Bratislava Airport Mini Guide
Tell me Something About Bratislava
Bratislava is the pretty capital city of Slovakia and unusual in that the city lies on the borders of two countries,
Hungary and
Austria. It forms a loose municipal alliance with
Vienna, only 30 miles away and the two capitals are the closest of any in the world. The city has had an interesting history; for hundreds of years it was torn apart in the battles between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Since the fall of communism, the city has tried to encourage tourism in the way Prague has done and whilst reasonably successful, the city has retained more of its original charm and atmosphere than
Prague.
How do I get to Bratislava?
You have two options, either flying into
Vienna Airport and making the short journey across the border or using the city’s own airport, M. R. Stefanik Airport. There aren’t a large number of airlines using the airport but main carrier, Ryanair has a substantial number of flights, including many from the
UK. At five miles outside of the city, the airport is within easy reach of the city centre with a number of options for getting there.
What is the Airport Like?
It’s a very modern, bright and well planned airport with a reasonable range of facilities.
A new terminal was fully completed in 2012. The Airport now has one terminal which serves arrivals and departures.
What Can I Expect When I Arrive at Bratislava?
For now you’ll have to put up with walking to the terminal as there are no air bridges, although the new terminal should have these when it is completed. If you have mobility issues, a call to your airline before you fly should ensure that someone is on hand at the aircraft doors to assist you through the airport process. After the formalities, you’ll find yourself in the arrivals hall. There, if you need any help, you’ll need to walk along to the departures hall for the airport information desk. They can help on all matters airport-related whilst the Bratislava Tourist Information Office can help with transport and accommodation. If you’re taking the bus, they stop outside terminal B whilst the car hire companies, for collecting your hire car, are found in Terminal C’s arrivals hall.
What About on the Day of my Departure?
You’ll be looking forward to exploring the airport’s shops after you’ve checked in and got your boarding passes. There’s plenty to browse through there including an exclusive sleep wear shop and a delicatessen selling last minute goodies for your flight home as well as gifts. For a more exclusive range of gifts, try the Danube Souvenir shop which has many items made in Bratislava including exquisite glassware. For the final shop, there’s also the Heinemann duty free shop after security. If you get hungry whilst waiting for your flight, try one of the many café style restaurants in the different areas of the airport. You’ll get a satisfying meal accompanied by delicious Slovakian wine or beer.
Bratislava has many unusual sights and the most unusual must be the futuristic bridge over the Danube, named the ‘New Bridge’ but also called the UFO Bridge by others on account of the UFO restaurant built as a huge disk over the bridge.
A viewing platform on the roof of the restaurant gives a great panorama of the city along the riverfront. For another sweeping view of the city, drive your hire car up to the Slavin Memorial, commemorating the Russian soldiers who died liberating the city from the Germans in WWII.