Czech Republic Travel Tips

Social Conventions
Dress should be casual, but conservative, except at formal dinners and at quality hotels or restaurants.

International Travel:

Getting There by Air
The national airline is Czech Airlines (OK) (website: www.csa.cz).

Departure Tax
Included in ticket price.

Main Airports
Prague (PRG) (Ruzyne) is 20km (12 miles) northwest of the city. To/from the airport: Cedaz operates a shuttle bus to the city center and a 24-hour minibus service. Public buses run between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 North to the Zličín and Dejvická metro stations. Bus 100 leaves for Zličín (line B) (journey time - 15 minutes) and bus 119 runs to the Dejvická (line A) (journey time - 30 minutes). The night bus 510 links up with the night tram 51 at Divoká Šárka. Minibuses and taxis are also available; some major hotels operate shuttle-bus services. Facilities: Duty-free shops, post office, banks/bureaux de change, restaurant and bar, car parking and car hire.

Getting There by Rail
The Czech Republic forms part of the European InterCity network. The most convenient routes to the Czech Republic from Western Europe are via Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Nuremburg, Munich, Vienna, Würzburg or Zurich to Prague. The Vindobona Express is a once-daily through train that travels from Vienna to Prague (main station) and on to Berlin. Rail travel information is available from Czech Railways (tel: 412 503 113, within the Czech Republic only; website: www.cdrail.cz).

Rail Passes
InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurailpass: offers unlimited travel in 18 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days to three months. The Eurailpass Saver ticket offers discounts for two or more travelers. The Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those aged under 26 and offers unlimited travel. The Eurailpass Flexi allows 10 or 15 travel days within a two-month period. The Eurail Selectpass is valid in up to five bordering countries and allows up to 15 days travel in a two-month period. The Eurail Regional Pass allows four to 10 travel days in a two-month period in two or three neighboring countries. Children receive a 50% reduction. The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, or the Russian Federation. Available from The Eurail Group (website: http://www.eurail.com/).

Getting There by Road
A network of international roads (or ‘E’ roads) travel from neighboring Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria through the Czech Republic to Prague.
 
Coach: There is an international coach network covering most European cities. There are connections to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Vienna and other main cities from the Florenc and Zelivskeho Bus Terminals (Metro stations). Bohemia Lines runs services from London Victoria to Prague and Brno (tel: (2) 2231 2355; website: www.bohemialines.cz). Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK only; website: www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from the UK to the Czech Republic.

Coach passes: Prague is one of 40 cities that travelers can visit with a 15- or 30-day Eurolines Pass. These can be bought online from Eurolines’ website.

Overview
The following goods may be imported into the Czech Republic without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (if over 16 years of age); 1l of spirits and 2l of wine; 50g of perfume or 250ml of eau de toilette; gifts up to a value of €175; foods, fruits, flowers and medication for personal use. Age restrictions apply.

Note: The export of cultural heritage pieces is only possible with prior approval by the Czech Ministry of Culture.

Abolition of duty-free goods within the EU
On 30 June 1999, the sale of duty-free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. This has been extended to the 10 new member states that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the two states that joined on 1 January 2007, with some exceptions, for example those returning to the UK can bring back a maximum of 200 cigarettes or the equivalent. Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use only.

Internal Travel:

Getting Around By Air
Czech Airlines (OK) (website: www.csa.cz) operates an extensive domestic service. There are regular domestic flights from Prague to Ostrava and Brno.

Getting Around by Water
Navigable waterways can be found in the country and the main river ports are located at Prague, Ústí nad Labem and Decín.

Getting Around by Rail
The rail network is operated by Czech Railways (tel: 412 503 113, within the Czech Republic only; website: www.cdrail.cz). There are several daily express trains between Prague and main cities and resorts. Reservations should be made in advance on major routes. Fares are low, but supplements are payable for travel by express trains.

Rail Passes
The Czech Flexipass, available to those who reside outside Europe, the CIS, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, offers unlimited first or standard class train travel for three to eight days in a 15-day period. It can be purchased online through the European Rail Guide (website: http://www.europeanrailguide.com/) and Rail Europe in the USA (website: http://www.raileurope.com/). 

InterRail’s One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within the Czech Republic. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Cheap fares: Purchasing an In-customer card, which is a photo pass valid for three years, entitles the holder to pay reduced fares within the Czech Republic. Two types of card are sold: adult (over 15 years old) and child.

Getting Around by Road
The Czech Republic has a good network of first and second class roads, as well as a growing motorway network. Users of the Czech motorways have to buy a vignette (season ticket valid for 10 days, one month or one year). Traffic drives on the right. Coach: The extensive coach network is efficient and comfortable. Buses are mostly run by the State Bus Company (website: www.vlak-bus.cz). Car hire: Self-drive cars may be hired through international and local companies. Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 31mph (50kph) in built-up areas, 55mph (90kph) outside built-up areas and 80mph (130kph) on motorways. Seat belts are compulsory and those aged under 15 years must sit in the rear. Drinking is prohibited, as is using a handheld mobile phone. Headlights must be turned on at all times when driving. All private cars must carry: one fluorescent green high visibility safety jacket, one first aid kit, one spare pair of prescription glasses (if necessary) kept in the glove compartment, one warning triangle and one complete set of spare bulbs. Emergency breakdown service: A 24-hour service is available from the Ustredni Automotoklub (tel: 1230) and the Autoklub Bohemia Assistance (tel: 1240). Documentation: A valid national driving license. If this has no photocard, an International Driving Permit is also required. A Green Card should be carried by visitors taking their own car into the Czech Republic.

Getting Around Towns and Cities
Public transport is excellent. Dopravní podnik (website: www.dp-praha.cz) operates Prague’s public transport system. There is a metro service in Prague that runs from 0500-0000. There are also tram and bus services (for which tickets must be purchased in advance from tobacconist shops, newsagents, metro stations, information centers or travel agents). Night trams and buses run from 0000-0430 in Prague. Buses, trolleybuses and trams also exist in Brno, Ostrava and several other towns. Most services run from 0430-0000. All the cities operate flat-fare systems, and passes valid for a certain number of journeys or specific period of time can be purchased in advance. Tickets should be validated in the appropriate machine on entering the tram, bus or, in the case of Prague, metro station. A separate ticket is required when changing routes. There is a fine for fare evasion. Taxis are available in all the main towns and are metered; higher fares are charged at night.

Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Prague to other major towns/cities in the Czech Republic.

	Air	Road	Rail
Brno	2.45	2.15	2.15
Karlovy Vary	0.30	2.00	2.10
Ostrava	1.00	6.45	4.30

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