A Day in Bratislava, Slovakia
I went to Bratislava on a whim. I had no plans or expectations of the city. I just knew that the city was only a quick hour train ride so why not?
Table of Contents
Getting to Bratislava:
Bratislava can be reached via train or bus from Vienna. There are numerous departures due to its proximity. I took the train to Bratislava and a bus on the way back to Vienna. Tickets to and from Bratislava are affordable ranging from €10 to €20. The train is quicker than the bus but the bus provides personal screens and charging stations.
As a reminder, when traveling from Vienna to Bratislava, remember to bring your passport. I almost had a heart attack when I was asked for it. I had no intentions of traveling to Bratislava that day so I was not prepared. Thankfully, I typically travel with my passport.
When taking the train, the agents did not ask for my passport; however, when traveling by bus, immigration officers came onboard and requested everyone to flash their passports.
Getting Around:
Bratislava has a small city center and can be reached by walking. Public transportation is available and is quite cheap. A day pass for all zones is only €6,90.
Weather:
I was surprised that the weather was drastically colder in Bratislava than in Vienna. On the train, I saw the fog settling in that I could barely see the windmills in the distance. I found the city to be windy and I was lucky to have had my big jacket with me.
Currency:
Slovakia’s currency is the Euro. Below is the exchange rate as of December 2023.
$1 USD = €0.93 EUR
$1 CAD = €0.68 EUR
$1 AUS = €0.61 EUR
£1 GBP = €1.17 EUR
¥100 JPY = €0.64 EUR
Language:
Slovak is the official language of Slovakia. I came across very few people who speak English. It was enjoyable hearing a language that I never heard spoken before.
Itinerary:
Lunch: Slovak Pub
→ 62 613, Obchodná, 811 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
As soon as I arrived in Bratislava, I was on a quest to find food. Just like in Vienna, a lot of the restaurants were closed. I have not had a real meal in what feels like days. I came across Slovak Pub and I ordered a full meal since I was not sure when I would eat next. I ordered soup, ribs, and a beer. The food was average but the ambiance was what stole the show. The restaurant was homie like being at grandma’s house. It was a great way to kick off my day trip.
Self-Guided Tour
I spent the day roaming the city. These are just a few sites that I’ve seen: Bratislava Franciscan Church, Old Town Hall, Napoleon’s Army Soldier Statue, Main Square, Michael’s Tower, St. Martin’s Cathedral, Cumil Statue, Schone Naci Statue, Old Slovak National Theater, Blue Church, and many more attractions.
One attraction that I wished I visited was the Bratislava Castle. The castle sits on a hill above the city but it was quite a walk to get there. I injured my knee while walking around Bratislava.
Train Station vs Bus Station
I only spent about 4 hours in Bratislava. There is not much to do in the city and I was getting a bit bored. I searched for the next reasonable departure to Vienna. It told me to walk to the bus station. I walked around for a good hour trying to find this bus station with zero luck. My maps pointed me to a residential area. I came across another traveler. She lives in Paris and was on her first solo travel. She had taken the bus to Bratislava which dropped her off across the street. She had to walk on the overpass to get to the other side. She went back to the same location but could not find a visible bus station. I told her that I thought my GPS was finally cooperating and telling me to walk 20 minutes to the stop. We followed the GPS but did not see anything that looked remotely close to a bus station. We stopped by a gas station to ask for directions. The worker told us to continue for another 10 minutes. We walked and finally came across a bus stop. It was not a bus station, it was a bus stop! The bus stop was designated for regional public transportation; however, we saw a few bus companies stopping short of the bus stop. We determined that that was where we needed to be. There were no signs indicating that bus companies stopped there aside from the name of the bus station. Next time, I will stick with the train station. At least, I know that it is an actual train station.