solaresmontes

Will be traveling in October 2007 to Bratislava coming in from Venice... Would love to hear about activities, hotels, restaurants...anything about BRATISLAVA??

FauxSteMarie

I just spent 4 weeks based mostly in Vienna but never made it to Bratislava. There is a high speed catamaran that you can take to Bratislava and return. It takes about an hour. I just tried to book the earliest cat in the morning and the last one at night and was told it was impossible to do it until September. Since the transportation was the big lure, I ultimately decided not to go. I wanted to go so I had an entire day in Bratislava, not a couple of hours just to shop (which seems to be the main goal of the group trips that run). Shopping is just not my thing.

In October, if the cats are still running, you probably would not have a problem because the summer tourist season would be over in Vienna.

My hunch is that you would have to change trains in Vienna to get to Bratislava. The cities are only 40 minutes apart by train.

I did a 4 day/3 night stay in Budapest and that was really the only side trip where I had to stay in a hotel during my home exchange. Another side trip involved free housing. I just got tired of moving about and decided just to focus on the places to see in Vienna--which are endless.

From others I also got mixed reports on just how interesting Bratislava is. I do know you can go to the opera quite cheaply there. In October the opera season should have started. If you are interested in that, I would book now. There are also trips from Vienna by bus to the Bratislava Opera House and return on the nights when the opera there is performing.

chevre

It is only my opinion, but I don't think I would spend more than a day trip in Bratislava or at the most one night. It has an old town area that is mostly shopping and can be seen in a few hours and that is if you shop. There are some very interesting historical buildlings but again they don't take a great deal of time. Personally I go the extra distance to Vienna and take a side trip to Bratislava.Bratislava is much less expensive however. There is a castle that is interesting to see from the outside, but has nothing to veiw inside. There is a cathedral, an opera house, the Danube. Really it is much like other smaller, central European city.

FauxSteMarie

Makes me feel better about not going there. I just got tired after so much time in Europe and also did not want to deal with another currency. My girlfriend and I got stuck with about $10-12 in Hungarian forints and gave them to the neighbor who invited us to dinner after he mentioned that his wife had family in Hungary. My home exchange family, living in Vienna, had never been to Budapest! They had, however, been to Prague. On a home exchange, I tend to try and limit nights out in hotels to a 3 day stay somewhere as a side trip. We picked Budapest and were not sorry we did. Prague or Bratislava will have to wait until I am in the area on some other trip.

Keala

We were in Bratislava early last summer and loved it. As previous posters have said there is not a huge amount to see, but the old town is charming, and we found it very relaxing. Cafe society is wonderful there - the coffee and cakes were better than in the famous coffee houses of Vienna and Budapest. You have to try the hot chocolate with cherry licquer served at Camouflage.

We attended the opera one evening - it was wonderful, and so inexpensive we could not believe it.

We took side trips to Vienna and Budapest by boat spending a couple of nights in each city, although you can easily go by rail.

Enjoy it - I'm sure you will

PalenQ

took day trip to Bratislava in January from Vienna and thoroughly loved it - old town centre immaculately restored and delightful.

Did not make it up to castle on a hill overlooking town - would do in summer

that said i agree with the one day is enough as above posters said.

i took train - one hour but hydrofoil on Danube could be nicer if longer.

FauxSteMarie

The hydrofoil may be nicer but it is much more expensive than the train.

Bratislava is for next time.