Travel
BY AIRPLANE via VIENNA AIRPORT (VIE)The Vienna airport (VIE) is situated approximately 50 km westwards from the center of Bratislava. The transport from the airport to Bratislava city is very simple, comfortable and lasts approximately 1 hour. Direct and regular bus connection is provided by three bus operators (click their logo below to see their time schedule):
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Buses depart daily from 5 a.m. on a frequent basis approximately every 30-60 minutes. The last bus departs after midnight. In general there are more than 50 departures from Vienna airport toward Bratislava in a day. The bus stop at the Vienna airport is located right outside the arrival hall (bus stop #4 for Slovak Lines and Blaguss, bus stop #3 for RegioJet). In Bratislava, the bus stops at several bus stops depending on the operator (please check the Map A below):
- Einsteinová (Einstein st., the south bank of Danube) .... all three operators
- Most SNP (Bridge SNP or New Bridge, the closest stop to the city center) .... only Blaguss and RegioJet
- Autobusová stanica (main bus station) ... only Slovak Lines and RegioJet
- Letisko (airport) ... only Slovak Lines and Blaguss
Map A: General map of Bratislava city with highlighted areas of interests (click on the map for details)
The most easiest and comfortable way to get to the Summer School venue is to use either Blaguss or Regiojet bus (not Slovak Lines!) and get off in Bratislava at the bus stop Most SNP (Bridge SNP or New Bridge) located close to the city center. There you can easily change for tram #4 or #6 or bus #28 (please check the Map B below) that will take you directly to your destination, the school venue in Mlynská dolina.
Map B: Area of Most SNP (Bridge SNP) (click on the map for the details)
Traveling toward the school venue in Mlynská dolina by a tram of a bus get off at the stop Botanická záhrada (Botanical garden). Botanická záhrada is the forth stop and the journey lasts 6-7 minutes. The bus and tram schedule can be found on imhd.sk website. For information about public transport system in Bratislava, please scroll down.
When you arrive at Botanická záhrada you will easily recognize the tall building of Hotel Družba. Please consult the Map C to find your way toward it.
Map C: Area of ISPM Summer School in Mlynská dolina (click on the map for the details)
BY TRAIN to BRATISLAVA, HLAVNA STANICA.
Bratislava has a direct international train connection with Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin and even other cities and countries around the Europe. If you plan to come to Bratislava by a train, you may plan your trip here. The central railway station (Hlavná stanica) is located in the northern part of the city, not far from to the city center. It is the main station for trains, and the terminal station for many city buses, trams and trolleybuses.
Map D: Area of Hlavná stanica (central railway station) (click on the map for the details)
The easiest way to get to the Summer School venue is to take the bus #32 from the station (see the Map D above) that will take you directly to the school venue in Mlynská dolina. Travelling toward the venue you get off at the stop Botanická záhrada (Botanical garden), that is the 9th stop and the journey lasts 13 minutes. The bus and tram schedule can be found on imhd.sk website. For information about public transport system in Bratislava, please scroll down.
When you arrive to Botanická záhrada you will easily recognize the tall building of Hotel Družba. Please consult the Map C above to find your way toward it.
BY AIRPLANE to BRATISLAVA AIRPORT (BTS).
The Bratislava airport (BTS) is situated at the Eastern edge of the city, approximately 8 km from the city centre. There is a regular bus transport (bus #61) from the airport (Letisko) toward the city center with the terminal stop at the central railway station (Hlavná stanica). The easiest way to get to the Summer School venue is to take a bus #61 from the airport (please check the Map E below) to the central railway station (Hlavná stanica) and change there for the bus #32. The central railway station is the terminal station for the bus #61 and the journey lasts 25 minutes. For information on how to travel with the bus #32 toward the school venue, check the section BY TRAIN to BRATISLAVA, HLAVNA STANICA above. The bus schedule can be found on imhd.sk website. For information about public transport system in Bratislava, please scroll down.
Map E: Area of Letisko (BTS airport) (click on the map for the details)
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM in BRATISLAVA CITY.
Bratislava has public transport line system of buses, trams and trolleybuses, which convey at regular intervals according to pre-defined timetables. Most of the line stops of the public transport are comprehensively marked including the name of the stop, and the timetable with a list of all its destinations. If you want to plan your journey in Bratislava city, we recommend you to do it via imhd.sk website. You can find schedules of all city buses, trams and trolleybuses here as well as transport map and many other valuable information.
The search result will indicate you what bus/tram number(s) to take, the duration of the journey and the price of the travel ticket. Basic travel ticket valid for 15 minutes costs 0.70 €, the ticket valid for 30 minutes costs 0.90 €. You can buy a travel ticket in yellow coin-operated machines that are usually located at each bus/tram stop. You cannot buy the ticket from the bus driver. You must mark the ticket immediately after getting on the tram/bus in the nearest ticket marker devices located inside the vehicle by every door.
USEFUL WAYPOINTS.
- Bridge SNP (Most SNP) N 48° 08.394 E 17° 06.270
- Central railway station (Hlavná stanica) N 48° 09.508 E 17° 06.363
- BTS airport (Letisko M. R. Štefánika, BTS) N 48° 10.191 E 17° 12.008
- Summer school venue (Congress center Družba) N 48° 08.861 E 17° 04.207
- Accommodation (Hotel Družba) N 48° 08.848 E 17° 04.180
Visa
Slovakia is the member country of the European Union and the part of the Schengen Area.
EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens do not require the visa to enter the Schengen Area.
Non-EU citizens generally need the Schengen visa.
The countries whose citizens are required to obtain Schengen visa to enter one of its
member countries are listed here.
Visa is not required for semi-annual visits of up to 90 days for nationals of those countries for
which the European Community has abolished the visa requirement.
More detailed information about how to obtain the Schengen visa can be found on the web page of
the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic,
here,
or Migration Information Centre,
here.
As part of the visa application process, participants may be requested to submit a Letter of Invitation
from the summer school organizers. The letter can also be requested by your university for administrative
purposes. The Letter of Invitation is an official document that confirms a registration payment and
extends an official invitation to the paid registrant to attend and participate in the
summer school.
It provides the participant with an official reason to come to Slovakia.
In order to qualify for a Letter of Invitation, a person must meet two criteria:
1) Must be a registered participant.
2) Must pay the summer school registration fee.
Under no circumstances the organizers will issue a Letter of Invitation to any interested party who
has not met the two criteria listed above.
The Letters of invitation will be sent by email as a PDF attachment or physically via air mail
to the place of residence or place of work, if requested by the participant.
All questions/concerns regarding the status of your visa should be directed to the Embassy of Slovakia or
nearest Consulate of Slovakia in your home country. The organizers are neither obliged nor authorized
to assist the visa application process beyond providing a Letter of Invitation.
Under the applicable law, the visa application procedure should not take longer than 15 days, in exceptional
cases the decision may take up to 60 days. In some cases, however, the procedure may be lengthy. Therefore,
we do recommend the participants to submit the visa application well in advance and even contact the embassy
or consulate for further details and time deadlines.
