Slovak Republic Travel Guide - Getting There

The Slovak Republic's national airline is Air Slovakia (GM) (website: www.airslovakia.sk).

From London to Bratislava is 2 hour 20 minutes.

Bratislava Airport (BTS) (M R Štefánik) (website: www.letiskobratislava.sk) is 9km (6 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Buses run to the city (journey time - 30 minutes). Taxis are also available (journey time - 20 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank, post office, restaurant, bar, snack bar, left luggage, tourist information and car hire.

Kosice Airport (KSC) is 10km (6 miles) south of the city (website: www.airportkosice.sk). To/from the airport: Taxis are available (journey time - 15 minutes). Buses are also available.

Tatry-Poprad Airport (TAT) is 5km (2.5 miles) from the city.

Note: Vienna International Airport (VIE) (website: www.viennaairport.com) in Austria can also be used as it is only 50km (31 miles) from Bratislava.

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Main port: Bratislava (website: www.spap.sk) is the country's main port.

International connections from Austria are possible on the Danube which flows into the Black Sea, and is also linked with the Rhine and the Main. Services run as follows: Bratislava-Vienna-Bratislava; Bratislava-Hainburg-Bratislava; and Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest, both ways. LOD (tel: (2) 5293 2226; website: www.lod.sk) is one of the main operators. River cruise ships also stop in Bratislava on their journeys along the Danube.

The most convenient route to the Slovak Republic from western Europe is via Prague or Vienna. The Slovak Republic's network also provides direct connections with Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Hamburg, Krakow, Kyiv, Lviv, Moscow, St Petersburg, Vilnius and Warsaw.

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

The Slovak Republic can be entered via Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland or Ukraine. There is a motorway from Bratislava via Brno to Prague.

There are Eurolines bus links from Bratislava and other important towns to major cities such as Cologne, London, Munich, Paris, Venice and Vienna. For further information, contact Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.com).