Prior to our trip to Prague, I visited the National Czech Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A wonderful volunteer suggested packing bubble wrap for crystal purchases and paper bags to take bread from a cafe, for example. Makes me think that maybe there are other items that you might suggest I take with us...besides duct tape! Hope it's not a silly question. I've gotten so much advice from this board over the years...and started a fun collection of (somewhat cheap) and cheesy landmark statues from different travels because of it. It's a conversation piece! Thanks, Jody

hi
Bubble wrap is great, but surely any shop you buy something in would be willing to wrap it carefully for transport home. You can always take some empty zip lock baggies, blow into them to fill them with air, and use them as cushions.

Actually, if you go shopping at grocery stores there, you will find that people bring their own bags or satchels, etc. Especially in local stores, they will charge you (only a few cents, but you usually hold up the line if you ask for them). Big chains, like Tesco, will give you free bags. Usually, I throw a couple of plastic ones in my suitcase. If I don't use them for shopping, I can always use them for laundry, or wrapping things.

I have actually stopped bringing a lot of things with me to Prague, and just go to stores, like Tesco or Kotva, to buy shampoo & other things when I arrive.

Have fun!

Thanks (I should say dekuji!) for both good tips. Can't wait until tomorrow. I'll post a report when we return...would love to help someone else have a great trip!

If you buy crystal, make sure that you have the SALESPERSON take EACH piece out before final wrap.

In Prague, I once bought a set of six cordial glasses and made the mistake of flipping open the box lid when a "new" set was brought out to complete my purchase. One glass stem was broken. When I pointed out the strange shape in its wrapping paper, the salesperson pretended that everything was OK and didn't want to take the wrap off. When I told her that I would not buy the set, she reluctantly unwrapped the broken piece from its paper. Then she accused me of having broken the piece because I had flipped open the box lid!!

Make sure each piece is perfect and that you are watching the salesperson wrap everything.

I hate situations like the above one. Just protect yourself a bit, because once you leave the country, you're not likely to return for several years.

I agree with the plastic bags, I always take quite a few for laundry or just to keep together all the bits and pieces I like to take home - all those tourist leaflets you pick up in the hotel lobby,postcards, the hotel menu etc.
Don't forget the plasters in case you overdo the walking
Don't know what area you're staying in, but there is a small general store not far behind the Tyn church which just about sells anything you may run out of - very cheap drinks too!

Prague is beautiful, have a fantastic trip!

I don't know about the paper bags thing as I didn't buy a whole loaf of bread there. I did buy smaller items from a bakery, including roles and deli items, but they provided bags just like you'd expect. I bought several things in dept. stores and never had to provide my own bags, that never would have occurred to me. Any shop I bought things at, dept. or bakery or small gift shop, provided bags.

I wouldn't pack bubble wrap myself -- any shop I bought crystal in provided quite adequate bubble wrap and packing for you, at no cost. I only bought from good shops, however, but I wasn't buying expensive stuff (Crystalex is a good one). The salesclerks were quite professional there and showed you each piece before wrapping it.

Just to clarify, I said to bring bags for the GROCERY stores, not for tourist shops. Of course, tourist shops would not expect a tourist to bring their own bags! Tesco, Kotva, etc. ALL give you lots of bags, but your mom & pop corner grocery stores, and even the grocery store at the Museum metro stop (I forget the name) make you ask for bags. Since I stay in apartments, and need to buy groceries, I have run into this situation many times, and have held up lines by asking for bags. Especially when the check out person does not speak English, and is looking at me like "what is your problem?!" So, I am just throwing out this info for the many people who like to buy snacks, water, etc, and would be caught off guard when someone asks them in Czech for a few crowns to buy a plastic bag!

Just got back from Prague last night. The bag thing, indeed, was kind of a thing. And it was the grocery store where it happened. My husband wasn't clued into this question that I had, and got odd and annoyed looks at a store where he bought 3 bottles of beer and some pop for the kids...then didn't want to balance it all the way back to the hotel. They begrudgingly found him one, but about had a cow when he asked for them to double bag it! Poor guy, he didn't know! By the way, awesome trip!

So Jodester, where's your trip report?? I leave in less than two weeks! Thanks!

See, told you so..! Glad your trip was good.