basingstoke1

brookwood - I am usually wary of travel companies but Travelcook is an exception.They are a Prague based travel service company. I used them and was impressed. They were honest and reliable. In particular, Tomas was very helpful and his advice was spot on. He also promptly answers emails. You can contact them at travelcook.com
They can give you good hotel advice based on your needs and budget and make all arrangements.

Opus81a

My husband and I have travelled for 20 yrs solo and together. Our only incidents of theft occurred some 5 years ago in Prague--attempted overcharging by cab driver at train station upon arrival from Vienna, and theft of camera while we were standing in 1st class train cabin putting our luggage above our seats. I screamed and tried to chase the thief but not soon enough. We were caught off guard. The same thief actually picked up my luggage and I raised my voice: "That's mine!" and looked at him directly in the eyes. He looked at me, hesitated and put my luggage down, thankfully.
The good news: we had no problem with our hotel or restaurant charges, and we had no problem walking on the streets any time of the day.
Perhaps we always have to be cautious at any train or bus station. I recall travelling with my husband and one sister some 15 years ago from Rome to Naples (to Pompeii). We were approached by "valets" and had to be vigilant about saying "No service" and hung on tight to our luggage.
So, enjoy Prague. Be alert at the train station. I would return to Prague if I still lived on the East Coast.

amp322

Been there 10 times. Never been mugged, etc. If someone seems creepy, I just walk away. I know 3 people who have been pickpocketed there. All of them either had their purse wide open, or were keeping their valuables in a backpack & wearing it on the metro (someone just unzipped the compartment & took the money out, and they had no idea, since the stuff was being carried on their back!!). All I can say is that if you don't take precautions, you might be a target. Otherwise, it's way safer than many other popular tourist destinations.

ira

Hi B,

We were very pleased with our stay at www.dientzenhofer.cz/

RufusTFirefly

We just returned from a trip to Prague and Berlin.

We enjoyed our stay at the Bellagio Hotel in Prague. Good location in the old Jewish Quarter, Josefov. It's a fairly new hotel. Our rooms were good size and the bathrooms were roomy with good water pressure.

sherhatfield

DH & I were in Prague for the first time in September and stayed at the K+K Hotel Central. It is a modern hotel and a bit more expensive than the little B&Bs we usually stay in while travelling, but we really enjoyed it. The location was great and right around the corner from a metro stop, although we walked most everywhere we went.

We have friends that are living and working in Prague right now and they warned us just to be mindful of the people around us, especially at night in the Wenceslas square area. We never felt uneasy, but at the same time we kept a hand on our wallets when walking through crowded areas, just as we would in any big city.

kleroux

We've made a reservation at the Hotel Residence Mala Strana in Prague. It seemed nice from what I could learn, and its an apartment type room. It includes breakfast, but you have a little kitchen to prepare your own snacks. If anyone has any more info on this hotel, I'd appreciate it.

Graziaoktober

hello, am going to prague with my two sisters in may, have booked an apartment in "czech inn", am wondering if anyone stayed there before... would love to hear from you regarding its location and safety in its surroundings. thanks!

RufusTFirefly

Graziaoktober: If it's the Czech Inn hostel( http://www.czech-inn.com/ ),it's not very close to the major sights.

amp322

"Czech Inn" hostel that Rufus TFirefly mentions is in Vinohrady, a popular & desirable residential area in Prague 2. Good area, but not close to the sights, as mentioned. The trams will take you right downtown, though, and there is a subway at Namesti Miru. I've stayed in Vinohrady many times, and there is plenty to do in that area (restuarants, shopping, interesting architecture, etc), but if you want to hit the major sights, it will take at least 15 minutes by public transit, and that is without waiting for the tram to show up.

Graziaoktober

Thanks RufusTFirefly and amp322 for your prompt replies. 15 minutes by tram to the major sites should be fine, and if it's in a "desirable residential area" as amp322 mentioned. i'm instead concerned about the safety in the metro, trams and buses. btw, is it easy to get to the airport and main train station from czech inn? what about the castle? i booked this hostel as i read in various reviews (Trip Advisor for example) that it has been voted the best 12 (or 20?) hostels in the world by washington post...
thx in advance!

blondiepopo

I was in Prague last November and had the best time. Loved the city. The only trouble we had with pickpockets was when my teenage son was standing by a club at night by himself and a woman came up and threw her arms around him. A couple minutes later he realized his wallet was gone. Luckily it only had $10 in it. But that can happen in any city and I would never not go to Prague because of that. I never felt unsafe when I was there. There were a couple of people sitting on the sidewalk begging but they never said anything to anyone. I saw the same thing in San Francisco. When I was in Amsterdam I was walking along the canal to the hotel about 8PM by myself from a restaurant, and two men on a scooter zoomed by and one of them tried to grab my purse. They weren't able to get it off my shoulder. I've been to Europe 4 times to major cities and I always feel safer there than in large US cities or Mexico, Jamaica etc.

