Brenden of Worldly View explains how he went about renting a motorcycle in Prague last year and how it benefitted him on his travels.

 

While visiting Prague last year I wanted to do something a little different. Something a little adventurous. Some might even say a little dangerous. I wanted to rent a motorcycle and ride through the Czech Republic countryside; to experience more than just the easy checklist of attractions in Prague.

 

Many would consider renting a motorcycle in an unfamiliar city somewhat dangerous. Luckiy I can live with a little danger. I had no motorcycle gear with me, so I had to find a place that would allow me to rent not only the motorcycle, but the necessary accessories that go along with it as well. And I was definitely not going to rent a motorcycle without the proper gear. I have my motorcycle license, so I am familiar with riding a motorcycle, but I was completely unfamiliar with the Czech Republic roads and laws.

 

In being a little spontaneous I found a place just outside of Prague that rented motorcycles and gear. All you needed was your motorcycle license from back home. It cost me 70 euros in cash for the day plus a deposit of 500 euros on my credit card that was to be refunded when I returned the motorcycle in working order.

 

I was given a GPS (thank god!) and the person working at the place showed me a route to take that had nice roads to ride on. She told me that if I had any trouble with the police then I was to contact her. And then she showed me where the insurance and registration papers were and I was off.

 

I rode back to the city centre where we were staying so I could show my girlfriend the bike. I’d spend the day riding to the countryside and venturing out into the unknown while she stayed back at the apartment we rented during our time there. She didn’t fancy going on the back of the bike, which was understandable.

 

Motorcycle in Prague

 

I’ve honestly completely forgotten where I rode to that day, but I do remember the crazy thrill of just driving. I rode onto a road that was, literally speaking, in the middle of nowhere. I rode so slow through that road because if I went fast and made an error in judgment I was falling off the cliff into a forest of trees down below. It was the most thrilling, yet terrifying, road I’ve ever ridden on in my entire life. It was awesome because it was unknown to me — and the unknown excites me. After all, the whole point was to do something different and a little adventurous, right?

 

Once I finished riding on that road, I drove through many small towns. These are beautiful small towns that are worth traveling to in the Czech Republic, but most people don’t because they’re absolutely unheard of. I’ve found that you get a more authentic experience in traveling to smaller towns in a country, rather than big touristy towns. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t have a mixture of both while traveling, but it’s definitely something of importance to note.

 

Motorcycle Touring in Prague

 

After a long but thrilling day of riding, I finally returned the motorcycle that evening. I can honestly say that though it wasn’t easy, I would do it all over again. It was a fun, yet different experience that most wouldn’t think to do while in Prague.

 

Is renting a motorcycle in Prague dangerous?

 

In order to determine the answer you’ll need to decide for yourself, but I can certainly help you in making that decision.

 

First, if you’ve never ridden a motorcycle before in your life, then I can definitely suggest not renting a motorcycle in Prague or anywhere else. Not only would you be putting yourself and others at risk by renting one, but you may be doing yourself some financial harm by damaging the motorcycle through your inexperience. I think most of us can agree that renting a motorcycle with no experience, especially on unknown roads, is probably not the best idea.

 

If you have some motorcycle experience and you are pretty confident in riding then I can highly suggest renting one, at least for a day. I would also suggest having traveller’s insurance just in case something unexpected does happen.

 

In all honestly I found the roads and other drivers on the road in Prague to be not much different than back at home. I had no trouble manoeuvring through rush hour traffic and riding through the city centre (well other than having trouble figuring out the roads and where I was going). In being from Canada, I found Prague and Czech Republic’s countryside to be more favourable to motorcyclists. People are much more accepting of motorcycle riders in Europe.

 

Is it worth it to rent a motorcycle in Prague and what can you learn?

 

It absolutely is.

 

Venturing out into the unknown and having the freedom to go places that most other travellers do not is something that is definitely worth it. Personally, I find that going to places that most others don’t is something that you should experience. You’ll get a more authentic experience that way. You’ll get to meet locals and hear their stories.

 

Author bio: Brenden is a travel lover of all types of adventures and experiences. He’s currently taken some time off of school in order to travel the world. He prefers living out of his suitcase and has great tips to keep travel costs down. To read more about his adventures, travel experiences, and advice, check out his blog Worldly View. He’s also on Facebook and Twitter.