Where to fly?
If you are flying from Australia, the closest main hubs are Vienna or Budapest, as a majority of large airlines would not fly to Bratislava (too small and too close to Vienna, which is a much larger city).
If you are flying from Dublin, flights to Vienna and Budapest are again more frequent, however, Ryanair flies to Bratislava and Kosice as well (2-3 times a week and they keep changing days when they fly in and out). So check out these options too if you do not want to stop in Vienna or Budapest.
Ryanair and other European airlines often open more flights 3 months in advance, so there might be more options available in May. It’s recommended to buy tickets for flights within Europe at least 3 months in advance if you know what day and where you wish to fly.
How to get to Spisska Nova Ves?
By train! Very convenient and inexpensive!
NOTE: Tickets will be available only a couple of months in advance, so buy your train tickets online maybe 2 – 4 weeks in advance, if you know the time and date of departure from the preferred city. Absolutely do not leave it for the day of departure, as there might be no seats available. They would sell you a ticket, but not a seat, and standing on a train for 4 hours is not the best experience… Also expect delays if you are changing trains, so you won’t miss the connecting train (sometimes they wait for each other, but it’s not guaranteed).
Trains from
Vienna (Wien Hbf)
There is no direct train option to Spisska Nova Ves. Take a train (or bus) from Vienna to Bratislava hl. St (not to Bratislava-Petržalka, that’s a suburban train station, main trains do not depart from this station) (~1 hour) and then you will need to change trains in Bratislava hl. St. (main train station) to Spisska Nova Ves (~4 hours).
Bratislava hl. St.
Direct train to Spisska Nova Ves, I recommend taking those with code IC (Intercity), that’s the fastest train. Train with code EX is also fine, takes just a little bit longer.
Budapest-Keleti pu.
You will need to take a train to Kosice from this train station (there are a few in Budapest, so make sure you chose this one from the drop down option). Train from Budapest to Kosice takes about 3.5 – 4 hours. You will arrive to the only station / main station in Kosice and will need to change trains. Train from Kosice to Spisska Nova Ves takes approximately 1 hour. Choose trains with code IC, Rex, Ex or SC.
NOTE:
Do not take trains with a code “Os”, these are slow trains that stop at every station, and you might get a full Slovakian gypsy experience as they often travel with these trains. You definitely want to avoid this.
Kosice
An absolutely top city in Slovakia, much nicer than Bratislava with a stunning CBD park, historical buildings, great pubs and restaurants, everything within walking distance. It’s not a large city, but yet worth stopping in for a day, if you have time. Train to Spisska Nova Ves takes one hour.