RufusTFirefly

While just about anything can happen in any city, some things are more likely to happen in some cities than in others.

Unfortunately Prague is noted for a high rate of petty theft (e.g., pickpocketing) and taxi cab ripoffs (though they are working hard to improve the cab situation).

Fortunately violent encounters are much less common--other than the occasional, loutish drunken tourist.

amp322

Safety on public transportation is not an issue, as long as you do not carry your valuables in a backpack. I repeat - DO NOT get on public transportation wearing a backpack (in your back!) and expect anything to be left in it when you look in it next time.

If you take a night tram (after midnight), be careful, because vagrants sometimes sleep on them. If it is very late at night, and you have missed the last bus/metro, etc, just take a taxi. AAA is best. Unless... if it's between say midnight & 1 AM, lots of teens & night owls will be on the trams. It should be safe then.

If your hostel is on the tram #22 route, you just take that tram all the way to the castle. If your tram is not #22, then hook up to it at Namesti Miru.

From airport, take the express bus to the Dejvicka metro - green line. Take the green line to Namesti Miru. Follow directions to your hostel. You can get trams from Namesti Miru, also. Looks like you might be able to save a few steps that way. Not sure.

mrrun2fast

Never feared for my safety in Prague - walked around on streets (outside of tourist areas) until well late into the night.

I used the tram lines alot and nothing happened. I had a bike messenger bag - so I had it in front of me when I rode one.

Wear a money belt - get a silk one from ricksteves.com. My friend bought one made out of cheap material and it was very uncomfortable for him.

elnap29

I agree with the other posters. We were in Prague last summer and felt very comfortable, but we were very cautious, used money belts, etc. Our stay was at Best Western Kinsky Garden, lovely comfortable hotel with nice breakfast. It is in a quiet area, walking distance from everything but not in the heart of things. I'd recommend prearranging trusted transportation from the airport; the hotel may be able to help. And follow advice about taxis. We were with another couple, so walking around late at night did not feel problematic. It was a delightful trip!

kangamom

Although we walked through Prague at all hours of the night and never felt that we were in any danger (2 women in their 30s), I was almost ripped off in mid-day. I was taking out my wallet to put change in the metro machine in the and a ring of thieves (nicely dressed in polo shirts and khaki pants) were kind of crowding me. My friend who was standing a bit back yelled and pulled me back a bit. It was then obvious that this benign looking young woman, grandfatherly looking man, and middle aged man had deliberately been acting like they were also confused about using the machines and crowding close to me in order to grab my wallet out of my hands. That said, I think this could happen in any place, especially a large european city.

My husband was pickpocketed in London this year by someone pretending to celebrating the World Cup, so it could happen anywhere.

Myer

Reading above where somebody mentioned not wearing a backpack.

I used a backpack but all I keep in it is an umbrella, maybe sweater depending on weather and maybe extra sneakers for my wife. Nothing of value.

Well, we got on a tram and within 5 minutes two men were yelling at each other as one accused the other of attempting to get into my backpack.

I figured it was either a legitimate scrap or they were a team trying to distract. In any event, I was amused as one kept looking at me and pointing at the other fellow and kept yelling at him.

cheribob

The only problem DH & I had in Prague was being ripped off by the money exchange outside the Municipal Building. (DH is a luddite who scoffs at ATM's, credit cards and debit cards)

Another scam we ran into was a young girl (about 20) approaching us in Old Town Square saying that she had been robbed. I am sure the next thing would have been a request for money, but I dragged DH out of there as fast as I could.

LadyBluffton

Watch yourself on the # 18 & # 22 trams. I have seen "teams" of pickpockets enter one end of the tram, and push unsuspecting tourists into a corner and perform shakedowns. Very frightening.

I have also seen gangs of thugs jump intoxicated tourists on night trams; a fight broke out in front of me and my husband around midnight on the # 18 night tram. We had recognized the thugs from earlier that summer, and knew they were bad news. The German kid who they attacked was pinned against the back of the tram, and they knocked several of his teeth out. However, he managed to hang onto his belongings. I think he thought twice about being a little too tipsy on public transport in the future.

I also saw a gang try to mug an elderly German or Austrian man at the eastern approach to Charles Bridge. This in broad daylight. However, he beat the h*** out of them with his rather large umbrella, and they ran away.

Again, listen to the other posters. Stay vigilant and be street smart. The pickpockets are looking for the easiest targest ever. Just don't be one.