UK
citizens no longer need a visa to visit Slovakia.
Page last
updated:
3 June 2009. Train times valid from 14 June to 12 December
2009.
To Slovakia by train...
Above:
The Bratislava skyline, with castle and cathedral...
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.
Because of the special fares on the Cologne-Vienna
'City Night Line' hotel train, this route is probably the
easiest and cheapest.
Travel
from London to Brussels by
Eurostar,
leaving London St Pancras at 12:57, arriving in
Brussels Midi at 16:03.
Travel from Brussels to Cologne by high-speed
Thalys
train, leaving
Brussels Midi at 16:55 and arriving in
Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 19:15.
Travel
from Cologne to Vienna on the excellent
City Night Line hotel train 'Eridanus', leaving
Cologne Hauptbahnhof at 20:06 and arriving in Vienna
(Westbahnhof) at 09:04. The 'Eridanus' has
sleeping-cars, couchettes, reclining seats & a
bar-bistro car, see the photos & information
below. 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!
You
arrive at Vienna Westbahnhof, so take local transport to
the Südbahnhof. Tram line 18 links the Westbahnhof and
Südbahnhof direct.
Click
here for a Vienna U-bahn map, although the U-bahn
does not links these stations directly.
Hourly
direct trains link Vienna Südbahnhof with Bratislava,
including one leaving at 10:28 and arriving in
Bratislava (Hlavna) at 11:25.
Alternatively, you can also
travel from Vienna to Bratislava by Danube hydrofoil,
which runs once a day April-October, allowing day trips
or longer stays. See www.lod.sk
for times and fares.
Train times Bratislava
► London
Travel
from Bratislava to Vienna, leaving
Bratislava (Hlavna) at 17:00 and arriving Vienna Südbahnhof
at 17:58. Take the
U-bahn or tram 18 to the Westbahnhof.
Travel
from Vienna to Cologne overnight, leaving Vienna
(Westbahnhof) at 19:54 and arriving at
Cologne at 08:42 next morning. This train is the
excellent City Night Line hotel train 'Eridanus',
with modern sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed deluxe
sleepers with en suite shower & WC, 1, 2 or 3-bed
standard sleepers with washbasin), couchettes (4-bunk
or 6-bunk), reclining seats and a bar-bistro car.
See the information & photos below.
Travel from Cologne to Brussels by high speed
Thalys
train, leaving Cologne at 10:45 and arriving
Brussels Midi 13:01.
Travel
from Brussels to London by
Eurostar.
On Mondays-Fridays,
leave Brussels
Midi at 14:59 and arrive London St Pancras at
15:56. On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Brussels
Midi at 14:29 and arrive London St Pancras at
15:26.
Introducing the
City Night Line sleeper train 'Eridanus' from Cologne to
Vienna...
The City Night Line 'Eridanus' is a travelling hotel, with
bar-bistro car, modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars with 1, 2
& 3-bed deluxe
sleepers with private shower & toilet, 1, 2 &
3
bed standard sleepers with washbasin, couchette
cars with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and
reclining seats. A wonderful way to
travel! The
sleeper berths come fully made up with sheets and
duvets. All
sleeper passengers get mineral water in the evening
and a light breakfast served in their compartment next morning, deluxe sleeper
passengers also get a complimentary glass of wine in
the evening. Towels and toiletries are
provided, including shampoo and shower gel in the
deluxe sleeper. Couchette passengers get
mineral water, each couchette is provided with
clean sheets, blanket and pillow. The bar-bistro is
open to all passengers, and it's normally open to
about 2am. If you like, you can book a table
for dinner in the restaurant car before you travel,
by emailing
service@citynightline.ch. When waiting for
the northbound City Night Line train at Vienna
Westbahnhof, if you have a sleeper ticket (as
opposed to couchette or seat ticket), you can use
the first class station lounge, with complimentary
drinks. City Night Line website:
www.bahn.de/citynightline.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper:
The most comfortable & civilised option. Standard
compartments have washbasin, deluxe ones a shower & toilet.
