... traveling
.: travelling by Car
Slovakia is now in the process of connecting its key cities by express motorway, however smaller roads are generally in good condition.
The whole continental Europe drives on the right side of the road and Slovakia is no exception.
The speed limit in the built-up areas of towns and villages is set at 50 km/h as the allowed maximum. Outside of the urbanized area, the speed limit is 90 km/h and on the highways it is 130 km/h.
The highways and some express roads require the payment of toll. You have to buy and display a sticker or stamp, the price of which varies according to the weight of your vehicle. The stamps are either for the whole calendar year or for a period of 15 days. You can buy them on border crossings, gas stations or post offices.
There are plenty of gas stations all around the country. The prices of petrol may vary slightly, but the quality of petrol is usually very high.
The use of the cell phone (mobile phone) while driving a car is forbidden and the alcohol limit is 0. In Slovakia cars have to have their lights on during all year.
Right hand rule applies to all intersections, which are more common than circuit roundabouts. The traffic lights are there for the most part, fully respected.
The policemen can stop you at any time and any place for no particular reason. Remember to carry all documents, have the seat belt attached, don't drive too fast, never drink before the trip, do not drive on the wrong side of the road and park your car only where parking is allowed.
Other drivers drive relatively safely and when they see you in a foreign car, they will usually prefer to keep a distance from you. You should also pay attention to some rare "brave" men in strong cars who think the road belongs to them. However, this phenomenon appears worldwide.
.: taking the Train
Many of Europe’s busiest train routes pass through or very near Slovakia (for example, Vienna’s position 100 km from Bratislava makes connections easy and practical).
It is especially simple to travel from neighbouring countries. There are also regular trains directly to and from key cities in Germany, Italy and Russia.
Trains in Slovakia are the safest and most agreeable way to travel in this country. Travel with them is cheap. For example from Bratislava to Liptovský Mikuláš (286 km) by Inter-city train take 2 hod 54 min costs less than €20 (meagre sum by Western standards).
note: beware of crowded trains, especially on Friday and Sunday evenings when swarms of university students travel to and from school. To assure a seat, buy a seat reservation. Or bypass the crowds altogether by sitting in first class, where plenty of personal space is a virtual guarantee. First class naturally costs more, but the extra crowns/euros are well worth it.
.: taking the Bus
Most countries in Europe are connected with Slovak destinations by regular service, ususally direct. for example Eurolines -LINK- provides service to 21 European towns.
.: by Air
The nearest airports: Bratislava, Krakow, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Košice, Poprad,
Book your flights directly and save money from the following Airlines :
Direct fly to Bratislava:
by RyanAir: Edinburgh, Liverpool, Dublin, London, Charleroi (near Brusel), Beauvic (near Paris), Gran Canaria, Malaga, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Gerona (near Barcelona), Alghero, Roma, Trapani, Milan - Bergamo,
by ČSA: Prague, Amsterdam, Brusel, Paris (CDG), Barcelona (Al Prat Airport), Roma, Larnaca
by Danube Wings: Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik
by UTair Aviation: Moskva (Vnukovo)
by Belle Air: Tirana
by Travel Service Airlines Slovakia and El-Al: Tel Aviv
some fly to near area airports:
RyanAir
fly to: Krakow, Praque, Katowice
from: Birmingham, Bologna, Dublin, London (Stansted)
EasyJet
fly to: Budapest, Prague, Krakow ..
from: Amsterdam, Belfast Intl, Bristol, Doncaster Sheffield, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Lyon, Milan Malpensa, Paris (CDG), Dortmund
Lufthansa Airlines has some special deals on flights to Bratislava. Comfortable Airline who offers flights to Bratislava. Daily from London- Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham.
Austrian Airlines offers flights from London- Gatwick direct to Vienna. Book early On-Line for special discounts.
Air Berlin is a very popular choice with our clients as they offer some very cheap tickets into Vienna from London Stansted.
British Airways is also a very popular choice with our clients as they offer flights into Vienna from all over the UK.
Vienna International Airport
Most visitors to Slovakia fly into Vienna's Schwechat International Airport (60 kilometres away), which is larger than Bratislava's M.R. Štefánik International Airport. Taxis from Vienna Airport (if Slovak) start at €40, but could be three times as expensive if they're Austrian.
Buses are a more ideal way of getting to Bratislava from Vienna Airport. They run several times a day, cost about €14, and the journey lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.
Bratislava International Airport
M.R. Štefánik International is located 15 kilometres from the Bratislava Old Town. A taxi into town costs about € 8.
By bus, take number 61 to Main Railway Station (hlavná železničná stanica)