Prague - wanted must do & see tips

MissT_3

Hi all,

Me and my boyfriend are going to prague for the first time at end of month for 4 nights

We are looking for tips/ideas on what to do and where to go to make the most of our trip.

Can any one suggest places we 'must see' or nice bars/restaurants to visit.

Many Thanks

MissT:D

wallacebob

Hi MissT,
we went to Prague and loved it. In January it will be coldddd so take full body armour. We avoided weekend, as there can be a lot of stag/hen parties, but in Jan it should be relatively quiet.

At airport use the Cedaz white VW minibuses to get into town. The rep outside terminal will ask where you want to go, and you share the journey with others stopping enroute. Get them to pick you up on way back to airport as well. Apparently taxis can be a ripoff.
Signs can be difficult to understand, but the main areas are well routed. Trams and tube are very good, buy tickets at tabbaconists. Watch out for pick pockets.
Old Town is very very lovely, and is easy to walk around. The city centre is quite compact, and we found the little AA map and guide to be useful. We took a guided tour to get our bearings - http://www.praguer.com/, but don't do a long one at this time of year.
A lot of music concerts and recitals in lovely old buildings, ask at tourist info, but ticket touts everywhere!
The locals are very friendly,and helpful, but watch out for beggars and con men. The beggars are mostly passive, but the con-men will be more cunning. Don't show your wallet or passport to anyone not in uniform: I was approached and asked about "currency checks", and people we met had had two leather coat clad bruisers ask for their identity papers. Plead ignorance and walk away, the police are easy to spot in main areas.
The Czech have a very dry, dark humour, but really appreciate a smile and thankyou.
The old town (StaroMestske nam) square and astronomical clock are a must to see. Fantastic views of city. Main tourist office is hear. Charles Bridge is lovely, and included in most walks. There are some very nice shops in town and at Wenceslas Square (really a street which runs from clock to national museum), even M&S!. Very expensive shops next to great value shops in small arcades. The funniest sight we saw was the "space ship", really the TV mast but has ET babies crawling up it - very Czech. Restaurant at top, with fab views. Rivers cruises are a good way to see the city if it's wet.
Czech food is hearty, so enjoy pork and dumplings! Main areas have usual pizza places. We went to a small place out of town centre, very basic food, but very cheap. three courses for two , 8 beers =£12. Expect people to sit next to you - it is normal for strangers to share tables.
Tipping is expected, small change in bars or 10% in restaurants. Tour guides also like tips as do taxi drivers.
Have a great time.

Ragtag

Just what Wallacebob said!
Would recommend a river trip ( with the hot mulled wine ) to see the sights from a good vantage point.
We found that the 'underground' was very easy to use, and the Government buildings and Castle are a must.
Watch out for ridiculous drink prices near to the astronomical clock.
One street back from the sites and the prices are very sensible.
We spent ages looking for Wenceslas Sq, then realised we were already in it !! It's just like a main street, but nice for the shops.
Beautiful place, very nice friendly people.
We went last January, took loads of cold weather gear, and it was warm!! ended up buying 'T' shirts. but that was very unusual for the time of year.

Enjoy.
Rags.

exel1966

Try :-

Here, Here, Here, Here, Here for starters ! I can thouroughly reccommend Prague having been there 3 times. It's not as cheap as it used to be as the Czech economy is now quite strong, but it's still reasonable.
The only real NON EVENT is the clock. Hundreds gather round awaiting something mystical and exciting. One minute later when you're walking away you'll be saying to yourself "was that it".

TIP : There are about 20 others threads on Prague on this site, just put Prague in the search box.

vanilla8

Would recommend not staying in wenchelas square that long.

Wonder round the old town, as someone said down the small backstreets is where you will find the cheapest beer, and the most traditional bars.

Prague castle is a must, definately use the trams and trains to get around. Also take a walk to the observation tower (looks like mini eiffel tower) - although i remember this may be closed at certain times of the year? You get superb views of the city.

You will see lots of traditional czech pubs have reserved signs on the table - so dont sit on them tables!

