Each day, our group gets to explore through all the activities in our program. From art museums and castles to factory lines and sewer systems, we travel all throughout Prague and even get to visit some smaller towns outside the city (see the photos for one of the castles and the sewers!).
While we traveled, it was easy to get distracted looking out the windows seeing all the European car brands and the gorgeous fields of yellow flowers. But the other thing that always stood out to me was the ease and smart design of public transportation in Prague. Prague is already extremely walkable. The cobblestone streets aren’t great if you don’t have comfortable shoes, but everything I needed while I was in the city was only about a mile away. The main street sidewalks were very large, and the street designs made it difficult for the cars to go fast (although they did drive recklessly at times…). The only thing I had to worry about was the trams, which have right of way over pedestrians.
If the walk was over a mile though, it was always very easy to hop on a tram and ride for two-to-three stops. Other than the tram, we also used the metro, buses, and trains. All the public transportation seemed to be cleaner than what we have in Pittsburgh. Trams and buses ran faster while in the busy areas of Prague compared to what I have experienced in Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland.
What was really nice about the Prague was that for each mode of transportation, we were able to use the same app with the same ticket. I know Pittsburgh is similar with the T and the buses, but it really makes traveling so much simpler. The other nice thing about Prague is that its public transportation runs on the honor system. There aren’t turnstiles you have to pass through or a fare machine you need mess with as you enter a bus. Instead, you purchase your ticket on your own time and hop on the bus/tram/train without someone or something overtly checking your ticket. Instead, you are occasionally asked by a Ticket Inspector to show your ticket. If you are caught without a ticket, you pay a fine. But otherwise, it allows the boarding and onboarding process of the trams/buses/trains to be much quicker, which is especially helpful during rush hour.
