Prague

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Prague
<map lat="50.0751" lng="14.4347" zoom="10" view='3' height='350' width='420'/>
Information
Country:
Flag of Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Population: 1.218.644
Licence plate: ?A? ???? old: A?? ????
Major roads: D1, D5, D8, D11
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Prague (Praha) is the capital of the Czech Republic.

Writing a sign "PHA" clearly informs a driver that you are going to Prague, but a sign PRAHA works better.

Hitching out

East towards Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Wrocław 11E 67

Option 1: Motorway service station on D11

Take metro line B (yellow) to the end station "Černý most". From here, take bus 221, 303, 304, 344, 353, or 398 to the bus-stop "Na Kovárně". Walk east along Náchodská ≈600m to the junction with Bořetická. Turn right on Bořetická and walk 1.2km to just over the motorway bridge. Take the path to the right here into the service station. There usually isn't very much traffic, but waiting times are likely to be short. If you get lost ask anyone for "Hummer Garden" (the place only for Hummers) which is just behind the station.

Option 2: K+R (Parking Area) Černý Most

Take metro line B (yellow) to the end station "Černý most". There is the K+R (Park & Ride) to the right (east) of the station which is popular with hitchhikers and possibly a better choice than option 1. It's necessary to use a sign because the road splits in many directions, e.g. "HK" (Hradec Králové) or "PL" (if going to Náchod and Poland). The disadvantage of this option is that there are only cars traveling out of Prague and not those coming from Prague ring road. However, there is no non-freeway solution to get a lift for those cars.

Northeast towards Mladá Boleslav, Liberec, Görlitz 10E 65

File:Stop hk.jpg
Dj-bobr at the beginning of D11 Highway.

Option 1: Motorway service station on E65

Take metro line B (yellow) to the last station Černý Most. From there catch bus number 220 to the stop Do Čertous. When you get off the bus, the petrol station is behind the big orange building with "H1" on it.

Option 2: K+R (Parking) Černý Most

See the directions for Option 2 to Hradec Králové. Lots of hitchhikers use this place. Use a sign "MB" (Mladá Boleslav) or "LB" (Liberec). It's necessary to use a sign because the road splits in many directions. Due to the construction of sections of the Prague Ring (R1), long-distance traffic is lower each day; however, this spot is still usable.

North, Northwest towards Ústí nad Labem, Teplice, Dresden, Berlin 8E 55

Warning: If you are passing through Dresden, take a look at the Dresden hitchwiki page. From either of the spots you can take rides to OMV petrol station before Lovosice or to the Agip petrol station after Ústí nad Labem. The hitchhiking positions there are also good.

Option 1: D8

Take metro line C (red) to "Holešovice". From here, take bus 201 to "Vychovatelna" (3 stops). You will find a great spot with lots of traffic still going slow right at the bus station.

(Tried:) The author had not noted that there are three lanes on this road, and the two inside lanes take the cars to Dresden. The bus lane of course is great and the cars are not going too fast, but anyone going to Dresden on this road would need to cut across a few car lanes to come pick you up. Quite possible but there are better options than this.

Option 2: OMV petrol station on D8

Take metro line C (red) to "Letňany". Take any bus heading north one stop, or walk 500m north, to "Výstaviště Letňany". Keep walking northwest along Tupolevova for 500m, crossing over Beranovych to the pedestrian crossing at the traffic lights. Cross Tupolevova here and keep heading southwest on the pathway leading onto Opocenska. Walk ≈250m along Opocenska and you will see a small footpath to the right (before the pedestrian/cycle bridge over the highway) heading straight to the OMV petrol station (≈150m walk).

Option 3: Bigger OMV petrol station on D8

Take metro line C (red) to "Letňany". Take bus 195, 140, 158, 110, or 269 to the stop “Obchodní centrum Čakovice”. Turn back in the direction the bus came from and walk ≈1km along Kostelecká (past the roundabout) until you reach the sliproad coming off the D8. This is just before the bridge over the D8. Turn left into the sliproad and after walking ≈100m, you will come to the petrol station (with a McDonalds behind it).

West towards Plzeň, Klatovy, Nürnberg, München 5E 50

Most drivers go directly to Plzeň. However, getting a direct lift to Germany or even further is not unusual. All petrol stations on the 5 are fine for hitchhiking although often with little traffic.