I have been with my fiance twice, (both in february, both freezing each time!) and we will definately go again! You will love it!

bagand96

I'm with exel on the clock. Missed it two days, caught it on the third and wondered what the hell it was all about!!

Would definately reccomend a trip to the castle, excellent views of the city from up there. Also the viewing tower up on the hill. You can get a funicular railway up there which is dirt cheap, or if you have a tram pass its free as it is part of the public transport system!

Trams are dirt cheap, buy a 2/3 day pass or whatever then just hop on and off.

daveyjp

We were there in January 4 years ago and the 'Eiffel Tower' was closed, but it was a nice walk through the park to the castle.

Watch out for being shortchanged, especially in tobaconists - it happened three times to a colleague who went there in October.

We also took a tram to the end of the line to see the suburbs - I think it was a 12 going north. The terminus just happened to have a pub next to it - very cheap beer!!

ali1972

If you do nothing else, have coffee and cake at The Municipal House in The Old Town - you can sit and marvel at the most beautiful Art Noveau decor (and the cake's not bad, either...) Ignore the people trying to sell you tickets to whatever concerts are on there that evening.

The Charles Bridge is best seen either early in the day or in the evening, as it gets very crowded the rest of the time.

One of the best ways to see the numerous churches is to go to the evening concerts. They're not very long, cost very little and the churches are usually well lit for the concerts which makes it easier to see the beautiful celing paintings etc. Well worth doing before dinner. The Church of St Nicholas in The Little Quarter is beautiful. Also, have at look at The Church of Our Lady Victorious which houses the Holy Infant of Prague.

The changing of the guard at Prague Castle is amusing - the main one happens at noon, although there are smaller events on the hour. While you're there you should see St Vitus Cathedral. The first time I went to Prague I did look around the Castle as well, but with hindsight I'd limit my visit to that area to the Cathedral.

Slightly off the beaten track, but a short walk into The New Town is The Church of St Cyril and St Methodius where in May 1942 British Parachutists and members of The Czech Resistance were besieged by German Troops and took their own lives rather than surrender. There's a small museum and a memorial - it's very poignant.

If you're looking for a little museum to pop into, The Mucha Museum in the New Town is lovely. Also, beyond the top end of Petrin Park (I think) there is a Miniature Museum which is fascinating.

The first time I went to Prague I did do The Jewish Museum. I enjoyed it but it was very crowded. It seemed like every American tourist "doing Europe" had descended on it that day! The most interesting bit to me was The Jewish Cemetary but it was very difficult to take it all in as we were kept moving through it very quickly. The thing about the Jewish Museum is that it is lots of discrete sites (mainly synagogues) and your ticket allows you to go into each site in a prescribed time slot. If you are late for your slot for a certain site then you are not allowed in. As I recall (and it may have changed) you can't just get a ticket for one part of the museum. I wouldn't go again but I'm glad that I've been once. It was quite pricey compared to other museums in Prague.

It's easy to eat well cheaply and we found lots of nice restaurants. My companion last time was vegetarian and this wasn't a problem. We enjoyed a lovely meal in The Old Town at Klub Architekt by The Bethlehem Chapel amongst other places. Generally we drank the local Czech wines and found them very pleasant. There are also lots of places to enjoy an evening drink outdoors, as they're gone for the outdoor gas guzzling heaters in a big way in Prague.

As for guide books I used the DK Eyewitness Travel guide to Prague, which has lots of floor plans and guides to individual sites in it. It's very handy, although you'll get more historical background info in The Rough Guide.

MissT_3

Hi all,

Thanks for your great tips. Cant wait to go now!:D

misscomickat

I went on a great walking tour that was well worth the money
http://www.walkingtoursprague.com/

Do you have somewhere to stay?

123oleary

the walking tours are good and can booked on the day in wenclasas sq . watch out for waiters loading the table up with bread and other extras without being asked. you will be charged extra. also they sometimes try and slip extra drinks onto your bill. it never happened to me but i've heard from friends of money changing scams on the street or in bars, just use your knoddle and change your money at official money changers or banks.
agree with all above posters comments, prague is a great place.