This is the Way We Go to School

People have been asking us what it is like to live without a car, so we thought we'd focus on how we have been getting around. With the kids in school and both of us working, our life depends heavily on public transport. Luckily, Prague has a vast network of public transportation. With street cars, buses, trains, and the subway, it really does seem possible to go just about everywhere. Max says it's his favorite thing about Prague! Here's a look at all the different ways we go to school. We'll start with Katrina since hers is the easiest. Her preschool is a 15 minute walk from our apartment. It's a nice walk which takes us through the grounds of a Franciscan Sisters convent. For those from Rochester, it's a nice connection to Assisi Heights. It's a beautiful park like setting in the middle of the city. The walk to school is always shorter since it's mostly downhill. The walk home, however, takes longer. We've found that the promise of a yummy snack helps speed up the pace.

Rod takes Max to school using two city buses. With a transfer, it takes them about 25 minutes. It's interesting to note that it isn't unusual at all to see young elementary school aged kids riding public transportation alone to and from school. This is because there are no school buses in Prague. Everyone looks out for the children, and it is considered completely normal. In fact, Rod's Czech colleagues expressed surprise that he would actually accompany him to school. Given the language barrier and his limited experience, however, we know it's a good idea!


From Max's school, Rod catches a commuter train and rides to the train station. From there he takes a city bus to the university. His total commute time is about an hour.


Charyssa teaches in two locations, one in the city center and one in a suburb. Depending on where she is going, she takes a street car and then the subway. The city bus is also an option depending on the time of day. So, as you can see, in a single day we take just about every possible type of public transportation option in Prague. There is even a small ferry that Rod intends to use one of these days. Then we can say that we have done it all.

This week we have lingering summer like temperatures. The week had two highlights involving school. Max was able to Skype to his class in Minnesota. They had emailed him some questions about his experiences here. He loved being about to see his teacher and friends and talk in real time. We also attended the Welcome Back picnic at his school here. It was fun to meet his new friends' parents and sample foods from so many different places.