Many visitors to Bratislava visit as a day trip from Vienna, but spending the night allows you to see a bit more of the city. Plus if you extend your stay, you can venture a bit deeper into Slovakia during your travels, which is exactly what I did. So for my second day in Bratislava, I spent the day outside of the city touring Trenčín and Trnava. Both cities offer something just a bit different than the capital city and while it may not be the most exciting day trip I’ve ever done, I am thankful for the opportunity to see just a bit more of Slovakia.
In Trenčín, you can wander the Old Town, but I found its castle to be the bigger (and more impressive) draw. In Trnava, the Old Town is great with plenty of churches and a nice area to just stroll. And yes, it is possible to visit both Trenčín and Trnava in one day trip from Bratislava.
Bratislava Day Trip Itinerary
This is the itinerary I followed when I took my Bratislava day trip. I started in Trenčín since it’s located further away from Bratislava. Then as I started to work my way back to Bratislava, I got off the train for a little bit of time in Trnava.
One last note before I get into the details of this Bratislava day trip. These times are estimates. This is what I had hoped would happen, but I did experience my fair share of train delays in Bratislava. Thankfully, it didn’t affect my sightseeing and I didn’t have to cut anything short, but be aware that train delays are common and you will need to pack your patience and be flexible on your day trip.
8:30 – Depart Bratislava
Since we’re going to start to start the day with the longest train ride, I recommend trying to get an early start. By leaving Bratislava at 8:30, you’ll give yourself enough time in Trenčín for some exploring without having to get up super early. Board your train and settle in for the next hour.
Thankfully, when I did this, this train was on time. However, it would be the only train that was on time for the rest of my time in Slovakia.
9:30 – Exploring Trenčín
Upon arrival in Trenčín, you’ll want to make your way to the Old Town. From the train station, it’s a short 10 minute walk. As you walk, you’re sure to see the castle towering over the town. We’ll eventually make our way up to the castle, but stay below it to start your explore.
For those wanting a better view of the castle, cross the river and take in the view from the other side. I’m not going to say that this is the best view of Trenčín Castle, but it definitely can make for better photos (assuming you don’t have a gray and foggy morning like I did).
Spend sometime in Trenčín’s Old Town. Like any city in Europe, you have the options to visit churches. I tried to visit St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Notre Dame, and Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and failed at all three. When I visited, it seemed like the entire town of Trenčín was under construction and that prevented me from accessing all three churches. That’s a shame because some of these churches, particularly St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, look like they have beautiful interiors (based on what I could see online).
If you don’t want churches, you could also try a visit to the Trenčín Synagogue though I had as much luck here as I did at the Catholic Churches.
Head up the hill to Trenčín Castle. There’s a gate at the top so to get the best views overlooking Trenčín (and to learn more about the castle), you’ll have to buy a ticket. Automated kiosks are at the top so you can just purchase your ticket right there. Unless you’re here on a weekend or during peak travel season, I don’t think it’s necessary to buy your ticket in advance. I visited on a Tuesday in October and I saw less than ten people during my entire visit. The benefit of that is that I got to explore on my own.
Trenčín Castle isn’t my favorite castle I’ve ever explored. There are some English descriptions, but much of the information is understandably in Slovak. Still, it can be nice walking around the for views of the castle and of the city below. The one thing you can’t miss is Matthias Tower. Climb the narrow passage way to the very top of the castle for a great view of Trenčín.
Back in the main square, take some time to eat lunch before catching a train and heading to your next destination of Trnava.
1:30 – Depart Trenčín
It’s now time to start working your way back toward Bratislava. As you likely noticed on the way to Trenčín, we passed through Trnava on the way. So board the train and settle in for 30 minutes. Before you know it, the train will reach your next stop and it will be time to explore Trnava.
When I did this, my train was approximately 30 minutes late. Despite losing some time in Trnava, I still felt ok about my time in the city and managed to see everything I wanted.
2:00 – Exploring Trnava
Trnava’s Old Town is a bit further away from the train station. You’ll have a 15 to 20 minute walk, depending on where exactly you want to visit. Like with Trenčín, I recommend focusing your time on Trnava’s Old Town.
Like Trenčín, you’ll find plenty of churches, though I think Trnava actually has more. You can try the Church of St. Joseph, St. James’ Church, Church of the Holy Trinity, St. Anne’s Church, St. John the Baptist Cathedral, and the Basilica of St. Nicholas.
