Keep your Costa Brava - I'm off to Bratislava

Advantages: Relatively quiet compared to it's near neighbours Prague, Vienna and Budapest
Disadvantages: Ironically it sufferes in some respects from not being as well-visited as the above

...On Saturday May 1st Slovakia will finally join the European Union, one of 10 states to do so. The names of the lesser known of these states are becoming more familiar so I though it would be a good idea to update my review and maybe inspire a few people to visit a city I fell in love with. For years Bratislava had to play second fiddle to Prague as Czecholslovakia's main city. As a result, fewer people have visited this city and this has affected the city in both positive and negative ways. Now that Bratislava is the capital of an independent Slovakia, has it's time come? The city is often visited as part of a Danube cruise or coach tour of the region also taking in the cities of Vienna and Budapest but is slowly becoming popular as a destination in it's own right. Bratislava is situated about an hour from Vienna by road...

fizzytom 06.01.2004 (27.04.2004) · Read review
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Review of Bratislava (Slovakia)

City Hotel Bratislava

Advantages: Reasonably priced, clean, modern
Disadvantages: Not in the city centre as one might reasonably assume from the name

......

maggiedip 03.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of City Hotel, Bratislava

City-Breaking, Slovak Style

Advantages: Interesting place to visit because it's so different. Ultra Cheap
Disadvantages: Not an awful lot to do. Language barriers

...I went to Bratislava while working in Vienna for a summer as it is only a hop, skip and a jump away from the Austrian border. I knew then, and to this day know very little about Slovakia as a whole. I don't tend to read historical guides for fun, so can tell you little of this country's history or politics, but I can tell you what it was like to spent a few days exploring this one city. To set the scene I was 18, female (still am, for that matter) and travelling alone, speaking decent German but next to no Slovakian. Even back then Bratislava was a city that had high aspirations, and was keen to market itself to the wider world. I spent my days surrounded by Japanese and American tourists which isn't that surprising (this is the cultural hub that is Europe after all), but the language level of those in the tourist industry varied...

zoe_page 01.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of Bratislava (Slovakia)

The pounds look after themselves

Advantages: Comfortable budget accommodation
Disadvantages: A tram ride from centre of city

...Bratislava has no end of top quality hotels with all the major international chains represented; many of them are superbly located and command terrific views over the Danube. However, such splendid surroundings are beyond the reach of the average backpacker and it is a much more humble accommodation I describe here. We found ourselves at Zvarac when the accommodation we'd booked in advance over the internet had let us down. After much wrangling about return of deposit and assistance to find alternative accommodation we set off for Zvarac. Full of bravado and wincing with embarrassment that my assertiveness had not resulted in the hostel manager organising a complimentary taxi to the other accommodation, I decided to cut off my nose and spite my face by making the journey on foot, carrying a heavy rucksack. My partner was not so keen...

fizzytom 03.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Zvarac Hotel, Bratislava

Hotel Filmstar

Advantages: Cheap, reasonably cheerful, one of the city's better hotels
Disadvantages: Eastern Europe and Western Europe still differ a lot

...I went to visit Slovakia for a short break when I was living in Vienna, spending 3 nights in Bratislava, staying at the Hotel Turist (read on to see why the op’s called Hotel Filmstar). I was in quite a good mood when I arrived as my taxi had only ended up costing me 50p more than the hotel had said it should – quite an achievement I thought considering I don’t speak a word of Slovakian. The first thing I realized when I arrived, though, is that websites can lie. You probably knew this already, but I was a naive little teenager at the time and I thought that if a website said something, then it must be true. The following quotes come from their website ( www.turist.sk/ ). “Hotel Turist offers comfortable accommodation for favourable price in 99 double and triple rooms, which are equipped with bathroom, toilet...

zoe_page 02.06.2003 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Turist (Bratislava)

Why Always Bratislava?!?

