Public Transport in Bratislava: Where and How to Buy Tickets

How you can pay for public transport in Bratislava, where to buy a travel pass and what you need in order to do so, how much a ticket costs and how to read the timetable at the stop — here is everything in order.

How public transport in Bratislava works

Passenger transport within the city is run by the municipal company Dopravný podnik Bratislava (DPB), and city transport itself is called mestská hromadná doprava — MHD for short. The system includes trams (električka in Slovak), trolleybuses and buses. Daytime lines run roughly from 4:30 to 23:30, and separate night routes operate overnight.

Tickets are the same for every type of transport: with one ticket you can travel by tram, change to a bus or trolleybus and back again — within the ticket’s period of validity. All IDS BK tickets allow transfers and are valid on night transport as well.

Important: IDS BK tickets are valid not only on city transport, but also on trains of the Os and REx categories and on Arriva regional buses within the Bratislava Region. The exceptions are the SMS ticket, the electronic ticket paid for with a bank card, and a travel pass on a bank card: these are valid only on DPB city lines in zones 100 and 101.

There is one more detail that newcomers forget: every bus and trolleybus stop in Bratislava is a request stop. If you are already on board, press the “Stop” button on the handrail in good time. If you are waiting at a stop, stand where you can be seen so that the driver notices you. This rule does not apply to trams.

How much travel costs: fares

The price of a journey depends on how long it lasts and how many fare zones you cross. Concessionary categories (pupils, students, pensioners and holders of a ŤZP card) get a 50 % discount.

Paper single-journey tickets

• 30 minutes (zones 100+101) — 1,20 € / concessionary 0,60 €
• 60 minutes (zones 100+101) — 1,80 € / 0,90 €
• 90 minutes (3 zones) — 2,40 € / 1,20 €
• 120 minutes (4 zones) — 2,90 € / 1,45 €
• 180 minutes (6 zones) — 4,00 € / 2,00 €
• 300 minutes (no zone limit) — 6,10 € / 3,05 €

Electronic tickets (chip card and mobile apps)

An electronic ticket is about 10 % cheaper than a paper one:

• 30 minutes — 1,09 € / concessionary 0,55 €
• 60 minutes — 1,60 € / 0,80 €
• 90 minutes — 2,12 € / 1,06 €
• 120 minutes — 2,60 € / 1,30 €
• 300 minutes — 5,54 € / 2,77 €

SMS tickets

• 40 minutes — 1,20 €, number 1140
• 70 minutes — 1,80 €, number 1100
• 24 hours — 5,40 €, number 1124

There are no concessionary SMS tickets.

Paying by bank card on board

• 30 minutes — 1,09 € / concessionary 0,55 €
• 60 minutes — 1,60 € / 0,80 €
• 24 hours — 4,85 € / 2,43 €
• daily charging limit — 4,85 € / 2,43 €

Fares are reviewed from time to time. The full, up-to-date price list is always on the DPB website.

Paper tickets: where to buy them and how to validate them

An ordinary single-journey paper ticket (lístok in Slovak) is sold by the machines standing at the stops. These are small yellow or red terminals. The list of ticket types is on the left, the selection buttons on the right. Above them are the coin slot, a display showing the ticket and payment status, and a cancel button.

Buying one is simple: choose the option you need, press the matching button on the right, drop in the coins — and after a couple of seconds you hear the printer. Collect the ticket from the small window on the lower left of the terminal. Note: coin machines do not accept banknotes.

The second option is a bank card. Most terminals have this system and a card payment button: choose your ticket, press the button, hold the card against the reader at the bottom of the terminal, and the ticket drops into the window. Full-price tickets are printed on a pink background, concessionary ones on green.

If a machine is out of order or does not give change, you can tell from the indicator lights under the display: steady green — everything is fine, flashing green — the machine gives no change, red — the machine is out of service.

When you board, the ticket has to be validated (punched) in the yellow or white validators on the handrails. Insert the ticket with the side shown by the red arrow; the time from which it is valid is printed on the edge. Validate the ticket only once — a ticket punched twice is invalid. You do not need to validate it again when you change vehicles.

Not every stop has a machine, so it makes sense to buy several tickets in advance. Paper tickets are also sold at newsagents’ kiosks and at DPB branches.

