Vienna to Bratislava

As Vienna and Bratislava are the two closest capital cities in Europe, there are several possibilities to get from one city to another. The distance of approximately 60km is covered by regular direct train, boat and bus services.

Which transport type to choose?

Train? Bus? Boat? Even Uber operates on this lucrative route. It is only up to you, which mean of transport would you prefer, but the table below should help you making a correct decision. Private transfer from Vienna to Bratislava and vice-versa is also available.

Where do you want to go?

Decide based on parameters

 

  Train

  Bus

  Boat

  Bike

  Uber / Car

Duration

★★★★★

★★★★★

★★★☆☆

★☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Comfort

★★★★☆

★★★☆☆

★★★★☆

★★☆☆☆

★★★★★

Price

★★★★☆

★★★★★

★★★☆☆

★★★★★

★☆☆☆☆

Sightseeing

★☆☆☆☆

★☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

★★★★★

★☆☆☆☆

Variability

★★☆☆☆

★★★★★

★☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

★★★★★

Frequency

★★★★☆

★★★★★

★☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

★★★★★

Luggage transport

★★★★★

★★★★☆

★★★☆☆

★☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Burning calories

★☆☆☆☆

★☆☆☆☆

★☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

★☆☆☆☆

ECO-friendliness

★★★★☆

★☆☆☆☆

★☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

★☆☆☆☆

Duration: Train, bus and Uber last approximately 1 hour, making it the fastest possibility, while boat takes 30-45 minutes longer. Sightseeing tour by boat takes 6 hours (round trip). The distance of 60km between the cities can be covered in 2-4 hours by bike depending on pace.

Comfort: Trains and boats are generally more comfortable when it comes to stretching legs, however, the journey itself is pretty short so it probably won't give any additional benefit. First class in trains and buses is available, while there is a whole bar offering food and drinks on the boat. Buses sometimes have WiFi on board. Uber gives you a ride to a very exact point where you would like.

Price: One-way bus ticket costs around 10€ and is the cheapest solution in this case. Return ticket, however, pays off more on train as it costs around 13-15€. Moreover, for the same cost as you would buy a bus return ticket, you can have a train return ticket which includes free one-day Vienna public transport allowance. Boat ticket is almost 2x more expensive in both cases. In case there is 3-4 of you, Uber might be a good choice as it will cost you only 10€ per person to get from Bratislava to Vienna.

Sightseeing: If you are looking for nice views and an extraordinary experience, boat would be a right choice. The route follows river Danube, passes by the Devin castle and small fishing villages making it a very pleasant and romantic journey.

Variability: There are not many opportunities where to hop on/off the train in Bratislava. Actually, there are only two: on the central station and on the suburb called “Petrzalka”. In Vienna, there are four other suburb stops before the train reaches the main station. Buses, however, have their route designed to cover the most important spots in both cities - from airports, to city centers, to main bus stations. Boat is the least variable - you can only hop on in Bratislava passenger port and hop off in the port of Vienna.

Frequency: Trains shuttle every hour and buses even more frequently. Boats have to adapt their timetables to the season of the year and thus are shuttling only from late March to late October. During the main season from May to September they run on daily basis, otherwise only weekends are covered. There are only two lines per day - departing in the morning from one city and coming back later that evening.

Luggage transport: Oversize luggage is easily transportable in all means of transport - in trains there are overhead shelves, designated places in