Some of our favorite Trams in Europe (Video)
One of the things that’s quintessentially European to me is taking a tram. I love it. It’s both a way to get oriented with a place as well as seeing “regular” people going about their business. It’s also a bit of an adventure when you don’t know a place – I always say that when you get comfortable getting around on your own that’s when you really get to know a city.
I also love trams just because they’re trams. We’ve done a lot of travelling in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Balkans where you’ll see a lot of old trams. Most were built in Czechoslovakia and Hungary between the 1960s and 80’s when these countries were under Soviet rule. The companies that built these trams supplied the east bloc countries (East Germany, Romania, Poland, the USSR, Hungary) as well as the ex-Yugoslavian countries (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovenia…). These old trams are actually my favorites. They make a lot of noise, they get bumpy sometimes, the seats are a bit tight…but there’s a certain romance in taking them. In many places though, these older trams have been gradually upgraded to modern German (or Czech) electric trams. They’re bigger, more comfortable, and easier to get into.
Whatever kind of tram, we find them to be the best way of getting around. In Budapest and Prague you have the option of taking the metro (subway). It’s faster but being underground is just not the same. Unless a destination is really far away we’ll usually always opt for a tram over the metro.
This video highlights trams in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Balkans. Places like Lviv (Ukraine), Budapest (Hungary), Zagreb (Croatia), Belgrade (Serbia), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Prague (Czech Republic) – my very favorite tram city.
Also see: The most beautiful trams in Europe
Related: Our worst ever Train experiences
Related: Why riding El Chepe through Copper Canyon is just mind-blowingly amazing
Loved the video with the numerous colorful trams. There is a certain charm to see trams running, besides the comfort it offers to the inmates. Needless to say they are the fastest mode to compute and cheap on the pockets. All in all the best rides to get to know a place and also safe for solo travelers. Thanks for this wonderful share… the information and tidbits of the old trams driven by only women conductors is fascinating!
Love the #2 tram in Budapest! But the one I’ll always remember is the first tram I ever took was in Prague. I was so proud of myself for figuring out (via lots of YouTube videos) how to obtain a ticket and how the trams worked! And then to make it more exciting, 4 minutes into the ride, some elderly man took ill and he conductor stopped the tram, made an announcement, and everyone but me and the other foreigner on the tram got off. The police were called, then an ambulance arrived, and we were back on our way within 3-4 minutes. And this was at the height of rush hour! I was impressed! I asked the people at the B&B about it, and they said they don’t want any traffic jams so that’s why the police were called and the ambulance came so quickly. The good old US of A ain’t got nothing to brag about IMHO! Thanks for the video reminding me how much I love Prague and Budapest.
Thanks very much Anne.
We’ve spent months in both cities and never had a tram issue. Until a couple of years ago. We had just gotten off one of the older trams and it started up again and went up the street. We heard a screeching noise and big thud. The tram had derailed on a corner and almost toppled over.
We walked home and the traffic was backed up big time because no other tram could pass on that line. We saw a couple of trucks with cranes rush to the scene and it took a few hours before all got back to normal.
So I guess things happen once in a while. But overall it’s incredible and very efficient and reliable. And I never get bored getting on a tram and watching the world go by, especially in Prague.
Thank you for your own memory. I guess everyone reminiscing over travel these days 🙁