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Sample FAQ A: We plan to arrive in Prague by train. What is the best way to get to our hotel in the historical center?
Arriving in Prague by train had a luxurious grandeur at the
beginning of the 20th century when the main station was new.
The recent interior renovations to this station have not restored grandeur but have at least begun to bring it into the 21st century, so the ambiance is far more pleasant and convenient than it was 2 years ago.
Hedgie's arrival tips for first time visitorsWhen you book your train, choose one of the clean, modern, faster trains and reserve well ahead to ensure a seat in high season. Your journey will be much more pleasant.OrientationCome equipped with a good map of Prague and with the name and address of your hotel and its location on your map. If you do not plan to use a taxi, have the hotel tell you which Metro stop or which tram number and stop is yours. Do not use a translated address such as "Republic Square" or you may never find "Náměstí Republiky." Print it out clearly on a card, because your pronunciation will likely mystify Czechs. Stay on the train until the main station. (Prague has 5 stations.) It's called "Hlavní nádraži" -- main station -- in Czech. Its real name is Wilson Station (Wilsonovo nádraži) after Woodrow Wilson, that crucial ally of Tomaš Masaryk, who wrested the new nation of Czechoslovakia from Hapsburg rule in 1918. Google Maps now has excellent maps of Prague with satellite views, transit information, and street views. Use these to get oriented before you arrive. Search term "Praha Hlavní nádraži." For a view of the front of the station facing the "magistrala," add the word "Wilsonova" which is the real name of that street. Of course, if you enter the street name and your hotel, you will also know where you are going. The park in front of the station, dubbed "Sherwood Forest" by locals in recognition of the forced redistribution of wealth that goes on there, is not very safe after dark. This train station is in the New Town. If you look down and to the left you will see the famous boulevard called Václavské náměstí or Wenceslas Square. This is the center of the New Town. (See our FAQ #4 for descriptions of important quarters of the city).
Changing moneyYou will need Czech crowns, not euros.. An ATM/Bankomat gives the best rate. The "exchange" offices are still notorious for their scams, despite the requirement to post their rates. See our tips for more about money.Some restaurants, taxis, and shops will exchange euros for you, but you will likely get an abysmal rate. The downside of ATMs/Bankomats is they frequently spit out 2000 crown bills, considered an enormous amount in everyday transactions. Enter an odd amount so you'll have at least one 500 crown bill. Alternately, there are now numerous small shops in the station where you can use that 2000 Czk bill and get smaller change. Or, the public transit ticket office will give you smaller bills when you buy your tickets. (They may not be too happy, of course, being inundated all day with visitors' 2000 Czk bills.) TaxisFollow the new signs to the taxi stand. Read our detailed cautions about taxis in Hedgie's Survival Essentials.Buying public transit ticketsThe Prague Transport system is completely integrated. Metro, trams, buses, even the funicular, use the same tickets. The Metro is in the train station and the trams run by outside at the bottom of the incline.
A public transit office (abbreviated MHD) for purchasing tickets is in the train station entry hall. You can also buy single tickets
from the yellow ticket machines near the entrances to the Metro.
Big trilingual signs mark these machines as well as the ticket window.
Each person will need an 18 crown (non-transfer) or a 26 crown (transfer) ticket plus a 13 crown ticket for each piece of luggage.
See rules for usage, prices for children, types of passes, etc. at the MHD website.
If you plan to use a pass, this would be the time to get one.
If you will need to use the Metro or tram daily, a pass may save you money.
If not, you may want it simply for the convenience. Passes need to be activated in the same stamping machines as regular tickets.
" Hedgie's Public Transit tips" give you explanations and links.You may also be able to persuade the vendor to give you a guide to the transit system in English. They are often scarce because, of course, they are popular with everyone who doesn't speak Czech. A Czech brochure will still give you the same map of the system, so get that if nothing else is available. If you plan to arrive at night after the ticket office is closed, consider printing out the map on the MHD website to bring with you. Method A to the center: The tramsThe most direct way to get to many hotels in the historical center is to take your tickets and get on the tram. You need to leave the station and walk a bit for this. Go out any of the glass doors at the front of the entry hall. If you need to ask, the Czech word for tram is "tramvaj" (roughly "tram vi" with a long i). Follow the crowds walking down the path to the right. As you walk, you will see the freeway or motorway which the Czechs call the "magistrala") and the beautiful old part of the station to your right, and a statue of a soldier embracing another man. You're on the right path. Cross to the "island" in the middle of the street to get to trams going to the center, away from the freeway. At the tram stop you'll see posted time tables. The underlined station is where you are standing. Read down from there to see where you are going.Tram 26's table will look roughly like this (The accented Czech letters are rendered as unaccented.)
Note: If the time tables are printed on yellow paper, it means there are temporary detours somewhere on the route. Check to see that your stop is still included. If not, don't panic. Ask a likely person for help, using a map and your hotel address. Pantomime and pointing are great tools. Be sure to time stamp your ticket or pass in one of the yellow boxes when you get on or it is not valid. Many of the hotels Hedgie has reviewed Accomodations FAQ are an easy walk from the Dlouha trida tram stop. It's a 5 minute ride.From the train station, there are other routes to different parts of the historical center. See Google Maps for detailed information and street views. Method B to the center: The MetroIf your hotel is on a Metro line, you need the same type of transit ticket.
There are 3 lines, A or green, B or yellow, and C or red. The train station is directly on the red A line. As illustrated in the photo, signs above each entrance spell outthe Line (linka), identified by color and letter, important stops, transfer points. You need to know your line and metro station. If you are going to transfer between lines, determine the name your transfer station from a diagram of the system.
Signs to know within the Metro stations: Přestup=transfer, Vstup=entry, and Výstup=exit (Note that the crucial letter "ý" is the difference between entry and exit.)
Time stamp your tickets in the yellow boxes before entry to the Metro.
Pickpockets and ThievesTaxis and pickpockets are the 2 big problems here. Avoid those and you'll have a great time! The park area around the train station is nicknamed "Sherwood Forest," not because of its trees, which are few, but because some denizens believe the rich should share generously with the poor. As in the fairy tales you may have grown up with, you are urged to stick to the path and not loiter. Stay close to a group if you can. You're probably very savvy about pickpockets but do read about common Prague tactics. They are very aggressive, extremely persistent, quite deft, and not in the least ashamed of being seen "in the act." You need to be prepared, both on the train itself and once you step off.The thieves will be watching for that moment you are exhausted and distracted. The very moment you are not alert, they move in. Tourists overcrowd the Metro and many trams in season, and of course the pickpockets just LOVE that opportunity. Prague residents share their preventive tips with friends and visitors. Various locals have been targets so often they are thinking of volunteering as decoys, should the police ever take the problem seriously. | |
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