A Tandem Tour of CZ and Austria

Munich airport to Pilsen, Czech Republic by train (2 miles by bike)
Day 1: Friday, May 21 to Saturday, May 22, 2004

We both worked a full day on Friday and went directly from work to the Philadelphia airport to catch our US Airways flight to Munich. After enduring the usual evening delays at the Philly airport, we arrived almost two hours late into Munich, around noon. We retrieved our bags and got organized, and then crossed over to the old terminal (Terminal One) and stopped by a travel agent in the airport to ask about cheap last-minute flights to Prague (no luck). At the DB (German railways) train desk in the shopping area we asked about the night train to Prague from Munich, but it was nearly 200 euros for the two of us, with no guarantee of a sleeper car. So, we bought a DB Schones Wochenende ticket that allowed us to travel anywhere in Germany and as far as Pilsen, Czech Republic, for only 30 euros per day (36 total for two of us, including the six euro bike ticket). This is definitely the cheapest way to get to Prague, as this ticket allowed us to travel as far as Pilsen, and the ticket from Pilsen to Prague the next day was only 190ck (about $7 US). So, around $50 USD got us and our bike from Munich to Prague.

After we had our tickets and knew how we were traveling, I put the bike together and we took our S&S bike case to the left luggage service in Terminal Two where we checked it for the duration of our trip (cost: 2.10 euros per day). There is also a left-luggage counter in Terminal One in the main shopping area on the bottom level (Internet access, too). We marveled at the new Terminal Two at the Munich Flughafen (airport), which had opened since we were there the year before. What used to be a small, intimate airport is now a large bustling transportation and shopping hub. The airport shopping area features many stores, a full-size Edeka supermarket, and several restaurants. There are also many travel agencies located in the airport, offering last-minute getaway packages (you can’t get much more last-minute that buying your vacation package at the airport!). Plans are even underway to build a dedicated "maglev" express train line to connect the airport to downtown Munich in 15 minutes (two S-bahn regional lines currently serve the airport, but make many stops and take about a half hour). Despite all the improvements, we kind of miss the old, smaller airport.

We went to the underground train station at the airport and caught the S-1 train to the Munich Hauptbahnhof (main train station), where we would transfer to a regional train to Regensburg, and then to yet another train to Pilsen, CZ. It's no problem taking bikes on the S-bahn lines on off-peak hours and on weekends. Look for the bike symbol on the side of the train to find the appropriate car, usually at the front and rear of the train. There are seats that fold up to allow bikes to fit on; if people are sitting in the seats and there are other seats available, it's perfectly acceptable to ask them to move (whether they do or not is another thing). We've never had a problem taking the tandem on the train from the airport.

Our Schones Wochenende ticket allowed us to ride the S-bahn without an additional payment, but otherwise we would have had to buy a ticket for the ride into Munich. With a normal ticket it's very important to remember to stamp it with the time and date in one of the ticket-stamping machines at the entrance to the platforms. If you don't, you risk a steep fine if a ticket inspector comes by (normally there are no conductors or ticket inspectors on the train). If you are only taking the train into central Munich, the fare is 9.50 euro per person each way; however, you can buy an all-day pass good for the Munich city system ("MVV") for 9 euros/person, or a group ticket good for up to five people for 16 euros. I never understood why it's cheaper to buy an all-day pass (9 euro) than a one-way ticket (9.50 euro).

Most station stops are announced in German, but when you get to the main stops in the city center there will also be announcements made in English. In any event, it's easiest to keep track of where you are by looking at the route maps posted in each train car. Info about the S-bahn system from the airport to the city center is available online.

The transfer from the S-bahn to the Regensburg train in the Munich Hauptbahnhof was no problem, with about 20 minutes and only a few tracks to transfer. We simply wheeled the bike along the boarding platforms to get from train to train. The Regensburg train was one of the newer DB double-decker trains, with a compartment on the lower level marked for bikes where the seats folded up. There were a few other bikes on the train, but plenty of room. The train was not due to leave for 20 minutes, so while waiting we bought two Doner Kebabs (like a gyro) for lunch in the station and ate them on the train (good, but messy). The Munich train station is large and bustling, with trains arriving from and departing to exotic destinations throughout Europe. It has many food choices, from restaurants to small kiosks selling take-away food. Car rental agencies are on the top level, the U-bahn (subway) is on the lower level, and most longer-distance trains are on the main level. There’s even a left-luggage service here, too.

