A Few Questions about Prague

Any ATM machine is the best place to get CZK. ATM machines are legitimate.

I doubt you can take the train from the airport to Old Town. You would first have to go from the airport to the train station and then take a tram. It wouldn't be very difficult.

Things to do:
Mucha Museum
Municipal House
Churches

Taxi fares will depend on traffic. Probably about 600 to 800 CZK.

I'm not sure the train runs from the airport. I don't remember seeing a train station there. You could take a city bus to the bus station and then a tram. But I would just take a car service or taxi. If you can afford to stay in Old Town then you can afford a taxi fare IMHO. I can recommend Mike's Chauffeur Service that I recently used to go from the bus station to my pension. Mike was great. Others here have used Mike and have recommended him.

www.mike-chauffeur.cz

I have a question to ask also ??

Can I use the same electrical plug converter in Prague that I use in France, Austria, Italy, etc???

Also, does the same plug work in Budapest?

Stu Dudley

My one lingering negative memory of a wonderful trip to Prague was the sleezy taxi drivers at the train station, and the train station itself. For a truly beautiful city, the train station looks like something in a third world country. It is dirty, dark, and dingy -- still acceptable to transit quickly in and out of.

The real threat is the taxi drivers. There are signs posted in many places that direct you to taxi stands. This gives you the impression that the drivers are somehow "sanctioned", but it's the "wild, wild west" out there. We were quoted the equivalent of $100 to get to our hotel. When we balked, the price immediately went to half. The hotel turned out to be a mere 5 minutes away in Old Town. A $20 fare would have been too much.

If you decide to take the train from the airport, be sure to check with your hotel ahead of time for a decent taxi fare. If you are fortunate, perhaps you will be in walking distance and won't have to deal with taxis at all!

You can use the same adapter in Prague (and in Poland) that you use in France. I just tested the adapters and the same one works. Can't answer about Budapest.

Below is my travel website with photos from Prague 2008.

Take a day trip to Kutna Hora. Also Sedlec Ussuary is nearby Kutna Hora.

Josehov (Jewish Quarter)

Enjoyed Bellavista for food and drinks (Urquell dark on tap) near Strahov Monastery (great view, too)

Orange Moon has terrific Thai food (located between Old Town and Josefov)

Take the funicular up to Petrin Hill. Walk up to the top of the mini Eiffel Tower

Museum of Communism

Noble Club wine cellar in Mala Stana for a nice wine and cheese experience (don't knock the candle off, however)

http://web.me.com/tomfielding1/Tom_%26_Tracy_Home/Prague_2008.html

- Best places to exchange money in Prague? Any legitimate place in the airport to do this?

ATMs, always. If you have a credit union or can get a CapOne account before you leave, use their cash cards because the fees tend to be lower.

- What should the taxi cost for a ride from the airport to Old Town Prague?

Dunno, check with your hotel re: transfers and arrangements.

- How hard would it be to take the train to Old Town Prague from the airport?

Very. No train takes that route. Prague subway stops are outside the center of Old Town.

- Suggested things to do in Prague besides the obvious (the Castles, Charles Bridge, Clock tower)?

Maitaitom has some good suggestions. I'll second the Commie Museum. A day trip to Karlstein Castle would be easy -- it's 35 km from Prague. Visiting Terezin would also be highly educational -- if you don't know why, google it.

- Best places to eat for the price?

Who knows -- what price are you talking? The restaurant at U Zlatych Nuzek ("At the Golden Scissors") on Kampa Is. was pretty good and so was Reykjavik, which is en route from the Charles Bridge to Old Town Square. Old Town Square restaurants tend to have high prices.

And to clarify, no commuter or mainline train goes to Old Town Prague either.

There are buses prominently positioned at the airport that take you to one of several outlying metro stops. Once you get on the metro , you can go wherever it goes, - you will need to check the map if it goes to what you think is the "old town"

http://www.dpp.cz/en/

I arranged shuttle transport from the airport and was pleased with the service.

http://www.prague-airport-shuttle.com/

Try LivingPrague.com for great tips from a 'local'.

We had our hotel arrange the transit from the train station (which is, indeed, pretty awful). We had a set price in advance for the cab.

Although things have improved with the taxis, it is still best to stick to reliable companies like AAA (Taxis from the airport are fine). If you get the chance to see Old Town Square or Prague Castle either very late at night or very early in the morning, go for it. They are even more magical than during the day.
http://www.jeremytaylor.eu/prague_photos.html

Do not change any money anywhere - pull it from an ATM with your debit card - otherwise you are throwing away about 8% of your cash on fees or a bad exchange rate or both.

