Will have 4 days in Prague in early November. Any suggestions on where to stay reasonably and what to not miss?

Gammy
I just returned from 4 days in Prague. Take a lot of film or a high capacity digital memory as there is so much to photograph. We stayed at the Hotel Leonardo which was a charming boutique hotel away from the crowds but was close to the center and trams (closest major site is the National Theater). In November you may want to take shelter in the many churches and museums which we skipped since the late summer weather kept us outside admiring the views.
Enjoy.

Mala Strana in November is awesome. The winding streets & Petrin hill are beautiful in the fall. Check out www.travel.cz or www.athos.cz or similar websites for fall fares on lodging. Great time to go, since it will be cheaper. You can get a nicer hotel for less money.

Have you booked your filghts yet, could you not move the dates to the end of November. They have Xmas markets I went to Prague one year in Novemeber the dates we went were due to the hubby's birthday and it was a weekend break for his birthday. It was around about the 14th - 17th. The last day we were there they were setting up the markets and the old town square was looking very fairytale like. http://www.myczechrepublic.com/pragu...s-markets.html

We just returned from 5 days in Prague and stayed in a rented apartment:

http://www.pmg.cz/deco.php

(It's actually a bit better looking the the pics on the site above - the owners updated some of the furnishings and it's not an inattractive place.)

The apartment is part of Pension Platan offerings, is a spacios 1 bedroom with a large living room, good size bath (tub and a separate shower), comfortable beds and couches (important after we spent some time on 'hard as rock' beds in a previous hotel). It's located on a border of Old and New Town, on Revolucni St, and it took us about 7-10 minutes to walk up to the Old Town Square. (Normally there are several trams that stop right in front of the apartment, making for easy connections to anywhere in the central Prague, but during our stay the trams were not running, as part of the street was undergoing renovations. The construction site by Namesti Republicki was not close enough to let us hear or be disturbed by it in any way, but it did remove the option of hopping on the tram right in front of the building.)

There are a couple of restaurants, a small grocery store and a couple of bank machines right in front of the building. The cost was about $100/night. We would book the place again as we found the apartment a good match for our needs - good location, relatively quiet area at night, clean and decently priced.

Be sure to visit the Municipal House. It is an amazing example of art deco architecture and decoration. You have take the guided tour to see all the rooms. The first tour begins, I think, at 10:00 a.m. when the building opens. It's a great way to begin a day in Prague. Google it or go on tripadvisor for more info. Hope you have a wonderful trip!

We stayed at the Bishop House (Biskupsky Dum).This is in the Lesser Town, just a few steps from Charles Bridge. It was a great location...great room at the top with amazing views. it had a good breakfast as well. We were there in January so it was cold, but great for walking and hot mulled wine. The Kampa museum was really great...also go to the castle in the evening once. it's empty but well lit and you get fabulous views of the city. Catch a concert in an old church. The jazz band that plays on the Charles Bridge is great. It's a great city...have fun!

Things not to miss in Prague:

There are several wonderful open air markets in Prague. One is nothing but local artisans displaying and selling their art. This includes ironwork, painting, dolls, glass, I can't even remember it all.

There are wonderful concerts all over Prague every night. They are advertised by handbill. Look for them in the lobby of your hotel. I heard Dvorak's "New World Symphony" in the Municipal House. What a once in a life time experience!

Prague is famous for pantomime theater. Be sure and see a show. But only sit in the front row if you want to participate!

Don't miss the Piwo! Have a liter of the ORIGINAL Budweiser. There is a great restaurant in the basement of the Municipal Building where you can enjoy the beautiful interior and the strolling accordian player while enjoying your Bud!

Don't miss the Mucha Museum. I just love his work. I bought four of his lithographs I love his work so much.

I have been razzed about this before on this board but IMHO one of the do not miss sites in Prague is The Holy Infant Jesus of Prague. He can be found in the Church of Our Lady of the Victory. You don't have to be Catholic to appreciate a symbol that is so important to so many millions of people.

Finally BUY Garnets.

A couple words of warning:

First, watch out for pickpockets. I was there in March and there did not seem to be that much of problem with pickpockets at that time of year. November will probably be the same. But still BE AWARE.

