Czechs are an outgoing nation – in the true meaning of this word: going outside. As much as we enjoy a cold glass of beer in the pub (more on that below), we love to spend time together in nature and to walk on perfectly marked tourist trails in the countryside or mountains. Also, don’t be surprised if a Czech person asks you to go on a bike trip (biking is Czech’s favourite sport!), kayaking, or even mushrooming. We do that to relax as well!
Czechs growingly care about sustainability as we want to preserve our nature for the above-mentioned reasons. Please try to sort your waste. You will find special bins for paper, plastic, glass, and general trash at a maximum distance of 50m from each household.
Here are a few basics of waste sorting:
- plastic belongs to yellow containers
- paper to blue ones
- white glass to white
- colored glass to green.
Many families also have a cottage (chata, chalupa) outside of the capital where they go to disconnect from the city rush almost every weekend. This phenomenon goes back almost 100 years but was the most popular in the 1960s when many people lived in small flats in big housing estates and wanted to get closer to nature and have some privacy. Don’t turn down the offer for a couple of days if you are invited as you might explore an unknown part of the Czech Republic and have a little trip back in history – some of the cottages have kept their interiors from previous decades.
Routes and tickets
Tip 1: For trip inspiration, try Mapy.cz, which not only shows you all the marked trails you can imagine, but it can also help you with planning a nice round trip in a selected area. Even if you plan to hike around Europe, Mapy.cz is superior to Google Maps almost anywhere!
What about traveling to another city for the weekend? Which carrier should I choose? We all know about “FlixBus: Bus travel through Europe”, but what about another one.
For example, RegioJet - private railway/ intercity buses. Maybe they don't have as many connections as the same FlixBus, but there is a great option - a discount for students when choosing a tariff - Student ISIC up to 26 years. Hot coffee or tea can be found on buses and you can also return your ticket, for example, 15-30 minutes before departure. However, always double-check the information, because for longer trips, for example from Prague to Como (Italy), you can return tickets no later than 2-3 days before departure.
More information you can find on their page: https://regiojet.com/
App: Regiojet
Another one - České Dráhy is the major railway operator in the Czech Republic providing regional and long-distance services. Also have incredible discount for students. Great prices and timetable for those who want to explore the surroundings of Prague and the whole Czech Republic.
More information you can find on their page: https://www.cd.cz/en/default.htm
App: ČD Můj vlak
If you need to get somewhere outside of Prague and don't know what kind of transportation will be most convenient and how many transfers you will have? Then use - IDOS (public transport timetables and connections – Prague and regional)
More information you can find on their page: https://idos.idnes.cz/en/vlakyautobusymhdvse/spojeni/?format=html