A hostel manager in Prague told me to skip the tourist tram pass

I was checking into a hostel there last fall. The guy at the desk saw me buying a 3-day transit pass. He said, 'Save your 20 euros. The historic center is small, just walk. Use the tram only if you're going way out.' I walked everywhere for three days and saw way more. When is it actually worth buying those city transport passes?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinn_wood1mo ago

Totally depends on the city's size and your own walking stamina tbh.

jade_singh1mo ago

That hostel guy was totally right about Prague... but skipping a pass in other cities is a crazy risk. It completely depends on the city's layout and how much you want to cram in. For a huge, spread-out place like Berlin or London, a pass is a lifesaver to hop between far-flung neighborhoods fast. But for those old, compact centers, walking always wins. You notice the little details you'd miss underground or staring out a tram window.

oscarw831mo ago

Oh man, that's solid advice for Prague. I had the same thing happen in Edinburgh once (though that's a brutal hill walk, fair warning). It really does come down to the city's bones, like @quinn_wood said. Some places are just built for wandering. I remember getting a pass in Lisbon and barely using it because the fun was in getting lost on those tiny streets. But in a grid like Barcelona, where stuff is farther apart, that pass was a total workhorse. You just gotta guess how your feet will feel after eight hours.