Sleeper reservation Bratislava - Košice

[m4tt]

Hi everyone,

Looking at visiting Slovakia week commencing Monday 19th June and was looking at travelling on the 22:04 from Bratislava main station with ZSSK. Unfortunately there appears to be engineering works that week so it will only be running on Monday 19th, which I can work with.

I contacted ZSSK via email and was very impressed with their customer service. I emailed at 01:00 local Slovak time and recieved an email back around 05:30 with a very detailed response along with 4 screenshots of how to book the seat reservation with arrows pointing to what to do. They even wrote in English as well as Slovak without me asking. Certainly makes me feel more confident with travelling. Their online chat function was also very efficient.

However I am a little confused about one of the details they have mentioned and I hope anyone with local knowledge would be able to help.
"On the 19th of June the train will go according the timetable without restrictions on the track. You can travel with this train connections but only with seat reservation and separatly with train EC 283 on the route Bratislava – Nové Zámky and with train R 801 on the route Nové Zámky – Košice with alternative bus transport in the mentioned section, so you have to change the transfer twice."

Does this mean there will be a bus as part of the journey? Normally Vagonweb says one sleeper coach starts at Bratislava and joins the other sleeper car at Nové Zámky for the journey to Košice. https://www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/vlak.php?zeme=ZSSK&kategorie=R&cislo=801&nazev=Poľana&rok=2023

Any help or suggestions for other places/things to do in Solvakia would be very much appreciated, I'll attatch the email below

Matt



Dobrý deň/ Dear customer

Ak je pre Vás lepšie môžem Vám odpovedať aj v anglickom jazyku. / If is better for you I can also write the answer in english.

Vami zvolené vlakové spojenie EC 283/R 801 odo dňa 20.6. – 23.6.2023 nebude mať radený priamy lôžkový vozeň na trase Bratislava – Košice z dôvodu výlukových prác na trati, kde vlakové spojenie bude v úseku Turňa nad Bodvou - Košice nahradené autobusom, preto Vám systém neposkytuje dané spojenie na nasledujúce dni po dátume 19.6.. Dňa 19.06. vlakové spojenie pôjde podľa cestovného poriadku bez obmedzenia na trati. Mohli by ste cestovať týmito vlakmi ale len s miestom na sedenie na trase Bratislava – Nové Zámky vo vlakom EC 283 a na trase Nové Zámky – Košice vlakom R 801 spolu s náhradnou autobusovom dopravou v spomínanom úseku, čiže musíte dvakrát prestupovať.

/ On your chosen train EC 283/R 801 on the route Bratislava – Košice from 20th until 23rd of June will be not scheduled direct sleeper car due to works on the road. The train will be replaced on the part of the route between Turňa nad Bodvou and Košice with a bus, therefore the system not show the train connection the following days in this week. On the 19th of June the train will go according the timetable without restrictions on the track. You can travel with this train connections but only with seat reservation and separatly with train EC 283 on the route Bratislava – Nové Zámky and with train R 801 on the route Nové Zámky – Košice with alternative bus transport in the mentioned section, so you have to change the transfer twice.

Ak ste držiteľom sieťového lístka Interrail tak potreujete si zakúpiť len rezerváciu – 1-miestné lôžko pre dané vlakové spojenie. V nočnom vlakovom spojení sú radené len vozne 2. vozňovej triedy, 1. vozňová trieda nie je radená. / If you have a InterrailPass you need only to buy a reservation – a single bed. In the night train there are only 2nd class carriages, the 1st class is not in it.

Nákup môžete realizovať online cez náš e-shop. Postup prikladám v podobe obrázkov. / The reservation you can buy online through our e-shop. After the searching the connection you have to click on the option „I have the ticket already I want to purchase only reservation or additional service“. In next step you chose „Reservation“, next you have to selected the Passenger type – „Adult person and age“ and discount „International ticket /Rail Pass“ and continue. Next step is „Reservation selection“ where you chose 1-bed compartment single/ male and put in the cart and continue until the payment.

Chcem Vás ešte upozorniť dňa 11.06. dochádza k zmene v cestovnom poriadku a z tohto dôvodu nie je možný nákup rezervácií po tomto dátume pre vybrané vlakové spojenia. Takže na Vami zvolený deň 19.06. si aktuálne neviete zakúpiť lôžko ani v osobnej pokladnici na stanici. Predaj by mal byť spustený v tomto aktuálne prebiehajúcom týždni. Je potrebné priebežne skúšať nákup. / I also want to warn you on 11th of June there is a change in the travel schedule and for this reason it is not possible to purchase reservetion after this day for selected train connection. So for the 19th of June you can not buy a reservation even ath the cash desk at the station. The sale should be launched in this current week. You can test the purchase continuously online through our e-shop.

