Situated right in the heart of Europe, the beautiful city of Prague has to be on any list of great European getaways. Historic churches, secret gardens, an imposing castle, fascinating museums and beautiful bridges: Prague has it all. For many years, the city was not the most accessible for travellers with different mobility needs, but happily the situation has improved considerably in recent years. So, here is our guide to visiting the very best sites in Prague for those of us who use a mobility scooter.
Cross the historic Charles Bridge
This beautiful crossing is the most famous of all Prague’s ancient bridges and has been around since the 1300s. There are sculptures of the saints to take in on the way over, as well as many different street sellers offering everything from paintings to jewellery. It is always busy, but with good reason, and it is still well worth taking in. If you’re a night owl, an alternative is to cross it late at night or in the early hours before dawn: having this wonderful bridge all to yourself is a uniquely special experience. It also played a starring role in Mission Impossible!
Explore Prague’s Jewish heritage
The Jewish Quarter is one of the most fascinating parts of town, haunted by the ghosts of the victims of the Holocaust, and of course Franz Kafka who lived in the area. We recommend the excellent (and accessible) Franz Kafka museum for fans of the novelist It is well worth heading to the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is a fascinating place to explore. It has been around since the 15th century and is surprisingly accessible too. Head to the entrance by the Klausen Synagogue and The Ceremonial Hall.
Enjoy an evening of opera
If you have always wanted to see an opera but have been put off by the thought of smart suits, pearls and expensive tickets, then Prague is the place for you. Opera here has always been accessible – tickets are cheap and the dress code is casual. The standard is also extraordinarily high. The Stavovske Divadlo (Estates Theatre) was where Mozart premiered Don Giovanni, and it is still possible to see world class opera right across the city. The team at the Narodni Divadlo (National Theatre) in particular have done a great job of making every performance accessible. Find out more here.
Get a retro-futuristic view of the city
The Communists left their mark on the city, and one of the most prominent reminders of this time is the giant Žižkov TV tower that dominates the centre of the town. It looks like some sort of Soviet science fiction artist’s idea of a spaceship, and is the kind of building you will either love or hate.
In a sense, the building sums up Prague. Named after the proud working class area around it (in turn named after Czech national hero General Žižka), and yet visually an unwelcome reminder of the difficult years under the Communists. Whatever you think of it, the views from the top are spectacular and there is an accessible lift up to the observation deck. Just look out for the giant babies crawling up the legs…
Did you know?
The Czech language is notoriously difficult. One important thing to bear in mind is that they often say ‘no’ (short for ‘ano’) for ‘yes’, and ‘ne’ for ‘no’. Confusing. The word for ‘four’, ‘čtyři’, is also incredibly difficult to pronounce – even for Czech people!
Getting to Prague
Thanks to its growing popularity as a short break destination, Prague is incredibly straightforward to get to by air. You can fly into Vaclav Havel Airport from Leeds, Stansted, Liverpool, Bristol and London Gatwick. Once you’re there, you’ll find the entire airport is barrier free for wheelchair and scooter users. The team at Vaclav Havel Airport offer a free assistance service, although you do need to get in touch with them 36 hours before to arrange. Give them a call on +420 220 111 220.
There is also the option to book an accessible taxi into the city centre: they leave from both terminal one and two. Alternatively there is an accessible public bus service too (buses 100,119 and 191).
Within the city, one of the best ways to get around is via the metro system. Note that you can only change lines at Florenc and Muzeum stations. This is an old system, built during the Communist era. And, like the city’s equally excellent tram system it is largely (although by no means completely) accessible.
For more information on accessibility on Prague’s public transport system, see this excellent guide here. It is also worth taking a look for the latest updates on the Prague transport system’s official website here.
Travelling with scooters
The great news for those of you travelling abroad is that Quingo Scooters are all approved for air travel by IATA so you won’t have any problems taking them on the plane. That said, it is always well worth getting in touch directly with any train, bus and airlines you want to use just to double check their rules on scooters before you go. For more handy tips on travelling with your scooter by air, take a look at our page here.
Share your accessible getaways abroad with us
Do you have any accessible getaways abroad recommendations? In Europe or perhaps further afield? If you do, we’d love to hear from you, so drop us a line and we’ll feature them.
About Quingo Scooters
The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.
Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 30847
