Slovakia: Getting there & around

Sky Europe runs daily flights to Bratislava (BTS) from 22 European cities (usually alternate airports). Connecting from farther afield is a bit trickier, but Czech Airlines has frequent connections through Prague. Slovak Airlines flies to Brussels and Moscow (in conjunction with Aeroflot), albeit infrequently. Once a week Sky Europe flies between London Stansted and the Poprad airport, beneath the High Tatras.

Bratislava is only 64km (40mi) from Vienna. Buses link Vienna International Airport (VIE) and Bratislava's main bus station just about hourly. Direct trains connect frequently with Prague (4.5 hours), Budapest (three hours) and Vienna (one hour). One daily night train connects Bratislava with Moscow (33 hours) and one with Warsaw (10.5 hours). A daily train to Kiev (21 hours) passes through Kosice on its way from Budapest. From mid-April to September, you can take a hydrofoil on the Danube from Bratislava to Vienna (1.5 hours) or Budapest (four hours). Walking in and out of Slovakia can circumvent the hassle of buying an expensive international ticket. For example, you can easily walk across the bridge over the Danube River between Komárno (Slovakia) and Komárom (Hungary).

A fairly efficient, reasonably priced train system links most of the country. Buses are best for getting to smaller villages and towns off the main lines. Be warned that buses are prompt, so it's advisable to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to departure. Keep an eye on your gear as pickpocketing is not unheard of. Slovakia's size, upgraded motorways and relatively quiet smaller roads make it pretty easy to get around under your own steam, either by car, motorbike or bicycle. Roads often follow old routes through villages and small towns with sudden sharp bends and reduced speed limits, but they are fairly well-maintained and other road users are mostly considerate. Be aware that a Western car with foreign number plates is an automatic target. And never ever leave valuables visible in a car; anything in view is apparently fair game for pilfering.