Advantages: slightly original scenes
Disadvantages: doesn't live up to the hype

...You must have seen the adverts for Hostel. It was billed to be, and advertised to look like, the most extremely gorily sick twisted film ever made, and had Quentin Tarantino's approval. So on the strength of this, I of course really wanted to see it for myself. I was expecting to be disgusted, I was expecting to be disturbed, I was expecting to have to leave halfway through to get some fresh air to restore my ability not to be sick. I didn't really receive any of the above. Hostel is the tale of three travellers - two american friends and one Icelander that they met on their way around Europe. They're just doing all the clichéd European things for young people, like getting stoned in Amsterdam, until they meet a guy who tells them of a place well off the beaten tourist track. A place called Bratislava, in Slovakia. Apparently...

Pyrokeet 17.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Hostel, DVD

Let us go to the Letisko

Advantages: small, compact, cheap, relatively easy to get to
Disadvantages: not a great selection of Duty Free, relatively little to occupy you

...Being only about 40 minutes away from Vienna airport, Bratislava airport has never really established itself as an airport ? the airport is very small and seldom flown to by any of the major airlines ? most fly into Vienna and offer a shuttle service to Bratislava. The only reason I have ever flown to and from Bratislava is because it is the hub for SkyEurope, the first Central European budget airline, which uses Ivanka (the name of Bratislava?s airport) and Budapest as its main departure points. Most of the airlines flying in and out of Ivanka are budget airlines, since the landing fees demanded in Vienna have long been so prohibitive that it has not been possible for the airlines to offer such cheap fares and fly to Schwechat in Vienna. The airport is refreshingly compact ? a single terminal building with little more than a handful...

Morgenhund 04.01.2004 · Read review
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Review of Bratislava Airport (BTS), Slovakia

Botel Marina 5*service. 2* sized rooms.

Advantages: Novelty value, Food, Staff
Disadvantages: Size of rooms. Access.

...degrees, and the danube was part frozen underneath us, it wasnt bad. The hotel can arrange a taxi transfer for you to the airport. It was both cheaper and more luxurious than the taxis. Just to note, i wouldnt stay here if i was disabled or had young children. Access is via a gangplank, which varies in height depending on the water level, and can be quite steep. There is also nowhere to park a car at the hotel. What the hotel does offer is well presented, but dont expect a swimming pool, or gym. Bratislava itself was lovely, but there is not quite enough to fill a full week if you arent venturing further afield.I would reccomend going mon-fri if you want to avoid the stag parties.Tourism is relatively new, but tourist traps do exist. It is possible to eat excellent meals very cheaply (eg chez david). It is also possible to have...

davekaren 09.10.2006 · Read review
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Review of Botel Marina, Bratislava

A little gem in the heart of europe

Advantages: historical, unique, charm
Disadvantages: surrounding architecture

...The capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava, has been greatly overlooked by tourists in the past. At first it seems unattractive compared with the likes of Prague and Budapest. However, dig a little deeper and you will find a town rich in culture and art, fine restaurants, elegant buildings, churches, cathedrals, museums and galleries. It has an inescapable charm and, these days, quite a cosmopolitan buzz and ambience. The city, which has a population of 400,000 and is situated on the border of Austria and close to Hungary, has a long and fascinating history. For two hundred and fifty years it was the capital of Hungary, the site of coronations until the mid-19th century. In 1809 Napoleon besieged the city and you can still see a cannonball, allegedly shot by him, wedged into the side of the church on the main square. Bratislava also...

mini 12.11.2002 · Read review
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Review of Bratislava (Slovakia)

A day in Bratislava

Advantages: Small enough to see everything in a day, great views, not too busy.
Disadvantages: Nothing much to do for more than a day.

...On arriving in Bratislava, we decided to make the most of our short time there-just 5 hours stop off en route to Budapest from Prague. We dumped our bags at the left luggage at the station and made our way to the centre of town. Without a detailed guide book we had to find our own way around, not too hard as despite being the capital city of Slovakia, it's about the size of Reading! Our first destination was the President?s house, impressive with fountains and statues at front and back, although a large metal ball somewhat spoilt photos from the front. We then made our way to the main square, where to our disappointment there was a McDonalds. We kept walking. On Reaching the River Danube, we saw an impressive looking bridge, called the New Bridge (full name the Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising), with a tower on the other bank...

Timor123 24.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of General: Slovakia