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How to travel by train from the UK to Bratislava & Slovakia...

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 Country information

Train operator in Slovakia:

ZSR (Zeleznice Slovenskej Republiky), www.slovakrail.sk.

 

 

Eurostar times & fares.  All European train times: All-Europe online train times

Railpasses:

 

Beginner's guide to European railpasses    Buy a rail pass online

Time zone & dialling code:

 

GMT+1 (GMT+2 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October).   Dial code:  +421

Currency:

£1 = 1.15 euros (Slovakia switched to the euros in Jan 2009).  Currency converter

Tourist information:

www.sacr.sk.   Recommended guidebooks.    

Bratislava bus & tram information:  www.imhd.sk

Hotels:

Find a hotel in Slovakia.

Visas:

UK citizens no longer need a visa to visit Slovakia.

Page last updated:

10 January 2012.  Train times valid from 11 December 2011 to 9 June 2012.


 To Slovakia by train...

  Take the train to Slovakia - Bratislava cathedral and castle
 

Above: The Bratislava skyline, with castle and cathedral...

It's no problem to reach Bratislava by train from the UK.  Take Eurostar & a connecting Thalys train to Cologne, then the overnight sleeper to Vienna and an onward train to Bratislava.  This page explains how to plan, book & make such a trip.

On this page...

London to Bratislava by train, via Cologne & Vienna  This is probably the cheapest & easiest route.

London to Bratislava by train, via Paris & Munich  A useful alternative via Paris with a later departure from London.

Recommended guidebooks

Hotels & accommodation

Sponsored links...

    

Route map:  London to Bratislava by train...

Route map:  London to Bratislava & Slovakia by train

 

Option 1:  London-Bratislava via Cologne...

This route runs daily all year round.

Train times London Bratislava

  • Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:57 and arriving in Brussels Midi at 16:05.

  • Travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed Thalys train, leaving Brussels Midi at 17:28 and arriving in Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 19:15.

  • Travel from Cologne to Vienna by daily EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 20:05 and arriving in Vienna Westbahnhof at 08:52.  This Austrian Railways sleeper train has sleeping-cars (1 & 2 berth compartments, plus two 1, 2 or 3 berth 'deluxe' sleepers with shower & toilet), 4 & 6-berth couchettes and seats.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.  The train travels along the famous Rhine Valley between Koblenz and Frankfurt, so if you are in a sleeper and your compartment happens to be on the left-hand side of the train, switch off the lights and watch the Rhine pass by, mountains and castles lit by moonlight, while sipping a glass of Riesling.  Wonderful!  Click for more pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

  • You arrive at Vienna Westbahnhof, so take a tram or taxi to the Südbahnhof (Ostbahn).  Tram 18 runs from the Westbahnhof to the Südbahnhof, the fare is 1.80 euros.  You'll find the tram stop across the road directly in front of the Westbahnhof.  You can buy tickets from any Austrian Railways ticket machine inside the Westbahnhof or at any U-bahn (underground) station, as the same 1.80 euros ticket for Vienna central area transport is equally valid on either U-bahn, suburban train or tram.  Click here for a Vienna U-bahn map, although the U-bahn does not links these stations directly.

  • Direct trains link Vienna Südbahnhof (Ostbahn) with Bratislava every hour, taking 1 hour 12 minutes  There's one leaving at 10:20 arriving in Bratislava Hlavna (main station) at 11:32.

  • Alternatively, you can also travel from Vienna to Bratislava by Danube hydrofoil, which runs once a day April-October, allowing day trips or longer stays.  See www.lod.sk for times and fares.

Train times Bratislava London

  • Travel from Bratislava to Vienna, leaving Bratislava (Hlavna) at 16:46 and arriving Vienna Südbahnhof (Ostbahn) at 17:57.  Take tram 18 to the Westbahnhof.  The tram stop is well signed from the Ostbahn and arrives directly outside the Westbahnhof.

