American Express -- There's no full-service American Express office in Bratislava, but some Amex services are offered through Agency Alex, Kuzmanyho 8 (tel. 02/5941-2200).
Business Hours -- Stores and offices are generally open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. Banks are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm. Some larger stores have limited Saturday hours, usually 9am to noon. Museums and other tourist attractions are often closed on Mondays.
Doctors & Dentists -- Phone tel. 155 in a medical emergency. In Bratislava, there's a doctor on 24-hr. call at the Ruzinov clinic, Ruzinovská 10 (tel. 02/4823-4113). Private dental services are available at Drienová 38 (tel. 02/4342-3433).
Electricity -- Slovak outlets follow the Continental norm (220v, 50hz) with two round plugs. Most appliances that run on 110v will require a transformer.
Embassies -- U.S.: Hviezdoslavovo námestie 4 (tel. 02/5443-0861); Canada: Mostová 2 (tel. 02/5920-4031); U.K.: Panská 16 (tel. 02/5998-2000).
Emergencies -- In an emergency, dial the following numbers: police tel. 158, fire tel. 150, ambulance tel. 155, road assistance tel. 154.
Internet Access -- Internet cafes are located throughout Bratislava and in all larger cities. Rates vary but are around 1€ ($1.27) for 30 minutes online. Nearly all hotels will offer some form of Internet connection -- either in-room dataports or wireless -- and many will have at least one public computer for guests to use.
Luggage Storage & Lockers -- Railroad stations in large cities, including Bratislava's main station, have storage lockers or an attendant to watch luggage.
Mail -- The main post office is at námestie SNP 35, just outside the main gate to the Old Town. The post office is open Monday to Friday 7am to 8pm, Saturday 7am to 6pm, and Sunday 9am to 2pm. The rate for mailing a postcard or first-class letter to the U.S. or Canada is around 1€ ($1.27), and slightly less within Europe.
Safety -- Crime is generally low, but as everywhere use common sense.
Telephones & Fax -- Slovakia's country code is 421. To dial Slovakia from abroad, dial the international access code (011 in the U.S.), plus 421 and then the local Slovak area code (minus the zero). The area code for Bratislava is 02. Other commonly used area codes are: Trencín 032, Zilina 041, the High Tatras 052, and Kosice 055. To call between cities within Slovakia, dial the area code (retaining the zero) plus the number. To call abroad from Slovakia, dial 00, and then the country code and area code to where you are calling. A call to the U.S. or Canada would begin 00-1 (plus the seven-digit number).
Time Zone -- Slovakia is in the Central European Time zone (CET), 1 hour ahead of GMT and 6 hours ahead of the eastern United States.
Tipping -- In restaurants, tip about 10% of the bill to reward good service. Round up taxi fares to the next even euro amount. Tip bellhops and tour guides a few euro coins, depending on the services rendered.
Toilets -- You will find decent public toilets in cities and towns throughout Slovakia. Expect to pay about .20€ (30¢) to use the facilities.
Water -- Tap water is generally potable and there are no specific health concerns. If in doubt, buy bottled water, which is cheap and widely available.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
