Getting around Bratislava

Public transport

The Old Town centre itself is largely pedestrianised but is relatively small and easy to get around on foot. However, outside this area, the Bratislava Transportation Company (DPB) (tel: +421 2 5950 5950; www.dpb.sk) runs a good network of trams, buses and trolleybuses that can whisk you around the city.

Tickets are available from newspaper kiosks, or from coin-operated ticket machines at most stops, and prices are very reasonable. You can also buy tickets via SMS (text 1100 for a 70-minute code or 1124 for a 24-hour code). Tickets are valid on all modes of public transport and are available as single-ride (valid 15 minutes), multi-ride (valid for one hour, or 90 minutes at weekends), one-day or multi-day passes. You must validate tickets immediately upon boarding. Several night bus routes operate from 2300 to 0500.

Taxis

Taxis in Bratislava are rather less likely to cheat you than in some other parts of the world, and prices are reasonable. Fun Taxi (tel: +421 2 16777), AA taxi EURO (tel: +421 2 16022) and Caribic Taxi (tel: +42 2 16555) are reputable companies.

Driving

Driving in Bratislava can be quite inconvenient because of the many pedestrian areas around the Old Town, numerous (and poorly marked) one-way streets, limited parking and sharp-eyed traffic police. There are several large underground car parks, though outside these, parking in the city centre is fairly restricted. Car parks with free spaces are listed at www.parkovanieba.sk. If you do find a space on the street, you must buy a one-hour parking card, available from newsstands.

Car hire

Car hire companies in Bratislava include Avis (tel: +421 903 653 267; www.avis.sk), Hertz (tel: +421 2 5720 1261; www.hertz.sk), Eurocar (tel: +421 903 41 41 41; www.eurocar.sk) and SIXT (tel: +421 911 833 133; www.sixt.sk).

Bicycle hire

Slovakia is superb for biking. Bratislava Bike Point, Viedenská cesta (tel: 907 683 112; www.bratislavabikepoint.com), hires bikes between April and November and runs bike tours. There are flat cycle paths alongside the Danube and Morava Rivers. WhiteBikes is a small, community-run bikesharing scheme (www.whitebikes.info).

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Book Accommodation

Featured Hotels

City Hostel

This is a basic but cheap and clean hostel on the edge of the old town. The single, double, triple and quad rooms each have their own ensuite bathrooms, and there’s free internet access at reception. Other amenities include a summer terrace and secure bicycle parking.

Mercure

The smart Mercure is conveniently located near the main railway station, and just a 15-minute walk from the old town. The comfortable rooms are dark-furnished but spacious, with gleaming, semi-transparent bathrooms. The hotel has its own bar and upmarket restaurant, as well as the requisite fitness centre. Impeccable service.

Kempinski Hotel River Park

Über-luxurious hotel complex on the banks of the Danube, just a short walk from the old town. With some 231 rooms and suites, the Kempinski boasts its own restaurant, a lobby lounge and a cigar bar, not to mention an 11th-floor spa with jaw-dropping views over the Danube. Possible extras to ensure a seriously good pampering range from a complimentary luxury Rolls Royce or BMW to drive you into town, to your own personal chef.

Hostel Blues

This fun and friendly place, just on the edge of the Old Town, is perfect for young travellers on a budget, particularly music-lovers. It hosts concerts weekly and provides free internet access.

Falkensteiner Hotel Bratislava

This 162-room hotel on the edge of the Old Town has excellent business and conference facilities as well as very comfortable and elegant rooms for leisure travellers, as well as a gym and sauna. The staff are friendly and helpful.

Hotel Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel

Set in a beautifully restored old building on the Old Town's attractive main promenade, this luxury, 170-room establishment was built in 1837 and boasts a superb Danube view from the seventh-floor terrace, as well as an acclaimed restaurant and a casino. There's a leafy summer terrace, a plush Mirror Bar, an upmarket restaurant (the Savoy), and the buffet breakfasts are legendary.

Introducing Bratislava

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