For meals, transport, tips - whats the safe amount to carry in Slovakia ? Trying to plan a daily budget for a month long trip
Slovakia is affordable by European standards. Local restaurants offer hearty plates for €5-7, and snacks like bryndzové halušky are €3-Public transport in Bratislava is €1.50 per ride, or €15 for a week pass. Tipping is around 10%. A budget traveller can manage on €30-35 daily for meals, trams, and tips. Outside Bratislava, it’s even cheaper. Hiking in the High Tatras is free, so daily costs drop unless you eat at tourist lodges. For a month, Slovakia is great for budget-friendly European living.
With €55 a day, I covered dorm beds, transportation, and local meals during June 2024. Lunch specials in Bratislava were about €5, dinner around €8-10, and local beers cost €1.50-2. Intercity buses cost around €7-€12, while some museums charged €4-€6. I tipped about €1 or €2. For a month-long trip, €50-€70/day seems just right-plenty of food, travel, and small experiences without overthinking.
I lived in Bratislava for six weeks and found €60-65/day sustainable. I cooked lunch and breakfast from supermarkets (Tesco and Lidl groceries, about €4-6/day) and ate out for dinner. Monthly bus pass cost me €30, and I often commuted by tram or intercity train to nearby towns for under €8. Cuttered local SIM, coworking passes, and café coffees balanced out the lodging and transport. All-in, it felt comfortable.
I planned for €70 daily and it offered me room to stay in guesthouses, take sightseeing tours, and eat at nicer bistros and cake shops. In Banská Štiavnica, a three‑course meal with wine cost around €20, and regional trains were roughly €5-10 between towns. Taxis are hit-or-miss; public buses were efficient. That budget allowed a few weekend excursions and even an occasional castle entry, without cutting corners.