We will be in Vienna December 2-8 and we were thinking about doing day trip to Bratislava. Would we need to book train or bus I advance or get a ticket the day we decide to leave? Any recommendations of bus versus train? How much would the ticket cost?
Posted by
Virginia
915 posts
We did this a few years ago. There is a “Bratislava ticket” that is a round trip by any train and includes public transit in Bratislava. A good deal and it’s a nice trip. I don’t think you need this in advance, there are hourly trains and no reserved seats (as far as I could tell), but it did take a while to buy the ticket. I got it when passing through the Hauptbahnhof the day before and was glad I did, as I couldn’t figure out where to find it on the ticket machines— I expect it was there but I was just unfamiliar— so I had to find the staffed ticket counter, take a number and wait a while to buy it that way.
Posted by
2843 posts
No need to buy tickets in advance. The so called "Bratislava Ticket" allows you to use two different train routes as well as free public transport in Bratislava for one day.
This is still correct, with the exception that both train routes are operational again:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/bratislava-ticket
Posted by
Freedonia
19313 posts
I did it most recently this past spring.
No need to buy a ticket in advance. The train is a regional one and its open seating.
If I remember correctly, you can get a "Bratislava ticket" from the machines. If not, there is a ticket office on the main level of the train station near the food court.
Personally, I prefer train to bus.
It's a nice day trip. Bratislava "old town" is fairly compact and easy to walk around.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
6123 posts
I think that a bus is the better choice as the bus stops in the center of Bratislava whereas the train stops in one of the two major train stations in Bratislava, both of which require a long walk (28 minutes from Hlavná Stanica or 41 minutes from Bratislava-Petržalka Station) or a ride on public transportation (which is covered if you buy the Bratislava Ticket, but then you have to figure it out).
You can use either FlixBus or Slovak Lines, but I would recommend Slovak Lines as the departures in Vienna are from the Main Train Station. You want to get off the bus in Bratislava at the Most SNP. You can visit both websites for prices. There is no need to book in advance, but I would buy the tickets a day or two before you plan to visit Bratislava as seats on the bus can sell out.