Czech Railways

[HeavyDuty]

A few questions for those that have railfanned the Czech Republic in the last few years, please...

 

SWMBO and I are both of Czech extraction.  She is angling for a week's holiday this autumn, flying into Prague and visiting her old family locations in the rural western part of the country.  A complication is that she is normally wheelchair bound, but we can source a transportable scooter for the trip and she can transfer from scooter to auto seat.  I would also be hitting as many railway sites as I could, and not just in the major cities.

 

She is convinced we need to hire a full-time tour guide and interpreter since neither of us speak the language.  However, I have heard that English is a very commonly used second language, at least on the Czech side.

 

Do you feel we could survive on our own without an interpreter?  It would make the budget much more bearable - rent an estate and drive ourselves vs. an interpreter with a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

[roundhouse]

In the bigger cities many people especially the younger generations speak English. We have travelled extensively and even when the gaurd on the train wanted to ask us or tell us something theres often been someone on there who can translate.

 

All the hotels that we have stayed in including in cities such as Plzen, Karlovy Vary (Carslbad) Brno, Ostrava, Ceske Budejovice, even Liberec we have had no problems.

 

Many restaurants will have an alternative English menues if its not already on the main menus. There will always be a few that wont speak English or have an English menu but if you are after tourist locations then chances are they will accomodate German English etc.

 

The few Czech words I know are for ordering beer!!!

Edited February 26, 2015 by roundhouse

[HeavyDuty]

Thanks for that - her family's town was and is in a spa resort area, so I think we'd do OK with phrasebooks and iPhone translation apps to assist.  Let me see if I can sell her on it.

[roundhouse]

Thanks for that - her family's town was and is in a spa resort area, so I think we'd do OK with phrasebooks and iPhone translation apps to assist.  Let me see if I can sell her on it.

Which town is that?

[NHY 581]

Just to re iterate Ian's advice above;

My experience us that many Czechs speak English and are only too willing to 'practice'.

It is only when you get off the beaten track that it can be an issue but even then you can muddle by.

My other half is Czech so less of a drama for us. The only thing to be aware of is some of the older rolling stock may pose a problem regarding access.

It is a lovely country with fine people. Give it a go.

 

Rob

[EddieB]

Language has never really been an obstacle - and I've been travelling from well before the break up of Czechoslovakia, when German and (though no one wanted to speak it) Russian were the most common second languages.  A few words (why is it we always know the words for beer - and water?), a smile and a bit of patience usually get there.  Nowadays an English speaker can usually be found, if required.

[Hobby]

Yes I would agree with regard to the language, my travels to the narrow gauge lines takes me off the beaten track and I've had no issues, but take an English/Czech dictionary!

 

Regards disabled access you mention you'll have a car (?) in which case you should be ok. Other than some of the main stations and some rebuilt lines getting on and off a train with a wheelchair/scooter will be difficult and you need to check up with CD whether they accept electric scooters. If she can climb (and I mean that word!) several steep steps then she can get on and off the trains. Basically unless the station has been completely rebuilt in recent years then you are looking at virtually ground level access.  My wife is wheelchair bound but can get up and down the odd step but travelling on Czech trains would be beyond her. Unless you are actually disabled or care for someone that is you don't really appreciate the issues that their railways can cause, they are getting better but have a long way to go...

 

If you go to Prague you'll need to check carefully as some of the trams are still of the old type, though they tend to be interspersed with the newer, accessible, ones... Ostrava is the same, as is Brno, I don't know about the others...

 

I'd stick to a hire car if I were you, perhaps with the odd trip where you know you'll get help. Be aware, though, like most towns and cities in that part of Europe that cobbles and rough pavements abound and access to shops, museums, hotels, etc., is very hit and miss, it's nothing like the UK (and I assume the USA!)... Check online before you travel...

 

The above isn't meant to put you off, just you need to be realistic, research is essential and by far the best helper is an internet search and if you aren't sure then email them...

Edited February 27, 2015 by Hobby

[HeavyDuty]

Which town is that?

 

Lázně Kynžvart (formerly Bad Konigswart) near Cheb about five miles from the German border.  Her family were Sudeten Germans that owned a hotel, café and grocery.  Her mother and grandmother were driven out of Czechoslovakia to Germany at the close of the war.

[roundhouse]

Lázně Kynžvart (formerly Bad Konigswart) near Cheb about five miles from the German border.  Her family were Sudeten Germans that owned a hotel, café and grocery.  Her mother and grandmother were driven out of Czechoslovakia to Germany at the close of the war.

Might have been through there. Certainly been to Cheb.

 

I do remeber reading about some of the things that happened at the end of WWII.

 

We used ot have a neighbour whos family left the country when the Russians moved in after WWII. All big upheavals around that time for many.

 

Hope your trip goes well. We certainly enjoy it over there.

 

Ian

[HeavyDuty]

Thank you all for the advice!

 

I seriously doubt we'd be riding many trains or trams due to the scooter.  Here at home she uses a power wheelchair and has a modified van that she can wheel into and drive, but renting one in CZ would likely be prohibitively costly - if they are even available for rental at all.  Plus, I think trying to maneuver a large, heavy power wheelchair would be very difficult as opposed to her using a simple three wheel mobility scooter for the trip.

 

One thing I've been doing is getting a list of where she wants to visit, and then doing fly-bys with Google Streetview.  Being able to see the physical layout is very useful.

