Public Transportation in Slovakia
The public transport system in Slovakia is performed by system of buses, trains, trolleybuses, tramways or taxis. There is no underground, tramways operate in Bratislava and Košice. Trolleybuses operate in Bratislava, Prešov, Košice and Banská Bystrica. City and outskirt train lines and bus lines provide the connection among all cities and villages. Regular rail and bus lines facilitate the transport of passengers beyond the Slovakian borders to Vienna, London, Budapest, Prague, etc. Taxi service is available in every town.
Bus transportation in Slovakia
MHD – Municipal Public Transport
The public transportation in Slovakia known as MHD performs the city transport services by system of buses, tramways or trolleybuses. This kind of buses are usually red-coloured in Slovakia. Bus tickets can be purchased at any newsagent or ticket dispenser located on the bus stop. To purchase the ticket in the ticket dispenser, are necessary 1, 2, 5, 10Sk coins. To avoid a fine, the passenger using a single ticket in public city transport supplied with punches shall punch it immediately after entry into the vehicle. In some cities, the ticket can be purchased only from the bus driver. Ticket fares depend on the city. If you are planning to travel to multiple destinations and want to take advantage of the city’s public transport system, you should opt for a Travel card.
Fare pricing:
Bratislava – The ticket fare is proportional to the duration of the journey. A 15-minute ride costs 0.70 €, 60-minute (during weekend 90-minute) ride costs 0.90 €. Tourists expecting to use the public transport more frequently can buy a Day Travel card for 4.50 €, a 2 Day Travel card for 8.30 € or a 3 Day Travel card for 10 €. The network of buses, tramways and trolleybuses in Bratislava is relatively dense. Most lines operate every few minutes and there are special night service buses.
Nitra – Cash single tickets can be purchased only from the bus driver. The ticket fare is 0.70 €. You can also purchase a Daily Bus Pass for 2.00 € or a Weekly Bus Pass for 8.00 €. Passengers should enter the bus using the front doors/ Passengers wishing to purchase the ticket from the driver are requested to enter through the front doors. If you are planning to use the public transport system on a regular basis, you should opt for a Travel card.
Kosice – Cash single ticket grants the passenger the right to travel only 4 bus stops and it is not valid on night service buses. When purchased in advance, a single ticket valid for one zone will cost 0.40 €. When purchased in advance, the single ticket for a 30-minute ride in T1 zone will cost 0.55 €.
Banska Bystrica - The single journey ticket fare is 0.70 €. It is not restricted by the bus-ride time or the number of bus stops. Passengers wishing to purchase the ticket from the driver are requested to enter through the front doors. It is possible to use the second doors, but only when you own a Travel card.
High Tatras – The transportation in the High Tatras area is provided by electrified railway system. When purchased in advance, a single ticket for journey up to 2 km (3.1mi) will cost 0.50 €, for 6 km (8.7mi) it will be 1.00 €, for 19 km (13mi) the fare will be 1.50 €, for 34 km (13mi) the fare will be 2.00€. When purchased from the driver, a single ticket for journey up to 5km (3.1mi) will cost 15Sk (€0.46), for 14km (8.7mi) it will be 25Sk (€0.82) and for 21km (13mi) the fare will be 35Sk (€1.16).
Local bus lines – transportation between cities and villages
The passenger transport over short distances between neighbouring cities and villages is performed by the local bus lines. These buses are usually blue-coloured in Slovakia. Cash single tickets are sold by the driver. The ticket fare is proportional to the journey distance in kilometres. The ticket for a journey up to 4km (2.5mi) will cost 0.60 €, for 10km (6.2mi) it will be 0.80 €, for 20 km (12.4mi) it will be 1,50 €, for 30km (18.6mi) it will be 1.60 € and for 40km (24.8mi) the fare will be 2.00 €. As each Slovak company has its own pricelist, the ticket fares may be slightly different.
