From Vienna to Bratislava by bus
Last update: March 2023
Do you want to visit Vienna or Bratislava and are you thinking about how best to get there? Taking a bus is definitely a good idea and offers many advantages in comparison to other means of transport. In this article, we have summarised for you the most important information you might need or find interesting when travelling from Vienna to Bratislava by bus. So read further, be prepared and enjoy your trip from the first minute!
Note: Although we mostly use the phrase “ from Vienna to Bratislava” in this article, all the information is of course valid for the opposite direction, i.e. when travelling from Bratislava to Vienna, too.
How far, how long:
distance between Vienna and Bratislava and travel time
Do you know that Vienna and Bratislava hold the lead as the two closest capital cities? The distance between them is approximately 55 kilometers as the crow flies. By bus it´s around 80 kilometers, depending on the route. The average travel time from Bratislava Nivy to Wien Hbf. for most of the bus lines is about 1h 15 minutes. There are some buses which manage the route faster, however, it always depends on traffic conditions. Of course, it takes less time in case of travelling e.g. just to or from the Vienna airport, not the city center, and on the other hand, from/to the Bratislava Airport it's longer.
Bus from Vienna to Bratislava:
comfortably and almost every hour
When taking into account the largest bus companies on this route, each of them offers at least two connections a day. Flixbus, Slovak Lines as well as RegioJet buses operate almost every hour and offer therefore more flexibility. However, note that not each bus arrives at or departs from the terminal station, meaning Bratislava Hlavna stanica Station and Vienna main train station. For example, most of the Slovak Lines buses go only to the airport Vienna Schwechat. The same goes for buses from Vienna to Bratislava airport - there are just few. We recommend checking this information in advance when searching for connections. Such a surprise when getting off elsewhere than the desired destination would not be very welcome. :) No matter which bus company you choose to travel with, all buses from Vienna to Bratislava are direct.
Buses operate from early morning until late evening, but there are no journeys during the night. As most bus connections between Vienna and Bratislava are operated by Slovak Lines, if you need to travel between cities very early in the morning or late, bet on Slovak Lines buses. The first bus from Bratislava goes at 3 am, from Vienna it's an hour later. In the direction to Vienna, you can catch the last bus at 10 pm, in the opposite direction, from Vienna to Bratislava, around midnight. However, keep in mind that there can be some changes in timetables and it's always better to check the up-to-date schedule in advance.
Vienna to Bratislava by bus:
How much does it cost?
There is no doubt that price can play an important role in the decision-making process. Prices for a bus ticket vary according to the bus operator, day and daytime or date of purchase. The longer the way, the higher the price as well, so for a ticket e.g. from the Bratislava Airport you will have to pay more. On average, a one-way ticket costs on average about €6-€8 when purchased online, but you can find some offers also at €5. To find the exact price just check the websites of particular bus providers (see below), or - and what we strongly recommend - check out the platform Omio, where bus lines and prices of all the providers are available in one place, so it's easy to compare them and book a ticket directly.
Bus tickets can be purchased online, at bus/train stations, sometimes it's also possible directly at the bus driver. Slovak Lines, RegioJet as well as Flixbus run their own app as well. In general, we recommend buying tickets online, specifically via aforementioned Omio portal. Not only can you secure and choose your seat (some lines can be really busy and there's a risk it will be sold) or buy some add-ons in advance, but there can be some surcharges when buying a ticket at the station, partners´selling points or by the bus driver.
(Not only) from Vienna airport to Bratislava:
bus stops overview
In comparison to travelling by train, one of the advantages of buses is that there are more spots where you can hop on or hop off. In Bratislava, most buses leave from the Bratislava central Bus station Mlynske Nivy and stop also at Most SNP, in some cases Einsteinova street, too. The most frequent departure / arrival station in Vienna is the main train station (Wien Hauptbahnhof, sometimes referred to as Südtiroler Platz), however, all buses pass around the Schwechat airport, so it is possible to get on/off there as well. There are some bus lines with Vienna Erdberg as a terminal stop as well. If you would like to get by bus from Vienna to Bratislava Airport, take the FlixBus. FlixBus offers direct buses between Vienna Airport and Bratislava Airport, too.
