Prague in 2 Weeks! Miscellaneous Questions
 

My 12-year old daughter and 2 of my sisters arrive in Prague on Saturday, March 19 and upon arrival, plan to take the bus to Cesky Krumlov for 2 nights. Then we head back to Prague for a week (till March 26), staying at the Dahlia Inn. My daughter and I plan a side trip to the see the bone church but otherwise will spend our days in Prague. We've been reading the guide books and the forums but I still have a couple of questions and hope you can help!

1 - I just bought a new cell phone with AT&T service. I would like to activate it for int'l calling, and have my daughter's phone activated, just in case we get separated. When I bought it, the sales rep told me it would be cheaper to buy a no-contract phone in Prague than to activate int'l calling on AT&T. Anyone have any advice on using a US-based phone in Prague?

2 - Any recommendations for shopping / entertainment for a 12-year old (going on 16, which I, her mother, refuses to acknowledge!)?

3 - Is there any kind of dress code in Prague - Are there sites / churches / restaurants where one must be dressed up? We all tend to wear pants (not jeans) when traveling but wonder if we should pack something dressier?

4 - Might be a silly question but is there a place for my daughter to swim in Prague? Any hotels or clubs that do one-day passes to their pools / hot tubs? Or should we not bother with packing swimsuits?

5 - What's the best souvenir you have from Prague or Cesky Krumlov? When I was in Tuscany, I bought some tiles from a potter and lugged them all over the region - and now they adorn my shower walls. I love finding non-touristy items (like garnets). Any ideas?

6 - Are there "flea" markets in Prague and if so, which do you recommend?

7 - Do you know of any special event / performance that's happening between March 21 - 26 that we should look into?

8 - Given that March is less crowded than other times of travel, do we need to buy our bus tickets to Cesky Krumlov now or are we ok to buy when we arrive?

9 - I keep reading about all the great beers and brews - are there any cool wine bars?

Thanks for your help!
Gin

2. The mirror maze on Petrin Hill might appeal to a 12 year old. Or the Black Light Theatre.

3. Prague is very casual unless you go to a fancy restaurant. I would dress for warmth.

4. http://www.pragueexperience.com/places.asp?PlaceID=805

I would have your hotel inquire about further info. If your daughter is looking to swim laps, there may be designated hours for this.

5. I bought a piece of Czech-made crystal. The city is drowning in garnets and amber, so much so that I wondered about authenticity and origin. Certainly not all of it can be Czech!

6. http://www.pragueexperience.com/shop...ts/markets.asp

2. there are big shopping centers at Namesti Republiky (The Pladium) should keep her busy fpoo a while,loads of cool modern resturants on the top floor there.At Andel there is a huge shopping center and there is a 10 pin bowling alley there.
3. worry not,the fashion police are not highlly visable in Prague.
6.jean has given you the link to give you info on the markets in Prague and the easter markets should also be up in Old Town Square when you are there.
7. Easter markets,there should be craft and food stall might be live entertainment on in the square too.
http://www.bohemiaticket.cz/WBS/ang/
check this website for concerts etc.
8. you should be OK.
http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlakyautobusy/spojeni/
this link should give you oinfo on bus times,there is an english link.
9. I really don't know I go to Prague for the beer but i was in one trendy place a few years ago I felt really out of place and the only beer they had was Stella Artois.


http://www.livingprague.com/
This website will give lots of info on Prague,the guy that runs it is an English expat with a czech wife,he has children that are in your daughters age group so have a good look at the site.
http://www.prague.net/
this is another great website for tourist info hope all this is of help to you.

I am an crystal and art glass collector, so that's what I shopped for. Instead of buying Bohemia crystal (which is EVERYWHERE), take a look at the more modern art glass manufacturers.
There's Blue Praha http://www.bluepraha.cz/web.php?page=about
You can look through the photo galleries on their web site to see examples of their work and if it appeals, visit their shops.
Or Artel http://www.artelglass.com/ very sought after and recently profiled in The New York Times, but also more expensive than Praha Blue. Of course, there's Moser, which is an established company that does beautiful work (and their store is beautiful too). All three will ship if you don't want to carry the glass with you.

I agree about the garnets and amber - a friend bought some amber from a supposedly reputable shop that came with a certificate of "authenticity" - but it turned out to be plastic. Unless you know amber well or have trusted recs for an above-board store, caveat emptor.

And don't overlook the graphics arts. You can find some amazing posters. Eastern Europe, especially Poland and the Czech Republic, has an excellent graphic arts tradition. If you're carrying a 24" (or bigger) suitcase, stick a poster tube inside (you can stuff it with socks or underwear for the trip over).

As for swimming pools, go to TripAdvisor.com, look up "Prague Hotels" and click on the swimming pool criteria (down on the left hand side). It says there are 38 hotels with pools in Prague. The only ones I know first-hand are the Hilton's and the Novotel's. Not huge pools, but ok. I don't know if they offer day passes. You could email them to find out (but don't expect the day passes to be cheap, especially at the Hilton).
The Boscolo Hotel Carlo seems to have a nicer pool, but no first hand experience.

As you still have a choice, I would go from Prague to Cesky Krumlov by train rather than bus. You'll only have to change once and the train journey, particularly from Cesky Budejovice to Krumlov is a delight. As there is a group of you, you can benefit from a group ticket price. I'm not sure when the season starts, but hiring a canoe to paddle down a section of the Vltava River is great fun and very easy. I would recommend the section from Krumlov to Zlata Koruna.
http://www.jeremytaylor.eu/cesky_krumlov_photos.htm

I recommend a Marionette show (Don Giovanni)for your daughter. It's playing at The National Marionette Theater, which is considered the best puppet theater in Prague – located at Zatecka Str. 1 in Old Town.

If you want recommendations on sightseeing, restaurants, etc., you can click on my name & read my trip report from August 2009. You will love Prague and Cesky Krumlov!

THANK YOU all so much! Great ideas and advice - I'm off to check out all the links you sent. I appreciate your help!