Second, DH and I were approached by a young woman near Old Town Square late in the evening. She asked if we spoke English. When we said we did she claimed to have been robbed and asked for money. There are people who pull that same scam here in Chicage. Either ignore her or offer to take her to the police.

Third, stay away from the cash exchanges. Try to use your ATM to get cash or go to a bank. DH and some friends were ripped of by a cash exchange just outside the Municipal Building.

You are going to LOVE Prague!

ttt

You get Pickpockets all year around, I have been several times and at diffrent times of the year. It was when I first went in November that someone tried to pick pocket the Hubby. We were getting on a tram and suddnely he was surrounded by several well dressed men. He had his wits about him and realised what was going on. He slapped his hand very hard on his pocket and told the guy to sod off. They all ran off the tram quickly. It did not put us off going back. Prague is a big tourist place all year round, it does not get that quite in the winter but just more people in the summer. I have also been there in the peak summer time with loads of people. I did not feel anymore worried that when I have been at other times of the year, but then I try my best to keep my wits but without letting it spoil the trip. That said pick pockets can be found in most major cities where you get a lot of tourists. S I don't take my eye off the ball as I am not in Prague. I act the same as when I am in London, Barcelona, Paris etc or even my home city when out shopping in the town center and there are large crowds.
Don't let it put you off and just take care of things like making sure your bag is safe and watching your pockets etc. I am told that one of the worst places in Prague for this is when everyone is watching the Clock. Crowds gather around and perhaps take their hands off their bags and pockets. Several of these gangs then stand within the crowds trying to pick your pockets as people are looking up at the clock when it strikes and the figures come out.

We just got back from 4 days in Prague. Stayed at Hotel Kampa Garden on Kampa Island (Mala Strana around the corner from Charles Bridge) - great prices, location can't be beat. We reserved on line and had no problems. http://www.prague-hotels-guide.com/kampa_garden.htm

Loved the castle area and the Tyn church area for hanging out and taking in the local rhythm.

Do check out ATM charges! Your bank may have a no-fee deal with other banks (Bank of America has this with Deutsche Bank, for instance). Otherwise you get charged 1% of your withdrawal amount and as much as $15 for a non-home bank charge.

Lucky33 mentioned architectural walking tour. Is this a self guided tour, or with a guide? I'm actually looking for a self guided tour/map of 20th century architecture. It made my day to discover that the Cubism museum sells a map of Cubist architecture and I can't wait to get my hands on it, but I'm also interested in Art Deco and Art Nouveau. So far I haven't had any luck on the web finding a list of buildings with clear addresses. Any help appreciated - thanks!

Also check LivingPrague.com for a local's recommendations.
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Prague really is wonderful for architecture, as it has some specimens of all. I think it is especially good at Art Nouveau, but it has more Deco and Cubist than many cities. The Municipal House (which is an Art Nouveau masterpiece, not Deco) has a special tour that they run themselves, which is very good. YOu can't just wander through most of the rooms yourself, though, so I do recommend that tour. Their website has info on it, but it is frequent
http://www.obecnidum.cz/e_index.htm

I had some good notes on places to see various Art Nouveau buildings, and the Cafe Slavia is Art Deco and worth a stop just for history, anyway. I like it (it's across from the National Theatre).

I suppose there are some companies with architectural walking tours, as there are a lot of good tour companies in Prague. Here is just one with an Art Nouveau walk
http://www.guide-prague.cz/

This one mentions a general architecture walk
http://www.praguewalkingtours.cz/

Thanks for all the responses. Keep 'em coming. Need to decide in the next couple of days on the accommodations. Are the open-air treasure troves easy to find? And is there a great place to find the garnets?

Gammy,

We highly recommend the Hotel Josef. http://www.hoteljosef.com We stayed in room 702, which was very nice. The hotel public places and the rooms have very modern décor. Our room had a small terrace with a table and chairs that we could sit on and a great view. They provide all sorts of Aveda products for Toiletries. They have scrambled eggs, sausage, fresh fruits, cereals, cold meats, cheese, yogurt, juice, bread, and pastries at the breakfast buffet. You can also order any type of egg dish you would like from your server or crepes.

Good luck!