Czech Republic (Czechia)
Czech Republic is a small country in the middle of Europe. It is repeatedly categorized as one of the safest countries in the world. It is also known world-wide for its beer. Prague, Czech capital, is fairly famous city, full of medieval sights.
When compared to western European countries everything is cheaper in CZ, especially food and alcohol beverages. Of course, the living costs depend on your life style, it is cheaper to cook your own meal rather than going to restaurants, but the difference isn’t that remarkable as in other countries.
- for accommodation in Brno you pay around 5000 CZK (200 €) a month
- food for a week costs around 800 CZK (30 €) of course depending on things you are used to buyingThe living costs therefore range between 300 (12 €) CZK to, let’s say, 600 CZK (24 €) per day.
You can read more about particular living costs in CZ on this website.
Czech Republic is quite a small country. Every place here is easily accessible either by train, bus or by car.
Train and bus ticket prices are low compared to western countries. For example, to get from Brno to Prague it costs around 200 CZK (8 €) for a train and 150 CZK (6 €) for a bus.
Fuel prices oscillate around 30 CZK (1,2 €) per litre.
You can do almost everything here. From skiing and hiking in the winter to having beach parties and going tenting in the summer. Simply put, everyone will find something they love doing here!
As our students we would like to take you to several interesting places in CR– for example Prague, Pálava natural reservation, Moravian Karst and many more!
In CZ, we experience all four seasons. It gets quite warm in the summer (from June to September) and cold in the winter (December to February).
- summer temperatures rise as high as 40 °C
- in winter it can get as cold as -20 °C
Most of the days are quite sunny and the weather is stable in CR.
The national language in Czech Republic is Czech. It is a Slavic language similar to Slovak or Polish and as such it can be difficult to learn for someone coming from a non-Slavic country.
As part of our Foundation programme we have Czech language courses, focusing on the basics and conversation. This will help you when studying any medical faculty in CR, as Czech is a mandatory exam at all of the faculties. Furthermore it will help you in communication with patients when in hospitals during your studies and of course it will make your life in CR a lot easier as some people may not speak much English.
Czech Republic is a very special place concerning religion. Due to certain historical events 90 % of the population are atheists. The major religion then, as in other neighbouring countries, is Christianity.
There are 8 medical faculties in CZ, all of them have English study programme.
You can read more about medical faculties in CZ here.
Brno
Brno is the second biggest city in Czech Republic.
It also is the capital of a part of CR called Moravia. This region is famous for its wine and unique folklore music and dances. In Brno there are around 400 000 citizens in the city itself, but the numbers almost double when students and other temporary citizens are taken into account.
You can find a lot of useful information on the web site of Brno expat centre.
Brno is a city full of students. There are 3 major universities here, the Technic University (VUT). Mendel University and the Masaryk University, which is the biggest and has the only Medical faculty in Brno. According to many articles it is one of the best cities for students in whole Europe.
We have a good and cheap public transport in Brno. It includes buses, trams and trolley buses. We don’t have any underground route, but you will discover it isn’t needed anyway.
As Brno is a city famous for its night life there is one thing, considering public transport, which is as essential as good pubs and bars – the night buses, called Rozjezdy in Czech („rozjet se“ is a verb meaning „to set off“). These buses meet in front of the main train station every hour or half an hour, and then set off all together. Miraculously they will take you anywhere In Brno you could imagine, either to another bar or home, and they will get you there fast!
You will get 10 tickets for public transport in Brno from us to make your start easier. We will also help you get the pre-paid tickets for a longer period when you come.
- single ticket (15 minutes): 20 CZK (0,8 €)
- single ticket (60 minutes): 25 CZK (1 €)
- 1 month pre-paid ticket: 550 CZK (21 €)
- 3 months pre-paid ticket: 1370 CZK (53 €)
Brno has a small international airport in a part of the city called Tuřany. It has regular flights to/from London, Berlin and Milan with Ryanair.
When coming to Brno you can fly to several bigger airport (Prague, Vienna) and get here by bus or train. You can find more info in the section about transportation in CZ.
Should you come across any issues when planning how to get to Brno, don’t hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to help you!
Brno is a splendid city. It isn’t as big and crowded as Prague or Vienna but at the same time has the vibes of a modern city. Its historic centre is full of bars, cafés, pubs and restaurants. There’s always something going on – markets, festivals, exhibitions etc.
Brno is a scientific centre of Czech Republic with lots of scientific facilities and start-up companies.
Coming here
We understand that it can be hard for the start when coming to a new city. This is why we offer to help you with any issues you happen to come across when coming to Brno.
We will help you with getting to Brno (flight/train/bus tickets, airport transfers, public transportation in Brno…), we will help you get an accommodation in advance and after you arrive. We will help you with any paperwork you should deal with in Czech.
Simply we will do everything we can to ensure your start in Brno is as smooth and pleasant as possible!
By plane:
When flying to Brno there are several possible airports to choose from. Brno itself has a small airport in Tuřany, with regular flights to/from London, Berlin and Milan (operated by Ryanair).
The two nearest big airports are Vienna and Prague international airports, each of which is a two-hour train ride to Brno. Should you need help with getting a flight ticket we will be happy to help you. If you arrive to the Brno airport we will arrange a free transfer for you. From Vienna and Prague we will help you with the train/bus tickets to Brno or arrange a transfer for you as well.
By train:
Brno is a railway hub for trains travelling from Vienna/Budapest to Prague and the other way around so it is well-accessible by train. There are two major railway companies in Czech republic:
If you need any assistance with the tickets we are there for you!
By bus:
You can get to Brno by bus from nearby cities. We would recommend to check Flixbus and Regiojet for the tickets.
By car:
Of course you can come to Brno by car. The highway connecting Brno with Prague is called D1 and is a source of countless jokes in Czech Republic when it comes to its quality. You can also come from Vienna or Bratislava.
To use a Czech highway you need to purchase a vignette, either for 10 days (310 CZK = 12 €), one month (440 CZK = 17 €) or one year (1500 CZK = 58 €).
If you’re a citizen of the EU country + Switzerland, Norway Iceland or Liechtenstein you don’t need a visa to stay in Czech Republic. You can stay in the Czech Republic without any special permit, solely on the basis of a travel document or an identity card.
If you come from another county you will need to get a visa.
Citizens of the EU don’t need a health insurance to get an emergency health care in Czech Republic.
However we would recommend you to arrange some travel insurance in case you needed to deal with a non-urgent health problem in Czech Republic.
If you come from another country you will need to get some form of health insurance, either long-term travel insurance or an insurance from one of Czech Republic’s public health insurance companies (for example VZP).
In Brno students usually stay in shared rented flats. There are of course other ways, like long-term dormitories, university dormitories etc.
The prices vary from 3 to 6 000 CZK (120 – 200 €) per month depending on the locality, equipment, etc.
We will help you with getting the best possible accommodation in Brno (web sites, fb groups, help with communication in Czech etc.)
Should you wish to purchase a Czech phone card there are three major telecommunication companies (T-mobile, O2, Vodafone) in CZ.
Mobile LTE internet coverage in CZ is pretty good, though the prices for it are relatively high.
For one month prepaid phone card with unlimited phone calls + messages and 2 GB of mobile internet you will pay around 600 CZK (23 €).
When staying in Czech Republic for a longer period of time we would recommend you to get a bank account in Czech crowns (CZK).
There are several banks that offer a free of charge bank account (AirBank, Fio banka, Equa Bank).
If you’ll need any assistance with getting a bank account, we will help you with the paperwork and communication.