Electronic ways to pay

Mobile app

You can pay for your journey through the official IDS BK mobile app (available on Google Play and the App Store); DPB also supports the Cyril app. Once installed, you create a profile and either top up an electronic wallet or link a bank card.

An electronic ticket is bought immediately before boarding: the clock starts as soon as you pay. The app offers both full-price and concessionary tickets, they are valid on all types of transport, and they cost about 10 % less than paper ones. Cards from various banks work. The same app will plan your route and show a minute-by-minute timetable.

Contactless chip card

A bezkontaktná čipová karta is a plastic travel card with a chip that works as a personal electronic wallet. You select the ticket in the validator’s menu, hold the card against the lower part of the display and keep it there until the ticket is written. The money is taken from the wallet, and you can check the ticket’s validity and your remaining balance with the INFO button.

You can apply for the card online on the DPB website or at the company’s branches.

An ordinary bank card

You can buy an electronic ticket on board by holding an ordinary contactless card (Mastercard, Maestro, VISA) against a validator marked with the contactless payment symbol — for the basic 30-minute ticket you do not need to select anything. To buy a different ticket (60-minute, 24-hour or concessionary), first select it on the validator’s display and then present the card. You can pay for fellow passengers’ tickets the same way.

This method has a daily limit: once it is reached, no further tickets are charged that day and the whole amount is taken once at the end of the day. Important: tickets bought by card are valid only on DPB transport in zones 100 and 101 — they are not valid on regional buses or trains.

Prepaid travel pass (električenka)

If you use public transport all the time, a travel pass works out cheaper. It is a personal plastic card with a photograph and the validity dates; during an inspection you simply show it to the inspector.

Approximate prices for zones 100 + 101:

• 7 days — 16,20 € / concessionary 8,10 €
• 30 days — 40,50 € / 20,25 €
• 90 days — 108,20 € / 54,10 €
• 365 days — 263,00 € / 131,50 €

The difference is obvious: an annual pass costs considerably less than twelve monthly top-ups. If your route goes beyond the city, regional zones are added to the basic ones and the price rises.

The plastic card itself is not reissued — you simply top it up at a branch, at the red machines or online. You can order a pass through the DPB website (the card is sent by post or can be collected at a chosen point) or at a branch, where you receive it straight away.

Fines for travelling without a ticket

Inspections are carried out by a DPB inspector, who must show an official badge. On request you have to show a valid ticket or pass, and if you are travelling at a concessionary fare, also the document proving your entitlement. With an SMS ticket you show the SMS itself on your phone.

The current fines are:

• 79 € — if you pay on the spot during the inspection;
• 89 € — if you pay within 15 calendar days;
• 99 € — the basic rate once that period has passed.

If you did have a valid pass but could not show it, you can prove this afterwards at the DPB surcharge desk at Olejkárska 1 and pay only the 5 € handling fee.

There is also a chance of a reduction: if after a fine you buy a 90-day or 365-day pass and come to the surcharge desk within 15 calendar days, the fine is reduced and in some cases cancelled altogether. You can use this once every 24 months. For the current terms and rates see the page on DPB transport inspections.

If the fine is not paid, DPB passes the case to a third party for collection, and late-payment interest, court fees and enforcement costs are added to the amount.

Timetables and fare zones

How to read the timetable at a stop

A printed timetable is posted at every stop. At the top are the route number and the name of the final stop — you will see the same destination on the display of the approaching vehicle.

The table has three columns of times and one for direction. The hours are on the left in bold, the departure minutes from this stop to the right of them. The first column is weekdays, the second the school-holiday period, the third weekends and public holidays.

The fourth column on the right uses a downward arrow to show the direction of travel from your stop and the journey time to each following stop. It is a handy way to work out which time band to buy a ticket for.

Fare zones

The Bratislava Region is divided into fare zones. Bratislava itself covers two — 100 and 101 — and tickets bought for travel around the city are valid in both by default.

If you are travelling to a neighbouring town, the price depends on the number of zones on the route. Zone 100 counts as two: if your route passes through it, it is counted twice.