4 & 6-berth couchettes:
Ideal for families. Couchettes are basic padded
bunks with rug & pillow. This is a 4-berth
compartment.
Above:
Reclining seats. Although a couchette is far
better for sleeping!
Above: One of the new
'Comfortline' sleeping-cars as used on the
Cologne-Vienna City Night Line sleeper train
'Eridanus'.
The easiest way to book train tickets from London to
Bratislava
is at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
because all the trains can be booked as a single
transaction on one UK-based website. If you live
outside the UK, or want to book 4-berth couchettes (which
for some reason raileurope.co.uk currently won't do) use
www.eurostar.com &
www.bahn.de
instead (see the next section). It's a good idea to
compare prices for the Cologne-Vienna train between
www.raileurope.co.uk
&
www.bahn.de
as they can differ.
Step 1, go to
www.raileurope.co.uk,
but resist the temptation to enter 'London' & 'Bratislava' all
in one go as this won't find you the cheapest fares.
First, enter 'Cologne' & 'Vienna' and book the overnight
train from Cologne to Vienna and back. Obviously, in the
search results simply look for the direct train with no
changes. For some reason it won't book 4-berth
couchettes, and may struggle with 2-berth sleepers with
shower, but if you have any difficulties like this simply
book using
www.bahn.de
instead, as described in the next section. Add this
ticket to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.
Step 2, still at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
now book the train from Brussels to Cologne & back, using
the train times above as your guide. Add this ticket
to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.
Step 3, still at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
now book the Eurostar from London to Brussels & back, using
the train times above as a guide. By all means take an
earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later one back, if it has
cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in
Brussels. Add this to your basket.
Step 4, you can buy a Vienna-Bratislava open ticket at
www.raileurope.co.uk
for £11 each way, but it's just as easy (and a pound or two
cheaper) to buy this at the station in Vienna. No
reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.
Tickets can be sent to any UK address and normally arrive
within a couple of days. Only UK credit cards are
accepted.
This method involves two websites, so do a dry run on both
sites to check prices and availability before booking for
real.
Step 1,
go to either
www.eurostar.com or
www.raileurope.co.uk
and using the train times on this page as your guide, book a ticket from London to Cologne
& back (Cologne is listed as Koln on the Eurostar website).
It's a good idea to try both of these websites, as sometimes
one is cheaper than the other, for some strange reason. Bookings
for Eurostar+Thalys open 90 days (3 months) before
departure, and the further ahead you book, the more likely you are to see
the cheapest fares. Tickets can be posted to any UK
address or collected at St Pancras on departure.
One-way London-Cologne fares are usually more expensive than
a cheap return, so for one-way trips buy a return ticket and
throw away the return half. Make sure you allow plenty of
time for the connection in Cologne, preferably between 1½
& 2 hours 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 Bratislava!
Top tip: If you don't see any sensibly-priced
London-Cologne through fares, go to
www.raileurope.co.uk
and try booking in two stages, first London-Brussels & back,
then Brussels-Cologne & back, using the train times above as
your guide. This can be cheaper!
Step 2,
go to
www.bahn.de
and buy a ticket from Cologne (Köln in German) to Vienna and
back aboard the City Night Line sleeper train,
looking for the cheap 'Savings' fares.
Your simply book online and print out your own ticket in
.PDF format using your PC printer. Easy! Make
sure you select the type of couchette or sleeper that you
want. Bookings for City Night Line open 180 days (6
months) before departure. I recommend registering when
it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can
easily retrieve any bookings.
A ticket from Vienna to Bratislava can easily be bought at
the station when you get to Vienna. No advance
reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
You can book the
Eurostar, Thalys and CityNightLine 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, £25 booking fee).
Click here for a list of agencies and more information
on how to book.
