Prague

[greyscience5]

Hi everyone, I used to lurk on the old board and decided like many others to post for the first time on this new board.

I am taking a vacation to Prague with my boyfriend in March. I am looking for some activies and suggestions for what to do that will be affordable on our salaries. I am 25, BF is 27. We are both students. We have already purchased the airfare for about $660 each. We have ten days. Thanks for any suggestions.

[Deleted]

How the heck to settle on Prague of all places? But way to go. Hope it is a great experience.

[greyscience5]

I've been to a lot of places in Europe but my BF hasn't. We wanted to pick somewhere that would be new to both of us. I heard good things about Prague while backpacking after undergrad.

[greyscience5]

And thanks!

I would also like any generic travel advice that anyone has to offer.

[happytraveler]

www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g274707-Prague_Bohemia-Vacations.html

Beautiful City

[Deleted]

Good choice! We love Eastern Europe. Prague wasn't as badly hit in WW 2 so a lot of the old buildings are still standing. Here's our Web site on our trip there. (Non-commercial, does have pics of us but no last names so I feel comfortable posting it here.)

www.reginaron.com/PragueUp/Prague_Cover.htm

Some generic travel advice: go to the library and get a guidebook of the area; you can go through there and see what you do/don't want to visit. Go to the local grocery stores; many times for us, lunch in Europe is sandwiches and/or dinner is food from the grocery store and a bottle of wine in the room. Budget for museum admissions; they do add up. The subway system in Prague is excellent. I believe that Pilsen (the brewery) is in a nearby town. There are escorted tours, but look into taking the bus. We took the bus to Terezin (Theresienstadt), a former Nazi concentration camp. It left from the main train station, which most of the buses do. Not only was it cheaper- one of the passengers on the bus was a dignified older woman who had been sent to Theresienstadt as a child and was there for 2 years. It was a priceless encounter. TripAdvisor is VERY good for choosing hotels. I have 90 reviews on there myself.

[shandi76]

I visited Prague for work and loved it, partly thanks to the cheap and excellent Staropramen

I would recommend the Novotel Wenceslas Square (it is actually in Katerinska, about 10 minutes walk from the square). If it is a little pricey then the IBIS next door to it advertises cheaper prices. There is a Mexican pub across the road (called Bandito's) which does good cheap food and beer.

There are several walking tours of the city which help you get oriented and see sights which you may wish to return to later (such as the castle). The architecture is beautiful, particularly in the old town.

The Jewish Quarter is worth visiting, particularly the Jewish Cemetery. It is also definitely worth going to see the Astronomical Clock and going up the clock tower, for the views from the top. Take care when viewing the hourly show: pickpockets are sometimes in operation when it is crowded.

Charles Bridge is a lovely old pedestrian only bridge over the river. You will get great views and there are lots of street traders and sometimes buskers performing there. It takes you from the Old Town to Kampa Island and Lesser Town, which are worth seeing. There are river tours from there if you enjoy such trips. Kampa Park is a nice place to spend a sunny afternoon, as is Letenské sady which is across the river further down and is a large park popular with locals rather than tourists.

In terms of museums, the National Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square is worth the entrance fee, but don't feel you have to see everything. There is also the Kafka Museum across in Kampa Island. There are lots of other museums, but I didn't visit any of them so can't comment.

For eating, Bandito's is cheap and the food and beer are good. If you can venture further out of the centre there is a fabulous (and cheap!) Thai restaurant in Praha 4 called Yam Yams near the Vyséhrad metro station. And if you can afford one splurge on an amazing dining experience, book a table at Kampa Park Restaurant one evening. Very expensive (expect about $100 per head for 3 courses and a bottle of wine) but the food and the setting (on the river with a view of the Charles Bridge) are both exquisite.

Since you will be there for several days, you might also find the time to visit one of the nearby spa towns for a day trip.

[Gardening Grandma]

I went to Prague a few years back. We stayed in a really cheap, but immaculate B&B (I'll try to find the url if I still can)... The Rick Steves board is a good place to look for advice and suggestions. We took public transportation to the areas of attraction (the castle, bridge, square).
Beautiful city - good choice.

[Deleted]

My husband regularly "commutes" to Prague from Bonn. I've been there three times. For younger folks on a budget or more off-beat trips I really like Lonely Planet. All the prior posts have given you some great tips. The only one's I'll add is that Prague is a wonderful walking city. Although the subway is truly wonderful, try to walk to the various sites; e.g. Vhrady, the "old square" et cetera; great pedestrian walks along the river bank. Do be mindful of pickpockets! My husband was pickpocketed from his front pocket 4 years ago in the Metro. You will also be approached by beggars possibly at the Charles bridge and other tourists areas. A firm No Thank You will work most times.

Plan on 4 to 5 days in Prague and then take the train to visit some other cities.

We enjoyed Karlštejn and Kutna Hora as day trips.

Late last fall we drove down to Cesky Krumlov-gorgeous and looked like a blast for folks who like rafting!

[greyscience5]

Thanks to everyone for your replies! Sounds like we will have a good time.

We are still debating whether or not to book a hostel or hotel. It seems like there are some very affordable hotel options...

[xia]

www.pensionhotel.co.uk/accommodation-czech-lodging-z011112.html
I’ve used this website in the past while looking for places to stay, depending on mood we’re in for a trip sometimes we prefer renting apartments and vacationing “with locals” and sometimes we want hotels.
As with any place if you want to save money stay away from “touristy” spots when eating out. Just by walking block or two from main tourist hubs you will see restaurant prices cut in half and (in my opinion) get much better food.

[tiredturkey]

Prague is amazing! It's a real walking city and everything is beautiful and accessible. We would just stroll around until we found a little restaurant on some side street where no one was speaking English. I second previous posters recommending the Charles Bridge, city tours by boat and a side trip to Terezin. My biggest problem was walking on wet cobblestones and not tripping because I'm looking up at the great architecture.

If you have a chance to head that way again, check out Bucharest, Romania. It's really inexpensive, absolutely gorgeous and Romanian food is fantastic. My hubby and I actually gave some pretty serious thought to moving there-it's that charming.

[greyscience5]

Thanks again to everyone who has replied. One thing I am extremely curious about from the posts is whether or not there is such a thing as good Czech cuisine. I went to Amsterdam a few years ago and found that most of the food in the restaurants was international. I am wondering if Prague is similar in that sense.

[greyscience5]

@ bonnap, I was wondering if you thought that either of the day trips you mentioned were worth a longer stay- say overnight. We are thinking about leaving Prague for part of the ten day trip and seeing a smaller city or town.

[Deleted]

Grey,

You would have to spend at least one night in Cesky Krumlov; it's a several hour drive there (near the Austrian Border). There's another Castle town nearby-Cesky Budejovice. The two of these towns together would make a very nice 3-day trip from Prague.