Slovakia Tours
Slovakia Fly-Drive 2012
Highlights: 8 day tour
Explore Slovakia at your own pace and enjoy a comprehensive and close-up glimpse of this relatively undiscovered gem on this unique fly-drive holiday.
Price from: £595 pp
Discover the magical hidden gem of Slovakia on one of our unique fly-drive holidays. Starting in the enchanting capital of Bratislava with its impressive castle and restored Baroque Old Town, you will continue on to a series of unforgettable sights such as the resplendent spa town of Piestan, the traditional villages perched high up in the alpine High Tatras mountains, the picturesque Spis region which is home to the largest medieval ruin in Central Europe, the fairytale castle of Oravsky Podzamok and the UNESCO-listed ancient mining town of Banska Stiavnica.
| Price per person twin-share | Single room supplement | |
| Three-star Hotels | £595 | £90 |
| Four-star Hotels | £655 | £160 |
Price Includes:
Return flights in economy class with British Airways direct from London Heathrow, all airport taxes and surcharges, accommodation in three or four-star hotels with breakfast (B= Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner), Car hire Group B (Fiat Punto or similar) including CDW, theft protection, third party liability, unlimited mileage and all taxes.
Price Excludes:
Entrance fees on sightseeing tours
8 Day Itinerary
FLY TO VIENNA
Fly to Vienna and pick up car and drive to Bratislava (45 kilometres). Check-in to hotel for overnight stay. Half day city tour of Bratislava including the main highlights such as Bratislava Castle, St. Martin Cathedral, Primate Palace and Clarisse Church.
BRATISLAVA TO ZILINA
Drive to Piestany, one of Slovakia's most popular spa town (82 kilometres). Here, spend some time walking through the town over the Colonnade Bridge which links the town with Spa Island. Perhaps take in a spa treatment or visit the interesting Balneological Museum showing the history of spas and local history. Continue to Trencin with a visit to the ruins of Beckov Castle located on Vah River . Located at the foot of Strazovske Mountains in the valley of the River Vah,Trencin is the administrative centre of West Slovakia and possesses a charming Old Town. It's also the only place in Slovakia whose existence was recorded in writing from the era of the Roman Empire. You can also visit the folk village of Cicmany, where the exteriors of the houses are decorated with geometrical patterns. Another must-see is Rajecka Lesna - a village off the main road, which conceals an amazing woodcarving tableau. It features scenes from Slovak rural life and it moves with trains chugging through tunnels. Continue to Zilina for overnight stay. (B)
ZILINA TO JASNA
Drive to Terchova, a quaint town and birthplace of the Slovak Robin Hood - Juraj Janosik. Take a cable car to Chleb Mountain. From Vratna in the Lesser Fatras National Park drive to Oravsky Podzamok (a fairytale caste called Orava Castle). Spare some time to visit Vlkolínec - a remarkably intact settlement of 45 buildings with the traditional features of a central European village. It is the region’s most complete group of these kinds of traditional log houses, often found in mountainous areas. Continue to the Low Tatras National Park, where you can visit the Demanovska Cave of Liberty - the longest cave system in Slovakia. Overnight in Jasna. (B)
JASNA TO HIGH TATRAS
Spend today exploring the High Tatras - Slovakia's highest alpine mountains. Visit Strbske Pleso, the highest village in Slovakia, as well as other traditional villages such as Stary Smokovec, Tatranska Lomnica and Spisska Sobota. It is also possible to visit Aquacity and spend the day relaxing and using their thermal pools (possible on a day pass). In this region you can find typical Koliba restaurants with traditional meals of sheep cheese gnocchi (halusky). Overnight in the High Tatras region. (B)
HIGH TATRAS TO BANSKO BYSTRIA
Today explore the Spis region, with its 24 towns it is one of the most picturesque regions of Slovakia. For many hundreds of years Spis flourished with a semi-autonomous status within the Hungarian Kingdom. It has its own dialect and folkdress. Here, visit Spiss Castle and Spisska Kapitula - the largest medieval ruin in central Europe and perhaps visit the historical town of Kezmarok. In the afternoon drive to the Bansko Bystria, one of Slovakia's largest regions with stunning countryside and interesting tourist sites. Overnight in Banska Bystrica. (B)
BANSKO BYSTRIA TO BANSKA STIAVNICA
In the morning drive to Hronsek, where you can visit the rare articular wooden Church which was built in 1726. Continue on to Zvolen, where you can visit the castle. Your final destination of today is Banska Stiavnica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lying in an immense wooded basin caused by a collapsing volcano, this ancient mining town is full of beautiful buildings and elegant churches. Spend time visiting the open-air mining museum, where you can visit a real 17th-century silver mine. Overnight in Banska Stiavnica. (B)
BANSKA STIAVNICA TO BRATISLAVA
From Central Slovakia drive west to Nitra, the oldest Slovakian town and visit this attractive town including the Cathedral of St. Emeran. Afterwards continue to Trnava, so-called the “Slovakian Rome” due to the large amount of religious buildings and monuments. Here, visit the Cathedral of St. John Baptist, a stunning example of Slovakian Baroque. Continue to Red Stone Castle in the Small Carpathian Wine Region, before stopping off in the pretty town of Modra, renowned for majolica pottery. In Pezinok, you can visit the Museum of Viticulture and taste typical and famous varieties of Slovak wines. Drive to Bratislava. Overnight stay in Bratislava. (B)
FLY TO THE UK
Free morning depending on time of flight back to the UK. Drive to Vienna Airport and drop off car. (B)
