Moving around in a new city by using public transport can be challenging sometimes. Especially when the language is not English and all the information is in Czech. In Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic, the public transport system is efficient and well organized, but knowing how to read timetables can make your travel experience much easier. Here’s a short and clear guide on how to read the public transport timetables in Brno.
Bus, Tram, Trolleybus
Brno’s public transport network includes trams, buses, and trolleybuses. The first step in reading the timetables is getting familiar with the symbols and terminology used. Each transport vehicle has a number on top and on the sides indicating as well the direction of that specific route.
The numbers for trams (also knowed as Šalina in Czech language only in Brno) are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12.
Trams with number 3, 5, 6, and 10 don’t go through Main Train Station stop (Hlavní nádraží) but via Česká stop. All the other trams go to their direction via Main Train Station stop (Hlavní nádraží). Important is to guess on which direction is the stop that you need so you can hop on the right tram. Each line runs in two directions, and the timetable will list the final destination so you can ensure you’re heading the right way.
Trolleybuses are with these numbers 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39.
Buses in Brno are more compared to trams and trolleybuses. Their numbers are 40, 41, 42, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, E50, 51, 52, 54, 55, E56, 57, 58, 62, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, E75, E76, 77, 78, 80, 84.
Very important for the public transport are the night buses. Brno is a really safe city and people use public transport even by night to move around. If you need to get a ride home or to catch a midnight bus or train to the airport, night buses are always there for you. They have the letter N before the number and you can find them with these numbers: N89, N90, N91, N92, N93, N94, N95, N96, N97, N98, N98x, N99.
Timetables can be found usually at every tram/bus/trolleybus stop and at the Main Train Station. As well you can find them on Brno Public Transport website and on this application IDOS which is really helpful. This is a comprehensive public transport planner that covers all of the Czech Republic. It allows you to enter your departure point and destination, and it will provide you with the best routes and times with live updates.
From the top written in blue you can notice the name of the stop. In this case is Výstaviště – hlavní vstup. The red part is really important. Na Znamení means on request. You need to request to the bus driver to stop by raising the hand. If you are on the bus you need to press the button to request the stop. Otherwise if none of this happen the bus driver will not stop on that bus station. 25, 26 and 37 are trolley buses that you can take from this stop. On the side you have the name of the direction. 52 is a bus and N97 with the black logo is a night bus. On every number you will have the direction on the right side.
Timetables are generally presented in a grid format that can seem overwhelming at first. However, they are organized in a way to make them easy to read once you know what to look for.
Now let’s do some Czech lessons. ”Odjezdy ze zastávky” means ”Departures from the stop” and is the name of the stop where you are. ”Směr” means ”Direction”. Usually is the name of the last stop of the line so you need to check to take the tram/bus/trolleybus on the right direction. ”PRACOVNÍ DNY” means ”Working days” and ”PRÁZDNINY” means ”Bank holiday”. ”SOBOTA + NEDĚLE” means ‘‘Saturday + Sunday”. The stop where you are has a small arrow which goes towards the direction of the line. You need to check for the timetable on the correct side. As you can notice the connection during the weekends are less frequent than during working days. The first column usually lists the time of departure. Make sure to check if the timetable specifies whether it operates on weekdays, weekends, or bank holidays, as schedules may vary. Next to the time slots, you may find information about how frequently the transport runs. For example, you may see on the first vertical column the number 7 which means 7:00 am and next to it the number 5 and 35. That means that the bus will arrive on this stop at 7:05 and 7:35. (See trolleybus 26 during Saturday + Sunday schedule). Another example to do some practice. Can you guess at what hour the trolleybus 37 is more frequent during working days? The answer is 7:00 am. You can see that the trolleybus will be on this stop at 7:00, 7:08; 7:15; 7;20; 7:25; 7;30; 7;35; 7:40; 7:45; 7:53. So it is almost every 5 minutes.
It’s often beneficial to get used with common tram/bus/trolleybus routes after living for some time in the city. For example you can remember the trams that run through the Main Train Station and take one of them to arrive there.
Reading public transport timetables in Brno may seem impossible in the beginning, but with a little practice, you’ll find it straightforward and incredibly helpful to go around the city. Whether exploring tourist attractions, visiting local restaurants, or simply getting to your place, understanding how the transport system works will enhance your experience in Brno.
I hope this information will be helpful to you and you will not learn how to read the public transport timetable in the hard way. I mean by getting the wrong bus on the wrong direction or just choosing the longer way to get to your destination. Let me know in the comments below what’s your funniest story using the public transport in Brno.
