The Bratislava skyline, with castle and cathedral...

UK to Slovakia in comfort by train...

How else?  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.

Train times, fares & information...

London to Bratislava by train, via Cologne & Vienna  Cheapest & easiest.

London to Bratislava by train, via Paris & Munich  Useful alternative via Paris.

Vienna to Bratislava by Danube river boat

Recommended guidebooks

Hotels & accommodation in Slovakia

General European train travel information

Luggage   Taking bikes   Taking dogs

Route map:  London to Bratislava by train...

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

London to Bratislava

Option 1:  London to Bratislava via Cologne...

This route runs daily all year round.

London ► Bratislava

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 12:58 and arriving in Brussels Midi at 16:08.

• 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 08:56.  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!  More pictures & information about the Cologne to Vienna EuroNight train.

• You arrive at Vienna Westbahnhof, so take a tram or taxi to the brand-new Vienna Hauptbahnhof.  Tram 18 runs from the Westbahnhof to the Südbahnhof (near the new Hauptbahnhof), the fare is around €2.  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 €2 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 link these stations directly.

• Direct trains link Vienna Hauptbahnhof with Bratislava Hlavna (main station) every hour, taking 1 hour 12 minutes  There's one leaving at 10:21 arriving in Bratislava Hlavna at 11:27.  You'll also find hourly trains on the hour to Bratislava Petrzalka, but this is not as convenient a station as Bratislava Hlavna.

• Alternatively, you can also travel from Vienna to Bratislava by fast boat along the scenic Danube, once a day in winter, up to 5 times a day in summer, see below for more details.

Bratislava ► London

• Travel from Bratislava to Vienna, leaving Bratislava Hlavna at 16:42 and arriving Vienna Hauptbahnhof at 17:48.  Take tram 18 to the Westbahnhof.  The tram arrives directly outside the Westbahnhof.

• Alternatively, you can also travel from Bratislava to Vienna by fast boat along the scenic Danube, once a day in winter, up to 5 times a day in summer, see here for more details.

• Travel from Vienna to Cologne by daily EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 20:00 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.    If you have a sleeper ticket, you can use the ÖBB first class lounge at Vienna Westbahnhof.

• 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) and arriving London St Pancras at 16:10 (16:03 at weekends).

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

This was originally a German Railways City Night Line train, but in 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 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.		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 hourly regional express train from Vienna (Südbahnhof Ostbahn) to Bratislava (Hlavna)

How much does it cost?

* This is the supplement you pay if you have a railpass, a 1st class pass is required for deluxe sleepers.

** Children under 15 travel free if accompanied by a fare-paying adult booked at www.bahn.de, but must pay the berth supplement shown here.

On the sleeper train, berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed, the other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.  For sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-berth sleeper, 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper, 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette & so on.

Savings fare = cheap fare, price varies, limited availability so book early for the cheapest prices, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.

Full price = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

How to buy tickets online...

Anyone from any country can book a London-Bratislava journey in either direction using a combination of the Belgian Railways website www.b-europe.com and either the German Railways website www.bahn.de or the Austrian Railways site www.oebb.at.  Bookings open 92 days before departure, you can't book before reservations open.  As this method involves two websites, do a dry run on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.  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.

• Step 1, book your London-Cologne ticket:  Go to the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com and book a ticket from London to Cologne and back using the train times on this page as a guide.  You print off your own tickets.  www.b-europe.com can book both Eurostar+Thalys and Eurostar+ICE, and their booking system handles this two-leg journey well, usually seeming to find the cheapest prices.  Make sure you allow plenty of time for the connection in Cologne, preferably at least an hour when connecting with a sleeper train.  It's obvious, but remember that your return departure date from Cologne will be the day after your departure date from Vienna!  By all means take an earlier train from London to Cologne, or a later train returning from Cologne to London, if this has cheaper fares available or if you'd like some time in Cologne.

• Booking tip:  If you don't mind leaving London earlier and spending some time in Cologne, you can sometimes find cheaper tickets London to Cologne at the German Railways website.  They offer 'London Spezial' fares from London to Cologne from just €59 (£49) 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 (08:58 or 10:58) and spending some time in Cologne, in the return direction it means spending the morning in Cologne and leaving Cologne at 11:43 arriving London at 16:03.  Try for cheap tickets using these links (I recommend booking a round trip as two one-ways, it's easier):  Departing London at 08:58 Sundays or departing London at 10:58 Mondays-Saturdays.  Returning, departing Cologne at 11:43 any day

• Step 2, book your Cologne-Vienna ticket:  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 more each way.  I strongly recommend registering on bahn.de when prompted, so you can log in later and re-print any tickets at any time from any PC.

