Hello! I am interested in taking a river cruise on the Danube between Vienna and Bratislava for a partial day. Does anyone have a recommendation of a company to book with? Also, any suggestions of what to see in Bratislava? Thanks for any information you can provide!
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
17929 posts
I havent done it, but I suspect it will pale by comparison to the one you SHOULD do in Budapest to or from Szentendre, So if repetition is an issue.....
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7034 posts
As far as I can tell Twin CIty Liner is the only option for a 'cruise' from Vienna to Bratislava for a day trip. It looks like it's an enclosed catamaran so I'm not sure it's a scenic cruise. But it is an option of getting to Bratislava for a day trip - other options are bus and train, both of which I would think are more convenient as far as times.
I took the train myself but others have recommended the bus because it drops you closer to the center. From the train station there is a local bus to the city center.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
3847 posts
Twin City Liner is the Austrian company, r/t $165 pp. Lod.sk is the Slovakian carrier and
it’s price varies by class. Captain lounge is 52€ one way. (Most expensive)
It says 75 minutes to Bratislava and 90 minutes return.
When we went a few years ago, we booked through lod.sk. The catamarans were across the water from each other. The Austrian one was newer but it got us there just the same, and on the Danube.
They must have upgraded though, cause when we went there was just one price.
In Bratislava just walk around the old city. They have (did have) a tourist train that took up you up to the castle and back.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5388 posts
Don’t do it. It is not what you imagine. If you want to do a Danube cruise, then take DDSG or Brandner boats from Melk to Krems.
Posted by
Hickory, NC USA
437 posts
There is also a tourist cruise out of Bratislava that goes up to Devin Castle which makes a pleasant day excursion but the scenery is not quite as fantastic as either Melk to Krems or a boat ride in Budapest. In Bratislava, I would not miss their small art museum in town - Nedbalka Gallery. Otherwise, we just walked around - a lot - did a wine tasting and had a great meal.
We took the train from Vienna to Bratislava and then from Bratislava to Prague.
Posted by
1909 posts
Between Vienna and Bratislava the area is flat for the most of the time, i.e. you only can watch trees on either embankment of the Danube river. It is not scenic at all, and the cruise is a waste of money.
Go by train, using the Bratislava-Ticket:
https://www.oebb.at/en/regionale-angebote/ueberregionale-angebote/bratislava-ticket
This ticket entitles you you to use trams and busses in Bratislava as well.
There are two different train lines going from Vienna to Bratislava, one terminating on the left (north) side of the Danube river, the other one on the right (south) side. The trains depart alternating every half an hour from Wien Hbf (main train station). The train ticket is valid for both, travel times are equal. There is a bus connecting the two train stations and the city.
If you want to make most out of your trip you may use either train line for going back and forth.