Jeff and I tried the new Czech train service called RegioJet. It is operated by Student Agency, a company that started back in 1996 as an au-pair agency, became a successful national and international bus operator and is now the largest travel agency in the Czech Republic. It has distinguished itself on the Czech market by providing a high quality of service at affordable prices. The company’s first staple, introduced in 2004, was its “yellow bus” service operating between Prague and Brno and quickly spreading to other Czech and European cities. Student Agency set a new level of bus travel experience in the Czech Republic, combining low prices with unprecedented service on board.

The introduction of the RegioJet train service on September 26, 2011 ended the monopoly of Czech Railways. Without even realizing it, Jeff and I had been waiting for something like this for years. We like train travel and the type of train we have used most frequently is the good old rychlík (express). We find a peculiar sort of comfort in the tired, squeaky rychlíks with their sagging seats, overheated compartments, non-working windows (and sometimes doors) and emergency-use lavatories. Czech Railways also operate newer, good quality trains, such as the IC and Pendolino. For comparison purposes, there is not much added service on the IC, and the Pendolino is not an option for us because it does not cover the route we need. We don’t take the train often enough to benefit from any of Czech Railways’ customer discount options, so we’ve either paid full fare or, if we thought we’d use up 2,000 kilometers in six months, bought the prepaid kilometrická banka.

We were curious to try the new RegioJet service. I read through the website at regiojet.cz and called the help line with additional questions, which were answered politely and with patience. I set up an online account and put some credit in it. Then I booked our trip. My ticket was emailed to me but I knew I didn’t need to print it out. All I needed for the trip was my 10-digit account number for the stewardess to look up on the train and see the details of my reservation.

Our first trip with RegioJet was almost delightful. The fresh looking yellow train was clean and quiet. The young staff was pleasant and smiley. There was no mad rush getting onto the train because every passenger had a seat reservation, which is compulsory, but free. Hence, no scrambling for seats and no crowded aisles. The seats were firm, spacious, and comfortable. Our stewardess gave us each a small complimentary bottle of water and offered free newspapers and magazines for the trip. We flipped through a rather extensive menu containing, in my opinion, ridiculously low priced refreshments that included free coffee and tea. We ordered some croissant sandwiches and enjoyed them. There were electrical outlets and free WiFi in the compartment. The lavatory was clean, softly scented, with music playing and a flower in a little vase sitting on the sink. The trip was smooth and fast. The fastest I’ve ever experienced it, also owing to the fact that the train barely stopped along the way. We were helped with our luggage upon arrival. Our tickets cost 152 CZK each, compared to 206 CZK we used to pay for a 2nd class trip with České dráhy. Actually, we usually paid 309 CZK per ticket to enjoy a little more space and privacy in a 1st class compartment.

Now on to the two cons of RegioJet I can think of. There were only three trains a day running at the time of our trip, so we were not able to get tickets for our preferred date because the train was fully booked a week in advance. This should improve once more trains are put into service. Nine trains a day should be running starting in December. My other complaint has to do with a little glitch when boarding in Prague. Since Jeff and I are not used to having to remember or write down seat numbers before a train trip, we forgot to do that and only realized at the platform that we had no idea which car to board and what our seats were. Contrary to what is stated on the RegioJet website, we did not get any assistance from the staff when boarding the train in Prague. Not even when we were finally able to catch a stewardess and explain our problem to her. She didn’t have time to deal with us then. We were told to get on any car and wait for help. Which we did, blocking the aisle with our luggage for several minutes while other passengers tried to get by. A note to self: make sure you know your seat numbers next time. A note to RegioJet: A little more time to board at the start of the trip would be appreciated.

Let’s see how things pan out in the coming months. Czech Railways seem to be trying desperately to match RegioJet’s prices and services. I look forward to traveling with RegioJet again soon and have put more credit in my account.

A real convenience when using the public transportation system in Prague is being able to purchase transport tickets using a cell phone.  Back in November 2007, the Prague Public Transit Co. (Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy) started offering the service SMS Ticket (SMS jízdenka).  If you send the text message “DPT” to the number 902 06 26, you will receive a text message back that includes a unique code and 26 CZK will be deducted from your phone credit.

The price of the ticket is the same as a regular transfer ticket, but instead of 75 minutes of use, you get 90 minutes.  Be aware that it is only possible to buy an SMS ticket if you have a SIM card from one of the Czech mobile phone companies.  Even if you have a Czech cell phone, it might be necessary to activate your carrier’s premium SMS service.  That is what happened to me.  Always keep a paper ticket around just in case.

You can see the service being promoted on trams, at tram stops and in metro stations.  The service has proven to be very popular.  It received the Czech @ Award and the service has helped reduce the number of “involuntary or occasional illegal passengers”. 

The low-cost carrier SkyEurope announced yesterday that they are adding Prague as a base of operations to their existing bases of Budapest, Krakow, Warsaw and Vienna/Bratislava. Flights start on April 10 with routes to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Milan Bergamo, Naples (April 13), Nice (April 11), Paris Orly, and Rome Fiumicino. On many of its routes, SkyEurope will be competing with the Prague based low-cost carrier Smart Wings.

