tomseeley

I'll be in Prague in April for two nights, maybe three. I'm considerably older (late 60s) than many of the folks whose reviews I read on hostels.com, hostelworld.com, and elsewhere. Those reviews are always helpful, even if they don't all come from travelers with exactly my "old fart" mindset, and I mean NO offense whatsoever when I say that!

I will continue to do my homework online, looking for hostels convenient to the Rudolfinum, where I have a ticket for the Czech Phil doing my two favorite Dvorak symphonies all in one concert! But I'd also love to hear from others, especially closer to my age, who have found good hostels in Prague. I'm not particularly interested in "party hostels", but I am aware that that is often part of the attraction of this kind of lodging, and I'm not opposed to it.

Thx in advance (and don't be offended if it takes me days to respond; I'm headed out of town and will only have sporadic email for the next three weeks at least)

adrienne

Are you looking for a hostel because you're on a budget? I can recommend a pension that is in Prague 6 that will cost about 50USD/night for a single. More than a hostel but you have private ensuite accommodations including breakfast. The tram stops right outside the pension.

tomseeley

$50 US is about my limit. The private ensuite appeals to me, and so does breakfast included. I'd like to know more, please, incl how easy it is to get to it late at night after a concert at the Rudolfinum. thx. pvt msg at tomseeley at hot mail dot com in the usual format will reach me sooner.

adrienne

Right now the price is $52/night. I don't know how late the trams run and I don't know where the concert hall is located. It's tram #1 or #18 from Prague 1 either from Charles Bridge or from the metro station. If you email the pension they can give you more info.

http://www.penzionchaloupka.cz/

unclegus

I am of a similar vintage to you and also a regular trabeller to Prague. There are lots of good cheaper accomodation around that does not need to be a hostel.
Laterooms,booking.com, lastminute.com come up with some good deals.
yesterday I just booked 3 nights in late May at the hotel Dap in Dejvicka with breakfast for £75 ( about $90 ?) Ok it is not city center but a 2 minute walk from a Metro stop and less than that to the trams that will get you to and from the Rudofinium in less than 10 minutes.
Take a while to search through vaious hotel site and you should get a good deal.
the transport system in Prague is superb from 4.am to around midnight and even later at night you have night trams every 30 mintes on most routes.

unclegus

BTW you can go and visit Dvorak's grave in the Vysehrad cemetry a lovely area of the city.

tomseeley

Uncle Gus,

Thx! I knew about booking.com but not the others you cited.

In your experience, how risky is it to wait till 24-48 hours before arriving in Prague to find an internet cafe and start looking for an inexpensive room in mid-April (weekend after Easter)? Am I likely to wind up paying lots for a big name hotel at the last minute?

And visiting Dvorak's grave is actually something I might do! He's in my list of my top five favorite composers, and I enjoy seeing historical connections like that! I will never forget walking around a famous cemetery in St. Petersburg years ago, and ALL the big names in Russian music are there!

unclegus

Hard to say about booking,I never have done late bookings but if you book earlier you have a better chance of getting somewhere that you like.
The Vysehrad area is great and the cemetary really interesting might take you a while to find his grave,nice park there and there is a viewing area so you can see over the city and the river.
BTW I was in that cemetary in St peterburgh in 2003 and they are all in the same area.I went out after that trip and bought Mussorgsky's pictures at an exhibition.

Christina

I have never stayed in a hostel but I've stayed in Prague a couple times in an area right near a popular hostel (the Travellers on Dlouha) and I can warn you NOT to stay there at your age. It is party central and right next to a major club and only young people stay there (that I've seen).

I don't think there is any hostel right near the Rudolfinum, but something near Staromestska metro stop would be closest, or the Jewish Qtr. I wouldn't worry about that so much if you are in the main part of the city as public transportation is excellent. I've been to that concert hall but didn't stay right near it. In any case, I think this hostel is the closest to it http://www.czechhostelfranzkafka.com/

I don't know anything about it, though.