Anyone been to Prague?

Question

Staying at the king Charles Boutique Hotel

Answer 1

You're staying in my favourite part of Prague. I used to live there (until 2003) and have also visited several times as a tourist. Your hotel is very good quality and in a nice; (partly) recently restored area, my only concern being that you are not far from the main train line south from Prague Main station and may be able to hear the trains from the hotel. You are near Vysehrad, the second castle of Prague and my favourite quiet walk away from most of the tourists (you can see them squirming on the Charles Bridge even from 2km away). You also have the botanical gardens and Karlovo Namesti nearby, and you're not far from the centre by tram. If you have more than a couple of days, then do all the guide book tourist crap in a single day (you can do the whole thing on foot in about 5 hours) and spend the rest of the time going where the tourists don't go. Go to see St Ludmilla's church at Namesti Miru, go up the TV tower (Jiri hoz Podebrad metro), walk up the hill to the communist mausoleum at Zizkov - really impressive and it might not be there much longer. See the huge cemetaries at Olsanska (metro Flora) or the old jewish cemetary right under the TV tower. As a previous answer wrote, the zoo is very good, as is the nearby palace at Troja. There are also extensive art museums in the Holesovice area (metro Nadrazi Holesovice) which you couldn't visit completely in a week, let alone an afternoon!
Some other respondents have said Prague is expensive. This can be true, as there are 3 different economies in Prague: tourist, rich Czech and normal Czech. You can determine the rip-off value of a place by the price of the beer! Over 30Kc per beer is tourist price, 22-30Kc is rich Czech, under 20Kc is normal Czech (can get as low as 12Kc if you know where to go). The price of the food is usually linked to the beer price too. If you want to eat near Old Town Square (Starometske Namesti), go into the back streets (identified by lack of tourist trap shops, not width of street) within 50m and the price will fall by 75%. Lack of a menu outside in English/German/Russian should be seen as a good sign if you want to avoid a rip-off. The price usually rises in proportion to the quality of the English on the menu too. Above all, never, ever, take a taxi in Prague unless your hotel books it for you (for example, to get back to the airport) or you agree the price for the journey in advance with the driver! If you call the hotel in advance of your arrival they may even be able to get a taxi to meet you at the airport when you arrive, if not then bus 119 from outside the arrivals terminal will get you to the end of the metro line at Dejvicka for about 40p.

Answer 2

Prague airport is actually quite far outside the city and is not linked to the city via rail. As such it is a haven for taxi companies who regularly try to overcharge tourists who do not know any better. I am not familiar with the bus and tram routes but my guess is that they would take a long time so here is my advice for getting a taxi. Before you head outside go to the central Taxi desk in the airport and ask the assistant for his/her advice about the price of the taxi to your hotel. The cheapest you are looking at is 600 crowns which equals approximately $33 / 23 EUR / £16. The most you should be paying is 750 crowns which is about $41 / 28 EUR / £20. The assistant at the airport will give you a Taxi Discount Voucher that will entitle you to a small discount (I believe 15%) on your return journey back to the airport as long as you book one day in advance and show the voucher on the day. The journey itself takes approximately 20 - 30 minutes depending on which part of Prague you are heading to. You will descend into the river valley, cross the river and straight into the city centre if your hotel is central and it is quite a pleasant journey. Finally, taxi firms are reputable and I have had no problems nor have I heard of any problems when using them. Good luck and enjoy Prague! It is beautiful.

Answer 3

Great city! I studied there for two months the summer of 2005. The architecture is like nothing you have ever seen, it looks like a movie set, in fact many movies have been shot there. Be sure to go to a restaurant called Maly Buddha way up the narrow street in front of the entrance to the castle. There is a tram stop a lot closer to it than walking from the castle, i just cant remember which one, but it did stop across from the Hotel Savoy. Czech food is not always the best, and Maly Buddha is amazing. We ate there about 4-5 times a week! Oh and Czech people don't smile very much, at all. I was told that in the Czech culture when you smile at someone you are taking them on as a friend and in a sense are responsible for them, no wonder they don't smile!

Answer 4

I loved it, there is a ton of things to do and see. One thing, most people don't know much about Prague's sites so buy a travel guide. I recommend CityGuide. Unless Prague has dramatically increased in cost, it is nowhere near places like London, Oslo, or Dublin. There is a lot to see but a lot of it is kind of hidden. Find just a few of these things and you'll love it!

Answer 5

Awesome city. Great night life. And it's not expensive like some people have said above. You can save a bundle of money by eating a couple of blocks away from the city centre. Just look out for the taxi drivers, they'll rip you off and may not give you change (ie: if a ride costs 178 koruns and you give him 200, you may not get the 22 koruns back unless you sternly demand it)

Answer 6

i went to prague just over a year ago.
its an amazing place. we went to the zoo there, a place you must go, its HUGE!
It can be expensive but thats only in the centre, head out of town a bit an meals an drinks are so cheap. I stayed bout 10mins away from town an had so much fun!
Even travellin in was great, lots of transport, trains, trams, buses,taxi's all relatively cheap. Really steep, long escalators as well, so funny!
Really worth a visit, can be crowded but you get used to it!

Answer 7

Prague is beautiful. The people are friendly, the language is surprisingly pretty easy to learn, the food was good and the beer was excellent. It is not that expensive, if you do your research.

Have fun! I had a fabulous time there.

Answer 8

I went to Prague a few years back. Its really good. Nice historic place with some good museums etc. Lots to see and do. Nightlife too.

Answer 9

My sojourn to Prague was spent at an altogether less salubrious establishment. Indeed, I spent most of my three days there in a somewhat intoxicated state, due to my slightly unfortunate encounters with Absinthe. Sorry about that! Pip Pip!

Answer 10

Didn't stay at that hotel, but the city is fantastic. Prices aren't too bad but watch out for taxis - they will try to rip you off so negotiate a good price before starting the trip.