There is no train at the airport. I would take a taxi to your hotel - contact them and ask what a taxi should cost.

Not to be missed are :

The Ghetto - check out all of the various buidlings (consider a tour)
Architectural tour of the Old Town (you can get a bunch of tours at Town Hall)
Stare Mestro
Several excellent museums
A host of churches, many of which have very good quality musical perfromances
Tour the opera house even if you don;t go to a performance

I second the comment from rs899. We took the bus from the airport to the metro station and then the subway to take us to our pension. It was very convenient. We purchased a 3 day card ($11 each) at the airport and used the public transportation to see the sites in Prague and to travel to and from the airport.

HI; We took the bus, right in front of the airport. Problem for us was, not knowing exactly were the hotel was. Very enexpensive. E-mail the hotel an see what their thoughts are. As for as converters go, we have a kit from Brookstone that has many different types of plugs. Round leads, flat leads and so on. Works for us. For good information see www.inyourpocket.com Click on Prague and then instant, for a download. Richard

Hi, I will arrive in Prague in four days, so the Q&As are very helpful for me. I also have another question: I realized all tickets for the Prague Spring musical events are sold out (at least the ones I'm interested in). Does anyone know if it's possible to get standing tickets to venues such as Rudolfinum? I don't mind standing for the concert experience there!

www.ceskafilharmonie.cz/en/content_9.php

go for the legitimate taxis
AAA i think or AA ..cant remember but do ask
we were really ripped off when the hotel we were staying at called a cab
not registered
and expensive
someones uncle
charged us a fortune

from then on we asked for the AAA taxis which were fine...

as for the sights]
id get to cesky krumlov for the day...beautiful daytrip
we caught the train from the main station one sunday
it is cheaper to buy the ticket on the morning...we went on the saturday night to check it out and the cashier told us to come back in the morning cos of the price
dirt cheap
..unbelievable

we got the train round 630 am...got to cesky krumlov round ten and left at three
or we couldve left by the 5pm train
was a really worthwhile trip

as for food
try the stoletiye restaurant
if i have the name wrong ..it has something to do with hundred years so ask a local
a lot of hotels will send you to places theyre linked to...so try to ask a local
this restaurant is in the artists district
good food and great ambience

Hi Sarswrld,
I highly recommend visiting the Vysehrad area of Prague. We have been there twice & love it, especially if you are going during the summer when Prague is crowded, because Vysehrad is quieter. It is the spot where Prague began & is located on a hill overlooking the Vlatava River. We enjoy the walk up there & the views. When you reach the top, there is a beautiful small church, Sts. Peter & Paul, and an even more beautiful national cemetery where famous Czechs are buried. There are the remains of an old castle/fort, and you get beautiful views of the city. It's one of our favorite places in Prague.

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/czech-republic-prague-cesky-krumlov-telc-and-karlovy-vary.cfm?50
This is the link to my trip report from August 2009.
Hope this helps.

There are legitimate money exchangers at the airport, if you really want one. They have signs and booths, they wouldn't be allowed to operate if they weren't legitimate. Their rates at the PRague airport are actually not as dire as people suggest, they don't charge as much markup as in many cities at the airport. ATMs will be better, of course. Travelex is big there, for example (I think that's the one that used to be Thomas Cooks).

You don't have to worry about being gouged at the airport, just take a group shuttle van or a fixed price airport taxi, they are all right there at the curb. I've done both with no problem. They have the rates posted.

oh, as for the fare -- probalby around 20-25 euro right now from the airport. US$20 is certainly not "too much."

Are Euros used in CK???

Stu Dudley

Stu - not normally. The currency is Czech Kroner (CZK). You might pay a premium for using euros.

Thanks adrienne - I'll have to go to the bank before I leave to get "starting" money for Prague & Budapest. Already have plenty of Euros.

Stu Dudley

Stu - why don't you wait until you arrive and get what you need?

BTW - did you see my response on adapters above?

I'm in the group that suggests having money when you arrive in a country. I've had too many experiences where I would have been SOL if I didn't have cash. I arrived in France once when they were having an ATM strike.

Thanks for the plug answer too!!!

Stu Dudley

there is only one taxi company that can pick up at the airport and they are honest in my experience (i used to live in prague a few years ago - forgive me if info is outdated). i don't remember the cost but maybe equivalent of about €15-20 (not a huge expense).

on the street, always go for AAA (as others have said). it is never a problem to find one if you are willing to go to minimal effort to seek one out. they are very professional and won't gouge you.

