It’s been over two months since our visit to Prague and I’m finally getting around to writing my trip report mainly to pay back for all the excellent advice I got from this site when planning my own trip. But, rather than recount a day by day description of our activities, which might get a bit tedious, let me offer a few observations.
Overall Impressions – My last visit to Prague prior to this one was in the early 80s when the curtain was still up. The city then was beautiful but sad. Today, the city is still as beautiful as ever and I was surprised to find still a degree of communist era “triste-ness” mixed in with the commercial vibrancy that exists now. But, this is a phenomenal city. I would not hesitate to recommend Prague as a travel destination not only for its historical interest but also for the abundance of cultural and recreational activity (at still reasonable prices). Christmas would be spectacular here.
Apartment versus Hotel – We rented an apartment for the week we were here. The prime reason was economic -- sharing the cost of the apartment with another couple whom we regularly travel with and also reducing costs by eating in. I’m not sure that we would do it again. The apartment was terrific – spacious, sparkling clean and up to date with all the amenities. But, we had some (minor) hassles with the apartment management when we arrived (they wanted to give us an apartment other than what we contracted for) which was a bit of a turn off even though they rectified the problem in short order. Then the apartment was up (count ‘em) 75 steps sans elevator (admittedly, an oversight on our part). And, finally, the well-appointed kitchen was hardly used because of the abundance of good restaurants with at reasonable prices. So, given the many reasonably priced hotels in Prague, I would be inclined to find one offering a good breakfast (and an elevator).
Get a Guide – One of the smartest moves we made was to hire a guide for a 6 hour walking tour on our first full day in Prague. More important than highlighting the many attractions in the city (important enough), she gave us a thorough orientation of city life – interesting restaurants, watering holes, grocery stores, shopping areas, how to use the public transit, fast food places and, generally, tips on local customs. We acted on her advice throughout the week and found it immensely helpful. Above and beyond the call of duty, she even met us on our last day to arrange a cab for an early morning departure (a real blessing since none of us could speak a word of Czech). Her coordinates are: Stepanka Holesova: e-mail;
[email protected]: web address;
www.prague-my-love.com. Excellent value.
Old Town vs Castle Area – We stayed in Old Town mainly because we all like an interesting and vibrant street life. And, Old Town has it in spades. Everywhere you go there are good restaurants, great watering holes, tons of shops and always something interesting happening in the area. But if the jostling and often carousing crowd is not to your liking, the Castle area is more sedate. There are lots of hotels and vacation apartments in this area. In and around Kampa island area is particularly attractive. But, no matter where you choose to lay your head, Prague is a surprisingly compact city with virtually all attractions within walking distance (even Prague Castle although you may want to take tram 22 or 23 up the very steep incline)
Things You Must Do – There are volumes on this subject and everyone has their own agenda so I won’t dwell on it except to highlight three things. First, go to the opera. Prices are VERY reasonable and the quality of the production is superb. Even if you are not an opera fan, experiencing the grandeur of the setting is worthwhile. We got our tickets on-line through Bohemia Ticket International (
www.bohemiaticket.cz). These guys let you choose your own seat unlike other vendors. They also sell tickets for other classical and opera venues. Second, take advantage of the performances put on in the many cathedrals in Prague. Seats sell for something in the order of $20 but, given the high quality of the performance, these prices are a steal. We took in two performances. I left my camera at one of the performances and when I went back (early) the next day, it was still there. Left it in the right spot I guess. Third, go see one of the many “black light” theatres – quirky, funny and well orchestrated. I might also mention, for anyone that’s a horse-racing fan, that an excursion offered by Martin Tours to the local race track is an interesting experience. Just make sure that the operator is set up to take you back to town. We got stranded at the track along with a lot of other people and it was only by following the herd to a hidden (and very decrepit) train stop and jumping on to a commuter train (illicitly I think) that serendipitously happened to stop that we managed to get back to town.
Shopping – The guide books mention three items to shop for in Prague; crystal, garnets and marionettes. And there are multi shops selling each. I couldn’t get interested in the first two but the marionettes were marvelous and we bought one for our niece. Of all the shops, we found “Obchod Bejvavalo” at Jilska 22 to have the best selection
www.marionettes.cz).
Food and Drink – You can’t go wrong in any of the many cafes and restaurants in the city. The food, of course, is on the heavy side – pork, duck, lots of dumplings and sauerkraut etc – but delicious. Park your cholesterol meter at the border. And, of course, Prague is a beer-drinkers mecca – in fact, it’s the main attraction for lots of weekend visitors from surrounding countries. For good reason because Czech beer is arguably the best in the world. I frankly don’t remember the names of the famous local taverns (I can’t imagine why) but Stepanka will point them out to you if you hire her as a guide. If you are looking for something up-scale, try U Modre Kachnicky at 6 Nebovidrka (e-mail
[email protected]). We had a wonderful supper there. We had a table between an Aussie couple and an American couple. We’re Canadian so there was much bonhomie amongst the “colonies” to the consternation, I think, of the staff. Good fun, though.
Train Service – Just a few words, finally, about trains out of Prague because there seems to be a lot of visitors to this web site. We were going on to Vienna from Prague and bought our tickets in Prague as opposed to pre-purchase over the internet. It was a piece of cake. We purchased our tickets at the main train station (Hlavni Nadrazi) although our train left from Nadrazi Holesovice. You buy a ticket which is good for an extended period of time and, for an extra $10 you buy a reserved seat good for a specific passage. You can take a chance and not reserve a seat (and the train we took had empty seats) but for the small extra price why gamble.
Hope some one finds this useful.
