Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

Visa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Visa HQ

Diplomatic representations

Consult the contact details of Slovak embassies abroad.

For more information

Embassy of Slovakia in Greece
4, rue Georgiou Seféri
154 52 Psychico
Phone: 210 677 19 80
210 677 18 78
embassy@athens.mfa.sk

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

Taking a taxi in town is reliable, safe and inexpensive. Taxis are relatively easy to find. Most taxi drivers do not speak English, but some taxi companies have English-speaking phone operators. It is better to call the taxi company rather than stop a taxi directly in the street.
The public transport network is very well developed. All big cities have a reliable and inexpensive tram and bus network.

Maps of urban networks

Maporama
Mapblast
UT Library on line
ViaMichelin
Map of public transport

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

You can use the train to travel inside the country (connections between the main towns in the country). However, it is a slow and run-down means of transport. Planes connect the cities of Bratislava and Kosice. There are regular links between Poprad and Siliac. The ferry is a practical and pleasant means of transport which takes you along the Danube, especially for tourist excursions. The bus network covers the whole country and is efficient and comfortable. It is better to use the bus network even if it is more expensive than the train.

 

Rail companies

Slovak Republic Railways (ZSR)

Flight from Greece

No aircraft company operates direct flight from Athens to Bratislava. A few aircraft companies offer air connections between Greece and Slovakia, especially Czech Airlines and Lufthansa. For low cost company, check Sky Europe. To find out air connections from Greece to Slovakia click here

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

The road network is, on the whole, in good condition (few freeways). Observe the highway code carefully (notably speed limits) and the authorized alcohol level in the blood - 0 % - (frequent controls and severe penalties - disqualification from the driving license and / or heavy fine). Obtaining fuel is not a problem (credit cards are accepted). In the event of an accident, call immediately the local police; check the risks related to civil liability.

Road maps

Road map of Slovakia

Find an itinerary

Via Michelin

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical

Saint Martin's cathedral, in the lower part of the city and the Austrian citadel that spans the Danube with its bridge and its panoramic tower, are the old symbols of the power of the Slovak capital, Bratislava.
Many castles, a lot of which are in ruins, form part of the Slovak landscape. Consult the list of castles in Slovakia.

Cultural

Cinemas, theaters (National Theater), art galleries (Slovak national gallery, SNG), opera and museums such as the Slovak National Museum (SNM).
Consult the list of different Slovak museums.

Nature

Beautiful mountains and forests are found all over the center and north of the country.
For further information, consult the Slovakia Travel website.

Religious

Churches, cathedrals and basilicas.
Consult the list on the Slovakia Travel website.

Thermal

Consult the Slovakia Travel website.

Beach

Slovakia has no access to the sea, but it has several lakes and rivers.

Winter sports

There are many winter sports resorts, given the mountanous nature of the country. The mountains are covered in snow for most of the year.

Outdoor activities

Golf, fishing, rafting, skiing, bobsleigh, snowboard, hiking, aqua parks, etc.

Shopping

Typical souvenirs are dolls in traditional costume, pottery, crystal glasses, wooden numbers, Arpaks (wooden jugs), fujaras (instruments) and valaskas (decorated axes).

Tourism organizations

Slovak Tourism Board

Eating

Food specialties

Slovak food is influenced by Hungarian, Austrian and German cuisines. The Slovaks offer numerous specialties such as a big variety of soups, vegetable-based dishes, smoked pork meats and numerous pasta-based dishes.
The culinary specialties vary from one region to another.
One of the most popular dishes is the Bryndzové halusky: potatoes covered with grilled bacon and ewe's milk cheese .
The kapustnica: vegetable soup with mushrooms and small pieces of smoked pork. It is traditionally served on important occasions such as weddings or at Christmas.
Sunkova rolkas chrenovou: it is an appetizer with small pieces of ham, dipped into a horseradish sauce and served with a wild berries brandy (borovicka).
For dessert, you can enjoy the Slovak pancakes (palacinky) with a chocolate sauce, some jam or soft white cheese with grapes. Finally, you can enjoy the Makove sulance, a  fried vermicelli-based dessert with poppy seeds and sugar sprinkled on top.
Finally, you can enjoy your dinner with a plum brandy: the slivovica.

Drinks

Slovak aperitifs are Slivovica (plum brandy) and fruit brandies such as Hruskovica (pear), Marhul'ovica (apricot), Borovicka (juniper berries) or Demanovka (spices).
Slovakia is historically a wine producing area. Slovak wines are Burciak (a young wine), Trebisov, Tokay (a sweet wine), Rheinriesling, Welschriesling, Gruner Veltiner, Traminer, Silvaner and Muller-Thurgau.
Widespread non-alcoholic drinks are Vinea (a drink made from grape must) and Kofola.

Dietary restrictions

There are no culinary restrictions in Slovak cooking.

Paying

Domestic currency

Euro

ISO Code

EUR

To obtain domestic currency

The currency is the Euro or the EUR. You can easily find MasterCard ATMs and more and more Visa card ones. Money can be changed in banks, post offices, hotels and some department stores.

Possible means of payment

In shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. you can pay in cash or by credit card.

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Slovakia, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Speaking

Official language

The official language of Slovakia is Slovak which is spoken by 85% of the population.

Other languages spoken

It is important to note that other languages are used in this country such as Hungarian, Ukrainian, Polish and Czech. Hungarians represent the largest minority in Slovakia, with more than 10% of the total population. Most Hungarians speak their mother tongue and live in the south of the country. Finally, Czechs represent the third national minority and keep their own language: Czech.

Business language

Slovak, German and English.

Getting some knowledge

Basic expressions in the Slovak language.
Let's learn Slovak.

Free translation tools

Slovnik.cz - Free English-Slovak-English dictionary
Ectaco - Free English-Slovak-English dictionary
Eurovoc Thesaurus - Multilingual thesaurus (21 official European languages)
IATE - Interactive Terminology for Europe

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

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Last updates: May 2012