For example, a journey from the centre of Bratislava to Senec passes through zones 100, 101, 610, 620 and 630 — five zones in total, but with zone 100 counted twice you need a six-zone ticket. You can see the fare zone map on the IDS BK website.

Where to buy a ticket or a pass in person

Dopravný podnik Bratislava branches are open on weekdays; they are closed at weekends and on public holidays. Every branch has a photo booth, and you can pay in cash or by card.

• Hodžovo námestie — the underpass beneath the Presidential Palace, 07:00–19:00
• Hlavná stanica — Námestie Franza Liszta, 07:00–19:00
• Olejkárska 1 — 07:00–19:00 (this is also where the surcharge desk is and where duplicate passes are issued)
• Petržalka — Mlynarovičova 14, 08:00–16:00, break 11:30–12:00
• Krasňany — Gaštanový hájik, 08:00–16:00, break 11:30–12:00
• Dúbravka — OC Brestovka (branch temporarily closed, check the website)

Opening hours and the list of branches change from time to time — before setting out, check the page listing DPB branches. You can also extend a pass at the red machines and online through the DPB e-shop.

A free travel pass from the age of 70

Almost nobody knows about the most useful concession of all. People over 70 are entitled to a free annual SeniorPas travel pass, valid across the whole network — 365 days at no charge.

It is not issued automatically: you have to apply for it and have the card made. If someone in your family is over seventy, this saves several hundred euros a year. Check how to apply at the carrier’s customer centre.

The bus to Austria: line 901

Cross-border line 901 runs from Bratislava to Hainburg in Austria — an ordinary city bus, not an international service. You buy the ticket from the driver in cash, by card or from an electronic wallet, but a ticket bought this way is valid for one journey only and does not allow transfers.

A ticket bought in the IDS BK mobile app, by contrast, does allow transfers and is valid for 60 minutes in zones 100+101+190, that is Bratislava, Wolfsthal and Hainburg. The basic ticket costs the same as from the driver.

Passes for this line are sold at the ticket office of the Mlynské nivy bus station on the first underground floor and in the app.

Where to buy a pass: what changed in 2026

You used to have to go to a customer centre for a travel pass. Since 16 April 2026 passes have been sold directly at the stops: the carrier has upgraded around 80 machines, which can now top up and issue prepaid tickets.

You can also buy a pass online, at the carriers’ points of sale and at railway ticket offices. Note that passes exist only in electronic form — on a contactless chip card, a student ISIC card with a chip or a contactless bank card. There are no paper passes.

You choose the validity period yourself — anything from 7 to 365 days. The longer the period, the cheaper each day of travel works out. If you travel daily, do the sums: a monthly pass usually pays for itself after about two weeks of single tickets.

If public transport is no longer enough for you and you are thinking about a car of your own, work out the unavoidable costs in advance — above all car insurance in Slovakia: PZP, prices and fines.

Frequently asked questions

Which ticket should I buy if I am in Bratislava for just one day?

A 24-hour ticket is the most convenient: you can order it by SMS or pay by bank card on board. If you pay by card, the daily limit applies automatically — you will not be charged more than a set amount in one day.

Is a ticket valid when I change vehicles?

Yes. All IDS BK tickets allow transfers: within the period of validity you can change as often as you like, as long as you stay within the number of zones the ticket covers. A paper ticket does not need to be validated again.

Can I buy an SMS ticket with a Ukrainian SIM card?

No, SMS tickets are sold only for numbers of Slovak operators. If you do not have a Slovak SIM card, use the mobile app, a bank card or a paper ticket.

What should I do if the SMS ticket does not arrive?

If the reply SMS takes longer than a couple of minutes, request a duplicate. If the ticket has not arrived within 10 minutes of your request, the order is cancelled automatically. You may only board with a ticket you have already received — a dead phone is not accepted as an excuse during an inspection.

Are there concessions for students and pensioners?

Yes, pupils, students, pensioners and holders of a ŤZP card get a 50 % discount on both single tickets and travel passes. You need a document proving your entitlement.

Read also: passenger transport companies in Slovakia, a day trip from Bratislava and outdoor pools and beaches in Bratislava.

Important. The information in this article has been collected from publicly available sources online and is accurate at the time of publication. Conditions and rules change. Before making any decisions, check the current information and consult a relevant specialist.