This route involves taking Eurostar to Paris, a high-speed
TGV to Strasbourg then the Orient Express sleeper train
from Strasbourg to Vienna (the
real Orient Express, not the expensive vintage tourist
one..!). The Orient Express used to run direct from
Paris, but now starts in Strasbourg, making this route no
more convenient than the route via Brussels and Cologne,
but usually more expensive as there's no cheap deals on
the Orient Express, only relatively expensive full fares.
Travel from Paris
to Strasbourg by high-speed TGV, leaving Paris Gare
de l'Est at 17:54 (17:24 on Saturdays), arriving Strasbourg
19:46 (20:11 Saturdays).
The TGV has 1st & 2nd class seats and a buffet-bar.
Travel from Strasbourg to
Vienna on the Orient Express (the real one, not the
expensive tourist one, see the Orient
Express page), leaving Strasbourg at 20:37 and arriving next morning in Vienna at 06:40. The Orient Express
has reclining seats (not recommended), comfortable modern Austrian
couchettes
(4- & 6-berth),
and two sleeping-cars,
one with very narrow 1 & 2-bed compartments
(described in reservation systems as 1st class
'special' and 2nd class 'T2'), and another with larger
1, 2 and 3-bed compartments (1st class 'single', 1st
class 'double' and 2nd class 'T3'). There are
also several deluxe sleeper compartments with private
shower & toilet. There's no restaurant car, so take your
own food and maybe a bottle of wine, although the
sleeper and couchette attendants can sell you snacks, tea and coffee.
For sleeper passengers, a light breakfast is included
in the fare. The Orient Express used
to start in Paris, but was cut back to run
Strasbourg-Vienna with the opening of the new TGV-Est
High Speed Line in June 2007.
Take local transport to
the Südbahnhof - tram line 18 links the Westbahnhof and
Südbahnhof direct.
Click
here for a Vienna U-bahn map, although the U-bahn
does not links these stations directly.
Travel
from Vienna to Bratislava, leaving
Vienna Südbahnhof
at 08:28 and arriving in
Bratislava (Hlavna) at 09:25. This train service is now hourly, so there's another train to Bratislava
(Hlavna) at
09:28, 10:28, 11:28, and so on. There are
additional slower trains to Bratislava (Petrzalka
station) but this is in the suburbs so not as useful
for visitors.
You
can also travel from Vienna to Bratislava by Danube
hydrofoil once a day April-October. Visit www.lod.sk
for times and fares.
Train times Bratislava
► London
Travel from Bratislava to
Vienna, leaving Bratislava (Hlavna) at
19:50 on a direct train for Vienna Südbahnhof arriving at
20:58. Take
local transport to the Westbahnhof.
Travel overnight from Vienna to Strasbourg on the
Orient Express, leaving Vienna Westbahnhof daily at
22:40 and arriving Strasbourg at 08:59 next morning.
There are reclining seats,
couchettes (4 & 6-berth compartments) and two sleeping-cars,
one with very narrow 1 & 2 bed rooms (referred to as
Special & T2) the other with larger 1, 2 & 3 bed
rooms (referred to as Single, Double & T3). For sleeper passengers, a light
breakfast is included in the fare
Travel from Strasbourg to Paris by high-speed TGV,
leaving Strasbourg at 09:15 and arriving Paris Gare
de l'Est at 11:34. The TGV has 1st
& 2nd class seats and a buffet-bar.
Walk from
the Gare de l'Est to the Gare du Nord.
Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at
13:01 and arriving London St Pancras at 14:34.
From
Strasbourg to Vienna on the Orient Express...
You can
choose between a bed in the sleeping-car, a couchette, or a reclining seat...
Above: The
standard sleeping-car. Each sleeper
compartment can be used as a 1- 2- or 3-person
room. The centre picture shows a
compartment with beds folded away to become a private
sitting room. The right-hand photo shows a
compartment set up as a cosy 2-person bedroom.
Left:
The modern air-conditioned
Austrian Railways couchette cars. Couchettes are
basic padded bunks supplied with rug, sheet and
pillow, in 4-bunk or 6-bunk compartments. The
photo shows a compartment set up as a 4-berth room.
