Blog ≫ 2025 ≫ Holiday 2025 - Bratislava
Yes back to write up our eurotour holiday 2025, way after the fact, when I will get even more of the details wrong.
Plan for this day (August 15th) was to go to Bratislava for the day. A day trip, a holiday from the main holiday. I did this last time in Vienna. Partly because Vienna is a bit boring, but also partly for the novelty of the ease of going to one capital city from another. You can get the train from Vienna to the centre of Bratislava in about an hour. Or, you can normally...
... closed for electrification on 4 March 2024, originally until 14 December 2024, then until 5 July 2025, and now the work has overrun again until at least 10 October 2025. The REX8 trains will not operate during this time.
We cannot get the fast train. But we can still get a train nearly as fast, to a nearby station, and figure it out from there. We got the tram to the station, to ease the boys legs, though it didn't really save much. It's very hot again though and we don't want them worn out before the day has started.
We got our tickets easily from a machine, slightly rushing as there's a train in under five minutes, but made it. Standing room only from Vienna to this other Bratislava station. There were a few stops but not many. As we started to pull into this other station it felt familiar. I'm sure this was the same platform I came in on last time, and that's the lockers where I left all my stuff for the day. If there's a Tesco just over to the left of the station entrance... there is! This is the same station I came in to last time. So last time I must have got the same wrong train to the same wrong station! And it was easy that time! I knew just where to get the bus from into the old town, and I remembered that our train tickets (about sixteen euros each) covered all the bus journeys as well as the return train. From one country to another country. Are you taking this in? A travelcard and everything! What would that cost you going from London to Paris say? European train travel is mostly much better. Especially if you always wanted an extra stop off in Munich.
We walked round for a bit in the heat. Decided not to go up to the castle as it's all a bit modern. What we wanted was a nice cafe or bar sit down really. We bimbled until we came across Brixton House, where I'd been last time. Seems to be aimed at international visitors really, but was good last time and good this time. Good beer and a nice place to sit, outside with a cooling mist spray over us watching people go by. Bratislava was busier than last time I was here, but still pretty easy going.
After we went for more walking round, checking out where we might have dinner. Also looking for a bar I had enjoyed last time called Pod Kamennym Stromom. Really struggled to find it with the streets all being a bit busier, but got there in the end. Sat in the same spot in the courtyard, and failed to order food just like the last time. I did enjoy the beer here, but wife did not, and wanted to go back to the previous place.
We did go back to the previous place for food. I can't remember what I had, even from this picture I took of the food. But I see the boys had tacos and the wife had a chicken salad, and everyone liked it. I remember thinking again "I'm sure it should be cheaper than this", but it was a nice place, and a bit touristy. We probably got good value.
Aha I scanned the receipt, so I can see mine is the cauliflower steak, and wife had "sexy salad". €124 for four with drinks (two Cierny Kamen Nelson Time beers and two pink lemonads) plus tip.
We got bus and train back again, in plenty of time so were at least able to sit down this time. This was a lovely day out, and a treat to be heading to another country without even hand luggage. Relaxed! Kind of insane that we went from one country to another and didn't even have our tickets checked, let alone our passports.
On the way home we found a bar near our hotel called Fladerei and sat and played more cards. We were lucky to find this really, every where was looking shut. I have been to Vienna twice and somehow it has been "The Assumption Of Mary" each time. Some sort of religious holiday that closes most of the bars. But this place Fladerei is good, and very near our hotel.
Oh I'm back in Vienna again, feel like it should be a new post.
💬 Nick Helm - Masterworks in Progress 2025
💬 Suede
⬅️ I could get away without going to London this week :: Holiday 2025 - Vienna, again ➡️