Hi
next spring my family and I will be in Prague for several days, will want to do a daytrip to Terezin. 3 adults, 2 teens. I haven't found a lot of past info here.
If any of you are familiar with it, can you share travel logistics, whether or not guides are available, any other hints?
We're thinking a half day.

Hi Elaine. We're not going until September but here's what I have learned so far. We were looking for a tour company/guide that has a Jewish perspective for Terezin. The two names that kept coming up were Wittmann tours and Mantana. I couldn't get in touch with Mantana over the internet so I finally e-mailed the Jewish Museum to ask if they knew how we could get reach Mantana. They told me that Mantana was no longer in business but recommended Precious Legacy Tours and another small firm/guide that I can't recall. Both Wittmann and Precious Legacy seem to have good reputations. Right now I'm leaning towards Wittmann tours because I'm reading a book that talks about some Jewish families and their lives in central and eastern europe after WWII during the communism era and Sylvia Wittmann's family (she's the founder of Wittmann tours) is one of the five families or so that are discussed. With 5 people you will probably want to consider a private tour rather than one of their regulary scheduled group tours. I believe that either one of these could accomodate private tours. The regularly scheduled tours seem to take up a full day rather than a half day. The times frames are available on their web sites. Hope this helps. I should have better information once we're back.

There are, indeed, organised day trips. But I used the online timetable at http://www.vlak-bus.cz, then English, and found busses from the bus station at Florenc at 0730 and 0900 on weekdays that take an hour to Terezin, where they stop on the main square: the museum is just round a corner. At the museum you can buy a guide book in English.

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Ben, thanks for providing that Web address for the public buses. But I went there and had a devil of a time using it! I can't seem to get it to tell me when they have buses going from Florenc station to Terezin and back on Sunday, June 29. (I'm wondering if the buses run on a reduced schedule at all on Sundays.)

Elaine- I'm glad to see you selected Prague over Vienna. From the point of Jewish history, it is a truly wonderful choice. We went to Terezin with our Jewish Heritage Tour group with whom we went through Eastern Europe but I know there are guide companies which specialize in the Jewish sites in Prague. Have a most interesting trip.

Yes: it is quirky. If you tell it Prague Florenc and Tereszin IT it asks what you mean: you have to say Praha and Terezin. Anyway, on your Sunday I found northbound from Prague Florenc busses at 0700 and 0830, and southbound from Terezin main bus stop busses at 1245, 1430, 1445, 1450, 1505, 1600, 1635, 1840, and 2010. The journey takes an hour.

Please write if I can help further.

Ben Haines, London

Thank you, Ben! I hadn't planned on being out and about quite that early in the morning that day, but that's the day I've penciled in Terezin on the itinerary, so it looks like I will try to catch the 8:30 a.m. bus.

You can play it by ear, as there is a third morning bus from Florenc at 1000. After that I am afraid it is 1450. Each takes an hour.

I was just going to write to say that nearly all the busses south that I listed run to Prague Holesovice, not Florenc, and thence you take the metro home, or to your evening concert.

Ben Haines, London

Hi
Actually we selected Prague AND Vienna.

thanks to all for the information

Thank you again, Ben! And Elaine, my trip to Vienna and Prague starts next week!

Eurogoer, please give us a report upon your return.