Explanations of terms you will meet when booking an apartment, arriving and getting around Bratislava. Each term links to an article with more details.
The accommodation tax is a local tax that the City of Bratislava charges as a fixed amount for each person and overnight stay. The rate is EUR 3.50 in the Old Town (Staré Mesto) district and EUR 3.00 in the other city districts, and it is payable for no more than 60 overnight stays with one payer in a calendar year. Because it is charged per person, a couple pays double, and it may not be included in the price shown on a booking portal, so check the booking breakdown.
An apartment is a self-contained furnished flat that you rent in full, so compared with a hotel room you get more space and your own kitchen. For families and groups of friends it often works out better value, because you pay for the whole unit rather than for each person and room separately. A hotel, on the other hand, has the advantage of a reception desk and daily cleaning, which is why arrival at apartments is usually self-service.
A booking portal, known in the industry as an OTA (online travel agency), is a platform such as Booking.com or Airbnb that arranges bookings between guests and hosts for a commission. It makes it easy to compare offers and reviews, but it is safest to keep payments and communication within the platform. The local accommodation tax may not be included in the price on the portal, so check the breakdown of the amount before you confirm.
Bratislava CARD is the tourist card of the city and region, sold in versions for 24, 48 or 72 hours. It includes free or discounted admission to a number of museums and attractions, including Bratislava Castle, a guided walking tour of the historic centre, and it can also be bought with unlimited travel on public transport. At Devín Castle, cardholders get one free entry. It pays off mainly when you plan several paid attractions in a day and use public transport a lot.
Dopravný podnik Bratislava, the Bratislava Public Transport Company, operates most of the city's public transport, that is the trams, buses and trolleybuses that belong to the IDS BK system. You can cross the historic centre on foot, but for longer journeys, for example to the Main Railway Station, to Eurovea or to Petržalka, public transport is worth it. A paper ticket must be validated in the validator when you board, whereas a ticket from the app is valid from the time of activation.
Cancellation terms set out until when you can cancel a booking free of charge and what penalty applies if you cancel after that date. Read them before you confirm the booking and keep the confirmation email, which is your proof of the agreed terms. If your dates are uncertain, for example on business trips, it is worth choosing an offer with flexible terms.
Check-in is the act of arriving, when the guest moves in, shows an identity document and receives access to the room or apartment. In a hotel it is handled at reception, whereas at apartments it is increasingly done online and on a self-service basis. Each property sets its own arrival window, so check it in your booking confirmation.
Check-out is your departure from the accommodation, which you need to complete by the time stated in the booking terms. On a self-service stay this usually means locking the apartment and returning the key where the instructions say, without meeting any staff. A later departure is only possible by agreement with the host and usually for an extra charge, depending on occupancy.
Bratislava is divided into city districts such as the Old Town (Staré Mesto), Ružinov, Nové Mesto, Petržalka and Dúbravka, and each of them has a different character. For a guest the difference is noticeable, for example, in the accommodation tax, which is higher in the Old Town than in the other parts of the city. The city district also regulates the opening hours of venues in the centre, so it is worth checking a bar's opening hours with the bar itself.
A cleaning fee is a one-off item that the host charges for cleaning the apartment after the guest leaves. Because it is paid per stay rather than per night, it raises the average price per night more noticeably on a shorter stay than on a longer one. When comparing offers, always work out the total amount for the stay including this fee, which is also charged in our apartments.
A deposit is an amount that the host blocks on the guest's payment card as a safeguard in case of damage. The money does not leave your account; the bank only holds it temporarily and the block is released after the stay ends. In our apartments the deposit works exactly like this, as a block that is not charged.
Direct booking means that you book your stay directly with the host, for example on their website, rather than through a booking portal that takes a commission for acting as intermediary. The advantage is direct contact with the accommodation manager, with whom you agree the terms of your stay without a middleman. With a direct booking on our website you pay in advance by card, and the booking is created only once payment has been made.
Eurovea stands on Pribinova Street in the Old Town, right on the Danube riverbank, and combines shops, restaurants and a long riverside promenade. It is within walking distance of the historic centre, and from the riverbank you can walk along the Danube all the way to the SNP Bridge. In the evening the promenade is one of the most pleasant places in the city, because the terraces here look out onto the castle.
IDS BK is the integrated transport system in the Bratislava Region, which brings city transport, regional buses and trains together under one fare system. For getting around the city, zones 100 and 101 are enough; they are sold together, and the most convenient way to buy a ticket is in the IDS BK mobile app. On trains in the Bratislava Region a single IDS BK ticket is valid together with city public transport, so you can manage a full day trip by train without buying anything else.
A key box, also known as a lockbox, is a secure box with a numeric code in which the key to the accommodation is waiting. In our apartments the doors are opened with an ordinary key, and the code does not belong to a lock on the door but to this box. You will find the code on the online check-in page only after you have completed registration, so only a verified guest from the booking can get to the key.
In accommodation, a long stay means a stay of weeks to months, for example during a work project, a house move or the renovation of your flat. Compared with a standard lease, there is no one-year contract and no need to furnish a flat, since you move in with your personal belongings and start living there straight away. Hosts usually agree the monthly price individually according to the dates and length of stay, so it is worth sending an enquiry in advance.
M. R. Štefánik Airport, known by the code BTS, lies approximately 8–10 km from the centre of Bratislava. During the day, city bus line 61 runs from here to the Main Railway Station, at night it is replaced by line N61, and the Airport Shuttle also runs to the terminal from the Nivy bus station, covering the journey in about 15 minutes. Since 1 July 2026 the airport's official taxi partner has been Bolt, which also has a kiosk in the arrivals hall for ordering a ride without the app.
