Visitors can come to Slovakia by
air, rail, bus, boat, car, ferry or
bicycle (Danube Bike Route from Austria,
Slovakia to Hungary). Because of its
location in the heart of Europe, Slovakia
is well connected to other Central
European countries -- Austria,
Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary,
Poland, and the Ukraine.
Currently there are no direct flights
from North America to Slovakia, but
many airlines offer connections from
other cities in Europe. Vienna’s
Schwechat International Airport is
actually as close to Bratislava, the
capital of Slovakia, as it is to Vienna.
Carriers with connections to Bratislava,
Kosice and other cities in Slovakia:
Air
Slovakia www.airslovakia.sk
Connects Slovakia to Birmingham
(UK), Beirut, Delhi,
Kuwait,
Larnaca, Tel
Aviv.
Austrian
Airlines www.austrianairlines.us
Direct flights from North
America to Vienna’s
Schwechat airport, also direct
flights between Bratislava
and other European cities, such as
Brussels, Paris,
London.
Czech
Airlines www.csa.cz
Connects North America
via Prague to Bratislava
and Kosice.
EasyJet
www.easyjet.com
Connects Slovakia
to Berlin and London.
Bulgarian
Airlines www.hemusair.barborafly.sk
Flights between Slovakia
and Sofia, Varna,
Leipzig, others
LOT
Polish Airlines www.lot.com
Connects North America
via Warsaw to Slovakia
Lufthansa,
German Airlines www.lufthansa.com
Connects North American
via Munich to Slovakia
Seagle
Air www.seagleair.sk
Small private and charter flights.
Sky
Europe www.skyeurope.sk
C onnect Slovakia
to London (Standsted),
Barcelona, Berlin,
Milan, Paris Orly,
Prague, Rome,
Split, Zadar,
Dubrovnik, Stuttgart,
Venezia and Zurich
– Slovakia’s main
domestic airline.
Slovak
Airlines www.slovakairlines.sk
Connects Slovakia
to Brussels and Moscow
on scheduled flights and offers charter
flights from/to select European tourist
destinations.
Soder
Airlines www.soder.fi
Connects Slovakia
to Finland
Tatra
Air www.tatraair.sk
Connects central Slovakia
(Sliac, near Banska Bystrica) to Prague
VIP
Airlines www.vipair.sk
Air taxi within Slovakia
Central European air ticketing specialist:
American & Overseas Travel Service
www.aaotonline.com
travel@aaotonline.com
Toll-free 1-800-553-2268
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Slovakia’s small size (380
miles east-west, 100 miles north-south)
and dense system of roads make it
easy to see a lot in a short time.
Car rental options major international
rental car companies, as well local
Slovak rental car companies.
Among the best known:
Auto
Europe www.autoeurope.com
Avis
www.avis.com
Hertz
www.hertz.com
And Slovakia’s own RentPoint
www.rentpoint.sk
US/Canadian drivers’ licenses
are recognized in Slovakia.
Note: Use of cell phones while
driving is prohibited. Also there
is zero tolerance for alcohol while
driving in Slovakia. Otherwise, traffic
regulations are similar to those elsewhere
in Europe.
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Slovakia has a convenient and modern
rail network with some particularly
scenic lines (Banska Bystrica-Diviaky
line, Brezno-Margecany
in the Low Tatras
and any electric train in the High
Tatras).
Several daily trains connect Bratislava
with Vienna, Prague, Budapest; trains
connect Eastern Slovakia to Poland
and the Ukraine. Travel in 1st class
and by Inter-City express trains is
recommended for visitors (1st class
is roomier, with more space since
most Slovaks travel in 2nd class,
and 1st class is not much more expensive).
The European
East Pass covers train travel
within Slovakia and between Slovakia
and Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary
and Poland.
For rail schedules Slovak Railways
(http://www.zsr.sk/generate_page.php?page_id=221),
Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com)
The bus company www.cp.sk
has both train and bus schedules.
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There are both regional and private
bus companies, and bus stations are
often located by rail stations. For
domestic bus schedules http://www.cp.sk/ConnForm.asp?tt=c&cl=E5
and for international bus service
www.eurolines.com.
Buses operate between Vienna’s
Schwechat International Airport or
Bratislava’s own airport and
downtown Bratislava. http://www.busy.sk/ConnForm.asp?tt=c&cl=E5
or www.cp.sk
provides itineraries combining bus
and train to provide the shortest
travel time. Buses can be crowded
on busy routes.
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Gliding on the Danube River from
Vienna, Budapest and other cities
makes travel by hydrofoil/boat a relaxing
and refreshing choice during warmer
months (usually mid-April thru mid-September).
The most convenient way to go between
Vienna (at the Schwedenplatz) and
Bratislava (Propeller Dock) by river
is on the Twin
City Liner catamaran.
There are 3 departures from each city
daily. The trip takes 75 minutes and
the docks in both towns are centrally
located.
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Try the Danube Bike Route from Austria
thru Slovakia to Hungary.
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Be sure that the drive has the meter
running when you get in. Like in many
other former East Bloc countries,
some taxi drivers here try to make
foreigners pay more for a ride than
they do locals.
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Vienna - Bratislava:
55-80 min. by train, 90 min. by bus,
75-100 min. by hydrofoil/catamaran/boat
Budapest - Bratislava:
2 hrs. 20 min. by train, 4 hours by
bus, 4-4.5 hrs by hydrofoil
Prague - Bratislava:
60 min. by air (CSA), 4.5 hours by
train or bus
Prague - Kosice:
85 min. by air (SkyEurope), 90 min.
by air (CSA)
Prague - Sliac (in
Central Slovakia): 70 min. by air
(CSA)
Bratislava - Kosice:
50 min. by air Sky Europe, 4.5 hrs.
by train, 6.5 hrs. by bus
Connection for other Central
European countries can be
as easy as walking across a bridge
– from Austria or Hungary –
or taking a ferry or hydrofoil on
the Danube River.
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