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Travel to Slovakia

Flying to Slovakia

Slovakia's national airline is Air Slovakia (GM) (www.airslovakia.sk).

Air notes:

Bratislava airport has three adjoining terminals: A for departures, B for non-Schengen arrivals and C for Schengen arrivals. The new Slovakian low-cost airline Danube Wings (www.danubewings.eu) started operating in 2009 and offers direct flights from several European destinations.

Flight times:

From London to Bratislava is 2 hour 20 minutes. From New York to Vienna is 8 hours 45 minutes. (trains from Vienna to Bratislava take 58 minutes).

Departure tax:

None.

Travel by rail

The most convenient route to Slovakia from Western Europe is via Prague or Vienna. Slovakia's network also provides direct connections with Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Hamburg, Krakow, Kyiv, Lviv, Moscow, St Petersburg, Vilnius and Warsaw. Information about train travel inside and outside Slovakia can be found on the Slovak rail website (www.zsr.sk).

Rail passes:

InterRail pass: The pass 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 is split into a flexi pass that entitles the user to unlimited travel on a fixed number of days during their trip, or a continuous pass with unlimited daily travel every day of their trip.

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, buses and entry to museums and other attractions. Available from Rail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

By rail note:

As of 1 May 2011 the national passenger railway company ZSSK (tel: 18 188; www.zssk.sk) has reduced train schedules, affecting more than 300 routes around the country.

Driving to Slovakia

Bus: Buses travel from Vienna’s Südtiroler Platz to Mlynske Nivy bus terminal in Bratislava, whilst Eurolines (tel: (2) 5542 2734; www.eurolines.sk) has regular buses that travel from Vienna International Busterminal to Bratislava’s city centre.

Getting to Slovakia by boat

Bratislava (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; www.lod.sk) is one of the main operators. River cruise ships also stop in Bratislava on their journeys along the Danube.

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