Thursday, June 23, 2011

How I hitchhiked from Piestany to Prague and back with some tips and tricks and stories (usual trip)

Well guys, as I use to do this kind of trip normally and I used to do it before and now on I just made 2 instruction videos. I am not sure if there are any more hitchhikers in Piestany,but it could would for someone who would go from Prague anywhere east or south - like Austria,Slovakia,Poland,Hungary etc.
And of course I will write down some little story for u from these last crazy days.



I know that this video is bit long,but I am just showing u around the places like where did I use to live and where I am staying at this moment,more or less telling u about slovakia and Piestany,what do we have there,showing u some parts. I wanted to make the video till the prague,but my battery on my mobile phone just simply died passing Brno. Anyway the rides going to Prague werent very interesting. I managed to make it on 3 stops,and I havent waited more than 2 minites. Actually the second stop from the border of czech republic I caught going out from the first car and showing my thumb of running to the main road.
Main "pull" for Prague from northern part of Slovakia starts in Trenčín
This is the way I went and this is the way I came back as well :)
So as u can see from the map the main norther pull for Prague starts around Trenčín. U would say that would be probably much easier to go cross - directly from Piestany crossing Hodonin to Brno and then hit the highway. Thats the way how the bus is going. But its not it,there are lot of small villages and towns which slows u down and its quite hilly,so not many people are passing trough. The highway from Bratislava to Povazska Bystrica is the fastest and mostly used for moving around. So u easily get a ride to Trenčín and then u connect on main pull where all the truck and carrs going from the north  and east are comming trough :)
The ride is about 366km how say the googlemaps,but with the bus takes about 5 to 6 hours. Hitchhiking even going longer way u can get till up to 4 hours of nonstop confortable ride and especially in generaly with very nice people (slovaks from north and moravians - eastern part of Czech republic are very nice and funny people).

The way back was the same track,but from Prague to Piešťany,this is bit more difficult after Brno and especially at night.
How to get to Hitchhiking spot in Prague

I was leaving Prague quite late tonight about 6 pm even though that there are long days and short nights over here (the sun goes down in about 10 pm and rises about 5 am) I was worried about the night situation and  I was even considering going to Bratislava,for the artifical light condition of the city.
As on the main pull if u stay in some part with is without lights u are doomed and at night noone will pick u up there,especially exit to highway next to Trenčín doesnt have any lights and there use to be pitchblack night. Means that u could get easily run over. And people doesnt really want to stop.
Here I made a small video for u who are lazy to look on maps and read some stuff which is telling u how to get very famous hitchhiking spot in Prague direction east/south from Prague.
As u would see there were some other hitchhikers as well,going to Humpolec,who stayed even there,when I was already gone. (But I changed the spot and went directly to the highway - not recommened for people who are scared of direct confrontation with a car or a truck,but surely u will get ride in about max 10 minutes. On higher exit u can wait for about one hour ot two,as the most of the people are not going really out of Prague,they are just heading for surrounding villages or South to Ceske Budejovice - which is exit about 20 km from there)


One tip I would give u if u stay on upper exit - get a sign telling Brno or Slovakia or whatever u like,the people will react as its very famous spot and there are always loads of hitchhikers.
Once I met there a friend with his new girlfriend whom I havent seen for about 2 or 3 years,as we were studding together and then he disappeared for studies to england and then to Holland. And we got a ride all of us - at that moment we were 5,we got a ride like refuges from Afganistan on the back of the truck,locked in the dark.I was hitching then with one friend from Costa Rica and we were going to Brno for a visit. Anyway,we had so much to tell that time that we stayed talking in Brno till late night with several beers :)
Then u realise how the world could be small and the people who have to meet will meet anyhow!
Again back to exit: Exlude from your asking look cars with number plates of A (Prague - Capital) and S (stredocesky kraj - central czech region - means surroundings of Prague).

to my ride back,it was quite fun as I got ride by german truck driven by turkish driver :) And my turkish is almost forgotten and lost. Almost as bad as my Romanian,which I realised that is almost nonexistent at this moment. But from turkish I was able to lead basic conversation when I was leaving Turkey almost 2 years ago after 3 weeks of hitchhiking over there:)
So,I was talking with my rubbish turkish mixed with german and I felt like champion in german speaking as I could say everything I needed at that moment. And I understood all what was told to me.
Turkish are always very nice and hospitable and may times very funny people. They have different body expressions than the europeans from my part of europe,but maybe I will write about this another time on another place. Anyway,the interesting thing was that I got to know that he was actually going from Hamburg to kurdish part of Turkey. And that he was doing the routes to Iran as well and to Dubai. So,guys!
QWho wants to go hitchhiking to Dubai? Let me know,I would know how :D
At the end He had to stop close to Jihlava because of time driving restrictions on european roads - means 4,5 hour then hour break. And I went out to look for my luck! It was already raining. I helped my turkish driver to choose the baguete without pork ("Yeah,its quite funny,when someone ask u: Please,could u tell me in which is no pig?":D Tavuk won the prize (tavuk means the chicken,which reminds me slovak word pavuk - spider, just the memotechnic help - imagine geneticly modified chicken with 8 legs and it will stay in your mind forever:D )
The first person who went out from service station building I asked and he was the slovakian with number plate on his truck ZA (means Zilina - means my way:)  And that was my ride. We were abotu many things,especially I was finally openy talking about all the things in some order of South America and my travel.
And at the end even though he was going about 30kms more northern and had to stay with the truck already,he dropped me home,really close to the place where I live :) Nice person :) And that would be it!

2 comments:

  1. Perfect! I'm happy for you :)
    Next time I'll join you somewhere ;)

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  2. Well,this post was made for all people to let them see that is not that difficult to get somewhere around,u just have to know where and how and use basic knowledge ;)

    But for sure babe! I am still thinking of Luxemburg some weekend - havent been there yet and know someone over there. What do u say? Or Ukraine,but I am not sure how is it with visa at this moment

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