  • Travel from Vienna to Cologne by daily EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 19:48 and arriving at Cologne at 08:42 next morning.  This modern Austrian sleeper train has a sleeping-car (1 & 2 berth sleepers with washbasin plus two 1, 2 or 3 berth deluxe sleepers with private shower & toilet), couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth) & ordinary seats.  The sleeper & couchette fares include a light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.  The train runs along the Rhine Valley in the morning, past castles and the legendary Lorelei Rock.  More pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

  • Travel from Cologne to Brussels by high speed ICE train, leaving Cologne at 11:43 and arriving Brussels Midi 13:35.

  • Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar, leaving Brussels Midi at 14:56 (14:52 at weekends) arriving London St Pancras at 16:03.

Introducing the Austrian Railways EuroNight train from Cologne to Vienna...

This was originally a German Railways' City Night Line train, but on 13 December 2009 it became an Austrian Railways (ÖBB) 'EuroNight' sleeper train, with sleeping-car, couchettes & seats.  The sleeping-car has compact 1 & 2 bed compartments with washbasin, plus two deluxe compartments with 1, 2 or 3 beds plus private shower & toilet.  The sleeper berths come fully made up with sheets and duvets, and all sleeper passengers get mineral water in the evening and a light breakfast served in their compartment next morning.  Towels & toiletries are provided, including shampoo and shower gel in the deluxe sleepers.  In the more economical couchettes, you can book a couchette in a cheaper 6-berth compartment or a less-crowded 4-berth compartment.  Each couchette is provided with sheet, blanket and pillow, and couchette passengers get a small bottle of mineral water and a light breakfast in the morning with tea or coffee.  When waiting for the northbound sleeper train at Vienna Westbahnhof, if you have a sleeper ticket (as opposed to couchette or seat ticket), you can use the first class ÖBB Club Lounge, with complimentary drinks.  More pictures & information about this EuroNight train.

1 & 2 berth standard sleeper on the Austrian EuroNight train.   EuroNight sleeper train to Vienna:  6-berth couchettes   The Cologne-Vienna sleeper train is an Austrian Railways (OBB) EuroNight train

1 or 2 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option. Standard sleepers have a washbasin, deluxe sleepers a private shower & toilet.

 

4 & 6-berth couchettes:  The economy option, ideal for families.  Couchettes are basic padded bunks with rug & pillow.  This is a 6-berth couchette.

 

Above:  The Austrian sleeping-car or 'schlafwagen'.

Sleeper & couchette passengers receive a complimentary light breakfast with tea or coffee in the morning.

More pictures & information about this EuroNight train

From Vienna to Bratislava by Regional Express train...

The train from Vienna to Bratislava...   Inside the hourly train from Vienna to Bratislava...
Above:  The hourly regional express train from Vienna (Südbahnhof Ostbahn) to Bratislava (Hlavna)

How much does it cost?

 1. London to Cologne

 by Eurostar + Thalys

 Fares for Eurostar+ICE start at 49 euros (£43) each way.

 Fares for Eurostar+Thalys start at £53 one-way (£39 London-Brussels + £14 Brussels-Cologne)

 or £97 return (£69 London-Brussels + £28 Brussels-Cologne).

 Fares vary like air fares, so book in advance to get the cheapest prices.

 Child, youth & senior Eurostar fares

 
 2. Cologne to Bratislava

 by EuroNight train (per person)

 & connecting regional train

In a seat In a couchette In the sleeping-car
6-berth 4-berth 2-berth 1-berth

3-berth

+ shower

2-berth

+ shower

1-berth

+ shower

 Savings fare one-way from: €43 (£37) €59 (£51) €69 (£60) €99 (£86) €139 (£121) €89 (£77) €129 (£112) €169 (£146)
 Savings fare return from: €86 (£74) €118 (£102) €138 (£120) €198 (£172) €278 (£242) €178 (£144) €258 (£224) €338 (£292)
 Full price one-way: €154 (£134) €170 (£147) €180 (£156) €210 (£183)  €250 (£217) €190 (£165) €306 (£266) €346 (£301)
 Child under 14 with own berth: Savings fares for children are the same as adult Savings fares, but child full fare 50-60% of adult normal fare
 Child under 6 without own berth:

Child under 6 sharing a berth travels free...

