So, before I write about the joys of Prague last week… I want to get something off my chest first.
The public transport in Prague is not too expensive, although some people would disagree with me. The problem is the availability of tickets at night. There’s no machines available, no shops open, metro stations where there are offices: closed. If you can reach machines, but don’t have exact change: good luck. Even the guys from the tram/metro service won’t change money with you. Oh, and the tramdrivers don’t sell tickets.
So if you don’t have a ticket already, sometimes you’re more or less forced to ride the tram illegally, or put yourself in danger by walking through a city filled with junks and bums for 1.5 hour. So you get on the tram, but a lot of trams at night have police officers in them… who help to enforce the public transport company’s rules. By helping controllers fining you for more than 25 times the price of a ticket. That, by my book, is fascism. Using state security forces to enforce corporate interests at the cost of civilians.
There’s the option to send an SMS to a number to buy a ticket ‘code’ or something, but we were told this only works with Czech numbers… and at the information display at tramstops, the number to SMS is not mentioned. Great job, guys.
Yes, we got fined.
More about Prague soon! It was awesome. So was the 24 hour busride through Europe 🙂
Photo by Tsvety.
Comments
4 responses to “Prague Public Transport’s a Rip Off!”
Hi Baz,
Forewarning given, this is quite surprising. Hope your talk when okay. 🙂
Great info, Bas! Thank you very much for sharing about this. I have Prague on my list of places to visit in the near future & this type of advice is what I very much appreciate.
Haha, yeah so the tip is basically… make sure you have tickets if you plan on taking a tram at any point of the day.
You could consider a multi-day pass for public transport.
Ive been living in Prague for 1 and half years now and I too fell into the same traps as you when I first arrived. I think I should point out to you that there is a a ticket whichj will cover you for 24hrs and costs 100kc which is 3pounds sterling, if you buy three for your three day stay and punch one into the machine every24hrs you will be fine. and get no fine…this helps those moments of uncertainty if you get stopped by the public transport inspectors. Also if you see the police on a tram at night you can be sure to find the inspectors are on the tram too, as they are there to protect them not the junkies from jumping you…
One last comment there is very little crime on the streets even in the evening, Ive walked home lost and drunk afew times and have never been approached by anyone nor have I ever seen any crime of this sort.
The metro closes around midnight or just after and when your in need of a tram or bus they have a night service that roughly runs one every half hour from most stops. It is very rarely ever late and I find this public transport to be one of the most reliable in europe and you can set your watch by it.. Im english so I know what bad public transport really is loll
Thanks dan