The Czech national rail operator České dráhy has a wide variety of rolling stock to operate their services. Some of these are 40+ years old, whereas some are modern and sleek units called Pendolinos.
These units operate the SuperCity services across the country, with most starting their journeys in Prague. To travel on these services, you will need to pay more on your ticket cost as well as holding a seat reservation.
I travelled on these services for the first-time last year and would like to tell you about my experiences, as well as give you my verdict on the extra cost and if you should pay it.
My Journey Details
My journey on the Pendolino was in 1st Class from the city of Pardubice and the city of Olomouc in the east of the country. With a journey time of approximately 80 minutes this allowed me to cross off a new city from my 501 must visit cities book.
I arrived at Pardubice by train from Kolin, approximately halfway between Prague and Pardubice. I had a short 20-minute wait between arriving and departing.
My train arrived on time at 1229 and staff were present on the platform to help guide passengers to the correct space. Even though I do not speak fluent Czech I still greeted the staff in Czech and they happily replied.
I made my way to my assigned seat towards the back of the train. I had plenty of space on the overhead racks to store my backpack, helping increase the available space at my seat.
Onboard Experience
Within 5 minutes of departure a member of staff approached with a trolley to offer a complimentary alcoholic drink. I decided to try champagne for the first time (it was Champagne Pommery if you are interested)
Now given I am not a champagne expert I would not trust my opinion on this; however, it tasted ok, and I accepted a glass on the return journey.
After the member of staff completed the alcohol service they returned with a hot drinks service. I accepted a cup of coffee with some milk and sugar. The biggest advantage with this was the cutlery was wooden and easily recyclable.
Whilst this service was taking place another member of staff came through the train to check tickets.
This member of staff was grateful that I attempted to speak with him in Czech, and he happily communicated with me in English after this as I made an effort to try and talk to him in Czech.
After this the staff left passengers to themselves and passed through the train every 30 minutes or so to collect rubbish.
Arrival into Olomouc and the ticket price
We arrived into Olomouc approximately 5 minutes behind schedule, this was due to major infrastructure work on the route reducing the number of trains able to operate.
Despite this, the onboard screens in the coaches kept passengers up to date with the delay throughout the journey. Olomouc main station had recently been rebuilt and this created a pleasant arrivals experience.
This journey cost 402czk (approximately £13), which in my opinion is exceptionally good value for a journey of this length.
My Final Thoughts
Overall, this journey was very pleasant and was a very good way to travel across the country. This way of travel costs another 100czk compared to the other trains that operate on this route.
I believe for a tourist visiting it is definitely worth paying the extra price to travel on a pendolino. For me, the biggest advantage is that seat reservations are mandatory, meaning you are guaranteed a seat.
Furthermore, these trains are much more comfortable than the standard trains that operate this route and will offer a much more pleasant way to travel.
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George Nugent Travels 