How to buy tickets online using www.eurostar.com & www.bahn.de or www.oebb.at...

This method involves two websites, so do a dry run on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.  Anyone from any country can use www.eurostar.com & www.oebb.at, not just UK residents.

  • Bookings open 90 days before departure, you can't book before reservations open.  Before starting to book, I recommend noting down each specific train you want to book using the train times recommended above, and the date of departure.  Obviously, remember that your date of travel from Cologne back to Brussels will be the day after your departure from Vienna to Cologne!

  • Step 1, go to either www.raileurope.co.uk or www.eurostar.com and book a ticket from London to Cologne (shown as Koln on the Eurostar website) using the train times on this page as a guideIt's a good idea to try both websites, as one can be cheaper than the other.  Tickets can be posted to any UK address or collected at St Pancras on departure.

  • Booking tip:  If you don't see any sensibly-priced London-Cologne through fares, try using www.raileurope.co.uk to book in two stages, first London-Brussels & back, then Brussels-Cologne & back, as this can be cheaper.

  • Booking tip:  You can also try the German Railways website www.bahn.de for booking your London-Cologne tickets, as they offer 'London Spezial' fares from London to Cologne from just 49 euros each way.  However, you'll only find these fares on journeys which involve the two or three German ICE trains between Brussels & Cologne, not on those involving Thalys.  In the outward direction that means leaving London much earlier (around 08:27/08:57) and spending some time in Cologne, in the return direction it means spending the morning in Cologne and leaving Cologne at 14:43 arriving London at 19:03.

  • Step 2, go to the German Railways website, www.bahn.de, and use the journey planner to book from Cologne to 'Bratislava hl. st', looking for the option which corresponds to the journey explained above, which is shown with 2 changes, using the direct EuroNight (EN) train from Cologne to Vienna and back then a transfer in Vienna and a Vienna-Bratislava train.  It's important to select 'Bratislava hl. st.' and not 'BRATISLAVA' as the right option comes up only if you use 'Bratislava hl.st.'.  It's better to book in one go from Cologne to Bratislava rather than buy separate tickets Cologne-Vienna and Vienna-Bratislava, because the 'spezial' fare from Cologne to Bratislava is exactly the same price as the 'spezial' fare on the same train to Vienna.  You print out your own ticket.  If you have any trouble, just book Cologne to Vienna and buy a separate ticket to Bratislava at the station when you get to Vienna, although this will cost you 14 euros more each way.

  • Stopover in Vienna?  If you'd like a stopover of anything up to 24 hours in Vienna, simply enter 'Vienna' in the 'via' box and the number of hours in the 'stopover' box, and you'll get the same cheap fares (if available) but with a stopover in Vienna.  If you want a longer stopover, this mean buying separate tickets Cologne-Vienna and Vienna-Bratislava.

  • Alternatively, you can also book this train using the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at.  Click 'Englisch' at top right.  Now click 'Online-Ticket' top left.  Now look for the bottom left 'EURO-Night' square and click it.  On the enquiry form, enter departure station as 'Cologne' and arrival station as 'Vienna', your age and dates of travel.  Click 'search for offers'.  On the results page, you'll see a long list of possible fares.  Ignore the 'flexible' open tickets at the top.  Instead, look down the list of fares shown as 'valid on a specific train' until you see one for 'Ticket to Wien Westbahnhof TRAIN EN 421 from 20:05 to 09:04, for the type of seat, couchette or sleeper that you want.  Select it, don't bother reading about their 'thrift tip'.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets.  Easy!  The prices shown on www.oebb.at are in euros, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.