At Regensburg the train to Pilsen was waiting at the same platform, but to our surprise had no baggage car or other setup for bikes (the reservation agent in Munich said the train carried bikes). I was a bit worried, but the conductor told us to put the tandem in the entry area of the last car. It barely fit and blocked entrance to one of the doors. There would definitely have been a problem if there were multiple bikes needing to be carried. The Czech railways cars were old and dingy, smelled like smoke, and had faded and torn upholstery in the couchette compartments. A far cry from the modern DB train we had just ridden. But, it was clean and functional. Thankfully, we had a compartment to ourselves for the entire ride.

At Furth in Wald, the border crossing from Germany to the Czech Republic, we stopped for five minutes or so while the border guards came through to check passports and the train crew switched. Border checks were still in place despite the Czech Republic's recent admission to the European Union (May 2004). The guards checked each person's passport carefully, but when they saw our USA passports they didn't even look inside. The Czech Republic conductor came on board and told us (in German) that we had to pay an additional fee for the bike since the DB bike ticket we bought only was good to the border. The fee was 140ck, around 5 euros (we paid in euros). The train ride to Pilsen was long and uneventful, except for two drunken punk-rockers with Mohawk haircuts without tickets who hid in the bathroom drinking beer. Shortly after they boarded we heard the conductor pounding on the locked bathroom door and yelling at them, and then he kicked them off at the next station. A bit of local flavor on the long journey. The train goes through woods and fields (very rural) and is a pretty ride, but we were too tired to really enjoy it.

We arrived at the Pilsen "Hlavni nadrazi" (main station) around 8:30 p.m. Tired, but surprisingly not too bad considering the time difference and the amount of hours we had been traveling at this point. The train stopped for a while there so we had plenty of time to get our stuff off. From the outside the Pilsen station is a very attractive building, but inside it is fairly drab. We put our gear on the bike and walked down the platform to the station to see about getting a train to Prague in the morning. The trains arrive on the top level, and we had to go down a flight of stairs to the ground level to find an open ticket counter (it was Saturday night). Carrying a loaded tandem down stairs is not fun! Ginny went to find out about tickets while I held the bike. The friendly ticket person spoke some German, and we were able to get our tickets for the early Sunday morning train to Prague as well as some Czech crowns at the ATM machine in the station.

After getting our tickets and the time of the train to Prague the next morning, we headed into the city to try and find a hotel for the night. Normally we reserve our first night's lodging in advance, but because we weren't totally sure of where we were going we decided not to this time. Thankfully, I had printed a city map off the Internet and marked the locations of a few hotels and pensions. We rode in the dusk for a mile or two along "Amerika" street, passing many gaudy stores and restaurants (including a McDonald's), and then turned off to find Hotel Slovan.

I went in to ask about a room and was offered a 1540ck (around $60) double room with breakfast. Not as cheap as we had hoped, but at this point in our travels we were not in a mood to shop around. Hotel Slovan is a big, old, formerly grand hotel from the 1890s with high ceilings and an ornate staircase with columns. Our room was huge, with a chandelier and a sitting area with a leather sofa and chairs! While the hotel had definitely seen better days, its overall atmosphere was neat, with big double doors to each room and a feeling of lost grandeur. Ginny remarked that you could imagine cold-war bigwigs or WWII occupiers staying there. The staff was friendly and helpful, and directed us to a secure room where we could store the tandem. We'd stay there again.

Pilsen (Plzen) is the capital of West Bohemia and the fourth-largest city in the Czech Republic. It was founded by the Czech King Wenceslas II in 1295. it's a good-sized city, home to the famous brewery where Pilsner beer was first brewed and the Skoda car manufacturing works (Skoda is owned by VW). A Web site with good info on getting to and around Pilsen can be found here. The town looked to be very interesting, but unfortunately we had reservations in Prague the next day and didn't have any extra time to spend exploring Pilsen.

We hadn't eaten for over eight hours and it was now past 9:00 p.m., so we went in search of food. Pilsen has a nice, historical city center, and we walked around a bit, looking for a restaurant. Most that were open were pub-type places, and we were too tired and jet-lagged to deal with the noise and packed humanity. We went back to the hotel restaurant, but found that it was no longer serving food because of the hour (9:30). In desperation we went to the nearby McDonald’s and grabbed a quick sandwich and soda. We finally got to bed around 10:00, very tired after nearly a day and a half of traveling.

Daily costs 5/22: Train: DB Schones Wochenende ticket: 30 euros; bike pass on DB system: 6 euros (2x3 euros); Czech Republic rail bike pass: 5 euros. Lunch/misc. food: 12 euros; Hotel Slovan, Pilsen: 1540 ck; Dinner (McDonald's): 180 ck. Total: 53 euros + 1720 ck. ($130 US)