...what to see, where to stay, where to eat, how to get there!

Only have a day? Or a week or 2? Here are 5 customizable Itineraries - with everything you need to get the most out of your trip to Slovakia.

Each itinerary is a do-it-yourself tour that points out sights to see, places to stay and eat, how long it takes to go from one town to the other and links to attraction/hotel/restaurant sites.

• ROUTE 1 - BEST OF EAST SLOVAKIA - 5 days
  
  
  • DAY 1 - Spectacular scenery, 15th c. Town, Rafting, Hiking by glassy lakes, Spa, Open-air museum, Castle - (HIGH TATRA MOUNTAINS)
    
    
  • DAY 2 - Ice cave and walled 15th century town - (SPIS & LEVOCA)
    
    
  • DAY 3 - Largest medieval castle, Beautiful wooden churches, Lovely old town square, 20th c. pop art (SPIS CASTLE, PRESOV & BARDEJOV)
    
    
  • DAY 4 - Slovakia’s largest Historic City Center (KOSICE)
    
    
  • DAY 5 - 14th c. paintings, Rare aragonite cave, Castle, Bi-national Cave, Crystal factory, Marionettes and Toys (ROZNAVA)
    
    
    
• ROUTE 2 - FROM WESTERN VALLEYS TO EASTERN MOUNTAINS - 6 days
  
  
  • DAY 1 - BRATISLAVA - Your pick of Sights/Activities in the Capital city of Slovakia
    
    
  • DAY 2 - Medieval religious centers, Lovely old towns, Beethoven Memorial, Unique cave dwellings carved out of volcanic hills - (TRNAVA-NITRA)
    
    
  • DAY 3 - UNESCO World Heritage site, Picturesque old town, Open-air mining museum, Mansion - (BANSKA STIAVNICA)
    
    
  • DAY 4 - Royal mint and memorial to anti-Nazi uprising, Modern Slovak and foreign artists, Wooden church, Ancient forest, Spa, Castle, Ecological village - (KREMNICA-BANSKA BYSTRICA, ZAJEZOVA)
    
    
  • DAY 5 - Traditional architecture, Scenic mountains, Folk art, Picturesque castle, raft rides - (VLKOLINEC –DEMANOVSKA DOLINA)
    
    
  • DAY 6 - Ice cave, Hiking, Open-air museum of folk architecture, of the biggest annual folk festival held late June early July - (LOW TATRA MOUNTAINS, VYCHODNA)
    
    
    
• ROUTE 3 - THE BEST OF WEST SLOVAKIA - 4 days
  
  
  • DAY 1 - BRATISLAVA - Your pick of Sights/Activities in the Capital city of Slovakia
    
    
  • DAY 2 - Famous spa resort, Castle of Blood Countess, Roman inscription, Glass factory, Manor house glass museum - (PIESTANY & TRENCIN)
    
    
  • DAY 3 - Fairytale castle, Distinctive folk architecture, Spa, World’s largest carved wooden nativity - (BOJNICE & CICMANY )
    
    
  • DAY 4 - Art made from wire, the Slovak Robin Hood, Folk Art/Architecture, Ethnographic Museum - (ZILINA)
    
    
    
• ROUTE 4 - CAPITAL OF SLOVAKIA: BRATISLAVA - 1 day with many possible extensions
  
  
  • DAY 1 - BRATISLAVA - Your pick of Sights/Activities in the Capital city of Slovakia: Cathedrals, Castles, Churches, Main Square, Michael’s Gate, Old Town Hall, Cafes, Historical Sites, Opera, Ballet, Concert, Folk dance performances, Night Clubs
    
    
    
• ROUTE 5 - 1 DAY GETAWAYS IN BRATISLAVA VICINITY

We even give you options and detours – suggestions for how you might spend an extra day or two somewhere along the way, or how to modify the route to take in something different.

Simply print out the route that most interests you and that’s all the information you need to have a great vacation in Slovakia. You may also want to check out the links and sites for more info on towns, hotels, restaurants and sights mentioned.

Have a special interest in folklore or opera or ghosts? Check out the list of special annual events and festivals and time your trip to coincide.

Except for the one-day Bratislava trip, these are all driving itineraries. Need information on car rentals?

Want to leave the driving to someone else? Click here for suggestions for travel by train, bus, air or boat/hydrofoil.

Prefer to bike and/or hike? For more information on low-impact travel, check out Greenways -- an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism and specific routes connecting Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary.

• Often there are more activities in each day than you will have time for – that way you can pick and choose what you’d like to do.
• Travel times are approximate.
• Downtown means the main square (hlavne namestie) or city center (centrum) or the Old Town (stare mesto)
• Hotels and restaurants were selected from recommendations of American travelers and the Trend Top 2005 listing (similar to Zagat survey, using volunteer reviewers who tried each Slovak establishment; in print version only – not online yet). For another listing of hotels and restaurants, www.travelguide.sk or www.slovak-hotels.info.
• Best weather is May to September (except for skiing and other winter sports)
• Check opening hours of sights by linking to their own website
• Information on border crossings between other countries and Slovakia