Slovakia Travel Information
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From ancient empires to modern-day independence, Slovakia's history fascinates.
Conquered by Celts, Slavic tribes, and under the influence of the Great Moravian empire and the Maygars, Slovakia was a part of Hungary into the Middle Ages. The relationship with Hungary continued for centuries as Slovakia aligned itself with the Austrian Hapsburg monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Late in the 18th century, nationalist movements began to spark. The 20th century saw a new alliance with the neighbouring Czechs, at the suggestion of Slovakian intellectuals. This union was formalized at the end of WWI.
The day before Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1938, Slovak leadership made an unpopular choice and declared Slovakia a German protectorate. This put Slovakia under German power. The Yalta Agreement at the end of WWII left Slovakia as a part of Czechoslovakia, and soon after it came under communist control.
1989 witnessed the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. As a result of the revolution, the “Iron Curtain’ and the Berlin Wall came down and the country experienced dramatic democratic reforms. The desire for a democratic Slovakia was strong and many worried about the economy. On January 1 1993, the Czechoslovakian federation ceased to exist, and an independent Slovakia emerged for the first time in the region’s long history.
By 2004 the young country of Slovakia was accepted into NATO and European Union, adopting its currency, the Euro, in 2009. Main religions include Roman Catholic and Protestant, with Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Jewish and Greek Orthodox minorities. The official language is Slovak, and there are also speakers of Hungarian, Ukrainian, Ruthenian, and German across the country.
Before you leave, make sure to pick up souvenirs of dolls dressed in folk costumes, ceramic objects, crystal glass, carved wooden figures, and wooden pitchers.
Check out Devin at the confluence of the Danube and the Morav rivers for its incredible castle, Sulov Rocks, 2 hours from Bratislava, a jagged mountain part of the ‘Slovak Dolomites’ or Bojnice Castle, the most beautiful and visited castle, built in the 12th century in the style of a French chateau.
Featured Slovakia Trip Ideas
Slovakia Travel Packages
Melodies of the Danube River Cruise
Budapest and Fisherman’s BastionAn Independent Danube River cruise through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany, where vineyard shores, storied castles and riverside culture unfold.
10 days
From US$6,039/p.p.
Request a Quote
Prague, Vienna & Budapest: Central Europe Journey
Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace, and PragueDrift through Central Europe on this small group adventure, from Czech castles to a Danube cruise through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary's storybook scenes.
14 days
From US$5,600/p.p.
Request a Quote
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perfect trip idea?
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Turn your travel dreams into reality with Goway. Our customized vacations take travellers to all corners of the world.
Melodies of the Danube River Cruise
Budapest and Fisherman’s BastionAn Independent Danube River cruise through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany, where vineyard shores, storied castles and riverside culture unfold.
10 days
From US$6,039/p.p.
Request a Quote
Prague, Vienna & Budapest: Central Europe Journey
Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace, and PragueDrift through Central Europe on this small group adventure, from Czech castles to a Danube cruise through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary's storybook scenes.
14 days
From US$5,600/p.p.
Request a Quote
Don't see the
perfect trip idea?
Request a custom quote.
Turn your travel dreams into reality with Goway. Our customized vacations take travellers to all corners of the world.
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Slovakia Travel Information
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This was our second trip booked with Michael
Hotels were all excellent, in great locations, transfers to and from airports went without a hitch and train travel was exactly as planned.
As we worked through all the details of planning the trip, he responded to lib questions promptly, making finalizing the trip very easy
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Everything went smoothly, and the vacation could not have been any better. The hotels were wonderful, the two tours we took went well, and there were no issues with flights or transfers.
GERARWe have used Goway Travel previously, and they are the best. Our travel specialist, Shalini Thakur, designed our trip to Italy exactly the way we wanted. They make traveling so low-stress. The itinerary is very detailed, giving you plenty of time to review prior to your trip. We have drivers that meet us at the airport and take us to and from all stops on our trip. No dealing with trains and buses and taxis and dragging your luggage all over.
