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| Photo Credit: YL Lew on Pexels |
Let me start by saying that in my home country, Switzerland, we are absolutely spoiled when it comes to public transportation in general and airport connections in particular. Our two international airports, Zurich and Geneva, not only offer frequent direct trains into the city, but also a tram in Zurich and several bus lines in Geneva.
From previous trips to European cities like Madrid, Stockholm, and London, I had (wrongly, as it turns out) assumed that every European airport has its own train or underground station.
So I was surprised to learn that Prague doesn’t have either. If you don’t want to pay for a taxi or an Uber, you’ll have to take a bus, which is exactly what every YouTuber who's vlogging about getting around Prague will tell you to do. Apparently, not every taxi is legit, and some will happily overcharge unsuspecting tourists.
After a 17-minute bus ride, you’re dropped off at a metro station in what feels like the middle of nowhere; one without escalators or elevators.
There I was, standing with my suitcase, quietly cursing under my breath.
Then I noticed a local guy from the bus hobbling past me on crutches. His right leg was amputated at the thigh. He made his way down the steep staircase, at least two levels, with impressive ease.
If he could do it, I could do it.
I was so glad I had taken a screenshot of my route beforehand, because on the metro platform I had no phone reception. The station names were hard to memorize, I didn’t even know how to pronounce them. It was my first time traveling to a country where I didn’t speak a single word of the local language.
After changing lines once, I had arrived. Well, almost. Our hotel was in the Old Town, where all the streets are paved with cobblestones, making it quite the challenge to haul a roll-on suitcase.
More on cobblestones in a later post.
The good news: the trip from Václav Havel Airport to the city center cost only CZK 46, about USD 2.20. Later, I found out I should have bought a second ticket for my suitcase, bringing the total to CZK 92 (USD 4.40).
Still a great price. But as someone who values comfort, I knew I wouldn’t be repeating this journey on my way back.
How much of a price difference in dollars would you be willing to pay for a 30 minutes' taxi ride to or from the airport?
I don't think I could have handled that walk, whether I saw someone else who could do it or not. But then you are a seasoned traveler. I'm not sure about the price difference but it would be reassuring that a taxi would take me straight home. I think you're brave to go to a place where you don't know the language at all.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you sharing your airport experience. Where I live, it typically cost around $78 to $93 for a one-way trip to and from the airports (domestic and international). There's also an additional charge for the type of vehicle, time of pickup, and tolls.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like quite the adventure from the airport. When my husband and I went to O'ahu last year, we decided to walk and take the bus most of the time. Renting a car there is very expensive. We took the occasional Uber for hard to reach destinations. Taking the bus was a fun and less costly way to see the island. The heat was a lot at times, which would sometimes lead to us taking an Uber.
ReplyDeleteWatching other people handle challenges with grace and ease have a way of humbling us.
ReplyDeleteI remember well the cobbled streets and trying to maneuver with suitcases.
For me I would probably take the bus like you did and walk where I was going. Looking forward to more on your adventure!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about struggling on the metro because of the language. It happened to me once in Stuttgart. (By the way, I've visited Zurich and found the city an amazing place! ☺️) It's hard to think about hiring a taxi in a place where you can't speak the language (you can only hope and pray that the taxi driver will speak English and we'll understand each other. One thing that my husband has done in our last two trips, we book someone to pick us up at the airport (those people with a sign with our name. :) ) - it can be cheaper than a taxi, and it's safer, I guess. ☺️
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