I had slightly better luck in Trnava than I did in Trenčín, but I still wasn’t able to visit the interior of all of these churches. I will say that of the three churches that I visited, St. John the Baptist Cathedral was the most beautiful church by far. The Church of the Holy Trinity was also nice, but wasn’t my favorite. And the Basilica of St. Nicholas may have been nice, but there was some heavy construction/renovations going on.
If you are burnt out on churches, consider visiting City Tower where you can pay a fee to climb to the top of the tower for a view of Trnava. With all of the steeples of the various churches, I think this could be a very lovely view. For history, take a look in the Old Town for some of the historic city walls that are still standing. For a unique cafe, try the Synagogue Cafe which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s an old synagogue that’s been turned into a cafe.
Trnava was nice to stroll and during my time, I decided that Trnava was the prettiest city that I visited in Slovakia. It is not the prettiest city I’ve visited in Europe, but I definitely thought it was nicer than Trenčín and Bratislava (even if it is very light on sights).
5:00 – Depart Trnava
Return to the train station and catch your train back to Bratislava. Your day trip to Trenčín and Trnava is over.
On my visit, it was another train and another delay. In the end, I did get three full hours in Trnava, but the delays were not ideal. Like with my train from Trenčín, my train from Trnava was also delayed.
5:30 – Arrive in Bratislava
If everything is on time, you should return from Bratislava day trip around 5:30. Thanks to train delays, I arrived closer to 6:00 pm.
Should You Visit Trenčín and Trnava in One Day?
Obviously this depends on the person, but I think this is a good way to spend a day of your trip. I’ll be the first to admit that this Bratislava day trip to Trenčín and Trnava isn’t as exciting as some of the other destinations nearby, but I do think that visiting this area is worth it. Why? Because it shows you just a little bit more of Slovakia and I’m always a big proponent of visiting more than just a country’s capital.
So, if you’re spending the night in Bratislava and have an extra day on your itinerary, explore Slovakia beyond its capital.
Purchasing Your Train Tickets
For this Bratislava day trip, you’ll need three train tickets: Bratislava to Trenčín, Trenčín to Trnava, and Trnava to Bratislava. I recommend buying your tickets online in advance. Now, this doesn’t have to be months in advance, but pick up your tickets before your day trip. Why? Because the website can be finicky and there aren’t always ticket offices at the train stations. So, save the hassle and book online or through the app before you travel.
The only downside to this is that once you purchase your tickets you’re locked in to those times. That can be a bummer, but I think the itinerary that I presented gives you just enough time in each city to explore without getting bored. In the end, I could have done with about 30 minutes less in both Trenčín and Trnava, but because of train schedules, I had a bit longer than I technically needed.
Pack Your Patience
My biggest tip for your Bratislava day trip is to pack your patience. While I didn’t have a lot of issues in the cities themselves, it did get frustrating dealing with train delays. From what I’ve gathered from comments online and my own experiences, train delays aren’t uncommon. As a personal anecdote, three of my four trains within Bratislava were delayed. Was it fun? Absolutely not, but it’s how travel is in some places.
The good news is that my trains were never outright cancelled nor were they delayed significantly. All three of my delays were about 30 minutes, which while not ideal, could have been much worse. Pack your patience and know that everything will eventually work out.
When to Visit Slovakia
Slovakia can be visited all year round. It doesn’t get the same amount of visitors as some of its nearby neighbors, but there are still plenty of tourists who visit. Summers are the most popular because that’s when so many people plan their vacations. Expect the most tourists and hot temperatures. Tourism slows in the winter months when the weather worsens. Shoulder season can offer a nice balance.
I visited in mid October and had a nice visit. While the weather wasn’t great in Bratislava, it was nice on all of the other days of my trip. I just happened to be in Bratislava on the days where it was cloudy and grey for most of the day. I will also say that on the day of my day trip to Trenčín and Trnava, it started off gray and foggy, but thankfully turned out to be a beautiful fall day.
Final Thoughts
Bratislava is a fine city to explore but it seems like a lot of visitors start and end their visit to Slovakia in Bratislava. If you have the time, I recommend seeing just a bit more of the country as the capitals can feel very different to the smaller towns and Slovakia is no exception. With this Bratislava day trip to Trenčín and Trnava, you’ll get to see two smaller towns which will help you form a more accurate opinion of Slovakia.
Continue Your Adventure
Slovakia: Whether you’re visiting on a day trip or spending the night, here’s how I recommend spending one day in Bratislava. Learn my best budget tips in my Bratislava Travel Budget.
Nearby: Vienna is full of incredible sights. With one busy day, you’ll see a lot, but two days is even better. Two days in Budapest gives you a great overview of the city. If you only have one day, you’ll have to pick and choose.