S pozdravom a želaním príjemného dňa/ Kinds regards

 

[The exile]

My reading of it is that there will be a bus (and also a need to change at Nivy Zamky) from 20th June and that therefore no sleeping cars will run. On the 19th the train runs as normal with through sleeping car.

 

[dutchflyer]

Hi, dobry den. Quite a nice trip as I remember. I checked bahn.de as starter (will do zsr next) and you should know there are always 2 different routings for 2 trains- the R615 (R=rychlik=fast, what germans used to call ´D"trains) via Zilina-Poprad, stops Kosice 4.40-5.01 (brr//) and then goes on the far east of SK: HUmennë. IF you fancy a good night sleep might even consider staying on and coming back later in the day. That Hum as I remember is an awful industrial town with probably loads of neglected and closed factoires.
The route you describe is via the southern (was and perhaps still is partly diesel)-I remember also N. Zamky quite well-then via Zvolen (do not confuse with Zilna) and to Kos-that village mentioned seems to be not that far before Kos, so a busride would not be too long. This line is mostly single track, the first double and electric throughout.
You may also want to check if RegioJet runs normally, as their private yellow trains, also with sleeper and couchette, coming from Praha join the route #1 at Zilina, coming from CZ, as a kind of double check.
I kind of guess or suspect also there must have been some bored working student in the night shift being very glad there was some enjoyment and distraction?!
Grow up and become >65 then you can apply for a pass (bring foto) for free basic travel on ZSR, but all the supplmts for fast trains and sleepers etc have to be paid for normally.

And what I got from predaj.zssk.sk: as I wrote, the R615 should run normally.
The train you mention runs till NZ combined with a HU-Bpest bound train and splits there-hence the double nrs. Zssk says the sleeper etc cars run till Plesivec (a sligtly larger town as that village, but also some KMs forther from Kos.
THis is just some kind of educated guessing ,also based on own experience from now quite long ago. Good luck with it!

 

[m4tt]

Thank you both for your replies.

I ran the Slovak text through google translate and it does prove @The exile right that it is a bus from the 20th. I believe it was just a few gramatical errors from whoever wrote the email made the phrasing a little off, fair enough as they have gone through the trouble to write in a language they are likely not a native speaker of. I think i'll take the longer service of the 22:04 on the Monday to try and get a longer night sleep; 30 euros for a single berth is very reasonable so i'll be sure to report back on the journey!

 

[30907]

Are you familiar with the cdgen newsgroup on groups.io? There will be someone who knows the detail, but yes, there appear to be buses from Modrava m B onwards.

The arrangements for R800/1 have changed since last summer - it now starts at N Zamky, and the Bratislava sleeper along with the Prague one is conveyed in EC283 which terminates there (and v.v.). Fine unless 283 is late, as happened to me, throwing the rest of the day out

 

[m4tt]

The arrangements for R800/1 have changed since last summer - it now starts at N Zamky, and the Bratislava sleeper along with the Prague one is conveyed in EC283 which terminates there (and v.v.). Fine unless 283 is late, as happened to me, throwing the rest of the day out

Thanks for the info, I'm assuming I can board the sleeper car at Bratislava rather than it being locked out of use unitil Nové Zámky? Worst case i'll just have a meal in the buffet but don't want to go and realise I can't get into the berth when the coach is added to R800

What happened as a result of 283s late arrival? were you just left at Nové Zámky?

 

[30907]

Thanks for the info, I'm assuming I can board the sleeper car at Bratislava rather than it being locked out of use unitil Nové Zámky? Worst case i'll just have a meal in the buffet but don't want to go and realise I can't get into the berth when the coach is added to R800

No, I assume it is available from BTS just as the old one was

What happened as a result of 283s late arrival? were you just left at Nové Zámky?

We just waited, and were very late into Kosice.

BTW the train is diesel beyond Zvolen.

Unfortunately, the "DB and B" sleeper that sits at Zilina for hours doesn't run in summer as the cars are needed elsewhere, otherwise that would have been an alternative

 

[Polrail]

I'm able to book a Single sleeper compartment on train #EC283 (Brat. hl. st. 22:04/Kosice 06:44) for 19.06. To me this would indicate it will run the entire distance. It would likely be blocked if not running or running on a shortened route. The supplement is 33 Euro for a Single.

 

[m4tt]

I'm able to book a Single sleeper compartment on train #EC283 (Brat. hl. st. 22:04/Kosice 06:44) for 19.06. To me this would indicate it will run the entire distance. It would likely be blocked if not running or running on a shortened route. The supplement is 33 Euro for a Single.

Thank you, they just released tickets today so will see about booking.

Not too sure how returning will work. ZSSK says there *Might* be a bus for trains on the 20th coming back but will let you book reservations for the trains. I'll drop them a message