Slovakia is an intriguing country because we don't know much about it (yes, we don't study it in school). So unless you have already done your research on this country, this article should be interesting for you. We have compiled some essential and hopefully useful information about this country. We will talk to you about culture, practices, road networks, landscapes, etc. The goal here, is for everything to go smoothly once you are there. We hope this will prepare you for the adventure.
Yes, even though Slovakia and Slovenia have similar names (and are geographically close: less than 300 km apart), they are two completely different countries:
Of course, there are also similarities:
And if we add to all this the fact that there is a Croatian region called Slavonia, we can get confused! But still try to remember the differences.
An independent state since 1993, Slovakia has been a member of the European Union since 2004.
As a French citizen (and more generally, an EU citizen), it is very easy to visit the country, as you only need your ID card to enter. No need to hassle with a passport. Convenient!
Furthermore, since 2009, Slovakia has adopted the Euro, using it instead of the Slovak koruna. Again, this is very convenient since when visiting this country, you don’t have to worry about exchange rates or anything else!
However, to avoid withdrawal fees, we recommend having a card that doesn’t charge fees abroad. We have the Visa Ultim card from BoursoBank since the beginning of our tour of Europe, and we can say it has been super convenient! It’s free, with no withdrawal or payment fees. Plus, if you want to open an account and use our referral code SILE2464 or the link below, you’ll receive a bonus between €80 and €220 (depending on the current offer and the conditions you meet).
It should be noted that Slovakia is a relatively affordable country. While the cost of a hotel is slightly lower than in France, the cost of living is almost 40% cheaper than in our country. You will be able to indulge yourself during your vacation and enjoy without having to constantly check your spending.
For lunch, you can easily find food for less than €10 per person (around €20 for dinner), a pint of beer (50cl) costs between €1 and €2 in bars, and diesel is about €1.42/L (in June 2023), while in France it costs an average of €1.67/L.
However, beyond the financial aspect for us tourists, we must admit we were very surprised to see slums in the country. We didn’t realize that such poverty existed there, and it is quite shocking.
After some research, these appear to be slums of Roma and Gypsies, living in conditions that are truly more than precarious.
We think it’s important to show you this aspect of the country as well.
If you are coming by vehicle, be aware that you will need to purchase a vignette (or e-vignette) to drive on highways and expressways.
Simon and I managed without one during our brief stop in the country. We simply avoided the toll roads.
These vignettes can be purchased:
The price of the vignette varies based on the vehicle category and the duration of your stay in the country.
For a standard vehicle (under 3.5 tons), the rates are:
Not paying for the vignette and still driving on highways and expressways can result in a fine of €200.
However, if you rent a car locally, it is not uncommon for the vignette to be included in the price. Make sure to check in advance! By the way, speaking of rentals, we recommend using DiscoverCars which compares hundreds of rental companies to offer you the best deals! The displayed prices have no hidden fees, and you will also get unlimited mileage, theft protection, and partial coverage included in the rental.And to return to regulations, be aware that you must have your dipped headlights on 24/7 while driving in Slovakia, even in broad daylight. Yes, it’s strange, but since this tour of Europe, we’ve realized that this is the case in many countries.
And to return to the regulations, you should know that you must have your low beam headlights on 24/7 when driving in Slovakia, even during the day. Yes, it's strange, but since this trip around Europe, we've realized that it's like this in many countries.
As mentioned earlier, Slovakia was part of a larger entity: Czechoslovakia. A communist country in the 1900s, it brought together the Czech Republic and Slovakia (as you may have guessed), as well as a region of Ukraine until 1993, before becoming independent.
It is a Slavic language that is written in the Latin alphabet, closely related to Polish and especially to Czech (logical, you might say). These three countries generally understand each other, which is less the case with Slavic languages from more southern countries, like Serbian, Croatian, or Bulgarian.
In Slovakia, even though our stay was brief, we didn’t have too much trouble being understood. The locals speak English quite well, and many older people also speak German and Russian.
Autumn temperatures in Slovakia are low: around 10°C, as are the winter temperatures, which generally hover around 0°C. However, in winter, with winds coming from the east, these temperatures can drop to -20°C. This makes the country a great destination for skiing, but if that’s not what you’re looking for, we recommend visiting the country in the spring (or late spring) or in summer.
Of course, France also has many castles, but in Slovakia, in a territory that is less than 50,000 km² (vs. 551,695 km² for France), there are over 600 castles. Quite a number!
And to continue with the numbers, Slovakia is covered by 40% forests and has several mountains in the northern part of the country (Tatras, Mala Fatra, Poľana, etc.).
There you go, we’ve shared our 10 key pieces of information about Slovakia. We hope you’ve learned something and that it will be useful for preparing your trip as well as once you are there 😊. A few tips await you at the end of the article, so don’t miss them! And if the article has inspired you to visit the country, you can book your tickets right here:
Feel free to share your experiences and advice for other travelers in the comments.
1. As everywhere, be careful of thefts and don’t leave anything lying around in your car; pay attention to your valuables and your phone. Pickpocketing is often practiced in tourist areas (especially in Bratislava, the capital).
2. Following tip 1, we recommend making photocopies or scanning your identity and travel documents (plane tickets, for example), to be “at ease” in case of theft!
3. Slovakia is in the same time zone as France (so there is no time difference), but since it is further east, the country is ahead of us. The sun rises and sets one hour earlier! And that is something to consider if you’re visiting, even just for the opening and closing hours of museums or restaurants, for example. Especially when we know that Slovaks tend to eat relatively early (11:30 AM for lunch and 6:00 PM for dinner).
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