The hitch-hikers in Slovakia have better situation then in other countries. It is because Slovakia is divided do many small parts (one part is called "okres" - something like county). The cars od each of these parts have special car number/letters. This car number is built from three parts e.g. BA-863AJ.
863 = the number is not important, it is just number
AJ = these letters are again not important, just to make difference
BA = this is important, because it means the abbreviation of the name of the town, the car is from.
What does it mean for hitch-hikers? They know where the car is from. So if you are on the petrol station in the east part of the country, you want to go to the west part, and you see the car from the part you go to, you can ask the driver to take you with him. Other thing: People use to use the small boards with the name of the town they go to. It could be a problem if you go e.g. to Aix-en-Provence ( quite long ). But not in Slovakia. Every part has its own two letters abbreviation. In Slovakia people use to use the small boards with these two letters. It does not make difference whether you go to Nitra ( you use "NR") or to Banska Bystrica ( use BB).
OK, that is why I write before the name of the city the two letters abbreviation. Now, you know what it is. But ... use it cleverly. If you are in Bratislava and you go Košice ( more than 600 km) you can use the letters, but you have small chance to catch the car, because it is really far. Let's see the Map of Slovakia.
BA - Bratislava
BB - B. Bystrica
NR - Nitra
RK - Ružobmerok
ZV - Zvolen
ZA - Žilina
PP - Poprad
TN - Trenčín
KE - Košice
PO - Prešov
The places where to take the bus to get to the hitch-hiking places are these:
* Mierové námestie (The Square of Peace, sometimes on the maps Hodžovo square) with the big metal globe of Earth, in front of the hotel Forum
* Tržnica (The covered fruit market), in front of the centre of culture Istropolis
* Kamenné námestie (The Square of Stones) in front of the supermarket Tesco
The direction to Brno, Praha
From Mierové n. (The Square of Peace) runs the bus No. 83 direction to Dúbravka ( another main bus stops : SAV-next to the main railway station) , trolejbus No. 212 Direction to Vojenská nemocnica (The hospital of the Army) ( another main bus stops : SAV-next to the main railway station, the hospital of Kramáre) . From Tržnica (The fruit market)runs the bus bus No. 63 direction to Devínska N. Ves (another main bus stops : Račianske mýto, SAV-next to the main railway station) . In all the ways you have to get of on the bus stop named "Patrónka". Then you have to go by feet to the direction where the buses leave. After cca. 300 m way next to the big red wall you will find the restaurant of Mc Donald ant the petrol station. It is necessary to pass the petrol station and there you will find the big place for hitch-hiking to Praha or Brno. I strongly recommend little board with the name of the city you go to. The best time to catch the car is morning 8-10:00 hod.
The direction to Trenčín, Žilina, Nitra, Banská Bystrica, Zvolen, Košice, Liptovský Mikuláš, Poprad
From Tržnica (The fruit market) runs the trams No. 4 and No.2 direction to Zlaté piesky (The Golden sands) (another main tram stops No.2.: hthe main railway station; No.4. Karlova ves, PKO, supermarket Tesco - Kamenné nám.). With both of them you have to go to the end of their way, to the final stop (Zlaté piesky (The Golden sands)). Here you have to go across the way ( you can use the stairs) and there is the place for hitch-hiking. From the Tržnica ( The fruit market ) runs the bus No. 53 (first stop) direction to Vajnory (another main bus stops: Bajkalská, IKEA, shopping park Soravia) . You have to go to the stop "Zlaté piesky" ( two stops after the shopping park Soravia, before the stairs above the road. Always you will find a lot of people there, if you are in problem, just ask.
Direction to Pezinok, Modra
From supermarket Tesco runs the tram No. 11 dir. to Rača ( another main tram stops: Račianske mýto, youth hostel Mladá Garda, railway station Vinohrady-Predmestie, Pekná cesta - Krasňany). You have to get of on the third stop before final stop (opposite the big factory Drevomarket) and go to the right, till you find the main road. That is your route. The best place to hitch-hike is the bus stop, because when you won't catch any car, you can take bus (the blue one, red are only for the city).