Bratislava Trams

[beerswiller]

Just to let people be aware of the ticketing systems used in a lot of European Cities.

Both myself and Wife are in our early 60s and visited Bratislava October 2016.
Having visited many Cities in Europe the ticketing system is the same. You buy the tickets from a kiosk or ticket machine. When you board the Tram or Bus you then validate the ticket.

This particular day we set out early and bought our tickets the night before we were due to visit Vienna. The tram stop was almost outside of our Hotel which was convenient to get us to the Rail Station in time for the Vienna Train. After boarding the Tram which was packed I placed my ticket in the machine to validate it but nothing happened. My wife tried hers but again nothing. We tried to move forward to the next machine but once again it would not stamp the tickets. It was only then a ticket inspector was on his way round and spotted me trying to get the tickets to stamp. He made a bee line for us and demanded 50 euros from us. I told him the machine was not working but because he only spoke a bit of English he asked us for our passports. I refused to give him anything.

At the rail station the doors remained closed until the Police boarded and went straight to us and dragged us from the tram and into a police car. Police took our passports and demanded 50 euros each. We paid them but tried to explain the machines were not working. This spoiled our day and we just wanted to go home.
We found out later that when the inspector boards the bus these validating machines were turned off.

After visiting the TripAdvisor Bratislava forums a kind person from that City helped us and gave us the Bus/tram offices. He contacted them explaining what had happened and returned with a well written letter for us to return to them. After printing out the letter we sent it to the address provided along with the receipts which were issued from the police.

A week later an e mail arrived in Slovakian which was translated via Google explaining their sorrow and we were to be refunded. We needed to provide them with the bank details which I took to our Branch of TSB and they faxed everything through. Another week later we finally got our money back.

The entire incident has put us off from returning to Bratislava and ruined what should have been a great visit to Vienna.

 

[martinr1]

Interesting as my wife and I have a week booked in Bratislava in a fortnight's time! Don't know quite how you would avoid this having boarded the tram but we will try not to fall into the trap!

 

[70014IronDuke]

Just to let people be aware of the ticketing systems used in a lot of European Cities.

Both myself and Wife are in our early 60s and visited Bratislava October 2016.
Having visited many Cities in Europe the ticketing system is the same. You buy the tickets from a kiosk or ticket machine. When you board the Tram or Bus you then validate the ticket. ... .

Not a good adverstisement, except you did get 'justice' in the end.

You can find basic info on Bratislava Transport tickets here
Note over 62s are half price.

Brat is a bit like Vienna, with zones.

A full-price 24 hour ticket is a good deal at EUR 3.50.

https://imhd.sk/ba/doc/en/14971/Ticket-Price-List-from-TOMORROW-1st-Nov-2015#DCL


You can buy also buy a "Bratislava Card" - a "tourism" ticket more expensive, but includes discounts at certain tourism sites and a free guided tour. 1 - 3 days

https://www.visitbratislava.com/bratislava-card/

EDIT - legally speaking, the ticket inspectors may have been 'in the right' as you have 15 seconds to validate a ticket before the machines switch off.

https://imhd.sk/ba/doc/en/10222/Fines

But if you are boarding with luggage, in a crowd, that is preposterous, frankly.

 

[shredder1]

Not a good adverstisement, except you did get 'justice' in the end.

You can find basic info on Bratislava Transport tickets here
Note over 62s are half price.

Brat is a bit like Vienna, with zones.

A full-price 24 hour ticket is a good deal at EUR 3.50.

https://imhd.sk/ba/doc/en/14971/Ticket-Price-List-from-TOMORROW-1st-Nov-2015#DCL


You can buy also buy a "Bratislava Card" - a "tourism" ticket more expensive, but includes discounts at certain tourism sites and a free guided tour. 1 - 3 days

https://www.visitbratislava.com/bratislava-card/

EDIT - legally speaking, the ticket inspectors may have been 'in the right' as you have 15 seconds to validate a ticket before the machines switch off.

https://imhd.sk/ba/doc/en/10222/Fines

But if you are boarding with luggage, inis a crowd, that is preposterous, frankly.

On my earlier visits to Eastern Europe I had no idea about validation of tickets until a guard laughingly pointed it out to us.

 

[Bletchleyite]

On my earlier visits to Eastern Europe I had no idea about validation of tickets until a guard laughingly pointed it out to us.

It's the norm in much of the world, not just Eastern Europe. Though I was always entertained that the Dutch inspectors just used to make people validate them if caught without (and I believe the "super-strict" NS inspectors just ask people to get off to buy a ticket if they haven't got one). It was like the olde-worlde North West "revenue protection" approach of "if you are caught without a ticket you just get sold one".

 

[AlterEgo]

Sounds like a bad experience.

The first time I was in Poland I nearly came a cropper on the train from Chopin airport, because I hadn't validated my ticket. Fortunately the inspector was reasonable and manually validated it with a stamp, and a lesson was learnt.

At least one good thing that came out of your experience was the assistance of (presumably) a local who helped you out - the Internet is full of good people.

 

[dutchflyer]

1.It's the norm in much of the world, not just Eastern Europe.
2.Though I was always entertained that the Dutch inspectors just used to make people validate them if caught without (and I believe the "super-strict" NS inspectors just ask people to get off to buy a ticket if they haven't got one). ".

