Bratislava
Bratislava has a very pleasant medieval inner city with narrow, winding streets, a hill-top castle next to the river Danube, and many historic churches and buildings to visit. The old town is centered on two squares, Hlavne namestie (main square) and Hviezdoslavovo namestie (Hviezdoslav square, named after a famous Slovak poet). Of a rather different architectural character are some of the communist-era buildings found in the modern parts of the city; a prime example is Petrzalka housing estate, the biggest Communist-era concrete block housing complex in Central Europe, which stretches on endlessly just across the river. Move further east and there are plenty of rural places to explore. Farms, vineyards, agricultural land, and tiny villages are situated less than 50 kilometres to the north and east of Bratislava.
Today, Bratislava and its surroundings form the second-most prosperous region in Central and Eastern Europe, with a per capita GDP of around 167% of the EU-27 average (after Prague).
More information on Wikitravel
Be aware that the staff might take some regulations especially seriously. For example, you will not be allowed a small handbag/laptop bag and hand luggage. If you are flying by Ryanair and have check-in luggage, do not let the small size of the airport fool you. Arrive at the airport well in advance of your flight, as the queue can get very long.
- By Public transport
After leaving the terminal, do not expect any shuttle bus, but a regular public transport. Use bus No 61 (or N61 at night) for a direct connection to the terminus Main Railway Station (Hlavná stanica) or change at Trnavské mýto to get to the city center (in order to get to the tram stop, use the underpass and the exit marked “Centrum” (city center)); take any tram in the direction towards center. You can also wait one more stop and exit at Racianské mýto, where trams also travel to the city center and there is no underpass to cross. City centre is 15-20mins stroll south from Main Railway Station. Bus drivers don’t sell tickets in Bratislava so you need to get tickets in advance. Use the vending machines at the bus stop but note that you will need euro coins as the vending machines don’t take notes (there are also two big red ticket machines in the terminal building close to arrivals, which accept banknotes). You can also buy tickets in the tourist and exchange offices in the terminal, but they have only limited working hours. Be aware that the airport shops and kiosks are not very helpful when it comes to changing bills into coins. A screen in the arrivals hall displays actual departure times of next public transport buses and buses to Vienna. - By Taxi
Taxis are inexpensive, usual price when ordering taxi by phone for whole 9km journey from airport to city centre should be not more than €10-15, if hailed on street expect double prices €20-30, always make sure taxi driver use taxi meter, if he refuses don’t get in the taxi. Avoid unofficial black taxis which will overcharge you. Public transport buses are cheaper – a single ticket to the city centre (validate the ticket in the marking machine immediately after getting into bus; valid for 60 minutes from the moment of validation; transfer to other public transport lines allowed) costs €0.9.
- Vienna International Airport / Wien Schwechat
Vienna International Airport (ICAO: LOWW, IATA: VIE) is located 40 km (25 mi) from Bratislava, near to the town of Schwechat in Austria, after which the airport is named. The airport is the home base of the flag-carrier Austrian and the budget airline Fly Niki. Most European airlines and a significant number of international airlines have direct connections to Vienna from their respective hubs.
Airport Transfer:
- Blaguss (Bus). 13 buses a day between Vienna Airport and Bratislava city centre. The buses alight at the bus terminal under the New Bridge and continue towards Bratislava Airport. €7.20.
- Postbus/Slovak Lines (Bus). Bus run almost every hour between Sudtiroler Platz and Vienna Airport and Bratislava Bus Station, some buses run as far as Bratislava Airport. Please check the timetable. You are allowed to transport two pieces of baggage per person at €1.00 per piece. The baggage tags can be purchased from ticket window or from the driver. It is possible to buy tickets online or at a driver. They speak (or understand) English. €7.70, €14.30 return
- Train. Unfortunately, trains from Vienna to Bratislava do not stop at Vienna airport. However, there is a direct connection between both central train stations. It is possible to take the train (S7 or RSB7) from Vienna Airport to Wolfsthal on the Austrian border (45 minutes, cheapest ticket is 3 VOR-Zone for €5.40) and change to Slovak-operated regional bus 901 that will take you to Bratislava city center (€1.50, €0.75 for under 26 years of age, children under 6 travel free) in just 15 minutes. The buses leave at 55 minutes past the hour, but be aware that the departures/arrivals of the bus are not always aligned with the trains so you run into risk of up to two hours of waiting in a small village 5 km from the border. Also note that the bus 901 does not stop at the railway station, the bus stop is at the main road (Hauptstraße 40) approximately 300 m away. Walking to Bratislava from here will take an hour and is not recommended though there is a path near the Danube. All in all, this is not a preferable way to get to Bratislava, but could be useful if schedules have been checked or if you have a back-up plan to arrange a ride or taxi (which can be hard to explain if you don’t speak Slovak or German) from Wolfstha
- Taxi. Cab Fare could be anywhere from 45 Euro to 145 Euro, depending on where you are going to in Bratislava and the Taxi Company you are hiring
Brno Airport has a very small albeit good selection of destination offerings. Budapest and Prague airports are about a 4-5 hour journey but can mean substantial savings on intercontinental trips, especially to New York City or Beijing.
