Moving to foreign country is a little challenging, for sure, but we should remember that it is important to go out of our comfort zone to get a better reality, better experiences and better opportunities for self-development. Before coming to Slovakia, in general, I recommend you to check basic details about the country and its capital – Bratislava. Of course, in practice you will go through many things when you settle down properly.
Bratislava is the biggest city of Slovakia, with almost half a million population. I come from Tbilisi, Georgia so it is quite a small capital for me, though I love the calmness of Bratislava. It is not very crowded and busy, no traffic jams, better and fresher air. Bratislava is a safe and clean city. If you love nature, Bratislava will be great for you, we have many parks here, forests and lakes as well. Also, Slovakia is a very green and mountainous country, perfect for hiking and/or at least chilling out in nature.
My next tip would be about the weather and temperature, here it is not very cold and freezing winter but if you are coming from a super sunny and warm country, keep it in your mind that winter days are quite shorter (early sunrise and sunset) and quite often foggy too. Then bring proper clothes, mood and readiness for that.
After you arrive in Bratislava, if you are non-EU, I really recommend you to make an appointment for the residence permit as soon as possible. There is a chance that you will not manage it immediately, so keep going, you can win over the booking system 😊
There are international people in Bratislava to whom you can make contacts. Comenius university has the Erasmus page too and plus there are many bars, centers and organizations where you can meet international people. Also, Bratislava is the capital so here lots of locals speak very good English, some of them are shy so it is your turn to be initiator and start the conversation. The local people are very nice and friendly. They will appreciate it if you learn some basic phrases, words in Slovak. It is not about Slovakia, in general, it is super nice and respectful when you know the basics in the locals' language.
I would like to mention some info about public transport, it is really amazing. Even though the city is not very big, they have lots of routes of buses and trolley-buses and plus the trams. I recommend you to buy a monthly ticket or if you stay for 1 year then 1-year ticket, that is smarter and cheaper. Also, there are night buses in Bratislava. All the stops, info-desks and announcements are in English too. Bratislava has the perfect location, you can travel abroad very easily as well. The city has an airport and the bigger Vienna airport is just 50 minutes away from here. Don’t forget to explore Slovakia too. The country has quite good train connections that are more eco-friendly and comfortable.
One more tip is to check the city website - https://bratislava.sk/en and also https://www.citylife.sk/ plus follow the Instagram pages according your interests to get all information on time, city is quite livable, lots of cultural, sport and outdoor activities, including festivals and historical celebrations. Also, I really enjoy visiting cozy cafes, the city is full of delicious pastry and coffee. Prices are quite affordable, as in the supermarkets as in the cafes and restaurants too. Here I will not mention “must see” places now because anyway you will find them out yourself, just try to walk a lot, go out of central areas, Bratislava offers you much more than only “must see” spots.
Last but not least, if you need any help or support, you should ask for it. No one can guess automatically so don’t be shy or afraid of asking for help. Take it easy, locals, your mentor and organization can support you, they are very empathetic and helpful.
Enjoy your stay in Bratislava! Eat local food, get local drinks, be lost in the streets of Bratislava! If you love the city then it will adore you back!
P.S. Don’t tell the locals that you like Coca-Cola more than Kofola. What is Kofola? Hmm, you will find out 😊
Best wishes,
Zura
Text a fotka: Zurabi Sanadze
Zura je dobrovoľníkom programu Európskej komisie Európsky zbor solidarity na dobrovoľníckom projekte v organizácii Mládež ulice pod koordináciou Bratislavského dobrovoľníckeho centra. Projekt bol podporený Európskou komisiou z programu Európsky zbor solidarity.
