Denise

I'm planning to visit Prague for a few days in December - what should I must see, and where should I stay? (budget is tight)

Bruce

I went to Prague a couple of years ago so my opinions might be outdated. Hotels rooms were very expensive - probably because they have not built enough to handle the demand. You might be OK in December - I went in August. Everything else was dirt cheap - food, alcohol, everything! The food is not great so don't have big expectations. But the beer is terrific! You will absolutely love the city, it is beautiful - I especially liked just hanging out at either Old Town Square or the Charles Bridge, but it's a fun city just to wander around and get lost. Enough people speak English so even if you don't know a word of Czech, you can get by. The people are very nice and they love anything from the West since they were deprived for so long. You'll have a great time!

joelle

This town is great but now receives so many visitors that it sometimes looks like a new Disneyland! Just take a stroll on the Charles bridge in the early morning (no tourists) or in the late afternoon when the light turns gold on the river and the neighbouring buildings. This is superb. The area near the Prague castle and the mala Strana area are also wonderful. People are nice but I had the feeling life was getting pretty hard for the regular inhabitants, as prices went up (a lot). Some people are now making money with the opening to the West, but not everybody does so! Joelle.

Denise

Thank you for the information!

Dick

http://pis.eunet.cz/praha/praha.html Hope this website will help u.

Linzee

Find a smaller pension. We stayed at Pension Praha, about a 20 minute metro ride on the "C" line; nice rooms and GREAT breakfasts, very reasonable rates! Also, find FX Cafe in New Town near Wenceslas Square: delicious food (vegetarian!), and two can eat and have a beer for about $8. If you're travelling by rail, be prepared for the crowds that gather on the rail platforms, especially at night. They're an unsavory lot, and beware the pickpockets.
Be sure to visit the Castle District, Old Town, and the Jewish Quarter. Have fun!

Helena Stolka

I've been living here four about four years. As a single woman, I feel very safe here, and have had only great fun since the beginning. Don't get me wrong, life is not without its challenges in the emerging economies of Eastern Europe, but it's been an incredible experience. As you read before, beware of pickpockets, and don't hail taxis on the street. Chances are, you wouldn't have any problems, but why risk it? Call one of the two big dispatch services (they both speak English) and within 10 minutes you'll have a car right in front of you, with your name, looking for you. And the price will be fair. AAA taxi service is phone 1080, and Profi Taxi is 1065 (I think - I use AAA). For a trip outside Prague, go see Cesky Krumlov, about three hours by car. Spend the night, it's a neat little city - a walled-in medieval city. Terezin concentration camp is a good afternoon trip too. For really really cheap veggie - indian (kind of) food, find Govinda, a few blocks off Namesti Republiky. It's a hari krishna place (I know I must have spelled that wrong) and lunch is a yummy bargain.

Go to the tower of the St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle. Unbeatable view of the whole city. Late afternoon is the best lighting (On a clear fall day, it's spectacular).

Then, go to Vysehrad and see the city from the other side.

Take time to walk around and explore. You'll meet lots of nice people who speak English (including young Americans) who can tell you where to go. There's a good bookstore/cafe called the Globe, where you'll find many people. Radost/Fx too.

Have fun, and don't worry about bringing lots of cash. There are now ample ATM machines (PLus and Cirrus) all over town.

Leave your diet at home - the walking you'll WANT to do will make up for the food you'll WANT to taste. And the InterContinental Hotel has a good gym.

Happy trails.

Elle

Hi! I'm just back from Prague about a week ago! My advise is to be fussy enough where you stay. We were also on a budget but don't restrict yourself as outside of accomodation everything else is really cheap over there. We booked into a dump by accident and it could have ruined our holiday if we hadn't left it after the first night. I don't want to name drop! We ended up staying in a nice little hotel, 15 min walk from the city centre and just across the road from a metro station. If you want the name let me know (I'm afraid I don't have it on hand at the moment!) It's a beautiful city and you'll love it there! Have a great time - I envy you, I want to go back!!

