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{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
{{Infobox Czech Location
|map = <map lat="'50.0751" ' lng="'14.4347" ' zoom="10" view='39' height='350' widthview='4200'/>
|country = Czech Republic
|pop = 1.218.644
|plate = ?A? ???? old: A?? ????
|motorways = [[D1 (CZ)|D1]], [[D5 (CZ)|D5]], [[D8 (CZ)|D8]], [[D11 (CZ)|D11]]
}}
'''Prague''' (''Praha'') is the capital of the [[Czech Republic]].
Writing a sign "PRAHA" clearly informs a driver that you are going to Prague
== Hitching out ==
=== East towards [[Hradec Králové]], [[Pardubice]], [[Wrocław]] {{Dcz|11}}{{E|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]] {{Dcz|10}}{{E|65}} ===
[[File:Stop_hk.jpg|thumb|right|350px|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 ====
=== North, Northwest towards [[Ústí nad Labem]], [[Teplice]], [[Dresden]], [[Berlin]] {{Dcz|8}}{{E|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 ''TriedVychovatelna'':(3 stops) . You will find a great spot with lots of traffic still going slow right at the bus station. 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 / Mcdonalds on D8==== Option 1 walking Take metro line C (red) to ''Letňany''. Keep walking northwest along Tupolevova for 500 m, 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 ≈250 m 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 (≈150 m walk). Option 2 metro + bus
=== West towards [[Plzeň]], [[Klatovy]], [[Nürnberg]], [[München]] {{Dcz|5}}{{E|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 {{Dcz|5}} are fine for hitchhiking although often with little traffic.
==== Option 1: Rozvadovská spojka ====
==== Option 3: Motorway junction at Zličín ====
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]] {{Dcz|1}}{{E|50}}{{E|59}}{{E|65}} <br />& South towards [[České Budějovice]], [[Linz]] {{Dcz|3}}{{E|55}} ===
It's good to have a sign at this road and definitely for direction south. Every bigger petrol station on [[D1 (CZ)|D1]] is good for hitchhiking.
==== Option 1: Motorway service station on E65 ====
Take metro line C (red) to "''Chodov"''. There is look for the big shopping centre; try not to get lost there and find the road "Roztylská" going through it. Go enter, keeping to the traffic lights at ground floor, locate the northern end exit consisting of this tunnel stairs and continue by following bike path elevators (northwestnot to mention a lift that leads below) (yellow signs with "Záběhlice" ; this exit leads to the bus stops. Head on outside and/or "Chodovec" written). After 700mturn right, you will get follow the path and cross to the pedestrian/bike bridge over the motorwaySONY building. Use Now keeping on the staircase at the beginning of the bridge to get down to same road walk for 20mins and you'll reach the SHELL petrol station.<br />
Alternatively, you can stay past the station exit at the end of the left lane, on the left side of the road.
Easily reachable petrol station, not a lot of traffic thoughand is sometimes enforced by a employee in Shell uniform. Good Has cover for in bad-weather or snow conditions. In all honesty this station seems iffy.There isn't much traffic on both gas stations. Both are not advisable.You can try standing at the ramp to the motorway just outside Chodov Mall. First go inside, to floor 0. Walk to the easternmost part of the mall, there use the elevator to floor -2. In the parking house, walk east to the exit. There's the ramp.
==== Option 2: Motorway Junction Opatov====
Take metro line C (red) to "Opatov". Walk south ≈800m along Chilská past the crossroads and over the motorway bridge to the beginning of the entrance slip road. Instead of walking, you can take bus number 177 from metro "Opatov" to next (request) stop "U Dálnice" and then walk 100m east to the beginning of the slip road. Now you might see other hitchhikers on the slip-road.Be careful and stay on the slip road, not on the motorway (sometimes police passes by).<br />
==== Option 3: 5.května highway at the beginning of D1 expressway ==== The beginning of the motorway has been shifted a few hundred meters back into the city center, thus it is now illegal to use this spot. You can still use the petrol station, but indeed the amount of cars going in the direction of Brno is very small here. The sign showing the start of the expressway (and also 50km/h speed limit) is located 1.3km from the original location, on 5.května just before it passes over Vyskočilova, so legally it should be possible to hitch before it. At this spot there is a wide shoulder, lights, 50km/h speed limit. Take metro line C (red) to KačerovBudějovická. Find stairs going downFrom exit on Budějovická street, go over train tracks turn left some metres and then stairs down again. Then walk around the metro tracks and turn right before the motorway(northeast) on Vyskočilova. You will see the OMV petrol station but don't walk that far; instead, just cross the grass strip and the 2 lanes of Walk northeast ≈350m until the exit slip road leading to on the station from left just before the main road 5.května overpass. Cut across the grass embankment and walk up to get to the main road itself. Stand on 5.května at the beginning of itself and you will see the motorway on the hard shoulder (there is expressway sign). The police donThis spot looks good, but '''t make any problems there and for cars, it means the end of the 50 kmph limit so theyneeds to be tested.'''re still quite slow. The shoulder is wide, safe and lit.Especially good option at night when there is little traffic at spots 1 and 2. <br /> There are not many cars at the OMV petrol ==== Option 4: Motorway service station or they have different directions (often [[Pilsen]]Újezd u Průhonic).====
[[File:ujezdupruhonicprague.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hitchhikers at Újezd u Průhonic petrol station. Regular local hitchhikers were around, as well as hitchhikers doing the race.]]