The Pendolino has been running again since February 1 (they did fix them all), so Jeff and I decided to try it out and took it to Olomouc on Saturday. We bought tickets at the train station, still with the 20% “we’re sorry” discount that’s been extended through February. Although a first-class ticket cost only 80 CZK more, we opted for second class as we figured we didn’t need the extra services, such as a laptop hookup, audio system or free refreshments. We paid 320 CZK per ticket.

Before I post my report, here’s some basic info about the types of trains I will be referring to (see the Czech train travel page on My Czech Republic regarding the Z-Card and prepaid card):

Express train, 1st class – these are the regular green rychlíks that you can see all over the Czech Republic.
Prague – Olomouc travel time: varies, but typically 2 hrs. 55 min. – 3 hrs. 21 min.
Price: full 441 CZK, Z-Card 273 CZK, prepaid card 265 CZK

InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains, 2nd class – higher-standard Czech Republic and international trains where the second-class comfort and amenities are usually better than those in the first class on an express train.
Prague – Olomouc travel time: 2 hrs. 51 min.
Price: full 354 CZK, Z-Card 242 CZK, prepaid card 176 CZK

Pendolino, 2nd class – Czech Republic’s fastest and most modern train. Enough has been written about it in our previous posts. More at scpendolino.cz.
Prague – Olomouc travel time: 2 hrs. 23 min.
Price: full 400 CZK, Z-Card not applicable, prepaid card 376 CZK

THE GOOD

The train consisted of seven cars that were clearly marked. The first two cars were first class, the remaining five cars second class. We boarded car 6. The interior was nice and clean, with fully automatic doors, comfortable seats, spacious shelves for coats and bags and a separate area to store larger pieces of luggage. Our seats faced each other and there was a nice size table between them with a fold-out top. An announcement was made in Czech, English and German well in advance before stopping at a station. The ride was smooth, with minimal jerking and no screeching and squealing.

THE NOT SO GOOD

One drawback of the Pendolino is that there are no cars with enclosed or at least partially enclosed compartments. All the cars are open and most of them seat about 50 passengers, so it feels less private and there is no chance to have a whole compartment to yourself, which is what I really like about train travel. Jeff and I agreed there was less legroom than in a first-class compartment on an express.

České dráhy promise above-standard customer service to all Pendolino passengers. This includes a minibar, which means that drinks and snacks can be bought from an attendant who passes through your car with a food cart. A minibar is nothing new and is common on IC/EC and some regular express trains. We didn’t get any service whatsoever on our Pendolino trip. The only time we were paid any attention was when the conductor came to check our tickets, said dobrý den and děkuji, and disappeared. About 40 minutes into the trip, some passengers started wondering about the minibar. They managed to catch the conductor as he was passing by and asked him if they could buy coffee and sandwiches. He said, “sorry, you’ll have to wait, we’re serving first class.” They asked how long it might take for the minibar to make it to our car and he answered that he really couldn’t say. The first-class elite who paid 80 CZK (€2.80/$3.40) more per ticket than us commoners in second class was apparently getting all the attention. Our hungry friends had a talk with the conductor and ended up paying the first-class supplement. Once they did that, they became worthy passengers and the attendant came to take their order. Ten minutes later, he rolled in with his cart and served them sandwiches, juice and coffee. Another ten minutes later, he was back to check on them. Everyone else in our car continued to be ignored. I think I can safely call this the Pendolino Class Discrimination. I may add that whenever I’m on a plain old express that offers a minibar service (and doesn’t brag about it), I’m offered coffee and snacks within 20 minutes after I board.

As luck would have it, we ended up sitting right next to a group of about eight people who were returning to Ostrava from a business trip and who didn’t stop talking for a single minute all the way from Prague to Olomouc. It was impossible not to hear every word as they talked loudly across aisles, complained about their bosses and projects, made sexual jokes, paraded up and down the aisle to show off the outfits they had bought in Prague, at the same time complaining about how bad a city Prague is. You know the feeling you get when you’re stuck with someone who never shuts up and you pray for a minute of silence?

THE RIDE BACK

We took the IC Leoš Janáček back to Prague. It was a pleasure. The interior was nice and similar to the Pendolino. The seats felt equally comfortable and we each had our own tray table. There was a spacious shelf above the seats, the doors were semi-automatic. A minibar attendant came by to offer drinks and snacks soon after the train started moving. The ride was as smooth as the Pendo and very quiet, so we could nap. It cost us 176 CZK per person.

THE PENDOLINO VERDICT

We looked forward to the experience and ended up disappointed. I’m glad we did it because now we know. In the future, I would only take the Pendolino if:

- I was going a longer distance where the saved time would make more of a difference
- I was on business and every minute of my time was precious and/or the fare was paid by my employer
- I wanted to work on my laptop while on the train and didn’t trust the battery to last through the trip (power source available in first class)
- I needed to travel between one of the cities on the route and the Prague airport (the Holešovice station and the airport are connected by a complimentary bus line)