Today I am starting series of articles on Slovakia. This one is about getting to Kosice. I will cover getting there by bus and by train.
Why visit Kosice? It is charming city included in UNESCO World Heritage list. It has an impressive church in the city center, many cozy old streets and welcoming vibes.
Today I came here by LEO Express bus from Uzhgorod in Ukraine.
By Bus
It depends where you’re going from. Let’s cover different options:
1) Bus from Ukraine to Kosice
You have buses going from Ukrainian cities Mukachevo and Uzhgorod.
Check here for schedules and prices: http://busfor.ua/
I would suggest using busfor, but if you want even more options check: http://bus.com.ua/
Prices are usually around 6-9 EUR
I took a LEO Express bus from Uzhgorod to Kosice at 19;20. What can I say? It is a comfortable bus with a toilet and a steward on board. They will offer you free coffee/tea and be attentive. Good choice I think.
The only drawback of going by bus from Ukraine to Slovakia is the border. It is waiting from 1 to 2 hours to be checked by both countries’ border and customs officers. It is very tiring and upsetting. But in the end you just get used to it.
2) Bus from Budapest to Kosice
There is a bus connection between Budapest and Kosice.
You can check the schedule and buy tickets here: http://www.eurobus.sk/en/
Prices approx. 15 EUR
3) Domestic Slovak buses to Kosice
There is a magical schedule service in Slovakia, – http://cp.atlas.sk/vlakbusmhd/spojenie/
I personally believe it is one of the best travel planning tools among European countries. It allows you to find the transport between destination in Slovakia and from the neighboring countries to Slovakia. Super handy!
So check there how to reach Kosice by bus from any Slovak city.
By Train
1) Train from Bratislava to Kosice
Probably the most popular option in Slovakia (as Bratislava and Kosice are the biggest Slovak cities).
There are daily trains and overnight trains. The beauty of Slovakia is that you have the Slovak Rail company competing with the private rail companies as RegioJet and LEO Express.
Check schedules here: http://cp.atlas.sk/vlakbusmhd/spojenie/
And check prices on every rail site to get the best results:
RegioJet would be the cheapest option here. Their prices start at 4,50 EUR and if you have ISIC you can get a discount: https://www.regiojet.sk/
Slovak Rail a bit more expensive but it offers the sleeping cabins for overnight journeys: http://www.slovakrail.sk/
2) Train from Budapest to Kosice
There are two direct IC trains from Budapest to Kosice.
To check the schedules go here: http://elvira.mav-start.hu/
The disadvantage here is that you can’t buy the ticket online. You have to do that at the train station in Budapest.
3) Train from Prague to Kosice
You have few options here:
- with RegioJet – check regiojet.sk for schedules and prices
- with Czech Rail – check https://www.cd.cz for schedules and prices
- with Slovak Rail – check http://www.slovakrail.sk/ for schedules and prices
Thank you for reading!
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Pavlo is an experienced travel writer published by CNN, BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, The Irish Times, Time Out, DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet. He’s been writing about Poland for 9+ years.