Traveling between Prague and Bratislava is a popular route. After all, these are the two cities of the formerly united country - Czechoslovakia. The capitals of Czech Republic and Slovakia are close together and can be visited in one trip. Just choose the best way to travel from Prague to Bratislava or vice versa.
The distance between Prague and Bratislava is about 320 km. The cities are well connected by trains, buses and even direct flights. Although it is true that taking a bus is a bit cheaper, the ride on the train is always more comfortable and normally faster.
Those who prefer to use public transportation in the city to travel between places will find our Ultimate Guide to Prague Transportation really helpful.
We have created a detailed guide to the available connections between the cities, so you could choose the best way to travel between Prague and Bratislava depending on your preferences.
Train from Prague to Bratislava
Trains from Prague to Bratislava leave from Praha Hlavni Nadrazi, the main train station in Prague, and from Nadrazi Holesovice. Daily trains depart to the capital of Slovakia approximately every two hours.
As it is normally in Europe, the train is a bit more expensive than the bus, but faster. The journey takes about 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours, with small variations depending on the type of train you are going to choose. The companies are offering several schedule options, some direct and others with connections. EuroCity and RegioJet trains are the fastest and most comfortable, although the price of their tickets is slightly higher. The cost of train ticket for a trip from Prague to Bratislava is around 25-30 Euro. You can also take your bike on board the train but you have to pay for it additionally.
For current train schedules and tickets check here:
Trains from Prague to Bratislava
In Bratislava, trains from Prague arrive at Bratislava Hlavna Stanica, the main railway station in the city, from where the city center is easily accessible by public transport or taxi. There are various facilities at Bratislava Main Railway Station such as currency exchange and left luggage office, where you can leave your bags and explore Bratislava lightly.
Bus from Prague to Bratislava
There are several different companies that offer bus trips between Prague and Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Among the most popular ones are FlixBus, Ceske Drahy and RegioJet. Buses here are modern, equipped with free Wi-Fi, rosettes next to each seat, toilet, and comfortable seats.
When traveling by bus from Prague to Bratislava, you will find that most buses leave the capital of the Czech Republic from Florenc Station a few steps from Florenc metro station and end the journey at Bratislava's Main Station.
During the day, buses to Bratislava leave Prague Florenc Station every three hours. The last bus normally departs at 16:30. The journey by bus from Prague to Bratislava takes approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Bus ticket price on this route ranges from 12 to 30 Euro, depending on the departure time and company chosen. You can buy a ticket online in advance or at the ticket office of the bus station. Some might say that you can buy tickets directly from the driver but on this route this happens very rarely. Getting on the bus is normally only permitted with the ticket purchased in advance.
Bus schedules can be found and tickets can be conveniently booked online here:
Buses from Prague to Bratislava
There is another interesting opportunity for covering this route as you can travel from Prague to Bratislava via Vienna. From Vienna, you can easily take a train or bus to the Slovakian capital.
Flights from Prague to Bratislava
Flying from Prague to Bratislava should be the fastest form of transport. The direct flight between the cities takes just about 45 minutes, with the recommended time of arrival at the airport being one hour before departure. But in reality, if you will add about half an hour's journey to Vaclav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) in Prague and about the same time for the journey from Bratislava Airport (BTS) to the city center, the total time to get from the capital of the Czech Republic to the capital of Slovakia will be about three hours or even mote. The direct flights between these cities are offered only twice a day, so you may have to wait quite long.
There are two airlines offering direct fights from Prague to Bratislava - Czech Airlines and Slovak Airlines. The price of such a trip normally starts from 80 Euro for a one-way ticket.
You can also choose to take a connecting flight by low-cost airlines – the journey will be cheaper but significantly longer. For various flight opportunities between the cities check here:
Flights from Prague to Bratislava
Reaching Vaclav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) is not complicated as there are several ways to get from the city center to Prague Airport. To make your departure from Prague a little easier, we have made the guide to Prague Airport Transportation.
From Prague to Bratislava by Car
If you will be travelling from Prague to Bratislava by car, it will be really fast when choosing to travel on motorways. Traveling on motorways here is comfortable but a bit expensive. The price for the car on the Slovak motorways is 10 Euro for 10 days, while in the Czech Republic the motorway fee is about 12 Euro for 10 days.
The speed limits on the roads in Slovakia differ somewhat from those of other EU countries. In urban areas the limit is 60 km/h, on inter-urban routes it is 90 km/h, while on motorways and expressways it is 130 km/h.
Taxi from Prague to Bratislava
Taking a taxi from Prague to Bratislava is another convenient option for getting between the cities. This is a great option for those traveling with family or as a group of friends/colleagues. A big advantage is that you don't need to go to the airport or train station, so it helps you to save time.
Prague - Bratislava is a fairly popular route among taxi drivers. The taxi fare starting at 250 Euro per car seems to be high. However, if you are travelling with 4 other persons, it means that you pay 50 Euro per person making it a much more acceptable deal. Travel time is normally only about 3 hours 30 minutes.
Tips
Prague is one of the richest cities in Central Europe in terms of places to visit and the most important of them can be found in our list of Prague Top Attractions.
After visiting all the wonders in Prague, you should take a day trip from Prague to see other jewels that are located not far from the capital such as Karlovy Vary, Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora or the Terezin Concentration Camp.