Steve Porter

saw your message regarding accommodations in Prague. Will be visiting there in two weeks. Would appreciate the name of the hotel you stayed in and the price. Looking for something reasonable in the center city. thanks so much

Zwi Schnabel, Israel

I am born in Czechoslovakia, visited there 4 times in the last years. Hotels in Prague are expensive, but you can get private flats, ca. 40 dollars a night, also less. I know adresses.Be very careful in the METRO, I was robbed twice by getting in the train.3-4 Men make a quarrel in the door, take your belongings and jump out, you remain in the train, your money remains with the thieves.
If you do not understand the language see in the evenings the DON GIOVANNI Marionette Theater and the BLACK THEATER performance AHASVER (Other black Theatres are not so good), or see the LATERNA MAGICA.
I know a very reliable driver with a good car.
Sorry about my English!

Jay

Last May, I stayed at the Hotel Central, right in the old town area just two blocks from the Namesti Republiky Metro station. Several guide books have recommended this place only as a last resort for budget travelers, but I found the contrary to be true. It was not fancy, but the staff at the desk spoke English, and the rooms were small but quite comfortable with adequate furnishings, towels, toiletries, hot & cold water, etc. And the central location was great. Other than that, I'd read the comments by the other respondents regarding taxis and pickpockets, with two additions: if you pay by credit card, add a horizontal line to the left of the left-most digit on the $ total of your bill - that way no unscrupulous waitpersons can add a digit to the left of the total, which could change your bill from "$40.37" to "$140.37". Also, if you ride the Metro (very cheap and very quick), be sure and stamp your subway ticket in the little stamping machine BEFORE you walk down to the platform! I had no problems riding the Metro, but I was warned that the Metro "police" love to target western tourists who may have forgotten to stamp their subway tickets, for which there's a fine. Other than that, enjoy! I found Prague very crowded with other tourists, but the Czechs are very warm people, and the city is truly beautiful.

Adina

A strong recommendation - take binoculars. The architectural details on the buildings are the most incredible we have seen anywhere! We spent considerable time simply walking the streets, looking at the buildings. Also, be sure to take in a classical music performance. There are many to choose from - we selected at random among the flyers we were handed. But we will ALWAYS remember the delight of that performance. Enjoy!

r bakhaus

Many thanks to Helena in Prague for all the information you have shared; I am now looking forward to the trip much more than I was...frankly, I feel a bit more safe with the taxi numbers and a bit of insiders guidance. You are a goodwill ambassador for your country which has suffered from tales of pickpockets and dishonesty. Keep up the good work!

Denise

Thank you so much for all of your responses! You ahve all been a great help. If anyone has any additional words of wisdom please post them - I don't leave until 12/17!

Dan

My information is also three years old - we visited in the summer of 1994 - but I agree that it is worthwhile to spend extra on a nice hotel room because food and other expenses in and around Prague are a bargain compared to other European capitals. We stayed at a small hotel called "UPava" just a short walk from the Charles Bridge - I found a picture of it recently while surfing on the Net - just start with "Prague accomodations" and eventually you'll find it. It was great and very convenient to St. Nicholas, the castle, etc. Food is "heavy" and proportions are generous but again it's cheap. If you like jazz and blues there are some good clubs in the area that are friendly - we went to one called "Reduta" which was across the Charles Bridge. Though we were somewhat concerned about pickpockets, we took the normal precautions and felt perfectly safe - walked around a lot even at night with no problems. Agree that the Charles Bridge in early morning is worth losing an hour or two of sleep for - take a camera. I'd love to visit again but in the "off" season. We were impressed with the presence of so many expatriate Americans and also with the prevalence of the English language, although I did get a few Czech dictionaries beforehand to learn basic words and directions (we were driving from Germany). All in all, a very memorable place.