In Bratislava, all the bus stops are easily accessible by Bratislava public transport, the same goes for Vienna. To find a suitable connection there's nothing easier than using Journey Planner on the official Bratislava public transport website or planning your journey via Vienna Route Planner.
Bus providers on the route Vienna - Bratislava
There are more companies operating between Bratislava and Vienna you can choose from. The largest are Slovak Lines, RegioJet and Flixbus. Maybe you also know Eurolines or Eurobus - you can still find some bus connections to Vienna, nevertheless, these are really just occasional. All mentioned companies offer a high level of comfort with special services on board. What makes them different? First of all frequency and timetables, prices and transport conditions - e.g. what is or not allowed on board, whether additional luggage is charged and how much etc.
Additional information
As pet- and sports lovers, we know that a possibility to take your “beloveds” with you can be really important when planning a trip, no matter whether it's a dog or a bike. Nevertheless, different bus companies have varying restrictions about what is and is not allowed on board. The best thing you can do is to check the up-to-date information directly on operators´ websites.
Brief summary:
Travelling from Vienna to Bratislava by bus (and vice versa)
Distance: 55 km, around 80 km by bus
Departure/Arrival stations:
Bratislava: Bratislava Airport / main bus station Mlynske Nivy - Most SNP - Einsteinova
Vienna: Wien Hbf. (Südtiroler Platz) / Vienna Erdberg - Vienna Airport Schwechat
Travel time: 1h 15 min on average
Direct bus: yes
Frequency of train connections: high, almost every hour, no night bus
Timetable: available via Omio platform or by particular providers (Slovak Lines, RegioJet, FlixBus)
Ticket price: from €5, €6-8 on average
Ticket purchase: online HERE (for Slovak Lines, RegioJet) or HERE (for Flixbus), in an app, directly at the bus station, partners´ selling points or bus driver
Basic comparison of the main bus providers
| Slovak Lines | RegioJet | Flixbus | |
| departure / arrival stations |
Bratislava: |
Bratislava: |
Bratislava: |
| stops |
Bratislava: |
Bratislava: |
Bratislava: |
| frequency | high: almost every hour | medium to high: almost every 1-2 hours, depends on the day and route | medium to high: depends on the day and route |
| duration | 1:00 - 1:25 | 1:30 | 1:10 - 2:00 |
| ticket purchase | online, mobile app, Nivy Bus station, at the bus driver | online, mobile app, RegioJet and Student Agency branches, partners' selling points, at the bus driver | online, mobile app, Flixshops and official ticket sales points, at the bus drive |
| mobile app | yes | yes | yes |
| additional service/info |
dogs up to 10 kgs and bike allowed, plus-sized baggage or more luggage for an extra fee (€3), premium seats, take-off guarantee, cancelling a ticket 15 min before departure
|
dogs up to 10 kgs, other animals and bikes allowed, additional or special luggage for an extra fee (€1), guarantee of departure/arrival on time, cancelling a ticket 15 min before departure
|
animals not allowed at all, bike allowed, additional or special luggage for an extra fee (€4-6), cancelling a ticket 15 minutes before departure
|
Which one should you choose?
All the companies offer a comfortable way of travelling between Vienna and Bratislava with high-level onboard services. Therefore, the timetable, price, route (stops or terminal station) or transport terms and conditions might play a major role in the decision.
If you find important:
- High flexibility in time: all with Slovak Lines at the top
- Terminal station:
Vienna Airport Schwechat - any
Vienna Hbf - depends on day time, but Flixbus offer the most connections
Vienna Erdberg - Flixbus
Bratislava Central bus station - any
Bratislava Einsteinova - RegioJet, Flixbus
Bratislava Airport - Flixbus - Low price: RegioJet, bud depends on a particular bus
- Low prices of adds-on (extra luggage etc.): RegioJet
- Travelling with animals: RegioJet / Slovak Lines (only dogs are allowed)
- Travelling with a bike: any
Other transportation options
Bratislava and Vienna are very well connected by all means of transport. Check THIS guide to choose the best one to fit your needs. Basically, in addition to travelling by bus, you can choose between train, boat, taxi...
...or if you are a cycling lover, just grab your bike and ride! :)
Do you have any questions about travelling by bus from Vienna to Bratislava? Do you have your own tip, information that might be useful to other travellers? Or is there anything you would like to tell us? Don´t hesitate to let us know!