Take metro line C (red) to ''Opatov''. Exit straight out of the station and take a lift following the winding red ramp up to street level/the road above. From the bus-stop next to the Replay shop, take the bus X122 to the final stop ''K Sukovu'' (buses leave every 15-30 minutes). As it is in the "P" zone, usual fares and SMS-tickets apply. Continue along the main street which will turn kind of right into Formanská and 20 m ahead it splits into left and right. Stay on the right hand/main road, cross the bridge over the highway and on the right there is a pathway going down to the McDonald's + gas station on the higway. The best jackpot a hitch hiker can hit. <br />This is the first motorway petrol station past Prague, the best hitchhiking spot but takes some time to get there. Also, you have to have a valid ticket for the bus trip! ==== Fifth option Option 5: Beginning of main road 5.kvetna ====Quite Take metro line C (red) to ''Vyšehrad''. Head south using the sidewalk for about 300m. After the small bridge, continue left to the main road 5. kvetna. There are 3 lanes and one parking lane and usually some place to stop.<br/ >This spot quite near the city centre, and cars are going slow, high traffic density , and nobody expect expects hitchhikers there but you can be lucky. At ==== Option 6 ==== Take metro station "Vyšehrad" line C (red line C) get to ''Roztyly'' and cross all the parking places to the motorway. Hard shoulder there is good and lit at night; however, it's not allowed to stay there and cars are already moving quite fast. ==== Option 7: Uhříněveská Highway Entrance and Gas Station in Průhonice ==== The below is more written in warning than recommendation, as a spot that is possible but hardly ideal. Where Uhříněveská crosses beneath the highway in Průhonice there is a gas station, Čerpací Stanice AGP in Googlemaps. [[User:movethathoof|Movethathoof]] went there looking for a ride while Option 4 above was closed, and found it //very// quiet: little traffic, and the entrance to the gas station is from lanes that are separate from the right side highway, for cars that are otherwise exiting there onto Uhříněveská. That said, there is a regular trickle of trucks that pass through, many heading to Nuremburg and Wrocław (though not Vienna, where they were). Still, by asking everyone who stopped they before long did find a ride with two Germans who were headed to Vienna. They also tried at the highway entrance there from Uhříněveská, which was useless. While the spot has good space to stop, and the traffic is not moving fast, 90 minutes there only taught them that the main road - one traffic is leading mostly local and the area must be //very// well off, to judge by the number of expensive sports cars there entering the huge bridge highway and city centredriving past. As well, if planning to be there once autumn really begins to bite, opposite there is yours - a large retaining wall right where you'll stand, casting a very deep shadow, making it feel much, much colder after some time waiting! To get there, the instructions are similar to option 4 above: take metro line C (red) to Opatov, exit to the street level bus stop directly above, and use then instead take either the 363 or 385 buses (the bus driver may ask you to pay the sidewalk 12 crown add-fare for about 300 mwhere you're going). After At least the bus Movethathoof took was nice and new, announcing (by voice and on a nice screen showing the coming stops, no less) the stop: you get off at the Průhonice roundabout (stop name Průhonice), and then walk five minutes up Uhříněveská (which is the street that makes the T-intersection at the small bridgeround about, continue a left to turn from the main road and hitchhikein the direction the bus travelled on from Opatov). There are 3 lanes The onramp will be right there on your right, and one parking lane and ussualy some place there is either a little path to the gas station, or stairs at the underpass (there were also truckers stopping simply to stopmake purchases at the Lidl that is right there, the stairs being the more direct route between the two).
=== South towards [[Příbram]], [[Písek]], [[České Budějovice]] {{Dcz|4}} ===
=== West towards [[Karlovy Vary]], [[Cheb]] {{Dcz|6}}{{E|48}} ===
==== Second option Option 1: Karlovarská street ====If you want Take tram 22 to ''Bílá Hora''. Walk 50 m west along Karlovarská street to start past the red/white railings and there is a bit further outside, take quite good place to hitch-hike. ==== Option 2: Motorway junction D6 Jeneč ==== Take a train (www.idos.cz) from ''Prague Masarykovo Station'', to ''Jeneč'', which (15 km outside out of Prague and very close to Prague Airport). Just 200 m Walk down the embankment onto Průmyslová ulice from ''Jeneč'' train the station - on . Walk north along Průmyslová ulice ≈350 m under the other side of railway tracks to the train tracks - is a motorway junction from which it is pretty easy to get to [[Karlovy Vary]]. ==== Option 3: Motorway service station D6 ==== Take metro line A (green) to ''Hradčanská''. Then take bus [http://www.tram-bus.cz/stredni-cechy/autobusy/linka-310610 310610] or [http://www.tram-bus.cz/stredni-cechy/autobusy/linka-310082 310082 (B82)] from bus-stop ''Praha-Hradčanská'' and get off at ''Velká Dobrá, u skoly''. 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.<br/ >This option is good if you prefer petrol stations although it is quite far (30 km from Prague centre).
=== Northwest towards [[Kladno]], [[Chomutov]], [[Chemnitz]] {{Dcz|7}} ===
== 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.
{{Cities Czech Republic}}