 

Hopefully this will all come together - I would like to see my familial seat, too (Prague area) and the current CD rail scene is interesting to me.  Thanks again!

[roundhouse]

There are lifts and escalators now at Praha Hlvani station so getting onto the platforms is much easier than it used to be.

Praha Masarykovo is the older smaller terminus do that is also easy (you might need to go round to the left hand side of the station to avoid the odd step or two onto the concourse). However the Metro is mainly escalators.

 

EDIT - there is a modern Marriott hotel down the street opposite Masarykovo station which also has underground parking. Its not cheap but we have stayed there occasionally when getting a good price. Its also handy for the old town.

Ian

Edited February 27, 2015 by roundhouse

[Hobby]

Getting onto the stations is fine, it's getting onto the trains that's the issue! The CityElefants have low access doors but even then there can be a step up from the platform which will need a ramp, perhaps not at the central Prague stations but out in the sticks? It's a question for CD I'm afraid...

 

Last year i stopped at the Ibis on the other side of the river which I understand has accessible rooms. If you stick with one of the international chains you should be ok but as I said before double and triple check and if you aren't sure ask for photos. If they can't provide any go somewhere else...

[dagrizz]

I made another trip to South Moravia last week but just managed one rail journey, an 8 mile branch line from Breclav to Lednice. Beeching would have closed this line 50 years ago; the alternative bus service is quicker, cheaper and more frequent, but I'm not going to complain! The train I took was busy enough and it was great ambling along in an old railcar.

 

The railcar in Breclav station - SWMBO kindly posing.

 

 

 

At Lednice station;

 

 

Parked up was an old Postal coach which was being restored by local preservationists.

 

 

 

They were selling stamped postcards to raise funds

 

 

Lednice station throat;

 

 

Old goods shed;

 

 

End of the line;

 

 

I wasn't the only person taking pictures of trains.................

 

 

Graham

 

 

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

Very nice station.

 

Its one of only a handful of lines I have left to travel on.

 

Last time I was at Breclav the station hadnt been rebuilt and the branch as using a 4 wheel vintage railcar

[NHY 581]

I have only managed a few short trips this time. Here are a couple of photos taken where we are staying at Chynov...and Obratan just up the line.

 

Thinking of buying a plot of land at Chynov. Some of the plots will back onto the railway line just outside the station. Services are in the capable hands of the usual 810s. Must get a model of one of these soon.

 

Rob.

[Taigatrommel]

Waking up this thread to ask some questions...

 

I picked up a TT scale kit for an 810 earlier this year, and I'd like to get paint and transfers for it.  Could anyone point me to appropriate sources?  I found one website listing them, but postage was over a tenner for a €2 sheet of decals!  I know paint could be tricky to get hold of owing to postage regs, so suggestions are welcome for equivalent shades.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Taigatrommel

[roundhouse]

I picked up a suitable red paint in Prague but the cream was for the earlier CSD so required mixing eith White. Both tins have now gone hard.

So for my HO ones I have used a Humbrol colour which is close but not perfect.

The cream was mixed colours,

 

I will try and find which ones I used.

Decals are just as hard as these were bought from the shop in Ostrava Hlvani station.

 

I will have a look and see if I have any spare trailer decals in my at at bits box.

[Taigatrommel]

I'll keep my eyes peeled, and keep searching then.  I'll try and work out the closest colour shade I can through http://scalemodeldb.com/paint, and probably make an order for some general goods from the shop I've found selling the decals to make the postage worthwhile.

[dagrizz]

This year's trip to South Moravia involved just one rail trip from Breclav to Znojmo, a 70 Km journey over a non-electrified single track line that parallels the southern Czech border with Austria.

 

As usual in Breclav, a wide variety of trains to be seen;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some stations along the route;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More photos, from Znojmo,  later.

 

Graham 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

What service was the Bardotka on?

[NHY 581]

Splendid photos Graham. Keep them coming.

 

Rob

[dagrizz]

What service was the Bardotka on?

The short answer is that I don't know.

 

The longer answer involved me googling  'Bardotka' and getting lots of pictures of attractive ladies in stockings and suspenders. 

 

The most helpful answer is that it was leaving the platform adjoining the concourse on a passenger train at about 17.00 local time on Saturday 27th August. I only just got the shot - the train is moving.

 

Sorry

 

Graham

[dagrizz]

Znojmo now, this was our outbound train, SWMBO providing the smile.

 

 

Znojmo was a much bigger station than I was expecting, with a fair variety of things to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I was standing at the end of the platform taking photos of the long line of railcars, this chap walked past, nodded at me and strolled over the tracks to the railcars. He was equipped with all the Gricer gear - camera, large bag, pen and notebook (no anorak - it was a very warm day).

 

 

 

I sort of assumed that he was a European, Znojmo is a bit out-of-the-way and I didn't expect other Brits to be here. However, there was a group of them and SWMBO overheard them talking and said that they were English. I told the chap in the photo 'I thought I'd be the only Brit trainspotter on this station', he replied 'you should know better'.

 

Graham 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

[Hobby]

David and I are going out so see the JHMD tomorrow but he's also found out that there may be a SG line at Tabor with some unusual stock. The info he has is a few years old, does anyone know if it's still the case?

[roundhouse]

The line out of Tabor to Bechyne runs form a separate platform to the mainline. I believe that it is currently being run with an electric loco and coaches. Sometimes it a preserved set of coaches.