Full fare £47 one-way,
£94 return. 'Prems' fares from £19 one-way,
£38 return (book at least 14 days ahead, limited
availability, no refunds, no changes to travel
plans).
A ticket from Vienna to Bratislava can easily be bought at
the station when you get to Vienna. No advance
reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.
You can also buy a Vienna-Bratislava open ticket for £11
each way online at
www.raileurope.co.uk.
Travel from Paris to Munich
overnight by the City Night Line sleeper train
'Cassiopeia', leaving
Paris Gare de l'Est at 20:20 and arriving in Munich at
07:16 next morning. This
excellent train runs daily in summer, but only
4 times a week in winter. It runs daily until 13
Dec 2008, then on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
until 26 March 2009, then daily until 2 November 2009,
then on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays again.
It has sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments,
standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower),
4- & 6-berth couchettes & ordinary seats, see the photos & information
below.
Click for
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 13:40.
Take local transport to
the Südbahnhof - tram line 18 links the Westbahnhof and
Südbahnhof direct.
Click
here for a Vienna U-bahn map, although the U-bahn
does not links these stations directly.
Travel
from Vienna to Bratislava, leaving
Vienna Südbahnhof
at 15:28 and arriving in
Bratislava at 16:37. This train service is now hourly. You
can also travel from Vienna to Bratislava by Danube
hydrofoil once a day April-October. Visit www.lod.sk
for times and fares.
Train times Bratislava ► London
Travel from
Bratislava to Vienna, leaving Bratislava Hlavna at 13:50 on a direct train for Vienna Südbahnhof arriving at
14:58. Take
local transport to the Westbahnhof.
Travel from
Vienna to
Munich by air-conditioned Austrian 'RailJet' train, leaving Vienna
Westbahnhof at
16:20 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 at 22:44 and arriving at Paris Gare de l'Est
09:30 next morning. This
excellent train runs daily in summer, but only
4 times a week in winter. It runs daily until 13
Dec 2008, then on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays &
Sundays until 25 March 2009, then daily until 1 November
2009, then on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
again. The trains has ordinary seats, couchettes
(4- & 6-bunk) and
sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-bed rooms, deluxe with shower or standard
with washbasin).
Click for more pictures and 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 12:29.
A ticket from Vienna to Bratislava can easily be bought at
the station when you get to Vienna. No advance
reservation is necessary, you just buy a ticket and hop on.
You can also buy a Vienna-Bratislava open ticket for £11
each way online at
www.raileurope.co.uk.
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 £13.99.
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.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or
buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the
bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings
Cross stations in London.
Or
buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with
laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:
2009 edition (June to December 2009)
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.
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..!
Find a hotel in
Bratislava or anywhere in
Europe...
It's
easy to book hotels online to go with your train tickets.
Just use the search box below. This links to
www.hotelscombined.com, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms, Opodo, Venere,
Asiarooms and many
others) to find just about the widest range of hotels with the cheapest rates on the net. Set
up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place
to start for booking any hotel online in any country,
worldwide.
If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget the hostels. For a dorm bed or an
ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most
European cities use
www.hostelbookers.com.
Travel insurance & health card...
Travel insurance..
Travel insurance is boring, but a necessity, so
never travel without it. Make sure your cover is adequate, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover,
from a reliable insurer. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
Direct Line,
Columbus Direct & the Environmental Transport Association
(click the banner below).
I've used Direct Line myself and on one occasion, successfully
claimed back the cost of non-refundable Eurostar & trainhotel
tickets to Spain when we cancelled the trip because my mother
fell ill. ETA offer discounts on insurance for
non-flying trips, so give them a try too although I have yet
to use them myself.
Feedback from
using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome!
UK citizens travelling in Europe should carry a European
Health Insurance Card. This replaces the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available free
from
www.ehic.org.uk and 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 UK's NHS.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, see
If you live in the USA or Canada, see