They have great local guides for excursions, most in small groups of 10 or less. The trip is so much more meaningful with a knowledgeable guide to explain the history.
Our accommodations are always centrally located to our excursions, most of the time we are picked up at our hotel.
We like to keep busy on our trips, but Goway always plans a great balance that gives us time to rest a little after late nights or long days, so you don't get exhausted, which is nice as we are all in our late 60's.
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We will definitely use them again.JoanneI began planning my Italy vacation with Avery more than a year before we traveled, and I want to start by giving her the recognition she deserves. Avery did an exceptional job planning this trip. From the beginning, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted to experience in Italy, and she listened carefully and captured it. The destinations, hotels, tours, transportation and overall flow of the trip were thoughtfully planned. Aside from three specific issues that I will address, everything came together extremely well.
One of the things I appreciated most was the attention to logistics. The hotels were conveniently located, our tour meeting points were generally close to our accommodations, and the routing between cities made sense. Those details may seem small during the planning process, but once you are actually traveling through multiple cities, they make an enormous difference. I especially appreciated the meet and greet services and arranged transfers because they removed much of the stress that comes with arriving somewhere unfamiliar. I did not have to constantly worry about where to go, how to get there or who I was supposed to meet. I was able to enjoy my vacation instead of managing the logistics of my vacation.
The people Avery arranged for us to work with in Italy were also excellent overall. Our drivers, guides and local representatives were professional, pleasant and easy to communicate with. We stayed at five hotels, and with the exception of Dharma Luxury Hotel in Rome, the other four were excellent. I loved them and would not change those selections. From a travel planning perspective, I would give Avery more than five stars. She listened, understood what I wanted and created the Italy experience I had envisioned. I would absolutely work with her again and recommend her to others.
There were, however, three specific issues during the trip that I believe deserve attention. These involved the third-party operator used for our Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti tour, our experience at Dharma Luxury Hotel in Rome, and the response from Goway’s emergency travel support. I want to separate these concerns from my experience with Avery because I do not believe they reflect the quality of the work she did planning our vacation.
My recommendations are therefore directed toward strengthening the third-party services surrounding the travel experience. I recommend that Goway review the operator used for the Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti tour, reconsider Dharma Luxury Hotel based on the maintenance and customer service issues I experienced and conduct a formal review of its emergency support provider, including whether the response to my request complied with the provider’s contractual service levels.
Overall, this was an incredible Italy vacation, and Avery deserves tremendous credit for making it happen. Planning an excellent vacation is important, and she accomplished that. At the same time, what happens when something does not go according to plan is also an important part of the travel experience. The three problems I encountered were specific and identifiable, and addressing those areas would make an already excellent travel planning experience significantly stronger.S MoolahKatie our travel agent planned a wonderful trip for us. Everything was taken care of and we didn’t have to worry about anything. I would highly recommend Go Way travel when planning a trip. 49ergirlI worked with Maria S. from Goway Travel to build a tailored trip to the Azores and mainland Portugal. Maria provided excellent, responsive and patient service, never pressured me into making decisions, offered multiple options for managing pricing, answered my many questions clearly and fully, and always met the timelines she would set to get back to me. Once I was on my trip, Maria checked in several times even though there was an operator on the ground at my destination; she even resolved a minor mix-up with one of my hotels and arranged for a special surprise on my birthday. I cannot speak highly enough of Maria's professionalism, follow-through, positivity, attention to detail and responsiveness. I highly recommend Goway and Maria for your travel plans, and will definitely use this company again for my future travels. Thank you so much for making my trip to Portugal so memorable, Maria! Michele B.Extremely delighted we took this trip to Bali with Goway. Ameet was fantastic. He helped me save on my flights and also guided me on the right hotel decisions. Extremely Charming and always a pleasure to chat to. We enjoyed the Komodo islands a lot thanks to our specialist who made the recommendation. Hid guidance on the places and restaurants was spot on and we and my gf enjoyed the trip so much. We will consider using Goway and Ameet for our Honeymoon as well.Garth Cutos
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