I have visited Slovakia many times during 2006, because of business, so I know the country fairly well.

First of all there is not much to see, apart from the old centre of Bratislava (you can see that in 1 hour); in any case is nothing compared to Prague or Budapest. The other cities (Kosice, Nitra, Zilina etc). are rather gloomy.

People in general tend to be very cold, and in some cases even rude. They are not bad, they just don’t know how to be friendly.

Of course a lot of people have nice experiences in Slovakia and they will say how excellent the country is; normally they like Slovakia because food and beer in general are very cheap, and girls usually are very good looking.

However the main problem has always been, at least for me, driving around with a foreign plate number: no matter what, the Police was always stopping me and here I give some examples:

- near the border with Hungary (just around Bratislava, the capital) I had to pay about 50 euros because I had no motorway sticker (I saw most of the cars without it). When I asked for an explanation the policeman (JOSEP VASKO, number 10098 – a real jerk) told me that others did not pay because in my case the procedure was different.

- inside the parking lot of a big supermarket (in Bratislava) I was chased and stopped to have an alcohol test (at 2 PM) and because my test was negative the 2 cops (number 11125 and 11920) wanted to fine me because I had no seat belt. When I said that we were in a supermarket and nobody had it, the answer was: we can’t stop everybody. In any case I told them I had no money, so finally they let me go.

- near a roundabout (in Nitra) I was stopped because, according to the police, I did not have the indicator on time. They asked me to get inside their car because it was raining. When I refused and told them we could go together to the police station, they warned me and decided to let me go.

I could go on and on, but these are some examples just to give you an idea. Of course corruption is very common in Eastern Europe, but in Slovakia for me it was like a nightmare. I have finally decided not to go back to Slovakia unless it is very important, so my suggestion is: go there if you have business, drive a rented car with a Slovakian plate. As a tourist, don’t waste your time there, Hungary or Czech Republic (neighbouring countries) have much more to offer. By the way, if you have any problem don’t even try to contact the police or any tourist organization, they simply won’t answer you.

This reminds me of my only encounter in Slovakia a few years ago. My wife (then a Ukrainian national) and I were passing through on the train to Prague. We had to "tip" the border guard $10 for her not having a tourist voucher to pass.

Sorry, I taught school in Bratislava and Trencin. I drove a Polish registered car. My wife and I never had problems. We were always well treated. Twice I tried a one-way street. Other motorists flashed their lights and allowed me to reverse. My first time in Trencin, I was lost. A native saw us trying to read a map, he led us to the school! Two small fines. One for parking on the sidewalk, another for a prohibited left turn. Both my fault! The Danube castles are not to be missed.

My only visit to Slovakia was when it was still part of Czechoslovakia and we went on a trip to the Tatra mountains. The area was stunningly beautiful and well worth visiting.

We visited Slovakia two years ago, and stayed both in Bratislava and in the Tatra Mountains. We travelled by train, so have no experience of driving either a foreign or Slovakian registered car.

We had no problems. People were friendly and helpful, and prices were low for anyone from the U.K. There was a contrast between the places which still had a communist era feel and those which had brought their services and attitudes up to the standards of other European countries. That contrast was part of the charm of the place.

The Tatra Mountains are very beautiful, although the area we visited had been devastated by strong winds a few months previously which had blown down all the trees.

One of our magic moments was a bus ride to Devin Castle outside Bratislava. A group of volunteer firefighters from various villages was there, all with very old fire engines, and they were competing at unrolling hoses and setting up pumps. There was a barbecue and a bar, some trophies on display, and everyone was having a good time. The castle overlooks the Danube and it was sobering to think that this peaceful idyllic scene was where the iron curtain ran only a few years ago.

If you go to Slovakia, try the local sparkling wine, similar to German Sekt. It is seldom exported, but is of high quality.

I'll tell you something else of which one should be careful: accepting negative advice from somebody with no posting record here.

The posting name (a surname common in Slovakia and some of its neighbouring countries) and the email address both feed my scepticism.

In any case i thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Bratislava recently and encourage anyone in Vienna area to day trip there - a delightful old town at the foot of a castle lovingly brooding over the not-so Blue Danube. Just an hour by Vienna by train or a short drive for something a bit different but very nice.

Why would someone who had a bad encounter with a corrupt police officer adopt that officer's name as his login name here?

Well - from your description it sounds like each time you were stopped you were actually doing something wrong - and your complaint is that they stopped you - but not everybody.

I can imagine how well this would go over with cops in New York. Why should those in Slovakia be any different?

Perhaps you should consider obtaining the correct stickers and following the driving rules.

Lest anyone reading this be fearful of Slovak cops, I'll reiterate my tale of the car accident in Slovakia wherein the nutty woman passed me on a curve on a mountain road in a no passing zone. When seeing the MB diesel semi coming 300 feet away, she just hauled to the right and creamed the side of my rental.
When the police came, they couldn't speak English, so they called in an offduty cop who'd been to Pittsburgh. After viewing my accident diagram (and the obligatory breath test), they wrote her a ticket and made her pay on the spot. They were very patient and courteous. I couldn't help wondering whether our local or state police would be as much so, if a non-English speaking Slovak were in a accident here in the States.

This JosepVasko guy sure has a burr under his saddle, whoever he is. But I suppose, from his e-mail address, perhaps he's made because he failed his high school entrance exams.

JosepVasko, Dude, you are about to get a lot of angry posts.

JosepVasko, Dude, you got a lot of angry posts!

Dear all,

Maybe some of you missed the point. I was not there for a week-end or a few days, but I have been there several times for long periods, so what I describe here are not negative feelings, but they are real facts (you can also ask any Slovak person and they will tell you that cops are corrupted).

Besides, if the Police in Slovakia is so nice,friendly and polite, why would they create an Anti Corruption Unit within the Police Department?

However, you can read more so called negative "stories" at: http://www.slovakspectator.sk/clanok-489.html

In any case I though the purpose of these forums was to give suggestions and tips about countries around the world.

Oh, by the way, if the cops were right and I was wrong, why when I refused to pay (most of the time) would they let me go?

Sincerely

My ancestors are all from Slovakia, but I have only been there once (to Bratislava). No problems, except for getting a taxi from the airport (took forever).

However, I've been to the Czech Republic 10 times, and have spent weeks at a time there. My Czech friends have always complained about the police, and told me not to trust them, etc. Luckily, I haven't had too many encounters.

My friend and I were pulled over in a random roadside check once, and my friend (the driver) was having trouble finding all his permits, etc. The cop tried to talk to me, but I just pretended I didn't know any Czech. Eventually, we were let go,and the police were pretty friendly.

No doubt there are some shady characters in former Soviet bloc places, but there are friendly people & bad people everywhere. The system over there may allow for some abuses that would not take place in other countries, but I wouldn't stereotype an entire country as "It Sucks!" just because of some bad luck & personal preferences. Many people, including me, enjoy wandering through Old Town Bratislava, and I look forward to going back & exploring other parts of the country.

I would encourage others to give the place a try, but certainly be aware that there are tight restrictions (many of which are confusing) involving renting & driving there, and you may be at the mercy of police who are not in a good mood, or who wish to take advantage of the situation.

thanks for the tips. i can imagine all this happening. reminds me of other parts of the world business colleagues have told me about when travelling.

hopefully others will be warned and pay heed to your experience.