I have always been quite a lucky traveler. I had experiences of ALMOST missing my bus, train, boat, etc. Yet I never REALLY missed one. I could not believe it when I realized I missed the bus to Český Krumlov. This is what happened to me. I booked my bus ticket with the largest and most famous bus operator among travelers which is called Student Agency. The bus departed from Prague, and my friend and I assumed that the departing station was the same as the station we were going to arrive at. WRONG! We woke up at five, went to the wrong station, 30 minutes early, bought our breakfast and withdrew some cash from the ATM. It was when the bus arrived at our platform that we realized it was not going to our destination. We checked our ticket. Damn! We should depart from another place. We rushed to the information, and got the answer that it takes 15 minutes to go to the correct station by taxi. The taxi driver told us the 15 minutes estimation is without traffic. It was 15 minutes to 7:00, when our bus leaves. We jumped on the taxi, and the driver was speeding like crazy, fast enough for us to see the bus leave 10 meters in front of us. We still missed it.
Now what?
First, check the schedule. The bus to Český Krumlov leaves every hour. Even though all the tickets are sold out, there might be someone that did not catch the bus like us, so we decided to give it a try. As the 8:00 bus approached, we went to the lady that checks the tickets. She said a "No!" even without looking at us. So we waited by her side for all the passengers to get on. This is what we did wrong.
The second step should be going directly to the front door and line up. The ticket for the missed bus is no longer valid. We would need to purchase an additional ticket at the final sale price, which is 200 kronor. The lady checking tickets at the back door, who should be the guide, did not tell us to line up, so the spare seats were sold to other passengers during the final sale. When we finally found out that we could buy tickets for the bus, there were other passengers lining up in front of us. We told the lady that we have been here since 7:00. but she just shrugged and kept doing her stuff. Luckily, a couple lining up in front of us gave us their seats and we could get on the bus by buying two additional tickets.
My tiring and troublesome day has not ended. After I arrived in the picturesque town, I discovered that one of my package was left on the bus. I immediately googled the lost and found numbers. I first phoned the number stated on the ticket. After a long wait, the lady holding the phone said she would notify the bus. When the goods are found, they would notify me. After an hour, I got no notification. I called the information number (+420 841 101 101) on the website. Also after a long wait, they told me they could not reach the bus. Another hour later, I tried the number for buses under student agency (+420 539 000 322). They finally said that they found it and will send me the package on their bus arriving at 20:00. Remember to ask them the exactly time and place the bus will come and also the bus number. Each bus has its bus number printed on the front of the bus. At 20:00, there is a bus departing and also arriving. Remember to go to the right bus.
After all the hassle, I finally got my things and got to enjoy the UNESCO town. Although the experience may sound terrible, I learned a lesson to be really careful anytime when traveling. Also, always remember to calm down. After all, you will figure it out.
