I am wanting to do day trips from Prague to Kutná Hora, Karlštejn Castle, and Tábor. How difficult is it to get tickets at the station? Do any of the clerks speak english? Do they have an automated ticket machine i can purchase them from? Can I get the tickets before i go overseas? I have a vision impairment and have trouble reading signs As much detailed information as possible would really help me as I can map out ahead of time what i need to do to get the tickets and get on the correct trains. I am going on March the 4th
|||
the ticket sellers at the main train ststions understand english and I have had no difficulty in buying tickets and making myself understood.
The signs at the train station are pretty big.but to help you got to wwww.idos.cz and click on the English language version.you will be able to get full time tables and train numbers that should help you.tha only difficulty yoy may have is getting the right platform.
|||
Sorry unclegus but we had a different experience!
I got tickets at Schmirov for Karlstein and to be honest, it was not easy although we did get there! It was virtually impossible to find a clerk to speak English and the one we found spoke next to none (I stupidly had forgotten that I had used German the previous day at a metro station and that was very useful even if my German is not the best!). Then, we couldn%26#39;t get the person to tell us what platform the train was on. None of the trains listed on the big billboard had Karlstein on it, nor were any of what we assumed were the stations listed on our ticket on the billboard. After asking one or two people in vain, we returned to the entrance hall and must have looked lost as a lovely Czech lady with superb English asked if she could help. She did - she made sure we got on the right train and our train was punctual and on the way out a lovely modern double decker. On teh way back it was a very old, rickety one!
What happned us what that the end destination for Karlstein trains is Beroun (which was on the billboard but not named on our ticket, hence our confusion, but I later remembered that it had been on a timetable I had seen on the internet. There was also no conductor on the platforms so we couldn%26#39;t even show a conductor a ticket to check we were on the right platform!
My tips are
- Allow lots of time!
- Print off info from the internet in case the destination station is on billboard as happened to us
- If you can speak German, there is probably a better chance of being understood than English!
By the way, we really enjoyed the train journey and would definitely do it again! We also enjoyed Tour II (you have to prebook it) of Karlstein Castle.
|||
Thanks, Anyone else have any other experiences for day trips from prague at the train station?
|||
Don%26#39;t be afraid or shy to ask for help. The clerks could understand some english, but they show almost no effort to try. Sometimes there are long cues, tons of people, you as a confused foreigner are slowing things down....then they are more likely to brush you off if they don%26#39;t get what you want. In a way you can not blame them, they are low educated, very low paid workers.
Have the train schedule print out - preferably one from jizdnirady.idnes.cz/ConnForm.asp…
as it gives the clerk all the info he needs - the date you want your ticket for, train number, the exact type of train (sometimes there are surcharges for higher group of trains), all you need is show the number of tickets you want. If you want the return ticket - just write along ZPATECNI - its easier and cheaper that way. Returns are valid only for the same day though.
Navigation at the train stations can be tricky even for visually healthy foreigner - as I said, just ask for help in english, smile a lot, show the schedule and you will be taken care of, guaranteed. Younger student type folks work the best.
Good luck!
|||
The clerks may speak English, but you might be unlucky.
My technique in countries where I can%26#39;t speak the language is to write out on paper in advance what I want and then if they don%26#39;t speak a language I do, hand over the piece of paper.
For example if I wanted return tickets to Karlstejn on 29 Feb
29/02/08
Praha -%26gt; Karlstejn
Karlsteijn -%26gt; Praha
If I want a tickets for 2 people I draw a stick men and write x2 next to the stick man.
And I smile lots.
The clerk may think I%26#39;m stupid but I always get the right ticket.
Be aware in Europe we always write dates as day/month/year.
Also check out on-line what time your train is: www.idos.cz.
|||
some good ideas here thanks...... any other experiecces or ideas? I will be in prague from march 4-10 anyone else going to be there during that week?
|||
I didn%26#39;t take the trains in Czech, but I did take the bus from Prague to Cesky Krumlov, which stops by Tabor on the way. The main bus terminal in Prague (Florenc) has an information counter with English speaking staff, who will direct you to the correct window for tickets. The ticket office is not big, and I think is less daunting than the train stations. The platform number for your bus will be printed on the ticket. Alternatively, you can buy tickets from the driver, but you risk not being able to board if the bus is full.
|||
Good Idea I may take the bus out and the train back in and use all forms of transportation any other experiences from anyone?
|||
On trains you can always buy tickets on the train itself - they might charge a couple of Crowns extra for the privilege, but it is hardly anything, and you cut out the hassle of queuing up and trying to get the person behind the glass to understand you. I don%26#39;t believe it is possible to book any of these tickets online. Have your destination written out on a piece of paper, and you can use this for asking at the station which platform you need to go from - somebody will help you.
If you do buy the tickets on the train they will appreciate it if you have the right money - details below
Kutna Hora: 0953 from Prague Main Station, arrive KH 1056 - 72 Crowns 2nd class, 95 crowns 1st class (look for destination station Brno).
return journey - dep KH 1659, arrive Prague 1805. Same price. Destination station Praha Hl.n. (Prague Main Station)
I personally wouldn%26#39;t get the bus anywhere as I find the train much more comfortable and less hassle, but that is just my personal preference.
Good luck!
Tabor: 0911 from Prague Main Station, arrive 1055 - 100 crowns 2nd class, 132 crowns 1st class (look for destination station České Budějovice on the departure board)
Back again - trains hourly from 1501 to 1901 (except 1801), 1 hr 53 mins journey time. Destination station Praha Hl.n.
Karlstejn: Trains every hour from 0726 onwards. 36 Crowns, journey time 41 minutes. Look for destination station Beroun - this train stops in every village so keep an eye out for the station name - they are generally written in large letters so you shouldn%26#39;t need to worry.
Back again - every half hour at 27 and 57 past the hour. Destination station Praha (but this will be obvious).
The station is actually 2km from the castle itself, and there are no buses.
|||
All the information here is helpful. We are planning Prague to Vienna (Wien) in June. Has any one done this and can I buy the ticket on the train. It seems imposible to buy and reserve in advance on the Czech railway. Regards Martin
No comments:
Post a Comment