A trip to see their son: how parents plan a budget to visit their child in Slovakia

As of 2024, according to various estimates, about 100,000 students from Ukraine are studying abroad. The most popular countries among those chosen by Ukrainian youth are Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Recently, Slovakia has been added to this list: its proximity to Ukraine, the availability of education, and the relatively low cost of education and living make it an attractive choice for Ukrainian school graduates. Education abroad not only opens up new opportunities for our boys and girls, but also forces them to overcome financial difficulties, deal with nostalgia, homesickness. And here, of course, powerful family support comes in handy. During the student holidays, the girls go to Ukraine to be with their families for a month or two. But the boys are deprived of such an opportunity due to difficulties in crossing the border. So parents, in order to support their children, go to the place of study. We talked to the mother of a boy studying in Slovakia and found out how much the trip to her son cost her, and what difficulties travelers usually face.
By train or bus?
There are two ways to get from Dnipro to Bratislava: Dnipro-Uzhgorod-Bratislava (train+bus), Dnipro-Mukachevo-Kosice-Bratislava (train+train+train). The cost of both options is approximately the same – about UAH 2,800,000.
Among the parents of “Slovak” students, there is an opinion that the second option is more economical and simpler. However, its advantages are deceptive. Between trains – 5-6 hours, which must be “shortened” in Mukachevo. A walk around the city, spending time in a station coffee shop – all this will entail additional costs, at least – 500 UAH. In Košice – again hours of waiting and again coffee and a light snack (10 euros) to support yourself on the difficult journey.
Crossing the border is an unpleasant procedure. Slovak customs officials carefully inspect the luggage. Meat and dairy products are not allowed. They treat the limits on vodka products carefully. Even water and juice bottles are checked just in case.

Where is the best place to stay?
The second item of expenses in the trip to my son is accommodation. Parents who are going to visit their children in Slovakia should know that it is possible to move into the dormitory where their son or daughter lives only during the so-called tourist period – from July 1 to August 15. After that, the first-year students and those students who have returned from the holidays begin to move in. The cost of living in a dormitory for an adult is 21 euros per day. Of course, this is the most convenient option that allows you to be close to your child. If the arrival to the place of study does not fit into the tourist period, you can use a hostel. Its cost is about the same as dorm rooms. However, you should be prepared for the fact that, apart from the bed, there will be nothing else in such an accommodation, and you will not be alone in the room, but with 7-9 neighbors who also need a cheap overnight stay in Bratislava. It is possible to leave things in storage cells and use the kitchen for cooking.
Our visitor spent five nights in such a hostel and paid 110 euros for it.
And what about food?
Another item of expenditure is food. The first thing that surprises Ukrainians who come to Bratislava and seek to strengthen themselves is the dominance of Asian cuisine. There are a lot of tourists from Asian countries here, and they prepare familiar dishes for them, which our travelers may not like. Of course, it is possible to find fast food establishments that prepare traditional pizza, which will cost about 12 euros. A delicious offer, which our heroine took advantage of – cheese dumplings (11 euros for 300 grams) – satisfying and inexpensive. Let’s calculate the cost of food per day: three meals will cost 30-40 euros.
Probably, it is not necessary to specify that this number should be increased at least twice, because every mother who comes to visit her child wants to feed her first.
How much will a five-day trip to see my son cost?
What other expenses do you need to be prepared for when traveling to a child studying abroad? Transport – a one-time ticket in Bratislava costs 1 euro. If the walk with the child goes beyond the borders of Slovakia, for example, you go by bus to Vienna, this will add approximately 50 euros to your expenses. Add here small souvenirs for loved ones for 2-4 euros, expenses for juice and water in conditions of abnormal heat and the rest of the needs, and you will get a considerable amount. According to our calculations, the five-day trip to her son cost our heroine 560 euros.