Getting Around Czech Republic: Step-by-step Guide for First Time Solo Travelers
Getting around in this country is actually easy in contrast to what I have thought. Unlike in my country, their transportation system is very organized and always punctual. They have an application and website where you can see all the schedule of the buses and trains. It was difficult for me to use it at first because I was very forgetful though how many times my friends taught me how to use it. To be honest, it took me two weeks to master it. haha Hence, I decided to write this article so I can help my fellow travelers in roaming the beautiful cities in this country; I was not able to find any guide on google before. You can thank me afterwards. ;)
Are you ready? Let's go! Get your smartphone and open your web browser. If you don't have a smartphone, it's okay, you can also do this on your PC.
Transport within the city
1. Open www.idos.cz
You will see this page right away. This is a Czech website so everything is written in Czech language. You can click TRANSLATE if you can't understand Czech words.
2. Change the language by clicking 
found above the page. Only English and German are available. If you don't speak any of these languages, you can just use the translator.
found above the page. Only English and German are available. If you don't speak any of these languages, you can just use the translator.  |
| on smartphone |
 |
| on computer |
3. Choose the city where you are. Click the arrow below the connection, near Trains + Buses. Click "Other public transport" or "Ostanti MHD". Click the city's name.
4. Know the place where you will be coming from. If you are currently at the bus station, you can see it on the bus stand.
Below is an example of the bus stand in Senovážné námesti pošta. You will see the numbers of the buses that will pass by the bus station e.g. 1,2,3,4,6,9..., the name of your location, and the schedule of the bus. You see 3 Máj - Antonína 2 min"; this means
3 =the bus number
Máj - Antonína = the last destination of the bus
2 min = the amount of time you need to wait for the bus to arrive.
There are also laminated white papers on the sides where you can see the schedule and destinations of the buses.
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| This is the bus station. The buses don't stop anywhere. You need to find one of these. |
Below is an example on what you should type if you are from Senovážné námesti pošta going to Jihočeská univerzita. Don't worry if you don't know the spelling, it will show up automatically. Click the search button, then you will see the schedule of the buses. You can also see the duration for transport.
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| from Senovážné going to Jihočeská univerzita |
Below is another example if you will be going to Nádraží (train station). As you can see, the bus #s are different. This means you can ride any of the buses indicated on the search results. However, you have to go to the other bus station, which is on the opposite side. Check the red text on the bus stand so you can confirm if you are at the right station. Here, you can see that buses 6 and 9 will arrive at the same time. You may ride either of them.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Make sure to always check the last destination of the bus or else you will get lost. Some buses have same bus number but different last destination. For example, Dobrá Voda,Točna; Dobrá Voda,U Křížku; and Dobrá Voda,U Kapličky may sound the same and have the same bus number but they go to different stations. They might not pass by the place you want to go. I got lost many times by riding the wrong bus. I hope you won't make the same mistake. There was one time my host family had to pick me up at the bus station because I couldn't find my way back after riding the wrong bus and it was already past midnight.
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| A bus going to Nadrazi, which is also the last station. |
As I mentioned earlier, all the buses and trains in Czech Republic are punctual and they leave right away. If you miss the bus, you have to catch the next one, so you better be early. Also, it's sometimes difficult to catch the bus after 7 pm. There were times I have to wait for about an hour just because I was late for one minute. Just imagine how terrible it was to be outside in winter.
5. The most important part: don't forget to buy the ticket!
These are some of the ticket machines in Czech Republic. They may look different in other cities. Some bus stations don't have them, so it's better if you could buy many tickets in advance.
Photo Credit: www.prazsketramvaje.cz
Photo Credit: www.prazsketramvaje.cz
How to get the ticket:
1. Push the button that indicates the ticket you want to buy.
NOTE:
The ticket is per minutes, not per ride. If you need to ride 2 or more buses, you don't need to buy more ticket. Just buy the ticket that indicates how much time you need for transportation. Unfortunately, it includes your waiting time. For example, if A to B takes 15 minutes and B to C 5 minutes, but you need to wait for 20 minutes for the second bus to arrive, you still need to buy the ticket for 60 or 90 minutes. It is important that you buy the correct ticket because a conductor will check it. If you have the wrong one, you will pay the penalty which is about 250 CZK or 500 CZK (I forgot the exact amount). Honesty is the best policy! 🙂
2. Insert the coins on the slot. Wait for your change, if there's any. Other machines accept credit card.
3. Wait for the machine to dispense the ticket.
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| The ticket looks like this. I had to ride two buses, so I bought a ticket for 60 minutes. Make sure that your ticket is validated by inserting it inside the ticket machine found inside the bus on your first ride; otherwise, you will have to pay the penalty. You don't need to validate it again in another bus, just keep it in case the conductor comes for inspection. |
6. While on the bus, always be attentive. A voice prompt will tell you the name of the station whenever the bus stops. Sometimes, there is no voice prompt especially at night time. If you are not familiar with the place, you can ask the locals. Don't worry, Czech people are helpful and friendly but some of them can't speak English. If you are shy to ask, the name of the bus station can be found on the waiting area.
Going to another city or country
You can also use the application or website if you want to go to another city in Czech Republic or another country. Just repeat steps 1 and 2 as indicated above.
Click Trains + Buses, then input your location and the city/country you want to visit. Don't forget to change the date. You might see only the schedule for seven days if you are using a smartphone. I use my computer whenever I have to check the schedule and prices two or more weeks in advance. Sometimes, you will be able to buy the ticket online, but sometimes you have to buy at the terminal.
On the day of your trip, in case you will be riding a train, always check the platform. When it was my first time in Europe, I had difficulty understanding where the platform was because there were many numbers on the timetable. We don't have these things in my country! haha
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| Train timetable in Prague. Photo not mine. Credits to owner. |
In case you'll be riding a bus, the station's location will be indicated on your email or on the website where you booked your ticket.
TIPS TO SAVE MONEY:
- If you can buy the ticket online, it's better if you will buy it right away. There is a big difference in the price if you will buy the ticket at the terminal. For example, from České Budějovice to Salzburg, the ticket online was only 580 CZK. However, when I bought it at the terminal, I paid 1270 CZK for the same trip schedule.
- Buy the ticket at least one or two weeks in advance. It is more expensive if you buy the day or night before or even within the week. Cheaper tickets can be sold out easily due to a number of tourists in Europe. The price of the ticket also changes from time to time. Sometimes, the ticket will cost about 24 euros a month before your desired trip schedule and then will go down to 17 euros after two weeks but sometimes it also gets higher.
- Check for promotions in some websites e.g. helloe, goeuro, and regiojet. Some of my friends were able to buy a ticket for only €14.00 back and forth! You just have to check them out. You can also join the trips of Erasmus students if you have a connection with them; their trips are very cheap because they are organized by the school. 😏
- Check all the schedule. The prices may vary depending on the date and time of the trip even if the transport company is the same.
- Check the websites of bus/train companies. Some companies are cheaper than the others.
That's all folks, if you find this helpful. Kindly share this article to your friends! ❤
Websites mentioned/I often use:
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