Prague airport train line didn't budget for escalator

PRAGUE — The good news for visitors to the Czech capital: the newly expanded A line of Prague's subway network that opened this week will comfortably take them from downtown closer than ever to the city's international airport.

The bad news: To board the No. 119 bus that covers the final 5 miles between the Nadrazi Veleslavin station and Vaclav Havel Airport, they have to climb 32 steep stairs from the subway to the bus terminal.

The reason? The 20 billion koruna ($787 million) project didn't budget for an escalator there. There is an escalator elsewhere in the station, but that leads to a rail station which hasn't been built yet.

The airport is making amends by hiring porters who will carry travelers' bags up the incline for no charge.