Hi, I am traveling from Budapest to Prague in December and can plan my train journey so that I have a few hours in Bratislava. Is it worthwhile to go to for 5 hours? What would be your suggested sites to see? I like castles, churches, old towns. Could care less about shopping. Thanks
We are staying another day after our Germany, Switzerland, Austria tour and thought about going into Bratislava from Vienna. Is it worth it?
"Is it worth it?" Somebody will say yes and somebody will say no. If you have time I would say yes.
Walking around the old town is the main sightseeing that we recommend and Rick's Eastern Europe book describes a walking route (as does the Vienna book). You can also pick up a walking map at the Tourist Information office or download from their site. There are a few small museums, but if you don't have time for them, don't sweat it. Rick does not consider the big castle (extensively rebuilt in 1953) to be worth the 7 euros admission fee or your limited time.
What is the the custom for tipping on one of Martin Sloboda's tours? Since Martin himself will be our tour guide I'm just curious?
The Old Town and Bratislava Castle are about 1 km to the south from the main train station so you can walk there and be back in about four hours and one left hour you can have to have a rest after this trip :) I think it is enough time to visit these closed places including Danube River bank, but it is only a part of the city and you will not be able to get to know its history and culture well. I propose to make use of these 5 hours and decide if you want to travel there once again in the future. Have a nice stay in Europe!