• Also check prices at www.oebb.at:  You can also book the Cologne-Vienna EuroNight train at the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at.  I find the German bahn.de website easier to use and prices were the same until recently, but now I'm seeing €39 with couchette on oebb.at when it's €59 at bahn.de.  So check both sites!  Go to www.oebb.at and click 'English' top right.  Use the journey planner to find trains from Cologne (Koln in German) to Vienna (Wien in German), and identify the evening EuroNight (EN) train with 0 changes in the search results.  Click 'Ticket and prices', then click 'English' again if it lapses back in to German.  Now click 'Passengers' and enter passenger details.  Click 'Calculate fare' and you'll see possible fares.  Click the cheapest fare shown (for example, click 'fr.€29.00 EUR'), then select the cheapest fare shown and make sure you use the couchette & sleeper buttons bottom left to choose your accommodation.  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.

• 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 & Canadian residents can call them toll-free on 1-800-408-3280 or www.us.railbookers.com.  Australian residents can call their Sydney office toll-free on 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au.  New Zealand residents call toll-free on 0800 002 034 or see website.  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 to Bratislava via the Paris - Munich sleeper...

London ► Bratislava

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 15:3, arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:47.  On Fridays, there's also a 16:01 Eurostar arriving 19:17.  In Paris, it's 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 (20:25 at weekends) and arriving in Munich at 07:10 next morning.  It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, economy 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 13:24.

• You arrive at Vienna Westbahnhof, so take a tram or taxi to the brand-new Vienna Hauptbahnhof.  Tram 18 runs from the Westbahnhof to the Südbahnhof (near the new Hauptbahnhof), the fare is around €2.  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 €2 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 link these stations directly.

• Travel from Vienna to Bratislava, leaving Vienna Hauptbahnhof at 15:21 and arriving in Bratislava Hlavna at 16:27.  This train service in fact runs hourly.  You'll also find hourly trains on the hour to Bratislava Petrzalka, but this is not as convenient a station as Bratislava Hlavna.

• Alternatively, you can also travel from Vienna to Bratislava by fast boat along the scenic Danube, once a day in winter, up to 5 times a day in summer, see below for more details.

Bratislava ► London

• Travel from Bratislava to Vienna, leaving Bratislava Hlavna at 13:42 on a direct train for Vienna Hauptbahnhof arriving at 14:48.  Take local transport to the Westbahnhof.  Alternatively, you can travel from Bratislava to Vienna by Danube hydrofoil once a day in winter, up to 5 times a day in summer, see below for more details.

• Travel from Vienna to Munich by air-conditioned Austrian RailJet train, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof at 16:36 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 22:50 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 compartments, deluxe with shower or economy with washbasin).  Click for more pictures & information about this train.  Walk 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, price €15.80.  No advance reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.

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 compartments with private shower & toilet, and 1, 2 & 3-berth economy compartments with washbasin, there's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in economy sleepers, and all sleepers 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. 

Dinner before you board?  For a good meal in a classic Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in Paris, catch the earlier 14:01 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.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option, economy 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...		"Night train to Munich..."  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 Business (€15 supplement over normal first class).  It has a bistro-restaurant 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 RailJet has landed..."  Train RJ 63, the morning RailJet from Munich has arrived at Vienna Westbahnhof spot on time.		Business class costs €15 more than normal 1st class...		Economy class on RailJet, comfortable open saloons with large picture windows.  Some seats are around tables, some are unidirectional.

From Vienna to Bratislava by Regional Express train...
The hourly regional express train from Vienna to Bratislava Hlavna...

Vienna to Bratislava by Danube express boat

As well as the hourly Vienna-Bratislava train service for around €15.80, you can also travel between Vienna and Bratislava by fast Twin City Liner river boat, from city centre to city centre along the scenic Danube.

• Operates all year, once a day each way per day in winter, multiple departures from March to October with up to 5 sailings a day in peak season.

• Journey time 70-80 minutes, travelling at up to 32 knots (60 km/h).

• Fare around €29

• For times, fares and online booking, see www.twincityliner.com.

• Another company also offers Vienna-Bratislava trips by hydrofoil, from €18, see www.lod.sk.

The Twin City Liner fast boat speeds between Vienna and Bratislava along the scenic Danube river.  Photo courtesy of Andy Brabin of www.railbookers.com.

Guidebooks

You 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...

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £14.99.  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.thomascookpublishing.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from selected UK branches of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria station in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Summer/Autumn 2013 edition (June to Dec 2013) or (when published) Winter/Spring 2013/14 edition (Dec 2013 to June 2014). 

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.

Find hotels in Bratislava & Slovakia...

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• 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...

• www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & health card...

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

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) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest 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, though, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        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, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are 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.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

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 a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  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.