How to Get from Vienna and Bratislava Airports to the City Center

To get to Bratislava by plane, there are two options: either the city airport or Vienna Airport, which is only 45 km from the Slovak capital. Once used as a low-cost stop for those wanting to reach Vienna without spending a fortune, Bratislava Airport is now facilitating the tourism growth of the Slovak capital. Ryanair flights from Rome Ciampino, Bergamo Orio al Serio, and Alghero arrive here, along with Air Berlin from Verona or layover flights from many other Italian cities. The latter can be very expensive, so it's advisable to consider a flight to Vienna instead. With Ryanair flights, you can spend a maximum of €100 round trip per person.

Bratislava Airport is located about 15 km from the center of the Slovak capital. Currently, it does not have a direct train or metro connection to the city, so the only available means of transport are buses and taxis.

The easiest and fastest way to get to the city center from the airport is Bus 61, which connects the arrivals terminal with Bratislava Central Station (Bratislava Hlavna stanica). The station is about 1.5 km from the center, so walking is not advisable, especially in the evening. From the station, you can reach your hotel by buses and trams. The tram stop is on the other side of the street and can be accessed via the underpass, while buses depart from the stop just past the exit. For information on operating hours and public transportation tickets, visit the page on How to Get Around Bratislava. From the station, you can also take a taxi to the center for about €5-6. There are many unlicensed taxis, so be cautious.

Taxis depart from the arrivals terminal to the city center, and if the pedestrian zone allows, directly to your hotel. There are about 20 companies in Bratislava, and many drivers are not associated with any company, identifiable by having the word 'taxi' only on the roof. Avoid these last ones, and you should pay less than €8-10 to reach the center.

The fastest way to reach Bratislava from Vienna is the Terravision bus that departs from downtown Vienna (international stop VIB) and arrives at Bratislava Airport. The journey takes about 75 minutes and a one-way ticket costs €10. The service operates daily with 4 departures: 10:15, 16:30, 22:00, 22:50.

There is also a cheaper service from Postbus, but it leaves from the city bus stop and arrives at the airport only 4 times a day approximately every hour. The ticket costs €7.

From Vienna South, there is a train that takes you to Bratislava Central Station. The train departs daily from 6:50 AM to 11:50 PM approximately every hour. The bus ticket costs €0.70, while the train ticket to Vienna costs €10.

A certainly unique way to reach Bratislava from Vienna is by boat on the Danube, which departs from the Vienna Marina and takes 75 minutes to get to Bratislava. Catamarans depart from Bratislava up to 4 times a day depending on the season. A one-way ticket costs €16, while a round trip costs €32.