When I set off on this trip around the world, I made one major goal for myself: to use public transportation as much as possible. My inspirations for this commitment were many. I wanted to help the environment. I wanted to live more closely to the average citizen in the country I’m visiting. I wanted to save coin (gotta be honest). And finally, I wanted to see if I was up for the challenge of figuring out a bunch of confusing public transit systems. My first surprise was discovering how confusing these systems were not, but that certainly wasn’t my last surprise.
For starters, I learned there’s no better way to master a city than 
to first master its public transit system. If I had to pick between a guidebook and public transpo, I’d chose the latter. For one, guidebooks seem to include everything, but maps in the subway stations in Prague, for example, only highlight the most important places, which actually helps you cut to the chase. Also, my friend James Galus gave me an excellent travel tip suggesting I take the subway to stops that appear to be major hubs and then get out and walk around. It was a brilliant call. The areas are always built up around subway hubs, and if you find one without a major tourist attraction, you’ve just found a bustling town center with a lot less tourists.
In fact, it’s also worth noting that many of these subway stops are actually quite beautiful to behold. Check out the sample station name plate in the photo below right as an example.
Another realization I’ve had is that you can’t rely strictly on the subway system. In Berlin I discovered the speed of regional trains, and I’ve come to embrace the trams in Prague. Check out that Prague tram in the photo up top. It’s pretty nice, huh? Well, that tram cuts through all the major parts of the city center, including a nice ride along the river, so I hoped on for 45 minutes and got a beautiful city tour. I even jotted down notes of places that looked interesting. While I originally intended to take the same line back, I reached a tram hub where I could hop on another line that got me home using a different fascinating route.
In Germany and the Czech Republic, the public transit offers day passes for about $5 or $6 that allow you to use all systems (bus, tram, subway, train, etc.) for the ticket’s duration. I highly recommend purchasing one of these as they actually motivate you to take random tram trips and to make the most of your stay.
Finally, I want to go back to my very first point, that public transit is actually a lot easier than you might expect (of course, I haven’t gotten to the Ukraine yet). In the same two aforementioned cities, movement through the system is quick because there are no ticket gates. An agent will appear on occasion to make sure you have a ticket (this happened twice in Prague, never in Germany), and they fine you if you don’t have one. Nevertheless, this makes it a lot quicker to get where you are going. Also, the cities make their transit systems easy to understand. In Prague, I found English-language pamphlets that describe the entire transit process, and there are easy-to-understand maps (like the one to the left) that help you get on the right train. Tram and bus stops generally post signs that let you know when the next vehicle is set to arrive, while the German U-Bahn actually have digital clocks letting you know exactly when the train will pull in. All this said, just make sure to learn about the transit system before you get there so you’ll feel more confident when you step into that first subway or bus station.
Having made the big pitch for public transit in Europe, the question is whether I’ve kept to my original goal. The answer is yes. Now in my third week abroad, I have yet to step into a taxi. I have taken public transit — including several buses — on all occasions, including getting to and from airports and train stations and even late at night. While I’m sure I’ll have to take a cab eventually, I’m committed to taking public transit unless absolutely necessary. It’s not just good for the environment, it’s making my overseas adventure that much more exciting.
