How to Do a Bratislava Day Trip from Vienna the Easy Way

Do you want to know how to do a Bratislava day trip from Vienna stress-free?

We’ll tell you!

It’s super simple, once you know what you’re doing.

So read on for the easiest, car-free day trip to Bratislava, with extra tips that’ll help you save your money and sanity. (We’re all about helping you have stress-free holidays, even though our own are anything but. 😬)

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Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Btw, even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful travel tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own epic adventures too!

Why should you trust our Bratislava recommendations?

We get it.

In this AI age, everyone can be an “expert” on pretty much any destination.

So what makes us different?

Well, we’re Slovak locals – Mirka was born in Slovakia and we set up a temporary home base there after our full-time backpacking adventures almost unalived us.

In fact, our home base is in a beautiful city not that far from Bratislava – it’s another great idea for a day trip, if you have a bit more time to spend in Slovakia (and such a hidden gem!).

If you have any questions about Slovakia (or anything else, including our 💩 travel luck), drop us a message on our Instagram.

We are also here if you want to chat about your travel plans in more detail – just book a call with us.

Now let’s talk about doing a Bratislava day trip from Vienna.

Can I do a Bratislava day trip from Vienna?

First, is it even possible to do a Bratislava day trip from Vienna?

Yes!

• Bratislava is less than 1.5hrs away from Vienna by bus! Actually, from Vienna airport, it’s even faster—you can be in Bratislava in an hour!
• While a nice European capital, Bratislava is pretty small, and you can cover the main attractions easily in a day, making it ideal for a day trip from Vienna.

How to do a Bratislava day trip from Vienna?

The easiest way to do a Bratislava day trip from Vienna is by public transport.

You can get to Bratislava by train or a bus. 

Both leave from Vienna Central Station (Wien Hauptbahnhof), but remember that you can also catch buses from Vienna airport directly to Bratislava, if your accommodation is closer to it than to the Central Station.

In Vienna, get the WienMobil app which will help you plan the best route from your accommodation to the Central Station.

By train

You’ll be leaving from Vienna Central Station and will be in Bratislava in about an hour.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Make sure you’re buying tickets to Bratislava hl. st. which is an abbreviation for main train station
• You can buy tickets on the Austrian railway website or the Slovak one
• We would recommend you check both and compare prices. Some trains are cheaper on the Austrian website, some on the Slovak one
• In Bratislava, it takes just over 15 mins to reach the Presidential Palace and its garden, walking from the train station, so you don’t need to faff with public transport
• An alternative to Vienna Central station is the Simmering train station, if that happens to be closer to your accommodation (it will still take you directly to Bratislava)

By bus

If travelling by bus, here’s what you should know:

• You can choose from 3 companies: Flixbus, RegioJet and Slovak Lines
• All 3 leave from Vienna Central Station and stop at the same stops in Bratislava
• We always compare all 3 companies and decide based on the times of the buses and the price
• In Bratislava, the buses will take you all the way to the main bus station called Nivy. This is a nice bus station in a big shopping centre, so if you want access to free toilets and shops, head there. It’s also a 15-minute walk from the famous Blue Church
• On the other hand, if you are first heading to the Bratislava Castle and the Old Town, get off at the stop called “Most SNP”. It’s a collection of bus stops under a bridge just beneath the Bratislava Castle, and across from the Old Town, so you can reach both in just a few minutes 

Buses and trains run regularly, from early morning till late in the evening, so you will have enough time to explore Bratislava, grab some yummy food and pick up unique souvenirs.

If you decide to rent a car for your Bratislava day trip, be smart about it.

Use a price comparison website to save yourself money (and then spend it on yummy Slovak souvenirs).

Pro tip: you’ll be travelling in the Schengen area, meaning you might not be stopped at the border. That doesn’t mean that you can travel without your ID though. Bus drivers often ask to see IDs when checking tickets and won’t let you on the bus if you don’t have one. 

How not to get fined in Bratislava

You shouldn’t need to use public transport in Bratislava – both, the train and bus stations are centrally located and the city centre is compact and walkable. 

If you do end up needing to use public transport though (buses or trams, there is no metro in Bratislava), make sure you check out this post.

We explain how to buy public transport tickets and avoid getting a fine.

A money-saving tip for visiting Vienna

Here is something worth considering, because it might save you quite a lot of money.

Have you thought about flipping things around – staying in Bratislava and visiting Vienna on a day trip?

You might be able to find cheaper accommodation and food in Bratislava.

And if your flight is to Vienna, that’s okay. Vienna airport is just an hour bus ride from Bratislava and you can choose from 3 companies to get you there! (Flixbus, RegioJet and Slovak Lines). 

Here’s a handy map of Bratislava so you can quickly check accommodation prices for your stay and compare with Vienna.

If you decide to base yourself in Bratislava, this might be helpful:

• These are the 5 best cities you can visit from Bratislava on a day trip and yes, Vienna is one of them!
• Here are the 19 unique experiences you can have in Slovakia (unlimited wine event, anyone?).
• If you have more time, you can even go glamping – in a super nice dome that is cheaper than many hotels!
• And if you fancy spending a day in a fairy tale, we recommend this day trip – again, doable from Bratislava.

Btw, if you’re wondering whether you can drink tap water in Slovakia—yes, you can, but there are things you should know, especially if you’re staying in cities like Bratislava.

And if your mum is worried whether Slovakia looks like from the infamous Hostel movie, you can share this post with her—it talks about how safe Slovakia really is.

Don’t forget this when doing a Bratislava day trip from Vienna

No matter where you choose to base yourself, make sure you’re covered by good travel insurance.

Slovakia might be a safe country, but accidents can still happen and it’s good to know someone has your back if anything goes wrong.

Pick well—there are so many rubbish travel insurance companies out there.

We have had great experience with True Traveller – they are not so well-known, but compensate for it by offering cool features, low prices and fantastic customer service.

Make sure to check them out if you’re looking for new travel insurance company that you can actually trust.

We hope you enjoy your Bratislava day trip from Vienna. Remember you can always give us a shout on our Instagram, if you have any questions when planning it!