Changes in tourist transport before the summer season

Tourism in Bratislava has revived since the pandemic. Data thus far show that the number of visitors is returning to the figures from the record year of 2019, when more than 7 million tourists visited Bratislava. High traffic in the capital naturally creates pressure for local transport, however. In order to improve the accessibility of Bratislava for tourists, we have made several changes related to tourist transport before this year’s season. We have expanded the number of stops for tourist buses that are connected directly with the historic city centre, and we have also adopted measures to prevent tourist buses from blocking the flow of the city’s public transport.

The first major change relates to the Most SNP (SNP Bridge) stop on the embankment. In the past, tourist buses often stopped in this area, blocking the entrance to the stop for public transport vehicles. To improve the flow of public transport, this space is now reserved exclusively for the short-term boarding/exit of tourists to cruise ships at the port. Transporters that provide service to cruise ships arriving in Bratislava can apply for permission to stop using this form ↗︎.

At the same time, in order to improve the accessibility to the capital city, we have created 5 new stops for tourist buses at Suché mýto and Hodžovo námestie. The stops at Suché mýto are marked in both directions and, together with the stop at Hodžovo námestie, allow tourist buses to stop within easy reach of hotels as well as the historic city centre, and therefore also the most visited tourist sites.

“I’m very glad that these solutions have been successful. This is the result of intensive cooperation over the past three-quarters of a year, when the topic of transport intensified greatly. These new solutions, which are very important to us, have succeeded because we received data from our members showing where the pressure on transport solutions is most pronounced," said Vladimír Grežo, chairman of the board of the Bratislava Tourism Organisation.

“Suché mýto is an ideal place for the comfortable and safe entry and exit of tourists in relation to the historic centre. At the same time, regulation on the embankment and in connection with the alterations made in this area, such as the exclusion of cyclists from the Danube promenade and the new change to the pedestrian crossing between the embankment and the Old Town, makes the movement of tourists in this area easier and safer,” added the Deputy Mayor of the capital Tatiana Kratochvílova.

The deputy mayor also noted that the city wants to work on possible further adjustments in connection with tourist transport, based on the data and an assessment of the benefit from the currently introduced measures. She recalled the existing capacities that are still preserved for tourist transporters, such as those at Malá scéna, Bratislava Castle, Chatam Sófer, Slavín or Fajnorovo nábrežie.

An overview of all stops for tourist buses is available at Bratislava web ↗︎.