Best places to exchange money in Prague? Any legitimate place in the airport to do this? ==> there is a money changer in the baggage area - rates are better than in city but not as good as a bank. ATM is best option to get local krowns

- What should the taxi cost for a ride from the airport to Old Town Prague? ==> between 500 and 600 CZK (=$25-30US)


- How hard would it be to take the train to Old Town Prague from the airport? -> no train - closest thing is bus to end of subway line but to be honest - its easier to take a shuttle bus - I think its 140 CZK

- Suggested things to do in Prague besides the obvious (the Castles, Charles Bridge, Clock tower) ? ==> take the "free walk" tours (google it or let me know if you can't find them) - they have daily walking tours that leave from old town square at 11 and 2 and they get paid based on tips at end of tour - you see all you want in core of city. Otherwise - suggest taking day trip to Plzen or one of the castles

- Best places to eat for the price? --> too broad a question - depends if you like Czech food or not - there are LOTS of good pizza places in Prague 1 and the beer in general is good - the farther you get from old town the cheaper it gets

I know this might be an unusual question but is their any clothing customs accepted in the U.S. that wouldnt be accepted in Prague? For example, the no shorts rule in the Vatican

Yes, you can use the same adapter in Prague and Budapest.

You may find some places that will take Euros, but unless you're going somewhere other than the Czech Republic and Hungary, you won't need them. You will need the Czech Koruna and Hungarian Forint. I usually get a very small amount of foreign currency in advance and then get cash from ATMs. They are everywhere, and provide the best exchange rate. Also, my bank doesn't charge me a fee.

We will be arriving at the central train station and staying at Eurostars Hotel David, 6 Naplavni Prague CZ-120 00 Czech Republic.

Can we walk to the hotel and avoid taking a taxi? We will have only hand luggage.

Depends on what type of walker you are - it's just over a mile between the two but you will need a map so you don't get lost. The directions on the link below are backwards but you can do the reverse route yourself.

http://en.mappy.com/#d[]=6+n%C3%A1plavn%C3%AD,+Prague&d[]=Praha+hlavn%C3%AD+n%C3%A1draz%C3%AD,+Praha&lm=m&ipv=ped&ipu=miles&p=itinerary

I was in Prague in march. I was quoted by an AAA taxi person in the airport terminal that they went by the meter but would probably be around 800cz (around $40 U.S.) to get from the airport to an apartment near the main train station. It may have been more expensive because I arrived at noon.

I said no thanks and took the Cedaz van for 200cz (around $10 U.S.) There is a limit of 2 bags per person. It will take you to the Namesti Republiky Metro stop. I walked to my apartment from there. There used to be a van at the airport that charged you 400cz to drop you off at location that you specified in Prague. I did not see that van. I did call AAA taxi when I was leaving my apartment in Prague to the airport and they charged me 560cz and we dropped off someone at the Holesovice train station on the way to the airport. This was 5 in the morning.

For those that have not been to Prague recently, they are refurbishing the main train station. There are 3 floor levels at the station. They have got most of the bottom 2 floors done. They have made it into a mini shopping center. They have a modern well lit ticket area. It has changed a lot. Burger King has come to Prague and one location is at the main train station. They still had not replaced the flooring which looks terrible.

The transporation pass comes in 24 hour/ 3 day and 5 day.
the pass is 100cz ($5 U.S.) per day. 3 day pass at 300cz and 5 day pass at 500cz.

Fun things that we did in Prague:
We went to an Opera Show held at the National museum. This was held in the evening at a very reasonable price. The most wonderful thing is that the show was held on the steps of the entry hall. We sat on velvet cushions. It was very professionally done with the charaters wearing period costume. English speaking.
We also went to a very traditional marionette show at the Prager Marionetten Theater. The Theater of the characters Spejbl & Hurvinek. It was all in Czech, but very entertaining and gives a fabulous feeling of stepping back in time. It's quite an effort to get there by tram. Further on than the castle, but worth it.
You asked about great places to eat. We enjoyed the waffles and delicious sausages in a bun that are all prepared and cooked in Wencelas.
We also had a delicious meal at Staromestska Restaurace, located right on the square opposite the church tower. Yummy slow roasted pork. And if you do go, try the tuna butter and fresh bread hors derve! YUM. They have a website www.staromestskarestaurace.cz ph +420224213015