@1.Indeed it is-Iam keeping surprised for many years about all the fora (I had to read for job) about -always Brits-who did not realise that. Can be expected from 1st time tourists-but most of you seem to be railstaff, always asking about FIP etc.
@2.Depends and certainly cannot be taken for granted. Since a few yrs NO cash at all will be taken in trains and the only thing a conductor can do is write a fine-ticket (cost now 60€+ticketprice) and note your personal details-for which you MUST show a ID (which you need to have on you anyway in public transp, except for kids<12). Many conductors simply think thats too much trouble (funny enough when even delay-claims are now all online computerised and ditto for real police giving fines for traffic-offense etc, NS is still unable to do that with this), in the end some letter will arriva at your home with the fine and instruction about how to pay-and soon! If not-the whole encashment procedure via an office will be started. NS may at its discretion waive this 1 time only for what seems like genuine errors or real ignorance. Thus to solve/avoid this most conductors simply send people off to validate (check in the chips)-IF they do bother to check at all, which seems to be getting more and more rare (having a weekend-season I can do days of 6-8 traintrips with no check at all).

 

[AndrewE]

I don't know how up-to-date the Bratislava ticketing system is, but could it have been such an old-fashioned simple machine that you have to put your ticket in then actually push a button down to physically punch the tickets?


looking at the links, obviously not, as they have zone/timed tickets

However I do remember that system from somewhere in the ex-eastern bloc only a few years ago. RPIs would get on the vehicle, do a test punch on a blank then go round checking that everybody's ticket matched it. I think it worked because there were only either paper singles or scratchcard-type day tickets (plus things like annual passes.)

 

[beerswiller]

The machines which stamp the tickets seemed all the same both on the newer Trams and older ones. Once the ticket is placed into the machine it automatically stamps it.

 

[Calthrop]

EDIT - legally speaking, the ticket inspectors may have been 'in the right' as you have 15 seconds to validate a ticket before the machines switch off.

https://imhd.sk/ba/doc/en/10222/Fines

But if you are boarding with luggage, in a crowd, that is preposterous, frankly.

Thinking of the "History and Nostalgia" thread about visiting Eastern Europe in Communist days -- it would seem, alas, that mad rules and regulations can still be encountered, and give people trouble, in those parts; even in these more enlightened times.

 

[beerswiller]

There are no time limits from boarding the Tram to actually validating the ticket. The Tram was packed and standing room only. I was at the machine within seconds of boarding.

But for people who run the Bratislava forum I would not have been re-funded. Only when the inspector boards these Trams are these validating machines turned off. We found out later that this Tram is always targeted by these inspectors as it is the Tram for the Railway Station.

Also there are many kind people from that City who offered to help us that day. One lady even offered us money towards the instant fine. Other people pleaded with the inspector for leniency towards us.

 

[Minilad]

Useful info as I am having a day in Bratislava next week and will be using the trams

 

[vrbarreto]

Useful info as I am having a day in Bratislava next week and will be using the trams

If you can.. try and get to Devin Castle. It's amazing

http://www.slovakia.com/castles/devin-castle/

We did Bratislava castle and the old town in the morning along with a delicious Slovak Gulash for lunch and the castle in the afternoon.. It's about a 20 minute drive from the old town.

 

[Minilad]

If you can.. try and get to Devin Castle. It's amazing

http://www.slovakia.com/castles/devin-castle/

We did Bratislava castle and the old town in the morning along with a delicious Slovak Gulash for lunch and the castle in the afternoon.. It's about a 20 minute drive from the old town.

That looks amazing. Sadly I just don't think it will fit in to our schedule

 

[johnnychips]

Useful info as I am having a day in Bratislava next week and will be using the trams

It's a good decision to use the trams, as Bratislava main station or Petrzalka are examples of stations where you could walk, but it's twenty minutes of uninteresting scenery or a trek across a big bridge, respectively. It's not one where you think, 'of course I'll walk ' nor 'no, it's miles too far to walk'. Similar examples I can think of are Cambridge and Gent St Pieters.

It seems like you've limited time there, but the Old Town is really excellent, with historic buildings, bars and restaurants. Bratislava Castle is very sparse inside but does provide excellent views.

I wonder if there are still trolleybuses?

Have a great time!

 

[Minilad]

It's a good decision to use the trams, as Bratislava main station or Petrzalka are examples of stations where you could walk, but it's twenty minutes of uninteresting scenery or a trek across a big bridge, respectively. It's not one where you think, 'of course I'll walk ' nor 'no, it's miles too far to walk'. Similar examples I can think of are Cambridge and Gent St Pieters.

It seems like you've limited time there, but the Old Town is really excellent, with historic buildings, bars and restaurants. Bratislava Castle is very sparse inside but does provide excellent views.

I wonder if there are still trolleybuses?

Have a great time!

I will be there just for the day as I am having a little trip from Vienna. Will use the tram to get into the centre from the Railway station and back.
The old town will be my main target to have a look at.
Not sure on the trolleybuses but I am currently in Budapest and can confirm they still have them here

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

I wonder if there are still trolleybuses?

Yes, there are. Robert Schwandl's Tram Atlas Central Europe shows 13 routes on 41.5 km of wiring. The trolleybuses mostly go to places north and north-west of Hlavná stanica and to east of the city centre. (Cintorín Vrakuňa and Čiližská)