Monday, October 23, 2006

A Tale of Two Cities: Bratislava to Vienna












Karlsplatz cathedral, Mozart's Closet and nightscene


There is nowhere in the world where two capitals are so close to each other. There is a distance of 40 miles between Bratislava and Vienna, and takes approximately 90 minutes by bus and 50 minutes by train. It actually turns out that it is cheaper and quicker to travel by train. 100sk cheaper. It is 400sk return by bus and only 300sk by train.
Vienna has a population twice of Bratislava. Unlike it's poorer counterpart, Vienna is modern, confident and bustling. What's more, Vienna is cleaner and has less graffiti-riddled towerblocks than Bratislava. It is also around 3 times as expensive as Bratislava. The avareage museum costs around 9 Euros. When one is used to Slovakian wages, it can be difficult as you are limited to walking around the parks and old town. A packed lunch is recommended. Even the Schnitzels and beer is more expensive!!!
However, a daytrip is to this great city is doable with limited funds. One of the best things about the city is that it is one of the most bike friendly cities in Europe. Visitors to the city can get around by a city bike wich costs next to nothing to hire. About 1 Euro an hour. Just add your credit card details and take it away.

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