Gone are the days when baby carriages weren't even allowed in the store and moms were worried sick about someone stealing their baby while they stood in line for bananas and toilet paper. It wasn't so long ago – quite a few people, nowadays in their 30s, cried their eyes out when waiting outside the store in the baby carriage. Fortunately, the time has changed: Moms and dads are welcomed
Fortunately, today we are already "elsewhere": Mums and dads with baby carriages are welcomed in shops and restaurants. Even public transport operators try to make their journeys around the city as pleasant as possible. This is the case especially in Prague, for example, by massively increasing low-floor transport connections or building barrier-free stops of the "Viennese" type. We bring you tips on how to travel with a baby carriage to make your trips around the city even more comfortable.
Is there a charge for a baby carriage on public transport? No, but…
If you travel on Prague public transport with a child in a baby carriage, you do not have to pay anything extra. And what if you go outside the city, perhaps on a trip? The baby carriages also travels for free on trains integrated into the PID system and on regional trains. But be aware, transporting a baby carriage without a baby is charged as the carriage of baggage over dimensions of 25 x 45 x 70 cm. The cost of transport is then 20 CZK.
Accompanying a child under 3 years of age is free within the PID. However, it is necessary to prove yourself with a special PID "Child under three years old" card, which costs CZK 60 to issue, but another document is also sufficient - an ID card or a passport, which you can use to prove the child's age. You can find more information about fare discounts on the website of the Public Transport Company.
Are you entitled to staff assistance? Unfortunately no…
We know from practice that not all public transport vehicles in Prague are barrier-free or at least low-floor. Boarding with a baby carriage, especially on the tram, can be troublesome because of the steep stairs. You have two options for embarking on the journey:
Wait for the low-floor connection. Thanks to the wheelchair pictogram in the timetable, it is easy to find out which of the following connections is guaranteed to be barrier-free. Barrier-free connections are also marked in the Citymove app, so you can plan your journey and go to the stop right when the low-floor connection is approaching. And even operationally – the application shows the real location of public transport vehicles.
Don’t be worried to ask other passengers for assistance. There is always someone willing to be found at the stop or in the vehicle – just ask politely and sometimes just an eloquent look will do the trick. If, for example, you board at the terminal station as the only passenger (which might happen), try asking the driver for help. Although it is not the responsibility of the staff of the transport company to help with the baby carriages, in such a situation they will usually comply with your request.
Did you know that on the underground, a passenger with a baby carriage can travel on any underground wagon, but a maximum of one is allowed on each?
Rules for traveling with a baby carriage
Consideration towards other passengers should be a matter of course - whether you are traveling with a baby carriage, in a group, or perhaps with large shopping bags or a backpack. A polite request always clears the way more pleasantly than sweeping gestures and neck-breaking maneuvers. With the baby carriage, always try to take the place designated for its transport – the platform in the middle of a low-floor vehicle or the rear platform (for older vehicles).
With the baby carriage, stand on the platform as close as possible to the entrance door and signal the tram or bus driver by raising your arm. Enter the low-floor tram with the front side of the baby carriage, but exit with the back side to keep the baby safe from falling out of the baby carriage. When entering the tram or bus with the stairs, pull the baby carriage from the back side, like when walking backwards. You can find more tips for traveling with a baby carriage on the website of the transport company.
If the tram is full or carries the maximum number of baby carriages, wheelchair users, or bicycles, the driver can refuse to transport another baby carriage. It is his right that he uses concerning the comfort of other passengers. Fortunately, the Prague public transport vehicles run at relatively short intervals and on time, so it is not usually problematic to wait for the next tone.
Tip: If you are exiting a full tram with a baby carriage, it is worth using the special button designated for this situation or pressing the sign button twice. This will alert the driver that the exit may take longer. The driver also opens the door centrally and you don't have to reach for the door opening button.
Prague Public Transportation: Fewer and fewer barriers
As part of the renovations, modifications, and implementation of new stations, more and more possibilities are emerging to travel on Prague's public transport without barriers, comfortably, and without any worries. An increasing number of connections are also provided by low-floor vehicles. In all new (or newly reconstructed) subway stations, elevators are being built for even more convenient transportation of baby carriages, wheelchairs, or bicycles.
You can read everything about barrier-free travel via Prague's Public Transportation at this link on the website of the transport company. Here you can also find a clear map of the accessibility of the Prague metro, where you can immediately find out whether "your" station is barrier-free. If it is not, just check Citymove to see if it would be more convenient for you to use a low-floor tram or bus connection.