Option 1: Rozvadovská spojka

1. Take metro line B (yellow) to "Hůrka". Turn left (west) out of the station and then turn north towards the Albert supermarket. Walk around the left side of Albert supermarket heading up and then over a small bridge until you reach a school. Walk around the school on the left side, heading north, until you reach Běhounkova. Walk ≈ 30m north along Běhounkova until you see the gap in the wall on the left - cut through the parking place and take the path through the gap and you will reach the large bus stop on Nárožní. Cross it and continue to the intersection with Bucharova. Turn left on Bucharova - you will see signs to "Plzeň". Go over the bridge and turn left down the entry slip road to Rozvadovská spojka. After the bend, there is a great place for hitchhiking: lights, straight, hard shoulder with lots of space to stop. Although it's not allowed to stay there, the police don't make any problems here.

2. Take metro line B (yellow) to Nové Butovice. Then take bus 184 (direction Hradčanská) or bus 174 (direction Vypich) and get off at the second stop: "Šafránkova". (The stop is a request stop, so it means that you have to push the button in the bus to stop it). Cross over the road (Bucharova) and walk south 200m to the slip road, and continue to the hitching point on Rozvadovská spojka as described above.

3. Take metro line A (green) to Nemocnice Motol. Turn right out of the station to the bus-stop. Then take bus 184 (direction Velká Ohrada) or bus 174 (direction Luka) and get off at the second stop: "Šafránkova". (The stop is a request stop, so it means that you have to push the button in the bus to stop it). Walk south ≈150m to the slip road, and continue to the hitching point on Rozvadovská spojka as descibed above.

The bus stop "Šafránkova" is much much closer to the highway (than in the directions for 1). I use this option frequently to go home. And there I was also asked for the documents by police, and when I asked them if it is allowed to hitchhike there, they told me yes, so don´t worry! It is not really highway, you are still in the city. If you are travelling west, do not enter Beroun or Plzeň because it is hard to hitchhike out. So many hours I spent in Plzeň... On this highway you can meet all the cars going west. Just stay on the highway, stop at some petrol station. There is one Shell close to Rokycany, before Plzeň, maybe with little bit expensive petrol. Or you can go just to Rudná petrol station, which is close (15 km) to Prague, but it is quite big with many cars and trucks. You travellers to the West (Germany, France, England, Spain), your goal should be to arrive to Svatá Kateřina petrol station. It lies just before czech/german border and many czech drivers-especially trucks- they stop there to tank or buy something.

(Edit by Moskewskaja, 21th may, 2016)


Option 2: Motorway service station Rudná

Take metro line B (yellow) to "Zličín". Then take bus 307, 308, 311, 380, or 602 to stop "Rudná, škola". (The ticket costs 18 Kč, ≈€0.66; 1 zone out of Prague). Walk 60m back in the direction the bus came from and turn left into "Na Přídělu" street. You should see the petrol station in the distance. Walk 350m to the end of the street. There will be a footpath towards the petrol station 150m away. You need the opposite direction so get to the other side of motorway by the tunnel under the motorway on the right. It's a fairly big service station with McDonalds and enough cars.

Option 3

Take metro line B (yellow) to the terminal station "Zličín". Go under the road Řevnická and turn immediately left. Continue south along Řevnická for 150m to the crossroads with traffic lights. You can stand right at the triangle down on Rozvadovská spojka (police can kick you out) or ask people at the nearby petrol station, KFC, or parking lots. None of these places are good (Options 1 and 2 are better).

Southeast towards Brno, Ostrava, Bratislava, Vienna, Kraków 1E 50E 59E 65
+ south towards České Budějovice, Linz 3E 55

It's good to have a sign at this road and definitely for south direction. Every bigger petrol station at D1 is good for hitchhiking.

First option

Easily reachable petrol station, not a lot of traffic though. Good in bad-weather or snow conditions. Go to the metro station "Chodov" (red line C), there is big shopping centre, try to not get lost there and find the road "Roztylská" going through it. Go to the traffic lights at the end of this tunnel and continue by following cyclopath - yellow signs with "Záběhlice" and/or "Chodovec" written. After 700 m you will get to the bridge over the motorway. Use the staircase at the beggining of the bridge to get down to the petrol station.
Alternatively you can stay behind the station exit at the end of left lane, at the left side of the road.

Second option

From metro station "Opatov" (red line C) follow the main road up. Walk along the road about 5 minutes, keep going over the crossroad and the bridge over the motorway. Now you might see other hitchhikers on the slip-road. Alternatively, you can take bus number 177 from metro "Opatov" to next (request) stop "U Dálnice". Be careful and stay on the slip road, not on the motorway (sometimes police passes by).
Very common spot, not so good in fact. Average waiting time is less than one hour. If you stuck there, you can walk 2 km to the spot 4 (again, if police goes around, they'll tell you to walk on the field beside motorway).

