Slovakia has beautiful countryside’s, wild rivers, high mountains and is landlocked right in the heart of Europe with no sea in sight. Slovakia has its own distinct culture despite been part of Czech Republic up until 1992. Nature aside, there’s the capital, Bratislava which is worth exploring for a few days. I hope this short summery will help you plan your trip.
Best Time to Visit
Slovakia can be visited all year round, in the winter you can enjoy the wild life, follow the tracks of the wolves through the snow and go skiing. When the snow melts around May and in the summer, it is ideal time to go hiking in the mountains.
Things to do and see
- Janosikove Diery Gorge: is located in the Mala Fatra National Park and is one of the most beautiful hiking trails in Slovakia. Worth the trip.
- Historical Bratislava: Go on a walking tour of the capital of Slovakia. You can learn about Bratislava’s past while discovering the highlights of the city.
- Slovak cuisine: You can take a tour of traditional Slovakian food and culture with a Bratislava folk dinner experience. You get to Dress up in folk costume and enjoy a gourmet dinner at an Old Town restaurant.
- Snowshoeing: In Slovakia’s High Tatras is a fun way to explore the untouched parts of northern Slovakia’s mountains. You will receive instructions on how to use the equipment.
Food
The food in Slovakia is wholesome and rather heavy and extremely cheap, the three dishes you must try while visiting Slovakia is Bryndzové Halušky, which is potato dumplings covered with sheep cheese. The second dish to try is Kapustnica which is a traditional cabbage soup, usually prepared for Christmas and New Year. The third dish to try is Zemiakové placky which is potato pancakes.
Transportation
Air: Domestic flights in Slovakia are operated by Czech Airlines. There are also cheap direct flights from London to Slovakia which take two hours.
Roads: The roads in Slovakia are paved and well maintained. The rural areas however are not safe to drive at night. Drivers drive on the right-hand side of the road.
Rail: Slovakia operates domestic as well as international rail lines. The transportation to some small villages that can’t be connected by rail is provided by bus. Journeys from Austria to Slovakia depart every hour till midnight.
Taxi: Uber is operating in Bratislava; metered taxis are also available next to train and bus stations.
Ferry: In Slovakia’s capital Bratislava, there are daily sightseeing cruises up and down the Danube River. There are also high-speed boats that operate international return trips from Bratislava to Vienna and Budapest.
Bus: Slovakia has buses, tramways and trolleybuses operating in all the big cities in Slovakia. Bus tickets can be bought at any newsagent or ticket dispenser at the bus stop. In some cities the ticket can only be purchased on the bus. Long distance bus between different cities and towns are usually blue coloured and operate on a frequent basis. International buses will transport passengers from the Mlynske Nivy bus station in Bratislava to Vienna, London, Munich, Geneva, Budapest, Paris, Zurich and other European cities.
Visa
Visas are not required for all E.U, U.S, Canadian and Australian nationals. For stays of up to 90days in a 6month period.
Language
The official language spoken in Slovakia is Slovak, other languages are also spoken like Hungarian, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Russian and German. Most young people now learn English at school, but it is not widely spoken.
Money
The official currency in Slovakia is the Euro (EUR) ATMs are commonplace in big cities, most machines will accept all major credit and debit cards. Be aware that foreign cards usually incur charges. Most big cities have Currency exchange bureaus where you can change foreign currency to Euros. You will need your passport to exchange money.
Tipping
a tip of about 5- 10% is the norm, and few establishments include gratuities in the bill. In bars it’s common to round up the final bill for drinks, in which case there’s no fixed percentage.
Social etiquette
Majority of the population is Roman Catholic, there is also a Jewish minority in the east of Slovakia.
Adaptor
There is one plug associated with Slovakia the standard Type F plug with the two-pins.
Wi-Fi
There are many Internet cafes throughout Slovakia, most hotels and restaurants provide free Wi-Fi also.
Ruth’s Lonely Planet 