LET'S SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT...
First of all let me get one thing straight. The title of this blog does not mean that Bratislava looks and feels like you are in Britain. No, it is far more beautiful and traditional. However I saw more British and Irish people on stag dos than I did local people. Bratislava is known for stag dos as it is so cheap! Slovakia is in the euro but it has remained cheaper than a lot of other countries in the euro. In all honesty when we visited Bratislava, it was pretty much deserted but that meant we got to enjoy the lovely views, pretty traditional buildings and cobbled, narrow streets all to ourselves. Strangely though, Bratislava seemed to come alive on Sunday. I can only assume that it was so quiet due to the time of year that we visited, (January). The weather in Bratislava is similar to that of the UK. FREEZING! The temperature dropped to -7 degrees Celsius at some point during our trip, and it really did feel stupidly cold. However it was still a lovely place to explore. The temperature does sometimes reach the low 30's in the height of summer. (So unpredictable, just like the UK).
THE INS AND OUTS...
We stayed right in the middle of the old town, in all honestly we didn't venture out of the old town much but it didn't look like there was anything else to see anyway. We went through the rest of the city when travelling from the airport to the hotel. The old town of Bratislava is very small and you can easily access all of it on foot. My partner and I chose to do a walking tour of the city which lasted around an hour and a half. This tour was free as we purchased a 24 hour city card which cost us 8 euros each (prices correct as of January 16). You can purchase a city card from the main tourist information centre which is right in the centre of the old town. This card also included free entry or money off many other things like museums and tours. The tour was lovely as Bratislava is a very quaint little place, however in all honesty we were just way too cold to even concentrate properly on what the tour guide was saying. However we did take some photos of some lovely buildings which are rich in history, including: the beautiful pink Primate's palace, the Old town hall and the main square. After our tour we then visited St Martin's Cathedral which was lovely. We discussed visiting the castle but unfortunately we just didn't have enough time. If you wanted to visit the castle, there is a little red tourist train that stops outside the Slovak national opera house in the Hviezdoslavovo square. This train costs 30 euros each (prices correct as of January 16) but includes a tour of the old town and it then takes you right up to the castle and brings you back down again. You can visit Vienna from Bratislava via train, it takes an hour from the main station and drops you to Wien Hbf. This train takes about an hour and costs 14 euros return per adut, or 7 euros return per child or dog. (prices correct as of January 2016). One thing I would recommend anyone who visits Bratislava to do, is go to the UFO tower. This is located on SNP bridge near the old town, and the observation part and bar at the top is in the shape of a UFO. You will definitely see it a mile off! You do have to pay to enter the tower, but it was quite cheap and there are no stairs! You go up in an elevator and then you can either go in to the bar/restaurant or continue up to the observation deck. This was hands down the best part of the break for me. We stood and watched the sun go down which was lovely. We then went and had a couple of drinks in the bar which had a panoramic view of the old town. Please note the prices of the food and drinks here are a lot higher than everywhere else in the city but I think it is worth it as the view is amazing and the food looked like it was excellent quality. The biggest shock for me was the view from the toilet cubicle... (photo below)
WHAT'S THE VERDICT...
When we booked Bratislava, we were quite unsure what to expect, however we were pleasantly surprised. If you are looking for a big busy city with plenty of culture, then Bratislava is not for you. However if you are happy to sit in a quirky bar (with a cheap local beer), taking in the views of some pretty buildings and monuments, relaxing enjoying a quiet little place then Bratislava is perfect for you. Please ignore all the bad reviews of Bratislava saying it is boring and a complete waste of money! if you are going to compare it to places like Barcelona or Prague, then yes you may be a little disappointed, but you must bear in mind that Bratislava isn't as well discovered and visited as a lot of other European cities. The only advice I could really give you is find an affordable deal and go and check it out for yourself, but keep an open mind! One thing that would definitely sway my decision if I had never been before, is the amazing cocktails! I experienced my favourite ever cocktail in Bratislava, it was called a Vodka Lychee and was served in the Sky Bar on Hviezdoslavovo square, (if that's not enough, it comes with a free stunning view! photo below). If you ever travel to Bratislava, look out for it, you will not be disappointed.
WHAT'S THE DAMAGE...
Bratislava is so affordable! Me and my partner paid £93 each which included return flights from London Luton, return coaches from Coventry to Luton airport and 2 nights bed and breakfast in a lovely hotel. When we were there we spent barely anything! We found a lovely little place called 17's bar. We had a meal and 3 alcoholic drinks each including beer, spirits and wine, the total bill came to less than £30. However if you go to more upmarket places like sky bars, you can expect to pay London prices. So Bratislava really is as cheap or expensive as you make it, and fits any budget!