Long-distance bus lines – transportation among all Slovak cities
The passenger transport over long distances between cities is performed by the long-distance bus lines in Slovakia. Sporadically, they stop to board passengers in villages, but only in the largest ones. The long-distance bus lines in Slovakia operate on a frequent basis and run also at night. The ticket can be purchased from the driver, in advance on the bus station and some companies offer the possibility to buy an e-ticket online. The ticket fare depends on the distance and the company you travel with.
International bus lines –the connection with €opean capitals and major cities
Regular international bus lines in Slovakia facilitate the transport of passengers from the Mlynske Nivy bus station in Bratislava to Schwechat Airport in Vienna, the city of Vienna, Brussels, London, Munich, Stuttgart, Strasbourg, Paris, Zurich, Geneva, Budapest, Györ, Rotterdam, Rome, Bolzano, Verona, Milan, Split, Prague and to other €opean cities. Many international bus lines board passengers also in other Slovak towns; it depends on their destination and travel route.
Approximate bus ticket fare prices and journey length:
Bratislava – Nitra 4.5 €, length 1.10-1.30 h.
Bratislava – Banská Bystrica 11.00 €, length 3.20 – 4 h
Bratislava – Trnava 2.80 €, length 40-50 min
Bratislava – Košice 18.00 €, length 6-7 h
Bratislava – Žilina 8.00 €, length 3.30 h
Bratislava – Poprad 16,00 €, length 6.20 – 7 h
Rail transport in Slovakia
International as well as domestic railway lines perform the rail transport of passengers and goods in the Slovak Republic. The transportation to some Slovak villages not connected to the railway network is provided by bus transport. Tickets can be bought from any staffed rail station in Slovakia. If there is no rail station, you should purchase the ticket from the ticket inspector who is in charge of checking tickets. Long-distance routes are operated by express trains.
Express trains
The journey from Bratislava to Poprad – High Tatras by Slovenka or Gerlach express takes about 4 hours. The expresses Zemplín, Liptov, Spišan, Považan, Váh, Kriváň and Cingov get there in 4.45 hours and they also run to Košice. The single ticket fare is 12.00 €.
Slovenka and Gerlach get to Kosice in about 5.15 hours. Other expresses get there in at least 6 hours. The travel route of Gerlach express is from Vienna to Kosice. The ticket fare to Kosice is about 17,00 €.
The journey from Bratislava to Banska Bystrica by Horehronec or Slatina express takes about 3.5 hours. Long-distance bus lines get there in about the same time. Banska Bystrica is Slatina's last stop and Horehronec continues to Kosice. The ticket fare to Banska Bystrica is about 10,00 € .
Trains from Vienna in Austria to Bratislava in Slovakia depart approximately every hour and there are night service trains.
Taxi service in Slovakia
Taxis are part of the public transport system in Slovakia. Taxi cabs are available even in small towns of Slovakia. Usually the taxi rank is located next to the train and the bus station. If you are planning to travel by taxi, and there is no taxi rank nearby, to get information about the taxi service numbers you should call 1181.
Taxi fares
Taxi tariff is about 0.65-0.10 € per kilometre. It takes about 15 minutes from Bratislava centre to the Bratislava Airport and the taxi fare is 10,00 €- 15,00 €. The taxi fare to the Schwechat Airport is 50,00 - 65,00 €, to the Prague Airport it is 250,00 €.
The taxi fare from Bratislava to Trnava is 40,00 € – 55,00 €, to Banská Bystrica it is 150,00 – 200,00 € and to Nitra it is about 65,00 €. The taxi fare from the centre of Košice to the Košice Airport is 7,00-10,00 €.
The Danube River Transport
Daily sightseeing cruises down the Danube River are a memorable experience and a great opportunity to admire the extraordinary view of Bratislava, Devin Castle or Hainburg. High-speed boats operate on the regular international line Bratislava-Vienna- Budapest and back. The regular international line from Bratislava to Vienna and back operates since May 30 till August 31. It departures from Bratislava at 7.15am and arrives at 7.45pm.
There are regular international line from Vienna to Bratislava and back. It departures from Vienna at 9.45am and arrives at 5.45pm.
There are regular international line from Bratislava to Budapest and back. It departures from Bratislava at 10.30am and arrives at 1.30pm.