I am looking at train schedules and I plan on taking a train to Praha Hlavni Nadrazi station at 9.30 at night. Is the station and immediate area around the station safe at this time of day? Also, will taxis be easy to get from this station or should I look for accomodation within walking distance from the stn (which bring me back to my first question about safety).
Any comments/suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.
Sorry, should have written in the op that I am travelling in November and it will be dark. Is the stn safe for a solo female traveller?
I think I would take the metro from the station over a cab. I remember readin in RS that the cab drivers can be a little "mafia-esque". They will take you were you need to go and then demand twice as much money once you arrive.
As a solo female traveler...a bit sketch I think.
And I apologize, i don't recall the name of the two stations. The one we arrived in was out of town a bit to the north. There was a fine metro that whipped you to town...but watch for pick pocketers.
The environment around the station looks a bit sketchy (I remember A LOT of empty beer bottles on the ground), and as James points out, it isn't that close to the Old Town. I wouldn't linger any longer than necessary, even more so because it's a pretty ugly building.
You are probably thinking of the Holesovice train station.
As far as taxis, the hostel we are staying at (Sir Toby's) recommends that "if you take a taxi, please take AAA RadioTaxi or CityTaxi".
I'm planning a train from Krakow to Prague overnight and it should arrive there early in the morning. I hope the bums are asleep by then. ;-)
But as Rick preaches, I suggest you travel light! It's easier to maneuver that way.
I have been to Prague and have friends there. By all means try to arrive in Prague in the day time. Agree, take AAA or City Taxi and agree upon price before you get into the cab.
I would also advise you to wear a money belt and hold on tight to your luggage and don't turn your back on the luggage. Have only the money available for the taxi. Keep your passport, ATM card, credit cards, airline ticket, and other valuables in your money belt.
Pickpockets are professionals in Prague. Do not allow anyone to help you that approaches you. If you need help...you approach someone....such as a station employee, shop employee, etc.
Thanks for all the comments. If I travel to Prague a day later I can arrive during the day, but this really does take away from my sightseeing time in Prague as I am only there for two days. Travelling to Prague one day later just would mean I'd have a day and half in the city, not sure that this is advisable. I could take an earlier train to Prague but, not one that would allow me to arrive during the day on the day I had planned on travelling. I guess that's one of the drawbacks of travelling in November. Has anybody made arrangements with a hotel for a train stn transfer and if so, could you recommend the hotel. Since this thread is more about the train stn (based on the thread's title) I will start a new thread asking for hotel recommendations. Thank you.
The train station isn't that bad. I would not walk through the park that is in front at night. When I went through Prague I used the metro which is in the train station itself so there is no need to exit the station. Heading back to the station (around dusk) I took the tram which dropped me off a couple of block before the station. I took a short cut through the park and while there was some seedy looking people, it really was not that bad. However I would take the major roads instead of the park to play it safe. I was alone as well. Consider taking the metro to your accomodation or at least to a closer metro station to it. That way you are not dealing with the taxi drivers that are scamming all the tourists getting off the train.
Just use the metro (or whatever they call the underground transit system - I forget). As I recall it's one stop south on the red line that goes to the station and then transfer 4-5 stops to the West on the green line to get to the old town or across the river to the little quarter. Any of those points West would be in a better area and safe to walk to your hotel.
There is a very busy street just in front of the train station with no obvious way to cross, so don't walk out of the station to a metro stop. Either take a taxi (and risk getting ripped off) or ride the metro.
Have you contacted your hotel about being picked up at the station? We did not know our hotell would do that till after we arrived. Rick is right about the taxi mafia. They quoted us about 10 times what Rick said it should cost. It was daylight and we walked across the park refered to above and picked up a cab for exactly what Rick said it should cost. We paid the hotel to take us back at slightly more than the first trip. We did not find the road difficult to cross.
The hotel Julian sent a driver to the airport to pick us up. The train station area is not a great area, but maybe they would send a driver to pick you up. The Hotel Julian is great.
do be careful. i think the metro idea is very good, unless your hotel would send a car. only once in budapest was i more concerned than i have been in prague. they are profesional. keep it close, stay around people, and don't be casual. get in, get out, get to your place, move with a purpose. it isn't horrible, but its not paris or london. have fun, be safe.
Prague is overall quite safe city but the area in front of the Main train station is somewhat seedy; homeless, bums, drunkards. Locals call the park in front of the station jokingly Sherwood Forest. I don't think that it is really dangerous but why to pull devil on its tail. Take Metro (subway). It's safe. Taxis from the station are overpriced. To get other than station taxi you would have to cross the Sherwood Forest. In November there will be only diehards there. It's usually quite cold, rainy, sometimes snowy.
