Prague

ferriswheeljunkie

I'm very pleased with myself

I'm going to Prague in November for a couple of days with my boyfriend for less than £64 each.

We're flying out with Ryanair at the extortionate price of 1p each, flying back with BMI baby for just under £27 each and staying in a 4* hotel just off Wenscelas Square in a suite that has cost me just under £70 for both of us for 2 nights including breakfast. I'm thrilled!!

Does anyone have any tips of what to do/see when we're there?

Spendaholic_Chick

Wow, you've done well! It's absolutely gorgeous out there, I was just there for the first time a few weeks ago. Prague Castle is absolutely lovely, and St Vitus cathedral within the castle is breathtaking.

Another must is Charles Bridge, with over 30 statues on. Quite overrated IMO, but worth a walk across anyway, for the views.

A trip to Petris is worthwhile too, it's a mini Eiffel tower. If it's a nice day, it's worthwhile taking lunch as the grounds around it are beautiful.

In the Old Town Square, there are some great places to have a drink/food, and do some people watchng. I can recommend the cocktails in the Indian Music Bar (and their toilets are spotless!) - from there you can watch the 'show' of the astronomical clock on the hour. Go up the tower there as the views are fab, and it's only about £3.

Although I'm an indie girl, music wise, we decided to see a classical concert in the Municipal house - cheap tickets were about £20 each, and it was worth that to see the municipal house inside - art nouveau - it's beautiful.

I can also recommend the Hard Rock Cafe - they have an amazing chandelier in the shape of a guitar, and their cocktails are to die for!

Oh, and the 'Dancing Building' is well worth a look too, two buildings that are nicknamed 'Fred and Ginger' as they look like two people dancing - fab!

You can get a 3 day travel pass for around £10 - allows you to get on the trams, buses and trains - well worth it. You buy them at a counter in the airport.

Have a fab time, we loved it!

elfen

If I remember correctly, there is a drink called Bull's Blood (english translation). This is VERY VERY potent and will get you drunk for a little bit of money (Mate's ex wife is czech and she used to bring this back)

MrSmartprice

There was a thread on DT the other day about Prague, so if it's any help I'll cut & paste what I posted there. We were there about six weeks ago:

We have been to Prague several times and love it there. Food and drink is good, varied and inexpensive. Getting around is extremely easy and cheap. And there are lots of places worth visiting. Our last visit was July.

Get your all-inclusive transport ticket at the airport. There's a kiosk in the arrivals hall. A 3-day ticket is 330kc and once validated is ok on buses, metros and trams, plus the funicular at Petrin. Then get the bus at the airport. The 119 links with the metro at Dejvicka (green line), the 100 at Zlicin (yellow line). Which you use will depend on where your hotel is.

Trams are the best way to get around, get a plan of the lines from a metro station. When you go to the castle, take the 22 tram. The walk is downhill from the Pohorelec stop. Walk from the town and it's seriously uphill - better walking down.

Get a good guidebook if you can. The Rough Guide to Prague is fine and you may get it from your library like I did. There are lots of sights in the old town and beyond. It's a great city to just explore, and there are plenty of freebie maps to be had.

We usually stopped at a traditional pub for lunch and a pint or two. There are lots of evening places too, plenty of Italian, Mexican or whatever you fancy. There is a website with lots of pubs on the link. Don't miss Pivovarsky Dum, where they do good Czech food and they brew their own excellent beer. (Try the tmave - dark beer!:))

http://www.praguepubs.co.uk/

Don't worry if you're female. My OH absolutely loves the city too. There is lots to see for everyone, including big shopping malls.

Wenceslas Square is the most underwhelming place to see. It's not a square at all, but a long boulevard. Approach it from Muzeum metro and stroll down the hill. Have a look at the Jan Palach memorial.

Old Town Square, and the area around, is interesting, for sure. In July there was a lot of work being done on Charles Bridge so it's narrower than usual.

It's worth giving a little thought to security. Most Czechs are delightful, friendly people. But there are roma gypsies who will distract you and try to empty your pockets. They are easy to spot, and the police are fully aware of them and make life difficult for them. Use a moneybelt, keep your bag secure, and you will be fine. Just sensible precautions you'd take in any busy tourist city.

techno12

Just got back from Prague yesterday (my first time over there). Really enjoyed it!

I didn't realise I was in Wenceslas square until the final day. As mentioned above it's just a long shopping boulevard (complete with Debenhams and Marks&Sparks).

I got the 330kc unlimited ticket and that did me fine (though it's more expensive than three single 100kc 24 hour ones bizarrely) - it's tempting to not get one as it appears that there are no checks, and no ticket barriers on the Metro so you can just go as you please for free. I got asked for mine one time on the Metro so best not to risk it and it's cheap as chips anyway

Charles Bridge is horrendous - completely packed with tourists, hawkers and scaffolding all along one side so everyone's funnelled into a nightmare of a channel. Nothing like the classic images. You'll still walk across it though!

Go up the tower in Zizkov - great views. I ended up getting the metro to Cerny Most after this as I could see it on the horizon and I wondered what it was like (tower blocks and graffiti, but I like to explore suburbs of cities I visit)

The castle area is a must see too - we ended up walking down via the park (with the mini Eiffel Tower) and that's a very pleasant wooded meadering path back down the hill.

The beer is fantastic! Most expensive was 60kc in the Shamrock Irish bar (I wanted to see the England game - this was the only time I saw groups of 'stags' btw so tales of Prague being overrun by them are exaggerated). Cheapest was 23kc for lovely dark Kozel at a pub in Zizkov. U Fleku is worth a visit - all bierkeller, long tables, music and lovely dark beer that they keep renewing when you finish. Expensive though, but an experience. My hotel was adjacent

I enjoyed the goulash - one of those dishes I'd heard of but never tried before. Beef, dumpling/bread and onions and about £3-£5

Oh, if you go on a river cruise beware the smell of oil if you sit on the top deck. I had an hour to kill before my flight back yesterday so went on the 1hr cruise for 220kc and nice to see the sites from the river, but the smell of the boat's engine was horrible sometimes depending on the wind.

Finally, beware the clicking pedestrian crossings. A green man doesn't necessarily mean you can cross! (Some American girls almost got run over next to me yesterday when they started crossing and a car came tearing round the corner and had to screech its brakes). Maybe it's a continental European thing as I recall the same rules when I visited Stockholm and cars ignored the green man sometimes as well.

ferriswheeljunkie

Thankyou so much for all your replies! They have all really helped :j