By bus
Coach lines connect Bratislava with all of Slovakia, a high number of Czech cities and a number of EU destinations, including London, Paris and daily buses also depart to Budapest. The most frequent international coach connection by far is Vienna though, with two lines running almost every hour from Vienna's Sudtirolerplatz near Sudbahnhof via Vienna International Airport: Blaguss (http://www.blaguss.sk/med...) has tickets sold by the driver priced at â¬6, with stops in central Bratislava beneath Nový most bridge and Bratislava Airport. Slovak Lines (http://www.slovaklines.sk...) has buses that stop at the Coach Terminal and Bratislava Airport, for a cost of â¬7.70. The tickets can be purchased from the driver or booked online (http://www.slovaklines.sk...). A trip from/to Vienna takes about 1.5 hours.
The Central Coach Terminal Autobusová stanica is at Mlynské nivy, at the eastern border of the city centre. To get to/from the main railway station Hlavná stanica, take trolleybus No 210. If you need to get to/from the city centre, take trolleybus No 205 or 202 the terminus is behind the Tesco department store at Kamenné námestie or buses No 50 geting on/off at Šafárikovo námestie, close to the banks of the river Danube or 70 getting off at Nový most, the New Bridge.
The bus terminal has a left-luggage office where you can store your bags for ca. â¬1 per item per day. There is also a bakery, a bar/canteen, a newspaper kiosk and several shops on the upper floor.
By ship
Regular tourist boat lines operate on the Danube from spring through fall on routes from Vienna. You can find routes and schedules here (http://www.lod.sk/en/Defa...).
Since 2006 it is possible to get to Vienna using a high speed ferry boat (http://www.twincityliner.com) as well, yet the rates are higher compared to other means of transport. A one-way ticket from Vienna to Bratislava by Twin City Liner costs about â¬25-30 whereas a return train ticket is less than â¬15. The Twin City Liner's boats travel at 60 kmph and the journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes from Vienna to Bratislava and about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Bratislava to Vienna almost as much as the train. Unlike the train though, which stops at stations distant from the center about 2-3 km, the boat stops are in the very centres of both Vienna Schwedenplatz and Bratislava Novy Most.
By Kayak And Canoe
Danube river is getting very popular for multi-day tours. Some people do their paddling all the way from Germany to Black Sea more than 2516 km / 1563 mi, also known as TID. Bratislava is well developed for paddling. There are several paddling clubs at "Karloveske rameno" with accommodation possible at Paddler Club (http://club.paddler.sk) at river km 1872, near "Stary most" at r.km 1868. Free camping is possible along river shore; good places are around km. 1872 right, 1864-60 left.
By bike
Bratislava has nice surroundings for biking and an international bike route leads along Danube river EuroVelo 6. The route from Austria via Bratislava down to Hungary is well marked but the town itself has not many biking routes and they are mostly ignored by car drivers. There are milions of ways though to bike in the Carpathian hills and along the rivers Danube and Morava. (http://www.cyklotrasy.sk/) Read some more in "Do" below.
By car
Bratislava lies on the border of two other countries and has a relatively good road system. The town can be accessed by motorways i.e. limited access highway from northern Slovakia and Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary as well as Austria. As a result, you can pass the town without having to leave the motorway at all. Together with countries like Austria and Czech Republic it's required to have a sticker on your windshield to drive on motorways. Stickers can be bought at any regular gas station - it's recommended to stop at the first gas station after crossing the border.
After entering the city, a parking information system is in place to lead you to the next free parking spot. In the center of town you either can use one of the paid underground garages or buy a parking card from vendors in yellow vests and try to find a free spot in the streets. The former is recommended on weekends as finding a parking place in the one-ways can turn into a real head breaking puzzle. If you do find a spot in the street and it's a weekday between 8AM and 4PM, a parking card may be necessary. You need them in the center of the city only, parking on the streets is free otherwise. You can purchase parking cards from vendors in yellow vests; they cost â¬0.70 and are valid for 60 minutes.
It may be a good idea to leave the car at the Aupark parking lot which also serves as a "Park and Walk" facility for tourists note that the indoor parking facilities as well as parts of the outdoor parking lot are closed from 11PM to 6AM, the rest of the parking space is free to use 24/7. You can leave your car here and walk through the park and across the Danube to the city center, which is a 10 minute stroll, or just use public transportation. It is not recommended to leave the car in residential areas outside of the city center to avoid paid parking, as foreign cars may attract car thieves.
Renting a car is also an option, especially if you are visiting destinations outside of Bratislava. All major rental companies have a stall at the airport but most have a city office as well.