How to Get to Bratislava from Budapest

If you want to get from Budapest, the capital of Hungary, to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, you must first map out a location of both, which allows you to organise yourself. For example: around the Danube. You should also know that Bratislava is the largest city in Slovakia, full of attractions and charm.

While the Danube crosses Budapest, Bratislava is also located along the Danube. This is a useful piece of information to help you find your way around. With that established, now all you have to do is read through the options for getting there listed below, and choose the one that suits you best.

An organised tour from Budapest to Bratislava is a great option, and is generally the most popular, as it's more convenient than any of the other options, such as being able to get there and back if your holiday and hotel are in the Hungarian city.

Also, booking a tour is always a good way to take the worry out of booking everything separately. Some even offer lunch or dinner options, which is ideal for wrapping up the package and not having to think about everything.

I think if you're looking for things to see and do in Budapest, taking a detour to see Bratislava is an option you won't regret. However, if it wasn't in your plans, it's always better, in my opinion, to do it in excursion mode, rather than going off on your own and then regretting the waste of time.

My recommended option

One of the best options to do this is the private day trip to Bratislava from Budapest with lunch. It lasts ten hours. The trip from Budapest takes two hours, and then you can tour the Slovak city on foot. There you will stop for lunch and then take a relaxing return trip.

The tour also includes an English-speaking guide so you can explore the Slovakian capital. You will even have the possibility to make the itinerary more flexible. Once there, you will visit the most impressive attractions, such as the Michael's Gate or the Bratislava Castle.

Between visits, you will learn about history with the guide in charge of your excursion, who will take you to a restaurant in the city centre for lunch, to complete a great experience for you. At this point you can also relax and take advantage of some free time to explore a part of the city that particularly interests you.

The options are numerous, so it would do you good to think of one beforehand, to go straight there and not waste time wondering what would be best. Well, that's what would happen to me. That's why I recommend that you consider **Bratislava'**s cafés as an option: they're all beautiful! And then, you'll come back with the peace of mind of knowing that you don't have to run or wait for buses. It's a pleasure.

As there are airports in both Budapest and Bratislava, this is a popular but expensive option. To get from the centre of Budapest to the airport, which is the largest of the five airports in Hungary, you will have to take a bus, or a combination of metro or train and bus.

Then, once at Bratislava airport, you can take a bus from the airport to the city, to walk around and get to know the city. It's less than an hour's journey on a direct flight, as the distance between Budapest and Bratislava is relatively short.

The fares

Prices range from 18 to 150 euros, depending on which option you choose or find available on the date you travel. Unless you can get the 18 euro ticket I mention as the minimum price, I don't recommend this option.

The duration of the journey

Although the journey takes less than an hour, you have to transfer from the airports to the cities, check in, and wait for your luggage.

These things take time. Ultimately, in my opinion, the result is that you will spend far more money than necessary, and you will not save significant time. Are you planning a holiday in Budapest? Find out all about the Budapest Card in this article!

Whether it's a good or a bad option, we'll see. What I can tell you right from the start is that it is one of the least popular options. By car, getting from Budapest to Bratislava is not very difficult. It can be done.

The drive takes a few hours on the motorway. However, the traffic to get out of the centre of the Hungarian capital is somewhat chaotic. That's a big disadvantage if you're travelling to relax or just want to get there quickly and smoothly.

However, travelling by car has a great advantage that no other means of transport can match: by driving to other cities, you control where you move, and you can access excursions or activities not so centrally located, thanks to the fact that you can go on your own accord. If you want to experience such a personalised adventure, this is definitely a great option.

Extra costs: road taxes

As this is a short trip, you won't need to make any stops. You should be aware that you have to pay a road tax for the motorways. This applies in both cases: both Hungary and Slovakia will ask for their own.

• The Hungarian vignette will cost you €13 and lasts for 10 days. You can buy it online but you can also buy it at most petrol stations in the country.
• Slovakia's vignette costs €10 for the same number of days. To buy it, you also have options online and at petrol stations. You don't need to put any stickers on your car, just register your number plate to avoid fines.

If you want to know everything you need to know for your trip to Budapest, be sure to read our article with 10 tips you should follow on your trip to Budapest.

By bus, you can get from Budapest to Bratislava with a journey time of between two and three and a half hours, which is one of the cheapest and most direct options. This is one of the cheapest, but still direct, options.

For example, there are seven daily departures with FlixBus, with tickets ranging from 8 to 12 euros. What is recommended is to book them online and in advance, to take advantage of promotions and avoid running out of seats.

Other companies that offer this trip are RegioJet. Both companies offer frequent buses to Bratislava from Budapest. Their tickets also start at 8 euros, but there are tickets for up to 24 euros.

Tips for travelling by bus

Buses leave from Budapest Kelenföld station, which is a bit far from the city centre, but can be reached in half an hour by metro on the green M4 line, or by some bus lines. As there are two bus stations in Budapest with departures like this one, you should pay attention, especially if you buy your ticket online, to check where your bus is leaving from.

You don't want to have bought it and then be waiting at the other end of town, do you? If you like to travel by bus and are planning your next trip to Budapest, be sure to read our article to find out the best sightseeing buses in Budapest, so you can plan a holiday to suit your wishes.

If none of the above alternatives are what you were looking for, it's probably because you're wondering if you have the option of travelling by train. And yes, you do.

Travelling by train to Bratislava from Budapest is possible. And although it is not our most recommended option, it is a good one. Especially for those who are nostalgic for the railway and its tracks.

The train journey from Budapest to Bratislava takes approximately two and a half hours. If you travel by train, you have the advantage that the train station is closer to the city centre than other means of transport.

Most trains start at Nyugati station, which can be reached from the centre on the blue M3 metro line. In the case of Bratislava train station, when you arrive, you will need to take tram line 1 to reach the city centre. They run quite frequently.

Prices

If your intention is to go to Bratislava from Budapest and then return, you should know that the price of the train tickets is 12 euros, but if you make a round trip you get a total of 17.50 euros. So it really is a convenient option for a day trip. However, you will lose a lot of time on the journey, and you will probably not enjoy it very much. You might want to spend the night. That's why I prefer other options to this one, beyond my love for trains.

How to buy tickets

You can buy train tickets online, but you don't have to. You still have to pick them up at the counter, so it's best to buy them on the spot, as you won't run out of tickets. There are seven direct trains a day covering this route. You won't be left out, if that's a concern.

If you decide to go to Bratislava for the day, and then return to spend the night in Budapest, don't miss our article with the ten best ruin bars in Budapest that will make you choose what is called a great plan with all the letters, fun and picturesque, and ideal after a tiring day.