  • If you don't succeed in booking Cologne to Bratislava all in one go, or you want to stop off for more than 24 hours in Vienna, you can easily buy a Vienna-Bratislava ticket at the station when you get to Vienna for 14 euros, as no advance reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.  You can buy tickets to Bratislava at any of the red ÖBB ticket machines using your credit card or banknotes, you actually end up with a day return but it's the same price as a one-way.  Or to save time at the station you can buy a ticket online at www.oebb.at, the Austrian Railways website, printing out your ticket in .PDF format.  Alternatively, you can buy  Vienna-Bratislava tickets at www.raileurope.co.uk from £15 one-way, £30 return, tickets sent to any UK address.

  • Buy a special add-on ticket from almost any station in Britain to London International (St Pancras)

How to buy tickets online at www.raileurope.co.uk...

The easiest way to book train tickets from London to Bratislava is at www.raileurope.co.uk, because all the trains can be booked as a single transaction on one UK-based website.  If you don't live in the UK, or want to book 4-berth couchettes (which for some reason raileurope.co.uk can't do) book using www.eurostar.com & www.oebb.at instead, see the next section.  Bookings open 90 days before departure, you can't book before reservations open.  Before starting to book, I recommend noting down each specific train you want to book using the train times recommended above, and the date of departure.  Obviously, remember that your date of travel from Cologne back to Brussels will be the day after your departure from Vienna!

  • Step 1, go to www.raileurope.co.uk, but resist the temptation to enter 'London' & 'Bratislava' as this won't find you the cheapest fares.  Instead, first enter 'Cologne' & 'Vienna' and your dates of travel, look for the direct overnight train from Cologne to Vienna, book the type of seat, couchette or sleeper you want, do the same for the return journey, add these tickets to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.  Thanks to the vagaries of the French reservation system, www.raileurope.co.uk won't book 4-berth couchettes only 6-berth ones, so if you want 4-berth couchettes simply book using www.oebb.at instead, see the next section.

  • Step 2, still at www.raileurope.co.uk, now book the train from Brussels to Cologne & back, using the train times above as your guide.  Add this ticket to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.

  • Step 3, still at www.raileurope.co.uk, now book the Eurostar from London to Brussels & back, using the train times above as a guide.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later one back, if it has cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in Brussels.  Add this ticket to your basket and proceed to payment stage.  Tickets can be sent to any UK address (£2.25 fee) and normally arrive within a couple of days.  There's a 2.5% credit card fee, so use a debit card if you can.  Only UK credit cards are accepted.

  • Step 4, you can buy a Vienna-Bratislava open ticket at www.raileurope.co.uk for £15 each way, but it's just as easy (and a fraction cheaper) to buy it at the station in Vienna, for 14 euros.  No reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.  You can buy tickets to Bratislava at any of the red ÖBB ticket machines using your credit card or banknotes, you in fact end up with a day return but it's the same price as a one-way.

  • Booking tip:  It's worth comparing prices for the Cologne-Vienna EuroNight train at both www.raileurope.co.uk & www.oebb.at (see the section below) as they can differ.  It's also worth checking prices from London to Cologne & back at www.eurostar.com, as sometimes this is cheaper than www.raileurope.co.uk.  Cologne is shown as 'Koln' on the Eurostar site.

  • Booking tip:  You can also try the German Railways website www.bahn.de for booking your London-Cologne tickets, as they offer 'London Spezial' fares from London to Cologne from just 49 euros each way.  However, you'll only find these fares on journeys which involve the two or three German ICE trains between Brussels & Cologne, not on those involving Thalys.  In the outward direction that means leaving London much earlier (around 08:27/08:57) and spending some time in Cologne, in the return direction it means spending the morning in Cologne and leaving Cologne at 14:43 arriving London at 19:03.

  • Buy a special add-on ticket from almost any station in Britain to London International (St Pancras)

How to buy tickets by phone...

