One thing to note before you visit Slovakia is that it has a great train system. Most major towns and cities are located along the Slovakian train line and from there you can get buses to smaller villages. Train travel is affordable at around 5€ per 100km (considering the country is 324km wide – not a bad deal). The express train is called the IC or EC depending on whether it originates within the country (IC) or internationally (EC). The express train is significantly quicker than the regular train at a similar price.
The region is rich in natural and cultural heritage. You can find a lot of attractive sites and opportunities to see the region's nature, culture and history.
More information is available at https://www.kosiceregion.com/en/
Train transport in Slovakia is held mostly by Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko - ZSSK. You can search for a route or buy your ticket here or in the app Ideme vlakom.
What is interesting about our train transport is the free fare for students. How does it work? You need to go with your activated ISIC card to the train station and ask for a white card for trains free (“vlaky zadarmo”).
After receiving your white card, you still need to buy your ticket. We recommend doing it in advance before your trip, as there is a limited number of free tickets for fast trains on the route of Bratislava-Košice. In case you miss this opportunity, you can still buy a discounted ticket. Remember to always have your cards on the train with you.
Sometimes, the only way to explore hidden Slovak gems is to go by bus. There, different rules apply. You can buy your ticket from the bus driver by simply naming your destination and eventually asking for a student ticket. To get a student ticket, you need to show him your ISIC card as well. If you want to get an even better discount, you can pay with your ISIC card, which can be recharged through the Ubian app or at the driver's. In case you have not recharged the ISIC card, have your cash prepared as normal card payments are not accepted.
A great way you can plan your trip by bus or train in Slovakia is to use CP website.
Another way to travel in Slovakia is Bla Bla Car. It is an app where people offer rides when they go from one city to another. You can choose your destination and there you will see a list of drivers who are going there as well, and you can see the prices and time of their ride. Then you can choose what is best for you. After confirmation, you can contact the driver and agree on a starting point.
Flix bus is another way of quite cheap travelling not only in Slovakia but also to other countries. For example, you can get by Flix Bus to Krakow, Budapest or from Bratislava to Ljubljana in Slovenia. It works worldwide not only in Slovakia. You can plan your travel and buy tickets here.
