and local connections throughout whole Slovakia.

On local connection you buy ticket from driver. When traveling from bigger stations - for instance Bratislava Bus Station (located at Mlynske Nivy) - you can buy the ticket together with seat reservation in the booking office, also in advance. Passengers with seat reservations are boarded first.

Informations - Main Bus Station Bratislava (Mlynske Nivy): +421 900 211 312 (06:00 - 19:30).

>> Time tables of Slovak Lines.
>> Search for buses inside Slovakia.

Maybe the most beautiful way to get to Bratislava is by ship from Vienna or Budapest. Bratislava River passenger terminal is right in the middle of the city in walking distance to the Old Town.

More:
• The Danube River Cruises: Bratislava - Vienna and Bratislava - Budapest by Boat

You can use buses, trolleybuses and trams. Tickets are available at the newsagents, in hotels or in machines at most stops.

Prior to getting on any public means of transport all passengers are obliged to buy tickets and after getting inside they have to mark them in the nearest electronic machine. After changing to another means of transport it is not necessary to mark another ticket. Into the time of the ticket validity the time for interrupting the journey will be counted in. Any ticket that has not been marked or has been marked improperly, will be considered invalid.

There are timetables installed at stops, which provide information regarding the time of journey, the first stop, the terminus on a certain route, and information regarding the tariff zone. These data are binding when an inspector examines tickets to check whether they are valid.

Passengers are obliged to pay for the baggage the measurements of which are in excess of 30 x 40 x 60 cm, i.e. after getting on the vehicle they mark a reduced-fare ticket with respective time validity.

For more information about routes, prices, etc. in English see Public Transport Company Bratislava website.

Prices for certain kind of tickets

Rates valid beginning August 1, 2011.
One journey tickets valid for 15 minutes: 0.70 EUR.
With price release: 0.35 EUR*.
Tickets valid 60 minutes (valid 90 minutes during weekends) for more journeys: 0.90 EUR.
With price release: 0.45 EUR*.
Tickets valid 70 minutes bought by SMS: 1.00 EUR.
Tourists tickets for all means of city transport:
For 24 hours: 4.50 EUR.
For 48 hours: 8.30 EUR.
For 3 days: 10.00 EUR.
For 7 days: 15.00 EUR.
*This kind of ticket should be used only after fulfilling the conditions of the Tariff-System of the Bratislava Transport Company, a.s.

For transportation of baggage it is needed reduced-fare ticket or combined ticket for 1 person and baggage.

For transportation of animal it is needed full-price ticket (not reduced-fare ticket) or in the case of transportation of dog combined ticket for 1 person and a dog.

The most of day-lines leaves first stop about 23.00. Only few lines operate until midnight. First morning lines start operation about 4.20 and the most of lines start about 5.00.

For information regarding night lines see Public Transport Company Bratislava pages.

>> Driving, rules, toll system, border crossings, road distances, route planners.

Bratislava inhabitants and visitors often have a headache from parking in the city center. To avoid troubles, choose public car parks or underground and surface parking garages. Parking guidance system can help you to find available free parking space.

One-hour parking cards for EUR 0.50, which require you to mark the time, are sold in the streets by vendors in yellow vests and also at some newsstands. You have to use it in the city center during the day until 4 p.m.

Use car parks, parking garages or underground parking to avoid a wheel clamp or being towed. To retrieve a towed car you must contact the police (phone number 159 for the city police, 02/45643817 for the towed cars registry) and pay a fine and retrieval fee.

In comparison with other European cities the Bratislava taxis are cheap. There are many taxi companies in Bratislava as well as many drivers who are not signed up with any firm. But be carefull and do not pay more than it is appropriate. Our recommendations:

It is much cheaper to call a taxi by phone, than just take a taxi from the street.

When you enter a taxi, look at the running meter. It shows two numbers: total prize and rate (1 usually corresponds to a taxi hailed in the street, 2 is ordered by telephone, 3 and higher are usually rates for out-of-town trips).

It is not required to leave taxi drivers a small tip.

Approximate price for the route from the airport to the city center is about 7 EUR. Ask first for the price and when a driver makes a proposal with higher price, order with different taxi company by phone.

Prices - charge per kilometer - from 0.55 to 1.00 EUR. Entrance fee about 1.50 EUR.