SanDiego1K

We plan to go from Kosice to Vienna by train in September. I'd like to check the train schedule. If so, on what website? Should we buy our tickets in advance? I think it was Budapest to Vienna where we left it to the last minute and paid quite a bit more as a consequence. Also, will the ticket include public transportation within Vienna?

Track

Unfortunately the (excellent) through trains between Vienna and Kosice were withdrawn in 2009, and now you have to change trains in Bratislava. There aren't any reduced fares shown on the Austrian Railways website, but the Slovak Railways may have a special offer. I would ask in Kosice; otherwise just buy a domestic Slovak ticket to Bratislava and in Bratislava buy the cheap border-crossing ticket, which includes public transportation within Vienna. I should say that I bought this (round-trip) ticket in Vienna a few years ago, and it included public transportation within Bratislava; I'm certain it also works in the other direction. I don't know whether the local public transportation is included only in the round-trip ticket, but it's so cheap it really shouldn't matter. Check the oebb.at website (click on "English" if you need to).

SanDiego1K

Thank you, Track. From what you say, I will be buying separate tickets from Kosice to Bratislava and then Bratislava to Vienna. If so, I'll break the trip in Bratislava. Do I need to request a particular ticket to get public transport included in Vienna? Also, I'm having trouble figuring out the price and how to buy. I can find the schedule here but am missing something that is undoubtedly obvious in figuring out the price.

Edited to add:

What is the name of the Vienna station for the train from Bratislava? I have a NYT article that says it is Simmering Station, but I can only find an U-Bahn station with that name.

railways

Alternatively, you could travel via Budapest. Early start from Kosice (6am), but you could stop over in Budapest for lunch if you wish - there are Railjets every 2 hours from Budapest to Vienna.

The Budapest to Vienna sector you can book on the MAV website (Hungarian only): €13 2nd class, or €29 1st class, advance purchase for specific trains. You collect the tickets from machines at Budapest Keleti station, where you transfer from the Kosice EuroCity train onto the Vienna RJ train.

SanDiego1K

I thought about Budapest, but I've been there relatively recently and have never been to Bratislava. It's always fun to see a new town.

I'm very confused by the New York Times article on Bratislava that gives train station names I can't find.

"Direct trains for Hlavna Stanica, Bratislava’s main station, leave Simmering station in Vienna every hour. Other hourly connections leave Vienna from Sudbahnhof Ostbahn for Petrzalka train station in Bratislava. The journey takes about an hour. "

I can't find Simmering Station in Vienna and I can't find Petrzalka Station in Bratislava.

railways

Trains from the main station in Bratislava go to Wien Hauptbahnhof (the new, partly-opened station near to the old Suedbahnhof), stopping at Simmering station (to connect to the U3).

Trains from Petrzalka (a bit of a way out, in the new town) also go to Wien Hbf and on to Meidling, but don't stop in Simmering.

Each operates roughly hourly during the day and takes about an hour.

Track

The cross-border ticket is called EURegio (at least in Austria it is) and costs 15 Euros for a round trip; it also includes a day-ticket for Vienna, which normally costs 7.10 Euros. On the OeBB webiste I see that a normal ticket from Vienna to Bratislava (without any local transport) costs 15.80 Euros, so the EURegio ticket is certainly a good deal, even if you don't use it to return to Bratislava.
As Railways noted, the trains run to the new Vienna main station (Hauptbahnhof). Brativlava hl.n. is the main station in town, and Petrzalka is on the outskirts (actually on the other side of the Danube). Bus 93 connects the two. You will arrive from Kosice at hl.n. and can leave for Vienna with a EURegio ticket from either Bratislava station. The main town (very nice, with good restaurants) is between the two.

ofto

The ZSSK (Slovak Railways) don't have any regular discount offers for the first leg of the trip. Slower trains are a bit cheaper than intercity, but all are quite reasonable.

The train from Kosice will leave you at Bratislava Main Station [Hlavna Stanica / Hl. st.]. You can leave your luggage there and walk to the old city center (10 minutes).

Trains to Vienna leave Hl. st. hourly or every two hours depending on the time of day. The ticket is not the same as the EURegion in the other direction, you do need to specially ask for public transportation in Vienna [+mhd Zone 100] to be included for €17,50, without it's €13,-.
Relevant stops coming into Vienna:
Stadtlau - metro U2 for 2nd district and central ring
Simmering - metro U3 for most other central connections
Wien Hbf. [Hauptbahnhof] - metro U1

Peterzalka station can be a bit of a challenge for non-natives to find, but if you're up for exploring a post-communist housing block jungle, go for it. This train only goes to Wien Hbf.

Since your ticket includes a return you can set it on or near a ticket machine if you do not still need it for public transportation, may be helpful to someone.

SanDiego1K

I am rethinking the trip, wondering whether to drop Kosice and simply go to Bratislava. We are to arrive in Vienna at 5pm. Is there a regular train station at VIE, or is there just the CAT station? If only the CAT, where do I need to go in Vienna to catch a train to Bratislava?

Or is it easier to rent a car and drive? Yes, I know, typical American question. Be kind.

14940674

I would recommend the bus from VIE to Bratislava. Two companies, Eurolines and Postbus, operate service on the route. Travel time varies from 45 minutes to one hour, and the buses stop at either the New Bridge (Most SNP/Nový most) or the central coach station (Autobusová stanica) in Mlynské Nivy. The bus should be far more convenient than traveling into Vienna and taking the train to Bratislava.

Timetables can be found at the links under "International buses":
Bus connections

SanDiego1K

Thank you. That's great.

SanDiego1K

Here it is 3 years on and I'm still thinking about this trip. In fact, I have it booked for 2017. (Thank you Austrian Airlines for opening up generous award inventory on your nonstop LAX-VIE that begins April 2017.) We will fly into Kosice, spend 2 nights there, then go to Bratislava for 1 night and on to Vienna. Has anything changed logistically? Are there better/faster train connections between Kosice and Bratislava? Should we buy tickets in advance rather than waiting til we are in Kosice?

railways

There's an express train every 2 hours in daytime which takes about 6 hours.

I took a couple of these trains a few weeks ago from Kosice as far as Poprad and back. They are traditional but very comfortable, modernised long-distance trains with free wifi and a "proper" restaurant car - at very reasonable prices. (You can check the menu on this page).

Best to book in advance on the Slovak Rail website, as long as you know which train you want to catch.

SanDiego1K

Thank you, railways, that's very helpful.

14940674

There is also a private competitor, RegioJet, that offers faster journey times on the route, albeit with fewer frequencies each day (3).