Third option

Especially good option at night when there is little traffic at spots 1 and 2. At the end of bus stop opposite to metro station "Kačerov" (red line C), find stairs going down. You will go over train tracks, stairs down again, then around metro tracks and turn right before the motorway. You will see OMV petrol station but just cross the grass strip and 2 lanes leading to the station and stay at the shoulder at the beggining of motorway (there is sign). Police doesn't make troubles there and for cars it means end of 50 kmph limit, so they're still quite slow. The shoulder is wide, safe and alight.
There are not many cars at that petrol station behind or they have different directions (often Pilsen).

Fourth option

Hitchhikers at Újezd u Průhonic petrol station. Regular local hitchhikers were around, as well as hitchhikers doing the race.

First motorway petrol station behind Prague, really good hitchhiking but takes extra time to get there. From metro "Opatov" (red line C) exit straight out of the station and take a left following the winding red ramp up to street level/the road above. Look on the bus stop timetables (bus stop next to the Replay shop) for the stop "K Sukovu" on route 363, the buses leave every 15-30 minutes. You have to show valid ticket or buy one from driver!

Get to "K Sukovu" (takes roughly 10 minutes) – you'll know you're there when you see the petrol station in the distance to your right after getting off the bus. Follow the main road in bus direction and after 400 m go over motorway bridge and down to the petrol station on your right.

Fifth option

Quite near city centre, cars are slow, high traffic density and nobody expect hitchhikers there but you can be lucky. At metro station "Vyšehrad" (red line C) get to the right side of the main road - one is leading to the huge bridge and city centre, opposite is yours - and use the sidewalk for about 300 m. After the small bridge, continue left to the main road and hitchhike. There are 3 lanes and one parking lane and ussualy some place to stop.

Sixth option

Go up from metro station "Roztyly" (red line C) and cross all the parking places to the motorway. Hard shoulder there is good and alight at night but it's not allowed to stay there. And cars are already a bit fast.

South towards Příbram, Písek, České Budějovice 4

From Smíchovské nádraží (subway line B) take bus 129, 241, 243, 244, 314 or 318 to the stop Malá Chuchle. It's a request stop so press the button. There you can easily hitchhike. Usually very short waiting on Friday afternoons when many people go out from Prague.

West towards Karlovy Vary, Cheb 6E 48

This is good option for Karlovy Vary direction. Take tram 22 to Bílá Hora. Go straight in the street Karlovarská and there is quite good place to hitch-hike behind the red-white banister.

Second option

If you want to start a bit further outside, take a train (www.idos.cz) from Prague Masarykovo Station, to Jeneč, which 15 km outside and very close to Prague Airport. Just 200 m from Jeneč train station - on the other side of the train tracks - is a motorway junction from which it is pretty easy to get to Karlovy Vary.

Third option

If you prefer petrol stations, try this option. The first one is quite far though (30 km from Prague center) - take a bus from Praha-Hradčanská (Metro Dejvická) to Velká Dobrá, u skoly. Once there follow the direction of the bus and turn first left (Unhošťská street), than second right (Lesní street) and after 200 m you should see the highway and the petrol station on your right.

Northwest towards Kladno, Chomutov, Chemnitz 7

From Dejvická (subway line A) take bus 119 to Dědina. There you can hitchhike. You can also try another bus stop on Evropská road e.g. Divoká Šárka but probably further is better.

Public transport

Public transport network in Prague is really good, you can get in reasonable time almost anywhere at any time. Ticket costs: 30 minutes - 24 Kč (eur 1), 90 minutes - 32 Kč (~eur 1.30). If you plan to stay longer, you can buy a ticket for one day - 110 Kč (~eur 4.50) or three days - 310 Kč (~eur 12.60). You have to validate ticket when entering metro station, tram or bus. The fine for fare dodging is 800 Kč (~eur 32) if you pay it at that place or till15 days.

Blackriding in the subway is not advised, as ticket inspectors are more common than in years past. They will ask you to show a passport, and if you refuse, they are very likely to take you to the police, who can demand immediate payment before they will let you go.

At metro stations you can find maps of Prague with public transport, this can be useful, because the lines are changing (especially bus lines). You can easily find a connection online at IDOS - works for the entire CR or alternatively for Prague only: DPP.

wikivoyage:Prague trash:Prague

Highways in the Czech Republic

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