Useful tips for newly-arrived Erasmus students at Hostivař Hall of Residence

As a relatively new ERASMUS student, I fully understand how daunting it must be to arrive in a new country especially if the culture is significantly different. Therefore I have decided to devise an article filled with tips which I have proved useful whilst living at Hostivař Hall of Residence and should be shared to anyone who is interested.

Stepping off the plane and entering Prague Airport is a truly surreal moment for most ERASMUS students. This is often the point when things ‘sink in’. However no need to panic as there are a number of ways you can get to Hostivař.

Firstly, the easiest option is a taxi. Although it is the most comfortable option, it can also be quite expensive. There are a couple of taxi stands inside the airport which you can request a taxi. Ensure that you agree on a price with the taxi driver before entering the vehicle. The price of the taxi could vary from 800K to 1200 CZK so make sure you get a solid price.

However if you are still feeling energetic after your flight, you may want to take the cheaper option of the bus, tram and metro. If so, take the No. 119 bus to Dejvická metro station, take the Green Line  called by the locals Line A to Strašnická and then take the No. 26 tram to Nádraží Hostivař. The hall of residence is located about 2 minutes walk away. You will able to buy a ticket that covers all transport at the airport or the metro station.

After getting to Hostivař, you will want to know about the local area and where you should go to buy the essentials. Here are some places that I have found useful since living at Hostivař.

• Albert supermarket – Local store within walking distance for the food essentials

  Turn right as you come out of Hostivař entrance hall with reception. Keep heading in that direction for about 5 minutes and you should be able to see i

• LIDL – Plenty of cheap food

  Turn left as you come out of Hostivař, walk for around 10 minutes in that direction. An alternative is to take the either the No. 22 or 26 tram from Nádraží Hostivař and get off at the first stop (Hostivařská) and carry on walking away from Hostivař for around 2 minutes.

• TESCO – Perfect for everything you need, from stationary to food

  Take the 125 bus from the other side of the street of Hostivař halls of residence. Get off at Michelangelova (one stop before the final stop of the bus, Skalka metro station).

• Hostivař Park – Interspar, McDonald’s, cinema and a range of other shops

  Get either the No. 22 or 26 tram to Na Groši and carry on walking away from Hostivař for about 3 minutes.

As there are many different faculties and classrooms, it is hard to summarise where everything is. However one of the quickest directions to the main building for Charles University (Ovocný trh 3) and Faculty of Arts (náměstí Jana Palacha 2) are:

There you go; here are a few of my personally most valuable tips! I hope they prove to be as useful to you too and have a great time living in Prague!