I will visit Bratislava from 12th to 19th July this year. It would be great if I could meet other VTers during my stay, so if you are there, please let me know.
Other questions:
1) what are some nice places I should see, apart from the most important museums, palaces that are mentioned in guidebooks?
2) how many days will I need to visit Bratislava well (some museums, all the important churches, the city centre, etc.)?
3) What locations near Bratislava are worth visiting on a one-day trip? And how can I reach them by public transport?
4) I will take a train from Vienna to Bratislava main station. My hotel is located at Rajska ulica. What tram or bus do I have to take to get there? Do I also have to buy a ticket for my suitcase and how much does this ticket cost?
5) Will I need to buy a pass for trams and buses to visit the city or can just walk across it? Are there 7-day or (2/3/5-day) public transport tickets?
Thanks for your answers!

1) highlights are mentioned in the each guide book. the rest depends on your interests. The essential tour shoudl include the castle, Oopera Hous, Main Square and Primnatial Sq., you can also check this link for the recommended tour: http://bratislava-audiotour.com/index.php/Tour-Map.html

2) In 1-2 days you should be able to visit everything important located in the town center. Everything in the center is in walking distance from your hotel.

3) Definitely the Devin Castle with the bus No 28

4) take a tram No 13, take off at the stop Postova St. (takes about 8 min) and go down the hill to Rajska. there is a big Tesco store on the same street so you cannot miss it. There is also Tourist info booth on the Central Station where you can get more info regarding pricing. You can also visit www.imhd.sk for public transport info.

Quite extensive information about public transportation in Bratislava (including maps, journey planner, ticket types and fares) you will find at http://imhd.sk/ba/index.php?w=&lang=en.

Something off-the-beaten-track in Bratislava, which I wouldn't call nice, but definitely worth to see: Bratislava has a cute historical city center, but it is also one of the central/eastern European capitals most badly hit by the communist "urbanism". Petrzalka - the part of Bratislava south of the river Danube - is an excellent example. You can see it very well from the castle, but if you have some time, take some bus that will take you thoroughly through this part (e.g. 68). If you don't like crowds packed in a very limited place, then do it in off-peak hours (summer time used to be less critical). Otherwise don't worry - it is absolutely safe :-)

Staying in Bratislava itself for a week is more than enough time to see everything there and more. If you're not planning on going elsewhere in the country, I suggest you make a few trips during this week. I'm sure you know Slovakia is quite small, and therefore getting around is pretty easy by bus or train. Depending on your interests, I would suggest some of the following:

- Bojnice Castle near Prievidza is rather magnificent and is in the west part of the country, so with some planning you could probably get there and back in a day without a problem.
- Banska Bystrica is in the centre of the country. It has a a really nice town centre, and some interesting churches, as well as a really cool museum about the Slovak Uprising during WW2. You might need to stay over a night, but it's worth a look for sure
- Slovensky Raj Park. If you like hiking and nature, this is definitely worth a look. This is located pretty much exactly in the middle of the country. Of course, this is something that would take more than a day out of your time, but definitely worth a look. There are many beautiful sights to behold.
- Head up to the Poprad area for a few days and explore the Tatry mountains. If you like hiking and mountains, this is the best that the area has to offer.

Of course I could go on all day about what to see and do, and you probably have a guidebook anyways... but from my experience, those were the best places to visit in the country.

Of course, you can find out about how to get around by www.idos.cz (it has Czech Republic and Slovakia) or http://www.zsr.sk/generate_page.php?page_id=221 Both websites have English versions avaiable if your Slovak isn't up to speed yet.

Have fun in a beautiful country!

Thanks for your interesting answers.