Kids in Prague

Ferry Trips to Detsky Ostrov, Prague 1

Activities, Day Trips on 05 August 2010 by Larissa

There are many different ways to explore and experience Prague, but one of the best ways is to catch one of 6 ferry trips that criss cross the river. For the cost of a regular public transport transfer ticket (26CZK) you can hop on and off the ferry as many times as your 75 min ticket allows. Of course being part of the public transport network means that children under 10 ride for free so boating on the river can be done at minimal cost.

For young kids, combining public transport and a visit to the playground makes for a great day out, so one of the most popular family routes is the ferry that continuously circles from Narodni Divadlo (National Theatre), Strezletsky Ostrov, Zofin Ostrov, Detsky Ostrov and back. So with two under 2’s to entertain, my sister and I set out to explore the city by water.

Setting off from the National Theatre is a good starting point as there are many tram links nearby. Be sure to keep a firm eye out for the sign below, this signals the entry point to the jetty and illustrates the route and operating times. At the bottom of the stairs there is a restaurant that looks ok and a small jetty. Waiting for the ferry we were stunned to see how tiny it was - but in the end it fitted everyone in comfortably. The maximum capacity is 11 plus the driver, they are not strict on this when you have a couple of small kids making up the numbers.

Be warned, you will encounter stairs at most stops and ideally prams should be folded for easy handling. We took two prams on board but they were umbrella style Maclarens so we could hoist them over our shoulders and pass them onto passengers eager to help. One lady had a pram that could not fold but she was helped by all and room was made to accommodate it.

On entering the boat you either show the driver your ticket already stamped and with a valid time recorded or stamp your ticket using the yellow box on board (just as you do before catching the metro or on board a tram). It must be a transfer ticket (26 CZK) and you cannot buy the ticket via SMS. The driver will also want to know which stop you would like to get off at. A tip is to make sure little fingers and hands are clear of the sides when the boat is departing, standing or arriving at a jetty - the howling would be pretty bad if fingers got jammed between the boat and the jetty!

Viewing the city by boat is wonderful, the noise of traffic is lost as you cruise under the bridges and admire Prague’s finest architectural buildings. The cool breeze off the water is refreshing and the city’s river life is a real eye opener - I never realised how many riverside bars, cafes and boats were in operation.

Our exit point reached we alighted at Detsky Ostrov which translates as Children’s Island. Here you’ll find quite a large playground for all ages, it has a water fountain for hot days and lots of river boats pass constantly so the kids find it really exciting to watch these large craft go by. You can read Darina’s article on Detsky Ostrov here.

After the boys had enjoyed the playground we caught the ferry back to the National Theatre. The ferry service is very regular and arrives at each stop every 20 minutes so you never feel impatient waiting for it to arrive. When departing from Detsky Ostrov you wait at a locked gate for the driver to let you in and at that point you will need to show your tickets to board. I suspect that on weekends the service could get quite full especially from Detsky Ostrov so it’s probably best to start waiting a few minutes before the ferry is due in order to make sure you get a place.