You can book the Eurostar, Thalys and EuroNight train by phone with a number of UK agencies, including Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Sat & Sun, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge),  or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-13:00 Saturdays, £35 booking fee).  Click here for a list of agencies and more information on how to book.

Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

If you want a compete tailor-made trip with all your rail travel expertly booked for you and good quality hotels arranged, UK residents can call www.railbookers.com on 020 3327 0761.  US residents can call them on (646) 770 2894 (please quote seat61) and Canadian residents on (416) 800 0732 (please quote 'seat61').  Australian residents can call their Australian office, www.railbookers.com.au on 02 8096 0550.  Just tell them what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you, hassle-free.  They get very positive reviews and take good care of their guests.  Browse suggested itineraries & prices.


Option 2:  London-Bratislava via the Paris - Munich sleeper...

Train times London Bratislava

  • Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 16:01 (15:31 at weekends), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 19:17 (18:47 at weekends).  It's then a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.

  • Travel from Paris to Munich overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Cassiopeia', leaving Paris Gare de l'Est daily at 20:05 (20:20 at weekends) and arriving in Munich at 07:10 next morning.  It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower), 4 & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information below.  More pictures & information about this train.

  • Travel from Munich to Vienna by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train with restaurant car, leaving Munich Hbf at 09:27 and arriving in Vienna Westbahnhof at 13:44.

  • You arrive at Vienna Westbahnhof, so take a tram or taxi to the Südbahnhof (Ostbahn).  Tram 18 runs from the Westbahnhof to the Südbahnhof, the fare is 1.80 euros.  You'll find the tram stop across the road directly in front of the Westbahnhof.  You can buy tickets from any Austrian Railways ticket machine inside the Westbahnhof or at any U-bahn (underground) station, as the same 1.80 euros ticket for Vienna central area transport is equally valid on either U-bahn, suburban train or tram.  Click here for a Vienna U-bahn map, although the U-bahn does not links these stations directly.

  • Travel from Vienna to Bratislava, leaving Vienna Südbahnhof at 15:20 and arriving in Bratislava Hlavna at 16:32.  This train service in fact runs hourly.  You can also travel from Vienna to Bratislava by Danube hydrofoil once a day April-October, see www.lod.sk for times and fares.

Train times Bratislava  London

  • Travel from Bratislava to Vienna, leaving Bratislava Hlavna at 13:46 on a direct train for Vienna Südbahnhof arriving at 14:57.  Take local transport to the Westbahnhof.

  • Travel from Vienna to Munich by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 16:14 and arriving in Munich at 20:34.  The train has a restaurant car & bar.

  • Travel from Munich to Paris by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Cassiopeia', leaving Munich daily at 22:47 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est 09:24 next morning.  The trains has ordinary seats, couchettes (4 & 6-bunk) and sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed rooms, deluxe with shower or standard with washbasin).  Click for more pictures & information about this trainWalk from the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.

  • Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at 11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:30.

Fares & how to buy tickets...

  • See the London to Austria page for fares & how to buy tickets between London & Vienna via this route.

  • A ticket from Vienna to Bratislava can easily be bought at the station when you get to Vienna.  No advance reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.

  • You can also buy a Vienna-Bratislava open ticket for £12 each way online at www.raileurope.co.uk.

Introducing the City Night Line Paris - Munich sleeper train...

The Paris-Munich overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains.  Called the 'Cassiopeia', it has modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower & toilet, and 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, there's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in standard rooms, and all rooms have power-points for laptop computers), modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4- or 6-berth compartment), and ordinary seats (not recommended).  Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation.  The sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast. More pictures and information about this train Travel tip:  For a good meal in a classic Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in Paris, catch the earlier 14:04 Eurostar & dine at the Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road from the Gare du Nord.  For a cooked breakfast in Munich or evening meal before boarding the Paris-bound sleeper on your return, try the typically Bavarian Mongdratzerl restaurant, located in the hauptbahnhof itself.
Sleeping-car compartment (1 2 or 3 berths)   4-berth couchette compartment on Paris-Munich overnight train   6-berth couchette compartment on Paris-Munich overnight train  

The sleeping-car on the Paris-Munich overnight train boarding at the Gare de l'Est

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.

