Want to avoid last-minute ATM runs. Do most hostels in Slovakia take card payments at check-in
Slovakia was easy compared to other countries I’ve traveled. Hostels in Bratislava, like those near the Old Town and near the train station, all accepted cards smoothly. Even in Košice, my hostel swiped Visa without problem. ATMs from Slovenská Sporiteľňa and Tatra Banka are everywhere, so cash is never a headache. Honestly, you’ll rarely face a “cash only” sign in Slovakia.
I assumed all hostels would take card, but one in Žilina caught me off guard - they preferred cash, and their machine only worked half the time. In Bratislava, I had zero issues. Just to play it safe, I now bring a bit of cash when moving to a new town. Some hostels even add a 1-2% fee for card payments, so ask first. It’s not super common, but it happens.
I traveled around Slovakia for two weeks and only one hostel asked for cash - it was in a rural area near the Tatras. All the ones in Bratislava, Nitra, and Poprad accepted Visa or Mastercard at check-in. I always asked ahead on Booking.com or sent a quick message. If you're arriving late or on a weekend, it's safer to have a bit of cash in case the machine is down or there's a power cut (which happened to me once).
In Bratislava and Košice, the hostels I stayed at took card without any problem. Places like Hostel Blues and Urban Elephants had working card machines and even let me tap to pay. But in Banská Bystrica, the smaller place I booked wanted cash only and told me at check-in. It wasn’t a huge deal, but I had to walk 10 minutes to find a working ATM. I'd say most hostels take card, but check ahead or keep about €50 in cash just in case.