Travel to Slovakia

Flying to Slovakia

Airlines operating direct flights to Slovakia from the UK include Air Explore (www.airexplore.sk) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com).

Notes

Bratislava airport has two terminals: A for departures, B for non-Schengen arrivals and departures.

Airport Guides

Flight times

To Bratislava: from London - 2 hours 15 minutes.

To Vienna, Austria: from London - 2 hours 10 minutes; New York - 8 hours 25 minutes. Trains from Vienna to Bratislava take an hour.

Departure tax

None.

Travelling to Slovakia by Rail

The most convenient route to Slovakia from Western Europe is via Prague or Vienna. There are also direct connections to Budapest. Further information is available from Slovak Republic Railways (ŽSR) (tel: +421 2 4485 8188; www.slovakrail.sk).

Rail passes

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 29 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 15 days, 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. Reductions are available for travellers under 26. Children under 12 are free when travelling with an adult using an Adult Pass. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Voyages-sncf.com (tel: +44 844 848 5848, in the UK; www.voyages-sncf.com).

Eurailpass: offers unlimited train travel in up to 28 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months, three months, five days in 10 days, 10 days in two months or 15 days in two months. The Global Pass allows travel across all participating countries. The Select Pass is valid in four bordering countries. The Regional Pass lets you travel in two bordering countries. The One Country Pass offers travel in one of 27 countries.

Adult passes are valid for first-class travel, while youth passes (under 26) are valid for second-class travel. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult using an Adult Pass. The passes cannot be sold to EU citizens or residents. Available from Eurail (www.eurail.com).

Driving to Slovakia

Buses travel from Vienna’s Südtiroler Platz to Mlynske Nivy bus terminal in Bratislava. Eurolines (tel: +421 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: +421 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.