Plzeň
Plzeň
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| <map lat="49.75001325671" lng="13.377830499144" zoom='11' view='0' height='350' width='420' /> | |
| Information | |
Country:  |
Czech Republic |
| Population: | 171.356 |
| Licence plate: | ?P? ???? |
| Major roads: | D5 |
| Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots | |
Plzeň (Pilsen) is 4th biggest city in Czech Republic. It is located about 90 km west of Prague, and it has more than 170.000 inhabitants. This city is known by its beers (most famous is Pilsner Urquell brewery but there are other 5, maybe even more, smaller breweries) and Škoda factories (not cars but electric locomotives, trams, trolley-buses, turbines etc.).
Hitchhiking out
Northeast towards Praha 5E 50
Find main breweries (Gambrinus and Pilsner Urquell), they are at the main road to the highway to Prague. Walk until you see big crossroads and just behind it is great spot (place at map). You can also use trolley-buses 11, 15, 16, 17 and get of at station "Šumavská" or trolley-bus 13/bus 28 to station "U prazdroje" and continue to that crossroads by following the trolleys.
This is new and probably the best spot. Quite good even in the late evening. A sign with "Praha" or "PHA" can help.
Most of cars I have caught went to various parts of Praha (mostly Zličín, Airport, Smíchov...).
Going around Praha towards Brno 1
If you want to go eastern/southern from Praha it's easy. Cars going that way use new ring road so they won't stop you automatically in Plzeň (everybody thinks you want to go to Praha) so get off at the last petrol station before Praha called "Rudná" (McDonald is there) and there use a sign "D1". You can save lot of time. Or try to use both signs "Praha" and "D1" in Plzeň. Only with sign "D1" I have never been successful.
Going through/around Praha towards other directions
With other directions it is much harder. You can also try the last petrol station before Praha and ask drivers but better is probably to go to the city and find spot there.
West towards Nürnberg, Regensburg 5E 50 or Domažlice, Cham 26
In the city centre there are pretty good maps showing the way out, but for example from náměstí Republiky keep walking Solní (Palackého náměstí – Přemyslova – Skvrňanská – and finally Domažlická) about 1,5 km until you see a bus stop that is just before a railroad crossing. You can hitchhike either from the bus stop or the empty area between the stop and the raidroad. This spot is ok, but you'll probably find better ones by taking a bus a bit forward down the road 26.
Second option
It's quite long walk from city. But from terminus of trolley-buses 12, 15, 17 "Nová Hospoda" (be careful not every of them ends there) go little bit back to the main road, continue right (there is bus stop) several hundred meters to the new big road. You will see small green bridge for cyclists over it and behind is the ramp. You'll find your place there. Even though cars go faster in 2 lanes and little bit in turn it's good spot. There are lot of prostitutes around, show your backpack!
Less than 1 km behind this spot is petrol station. There are more prostitutes and their customers than cars going for petrol. But you can find truck for long distance. Another 1 km behind is highway D5. Hitchhiking there is possible also. Just before the highway in right turning slip road stay on left side, where the lane is ending. Hitchhikers seen there, from car (unfotunately full) it looked possible to stop.
Southeast towards České Budějovice, Linz 20E 49
From the city centre use trolley-buses 10 or 13 to "Bručná" or tram 1 to terminus "Slovany" and then these trolley-buses or 3 stops walk to "Bručná". There is good place behing traffic lights. Only next trolley-buses sometimes come and also some people park cars there. But hitchhiking there is easy. Road to České Budějovice is full of villages with many good spots for further hitchhiking.
Northwest towards Cheb, Sokolov, Karlovy Vary 20E 49
Take tram 4 in direction "Košutka", get out at "Severka". At the crossroads turn up, you can try luck there at the bus stop or take bus 30 to the terminus "Úněšovská, Globus". There find main road (roundabout is there), don't go out but little bit back to the city. There is fire department and nice place to hitchhike.
South towards Klatovy, Deggendorf 27E 53
Take tram 4, go to the terminus "Bory", cross road and there is long bus stop. The best spot. Lot of cars end at Přeštice, half-way to Klatovy. If you walk: just before terminus of tram 4 is sign Klatovy, Praha heading right. There's a new piece of road which nobody use. So continue straight and you'll see that good spot.
North towards Most 27
Take tram 1, go to the terminus "Bolevec", go little bit back to main road and hitchhike at bus stop behind traffic lights.
Hitchhiking in
By highway from any direction 5E 50
Get off at the exit "Plzeň - Černice", Olympia shopping centre is there. Be careful and go from the highway near the shopping centre, you will see bus stop. Trolley-buses no. 13 not really often go to the city centre. Walking is also possible but city is not near, watch signs "Slovany".
Many times I caught driver from Prague to Germany and they decided to go through the city for me! It's not longer distance, just the driver loose a few minutes because of traffic lights and you can save at least 30 minutes (at night even more).
Public transport
City transport is very good in the whole city, even at night. You can get a free map in the city information centre at Náměstí Republiky (main square). Ticket costs 18 Kč ~0,70 € and you can't change with it (for changing/long time tickets you have to own a Pilsen pass). Buy tickets at tobaccos. Tickets from the driver cost 30 Kč ~1,20 €
The fine if you are found and caught without ticket is 600 Kč ~24 € (maybe more now).
Warning for westerners
This city is full of pubs and bars. Beer is good, big and much cheaper than anywhere west from Czech Republic. So drink carefully!
I recommend to try beers from local breweries and don't make picture about Czech beers with trying just that most known which are everywhere.
> 1.000.000: Praha
100.000-500.000: Brno • Ostrava • Plzeň • Liberec • Olomouc
50.000-100.000: Ústí nad Labem • Hradec Králové • České Budějovice • Pardubice • Havířov • Zlín • Kladno • Most • Karviná • Opava • Frýdek-Místek • Karlovy Vary • Jihlava • Teplice • Děčín
20.000-50.000: Chomutov • Přerov • Jablonec nad Nisou • Mladá Boleslav • Prostějov • Třebíč • Česká Lípa • Třinec • Tábor • Znojmo • Příbram • Cheb • Orlová • Kolín • Trutnov • Písek • Kroměříž • Šumperk • Vsetín • Valašské Meziříčí • Litvínov • Uherské Hradiště • Hodonín • Český Těšín • Břeclav • Krnov • Litoměřice • Sokolov • Nový Jičín • Havlíčkův Brod • Chrudim • Strakonice • Kopřivnice • Klatovy • Žďár nad Sázavou • Bohumín • Jindřichův Hradec • Vyškov • Blansko • Kutná Hora • Náchod • Jirkov
