Dear Students, This guide is intended particularly for you ...

the whole night, every half an hour. The metro closes around midnight and starts
running again at approximately 5:00 in the morning. During rush hour the metro runs
every 2 minutes, trams and buses about every 10 minutes.
When travelling without valid ticket (you must validate your one-way ticket when
entering public transportation) you can get caught quite easily, especially in the centre
where a lot of tourists travel without a ticket. The conductors wear regular clothes,
so you will not know that they have entered the transportation. They will show you
a small badge and ask you for a ticket. If you do not have one, either you must pay a
fine of 950 CZK (which can be lowered to 700 CZK once paid right away) or they will
ask you for ID and take down all of your personal info. If you cause trouble they will
call the police, so it is recommended that you cooperate. In case you only just left your
permanent ticket at home, do not pay anything, but tell them and you will have to
bring the ticket to show to the Na Bojišti 5 address where you will pay a fine of only
50 CZK. It is strongly recommended to watch your bag closely, especially in a full metro
or tram where a lot of thieves use the rush-hours to empty your bags and pockets.
There is a lot of places worth visiting around Prague. When travelling by bus, you
will find all necessary information at the main bus station located at the metro station
Florenc; when travelling by train, the main railway station is at the metro station
Hlavní Nádraží. When you take a bus, always ask if you can get a student discount,
which is usually possible, and may grant you up to 50% off. The trains don’t offer
a student discount, but they have a good price on group tickets. To form a “group”
there must be at least two people. Tell the cashier you want a group ticket. To learn
more about discounts, visit the main bus or railway station.
Main Railway Station in Prague
freezing or sweating??
You are all aware of the global warming problem, which you will be able to experience
in the Czech Republic as well. The cold winters are getting warmer and the
warm summers are getting hotter. In winter the temperature very rarely falls below
–15 centigrade and in Prague the snow never stays for a long time. In summer the
temperature may rise to 30–35 degrees Celsius. Usually there is an autumn with a
lot of rain, during which you find most Czechs in one of the many bars and cafes,
drinking their mulled wine.
is beer really the only thing we care about?
The character of Czech people has been much discussed. Well, for us it is hard to
say, but we rather like to see ourselves as the “beer philosophers,” an easy-going and
generally happy crowd. For those of you who know Švejk (the supposedly traditional
Czech character from a novel by Jaroslav Hašek) – well, we are just like him.
We have asked some international students about how they see us and we hope
that their answers will give you some idea of our temperament. (The authors of this
booklet haven’t edited anything that was said.)
“Some men are really exclusive here. Not handsome but they have a great sense of
humour and charm. But they are vain and unreasonably self-satisfied. Women are
much more different. They are self-confident and they know how to take advantage of
their virtues. Sometimes I just have to stop on the street and watch a woman, as she
disappears in the crowd. Czechs love to gather together having a glass of beer and
discussing everything (politics, sport...). Family is a very important issue. If you get the
opportunity to be a part of their world, it is a wonderful experience. Czechs love to
enjoy their lives. They have a good sense of humour and love to smile. “
– a German
“Every woman is called Sarka and has such long legs. In general most Czechs are good
looking. But why do they have the tendency (especially men) to loose their appearance
very soon? Maybe it is because of knedlo-zelo-vepro, beer and smoking. Czechs
have an impeccable taste. Sometimes I would think that the worst insult the com-
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