Getting there

Slovakia’s main international airport is M.R. Štefánika, often referred to as Bratislava Airport (2 3303 3353,  bts.aero), 9km northeast of central Bratislava. There are also international airports in Košice, operating flights to and from Prague, Vienna, London and Dublin, and in Poprad, operating mainly business flights to and from various European cities. Another option is to fly into Vienna; the two capitals are only 60km apart, flights to Vienna are often cheaper, and Eurolines (10 daily; 1hr 10min) and Postbus (18 daily; 1hr 30min–1hr 40min) both run shuttle-bus connections for €10–15 one-way. For a more romantic arrival, there’s the Vienna–Bratislava hydrofoil (see Day-trip to Austria).

Slovakia has good rail connections with Austria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. Most international trains terminate at Bratislava, but trains from Budapest, Kraków and Prague also run to Košice, and there’s a direct service between Prague and Poprad.

Eurolines buses connect European cities to Bratislava (eurolines.sk), and Student Agency’s (studentagencybus.com) domestic and international coaches are cheap and comfortable.