Our daughter will be attending Charles University in Prague this spring. My husband, 15 yr. old son and myself will be visiting her in March. Any hotel advice? something clean, friendly, and close to the university?

If you want to be close to her, it depends if you mean where she will be living, or the university. They may not be at all near each other, and the university is not just one building -- there are buildings all over the greater Prague area, as with many urban universities. A lot of student residences aren't anywhere near the faculty buildings -- I think a lot of the student residences are in the SW area, but the various buildings are all over. However, if it is some special program for one quarter or something, she may not even be staying in the regular dormitories, but some other type of residence the program arranges.

So, do you know more about where she will be studying and living?

If not, I'd suggest just something very central to cover all bases. That would be either in Mala Strana not too far from the bridge, or in the Old Town area near the square or perhaps around Betlem Square or near the bridge. Also, near a metro stop.

My son attended the Charles University last spring through an exchange. Most American kids that do an exchange are housed in dorms right at the university so you would want to have a hotel near the Castle.

(I have been having problems with Fodors tonight so bear with me?)Our family stayed at the Penzion Dietzenhofer in Prague which is in quite a few tour books,has an online website and has been reviewed by many on Fodors and on Tripadvisor.com.(Because of my parents poor health at the last minute I could not go but my husband and daughter went over to visit my son.)They loved the hotel and thought that it was in a great location,reasonable,great breakfasts and wonderful help in planning sidetrips,etc.(They even picked them up at the airport for an extra fee which was wonderful after a long flight and the shifty cabdrivers in Prague!)What exchange is your daughter going through? My son went through USAC but a girl that he met over there went through another in Maine? I think that your daughter will love the area and the people. He had spent the first semester in Turin Italy and then switched to Prague-Prague was his favorite because he loved Eastern Europe.He traveled all over the area to Poland, Slovakia,the Baltic states,Hungary,Germany,etc.Any questions,feel free to ask and hopefully I can help you. I am facing the same thing right now with his sister who is going to spend the next semester studying in Sicily.

dutyfree, why are you recommending a hotel near the castle? I don't think that's a very convenient area, although some people like it up there. But, most of the university building are not near the castle (I don't know of any that are, many are around the river, but maybe one kind is up there?) Are you saying a particular student residence is up near the castle or some particular building that foreign students attend classes in?

This is the second time I have written this so am hoping that it goes through. The reason that I am recommending staying by the castle is because the foreign students are housed in a dorm north of the castle by the seminary AND that that side of the river is cheaper with Old Town only being 5 minutes over the bridge. I had suggested the Dietzenhofer because my family had felt the location, staff,price and accomodations were great.