We enjoyed a surprise trip to the fullest thanks to carsharing
Shared experiences are key to a good relationship. And when Eliška from Brno wished for a “surprise trip” for her birthday, her husband Vráťa planned one through some very attractive spots from Prague to Liberec.
A unique hotel on Ještěd, Drábské světničky, or a visit to a restaurant located inside an airplane at a motorway rest stop near Bakov nad Jizerou. All that remained was to figure out how this then-childless car-free family would make the trip work over the weekend.
We prefer public transport, but it doesn’t get us everywhere
Eliška and Vráťa have long been a car-free family by choice.
“The trips we usually take are easy to do by public transport. We live in Brno, where the public transport system works quite well, and we usually get to family or friends by train or bus, often with just one transfer. Since our son was born, we’ve managed even with him, and we really appreciate that he can move around the train instead of being strapped into a seat. And when we go abroad, it’s usually to faraway destinations where a car wouldn’t make sense anyway,” explains Eliška, who made sure they stuck to their no-car plan.
“The only exception was a short period when we bought a convertible just for our honeymoon, with the idea that we’d sell it afterwards. That experience also confirmed that dealing with liability insurance, motorway vignettes, accident insurance, inspections, that’s just not our thing. So we’re happy to leave those worries to others,” adds Eliška.
We wanted to fit a lot into a short time
So Vráťa had to figure out how to plan an attractive itinerary, visit as many places as possible in a short time, and still leave space for spontaneity.
“When I looked at what interesting places we could see along the way, I quickly realized that switching between buses and trains would just limit and stress us. That’s the last thing you want on a couples’ getaway. Connections didn’t line up or didn’t allow enough time for exploring. I really wanted to have lunch in that airplane-restaurant by the motorway, but walking there from Bakov would’ve taken forever. And we weren’t keen on lugging our bags everywhere, especially since we were sleeping somewhere new each night,” Vráťa explains.
So public transport didn’t make the cut this time. Wanting to recreate a bit of the honeymoon feel, he looked into renting a convertible. The price for four days, including the weekend, was around 10-12,000 CZK, plus fuel (the car must be returned with a full tank) and a refundable deposit of at least 10,000 CZK.
“I wanted a car that I could be sure was professionally maintained. That’s something regular rental companies promise, but I didn’t feel like dealing with all the paperwork, the deposit, and pick-up logistics. Peer-to-peer carsharing users could bring the car closer to me, but convertibles I assumed would be in good condition cost three thousand crowns or more per day. That felt too expensive and the cheaper ones made me worry about their age and technical reliability,” Vráťa admits.
The winning combo: bus and Autonapul carsharing
Vráťa was determined to make the most of their time. Cutting the itinerary wasn’t an option. The Vozníks have been Autonapul carsharing users since their wedding in 2015.
“The highlight of the trip was an overnight stay in the hotel at the Ještěd transmitter. I found a date when they had a room available, booked it, and just told my wife to keep those days free. I didn’t tell her where we were going, it was supposed to be a surprise. There was a free Octavia available in Karlín, Prague, just a short walk from Florenc bus terminal, so I reserved it right away, bought bus tickets from Brno, and left the rest to spontaneity,” says Vráťa.
His only complaint - Autonapul doesn’t have a convertible in their fleet. While he’d welcome one, he understands why it’s not (yet) part of a carsharing lineup.
The hike at Drábské světničky was great, the Ještěd stay was amazing
Vráťa admits he was curious how his plan would align with Eliška’s mood and expectations.
“I have to admit, the idea of a witch-themed castle tour in Dětenice wasn’t received with much excitement. If we had gone by bus, we’d be stuck there, trying to kill two spare hours. But with the car, I just checked what else was nearby and we drove to Loučeň Castle instead. So carsharing worked as a buffer against potential frustration,” Vráťa laughs in hindsight.
Main benefits of carsharing for Vráťa’s family:
- flexibility to handle various family situations
- we always have the right-sized car for our needs
- smaller ecological footprint thanks to combining with public transport
- cars available in cities across the Czech Republic
- combining public transport and cars saves time and money
- more physical activity - we don’t drive for every little errand or commute, we walk
“Thanks to the car we had flexibility, thanks to public transport we left a smaller footprint, and thanks to combining modes of transport smartly, we also saved money,” says Vráťa.
If you don’t need a car every day, go for carsharing
The Vozníks fully endorse carsharing. After owning a car that “served its purpose and then left the household,” they are completely happy with carsharing.
“Even though our cabrio was perfectly fine, it brought unnecessary worries and extra costs. And given our environmental values, we couldn’t fully justify owning a car. A car is simply unnecessary in our everyday life if there’s an easy way to get a well-maintained one with just a few clicks. Thanks to Autonapul, we even have access to an electric car for big grocery runs or picking up wine from our favorite winemakers, and when needed, we have cars for trips all over the country,” lists Eliška.
“We honestly can’t imagine owning a car now. It’s unnecessary for us, because we can get one anytime and anywhere in Brno or other Czech cities. We only pay for what we actually use, we don’t take up street parking unnecessarily, we don’t stress about parking, and we’re fully flexible thanks to Autonapul carsharing,” concludes Vráťa.