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areas; log on to www.cd.cz/static/eng/bike Czech Republic, 150/800Sk in Slovakia), and in town. Major international companies,
day). Below are some of the most common
hireservice.htm for locations. which can be purchased at most border such as Europecar (www.europecar.com), Sixt (www.sixt
Individual rental places are noted through- symbols, but be ready for local variations.
crossings, some petrol stations and from the .com), Hertz (www.hertz.com) and Avis (www.avis.com),
out the destination chapters. R reservation available automobile organisations in both countries. are well represented at airports around the two
workdays (Monday to Friday) (Rental cars come with them.) Fines of up countries. For specific contact details, see the
Purchase holidays to 5000K%0Å„/Sk are payable if you re caught relevant sections in the destination chapters.
If you re planning to spend some time cy- b workdays and Saturdays without a sticker.
cling around the republics and you can t be a Saturdays and holidays only Motorways and city centres have heavy Insurance
bothered dragging your bike with you, buy- r not on 24 & 31 December traffic. Country highways tend to have light Third-party insurance is required in both
ing one when you arrive is an option. A new I bus doesn t stop here traffic, but follow old routes through villages countries. If you arrive at the border in
mountain bike costs from 11,000K%0Å„/13,000Sk and small towns, with sudden sharp bends an uninsured car, you will have to pay for
T R A N S P O R T
TRANSPORT
460 GET TING AROUND " " Car & Motorcycle lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com GET TING AROUND " " Hitching 461
headlights turned on 24 hours a day. Don t HITCHING TRAIN
DRIVING DISTANCES
drink even a sip of alcohol and drive: regula- As stated earlier, hitching is never entirely 
D (
eské dráhy, Czech Railways; www.cd.cz) is the state
From To Distance tions stipulate only a zero blood-alcohol level safe anywhere in the world, and we don t rail company in the Czech Republic and its
is allowed, random breathalyser stops are recommend it. Travellers who decide to hitch Slovakian equivalent is %7Å„SR (%7Å„eleznica Slovenskej re-
Prague Bratislava 350km common and penalties are severe (up to a should understand that they are taking a small publiky, Railways of the Slovak Republic; www.zsr.sk). Trains
Prague Koa
ice 670km year in jail in the Czech Republic and two in but potentially serious risk. go almost anywhere you want to in the Czech
Prague Brno 200km Slovakia). The legal driving age is 18. That said, many Czechs and Slovaks, Republic, and you only have to resort to buses
Prague Ostrava 380km The speed limit within built-up areas is women included, do hitch and do pick up or private transport in far eastern Slovakia.
Bratislava Brno 130km 50km/h in the Czech Republic and 60km/h in hitchhikers, especially from one small village If you wish to transport your car, it is possi-
Bratislava Koa
ice 400km Slovakia. On major roads the limit is 90km/h to the next. ble but only on the route between Prague and
Bratislava Poprad 350km and on motorways it is 130km/h for both Poprad. Canoes can be transported in special
countries. The official speed limit at the coun- LOCAL TRANSPORT carriages while bicycles are transported in the
tries many railway crossings is 30km/h, but Public transport in towns and cities normally normal cargo carriages.
insurance (about 4300K%0Å„/5400Sk) on the spot. you are better off stopping and looking, since consists of a comprehensive bus network,
If you are hiring a car, be sure to check your many well-used crossings have no barriers which is sometimes complemented by trams Classes
liability in case of an accident. Rather than and some don t even have flashing lights. and trolley-buses (electric buses). They are The fastest trains are international EC/IC
risk paying out thousands of dollars if you do Riders of motorcycles greater than 50cc well used by locals, so you ll often find more (EuroCity/InterCity), Czech domestic SC
have an accident, you can take out your own must wear helmets and goggles, and their pas- services in the morning and early evening. (SuperCity) and slightly slower fast/express
comprehensive insurance on the car, or (the sengers must also wear helmets. The motorcy- (rychlík/rýchlik) services, which are shown in
usual option) pay an additional daily amount cle s headlight must be on at all times (on low Bus, Tram & Trolley-Bus shaded columns and bold print in timetables.
to the rental company for an  insurance excess beam). The maximum speed for motorcycles, On the whole, services are frequent and reli- On the two railway maps (p462 and p463), all
reduction policy. even on major highways, is 90km/h. able. Typical hours of operation are from 5am of these fall under Express Trains. Slowest of all
The police should be contacted immedi- Fines for speeding and minor offences to 11pm or midnight. Prague, Brno and Brati- is the local train (osobní vlak/osobný vlak).
ately in the case of an accident when repairs are between 500K%0ń/Sk and 5000K%0ń/Sk, lev- slava also have limited night bus services. In October 2005, supermodern SC Pendolino [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]