The minimum stay is a condition under which the accommodation cannot be booked for a shorter stay than the host sets. Some apartments have a minimum of two nights and in the off season often allow a single night too, while on high demand dates, such as trade fairs or long weekends, the requirement may be stricter. If the booking system does not let you choose one night, try moving your dates or write to the host directly.
On Slovak motorways and expressways, including the D1 and D2 near Bratislava, a car up to 3.5 t needs an electronic motorway vignette. According to the 2026 price list, a 1-day vignette costs EUR 8.10, a 10-day one EUR 10.80, a 30-day one EUR 17.10 and an annual one EUR 90. You can buy it online at eznamka.sk, in the app or at a petrol station, always before you enter a toll section.
Night public transport lines are marked with the letter N and run in Bratislava from 23:30 to 4:30, when daytime services are not running. The services meet at an interchange hub where connections between them are guaranteed, so you can transfer onwards even after midnight. At night the airport is served by line N61, which links it with the Mlynské nivy bus station and the Main Railway Station.
Nivy Centrum on Mlynské nivy in Ružinov opened in 2021 and brings together a shopping centre, Bratislava's main bus station and a covered market hall with local produce under one roof. The complex also includes a public rooftop garden, where you can go to relax between shopping. Long-distance buses and the Airport Shuttle to Bratislava airport depart from the station, and some buses from Vienna airport also stop here.
The Old Town (Staré Mesto) is the historic centre of Bratislava and also a city district, home to the castle, St Martin's Cathedral, the Main Square and most of the bars and restaurants. You can walk the classic loop from Michael's Gate through the squares to the Danube riverbank in half a day, so you hardly need public transport here. Accommodation in this part of the city has a higher accommodation tax, and on-street parking here falls into the most expensive PAAS band.
Online guest registration, often also called online check-in, replaces signing in at a reception desk, and you can complete it from your phone in a few minutes. Using the link from the host, you upload your ID card or passport and your identity is verified, with no need to install anything or create an account. In our apartments registration is a condition of arrival, because the code for the key box appears on the online check-in page only after it has been completed.
PAAS, the Bratislava Parking Assistant, divides the city into parking zones in four tariff bands, in which visitors pay EUR 0.50 to EUR 2.00 per hour. In the Old Town the rate is EUR 2.00 per hour on working days and EUR 1.00 at weekends and on public holidays, and the exact rules for a street are shown on the road sign at the entrance to the zone. You can pay in the PAAS app, at a parking machine or at a sales point, and without payment you risk a fine.
P+R (Park and Ride) car parks operate on the outskirts of Bratislava, for example in Petržalka, Krasňany and Vrakuňa. You leave your car here for a low fee or for free and travel into the centre by public transport, avoiding both the PAAS paid zones and the search for a space in the streets. They are especially useful when you spend the whole day in the centre and do not need the car during it.
Pet-friendly means that the accommodation or venue welcomes guests with a pet, with each property setting its own policy. Some places have a limit on the size or number of dogs, and others charge a one-off supplement for more thorough cleaning, so confirm the conditions before you pay. On Bratislava public transport a dog without a carrier travels on a short lead, muzzled and with its own ticket.
Private accommodation means that you have a whole self-contained flat at your disposal, with your own bathroom and kitchen, and you share no corridors or common rooms with anyone. Unlike a hotel or hostel, there is no reception and no staff who come to clean the room during your stay. It suits guests who want peace and privacy or who arrive at irregular times, for example after a late flight.
Self check-in is a self-service arrival in which you get into the accommodation on your own, without a reception desk and without waiting for the owner. In our apartments you first complete the online registration with your identity document, and then on the online check-in page you will find the code for the box containing the apartment key. It is particularly handy for a late flight or an arrival by train, because you do not have to call anyone or arrange an exact meeting time.
A short-term rental means that you rent a fully furnished flat or apartment for a few nights to a few weeks. Compared with a long-term lease you need neither a one-year contract nor a large security deposit, because a booking is enough, and compared with a hotel you get more space, your own kitchen and privacy. Arrival with this type of accommodation is usually self-service, as there is no permanent reception.
The Small Carpathians are a mountain range that begins right on the edge of Bratislava, and on their slopes lies a wine region with the villages and towns of Svätý Jur, Pezinok and Modra. The Small Carpathian Wine Route links small family winemakers as well as large modern wineries, and it is at its liveliest during events such as the Open Cellars Days. By train you can get here from Bratislava in 14 to 18 minutes, so after a tasting you do not have to get behind the wheel.
Tapni sa is a service of the Bratislava Public Transport Company thanks to which you do not need to buy a ticket in advance: when you board, simply tap a contactless card, phone or watch on the validator. If you do not select anything on the display, you automatically buy a 30-minute ticket, and the system tracks a daily cap, so in one day you never pay more than the price of a day ticket. Tapni sa tickets are valid only in DPB vehicles, not on regional buses or trains.
In Bratislava you will almost always order a taxi through an app; Bolt has the densest network, and Uber and the Slovak Hopin also operate here. These platforms only arrange the ride between you and the driver; you see the price before ordering and it changes with demand, so it is worth having at least two apps installed. With a classic taxi ordered by phone or at a taxi rank, the fare is calculated by the taximeter, so confirm it in advance and ask for a receipt.