 

4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.

 

6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...

 

Above:  The 'Comfortline' sleeping-car of the Paris to Munich sleeper train boarding at Paris Gare de l'Est...

More pictures & information about this train...

From Munich to Vienna by RailJet...

RailJet is Austria's brand-new high-speed train, linking Munich, Salzburg, Vienna & Budapest, also Zurich, Innsbruck & Vienna.  Designed to run at up to 230km/h (143 mph) on sections of upgraded track, it currently reaches 200km/h on part of the route, but in other parts snakes around beautiful scenery at a more sedate pace.  Look out for great views of Salzburg citadel & castle on the right as you cross the river Salzach approaching Salzburg.  RailJet has three classes, Economy (2nd class), First (1st class), and Premium (25 euro supplement over normal first class).  It has a bistro car providing drinks, snacks and hot dishes, which are served on proper china at your seat in first and premium classes.  TV screens in each car tell you the train's speed, show a map indicating your location, and post a list of next station stops and times.  A great way to travel - simply order one of the regional beers from the bistro, sit back and enjoy the scenery...  More pictures & information about this RailJet train.

The morning RailJet train has arrived in Vienna.   Premium class seats on the Munich-Vienna RailJet train   Economy class seats on the Munich-Vienna RailJet train
"The RailJet has landed..."  Train RJ 63, the morning RailJet from Munich has arrived at Vienna Westbahnhof spot on time.   Premium class costs 25 euros more than normal 1st class...   Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats are arranged around tables, some are unidirectional.

From Vienna to Bratislava by Regional Express train...

The train from Vienna to Bratislava...   Inside the hourly train from Vienna to Bratislava...
Above:  The hourly regional express train from Vienna (Südbahnhof Ostbahn) to Bratislava (Hlavna)

 

 The Thomas Cook European Timetable

Thomas Cook European Timetable -  click to buy onlineThomas Cook Rail Map of Europe - buy onlineThe Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings Cross stations in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2011/12 edition (Dec 2011 to June 2012) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2012 edition (June to Dec 2012)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.


 

 Guidebooks

Lonely Planet Czech & Slovak Republics - click to buy at AmazonLonely Planet Eastern Europe - buy online at AmazonYou should take a good guidebook.  I think that the Lonely Planets and the Rough Guides are about the best out there for the independent traveller.  Both guides have everything you need - plenty of background historical and cultural information, and lots of practical information.  You won't regret buying one of these guides..!

Click the images to buy at Amazon...

Or buy direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.


 

 Hotels & accommodation

Find a hotel in Bratislava or anywhere in Europe...

Search by hotel name  Powered by Hotelscombined.com

 

◄◄◄◄◄ Search all the major hotel

booking websites at once...

Hotel reservations? Find the right hotel first. Compare here.

www.hotelscombined.com is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and others) to find the cheapest hotel rates.  Set up in 2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

  • www.tripadvisor.com is a good place to find independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels, and it has the low-down on destination sights & attractions, too.

  • www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

Backpacker hostels...

  • If you're on a tight budget, don't forget the hostels.  For a dorm bed or an ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most European cities use www.hostelbookers.com.


 

 Travel insurance & health card...

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

  Columbus direct travel insurance

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, but European international rail conditions of carriage (known as the 'CIV') contain consumer protection provisions that entitle you to travel forward by the next available train if you miss a connection because of a delay to the first train, irrespective of who operates which train, and even if your ticket is in theory train-specific and non-changeable.  Feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or Go Travel Insurance, or use Confused.com to get a price comparison on a range of travel insurance providers, seeing policy features at a glance.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, one designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!  You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, find out about these cards & sign up here.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up over £1,000 in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.


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