Prague Itinerary - need help
 

As some of you might know from my previous posts we are going to Prague and Cesky Krumlov for 4 days. Our trip begins on 16th June and we (my husband and I) are back in London on 19th night. We are both fairly young and active and can walk endlessly. We will be taking an early morning flight from London, so no jet lag.

I am having a tough time deciding the itinerary, so as usual have come to you all for help...

Day one 16th June 2011: arrive and check in by 11:00 am. Our apartment
http://apartments-in-prague.org/rent...ent-prokopska/
is in Mala Strana.

1 - OBECNI DUM CAFE for a light lunch: We were thinking of walking around a bit then going to Obecní dum's cafe for a light lunch. We are not sure if spending 280czk for the entrance ticket is worth it or not...so as suggested by some on this forum we thought we would have a meal here and see some of this striking building. However if all of you feel that it is definitely worth visiting then we are open to doing that as well. I know it is a must for Art Nouveau fans...however we are still discovering what we like/don't like and don't know if we should go or not.

2 - Sandeman's New Europe Pargue tour (1:45pm): Take the three hour free tour. have read good reviews on tripadvisor and someone on fodors too recommended it.

3- Coffee break - any suggestions??

4- Walk around Charles Bridge and Mala Strana : http://www.frommers.com/destinations...063020033.html

(Another option could be to go to Petrin for evening/ sunset views of the city. However I am not sure if it's worthwhile).

I will start another thread for restaurant retrogradations... I know there are several already...so want to first go through them carefully...

17th June: (Day2)

1 - Jewish quarter : we plan to do the tour offered by the museum itself. I read in one of the reports that it is quite good and exhaustive.

2 - Lunch
3- Prague Castle ( we would want to visit - St Vius, Jirsky Klaster, The old royal palace, golden lane etc. A lot of people on fodors recommended going to Loreta and Strahov Monastery...so we would like to do that as well. I have looked at the pictures for both these places in my guide book and they look stunning. )

- what would be the best time to go to the castle to see all these sights?
- is the changing of the guards worth it. I find the London one quite underwhelming.
- I read in one of my guide books that take the flight of steps from Mala Strana to the palace...if not deterred by stairs, as you go through the lovely gardens...is it worth it?

4- Palace gardens

5- Petrin tower (if you suggest we don't go the first night)

Day 3 - 18th June: Old Town walk - Stare Mesto
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...063020035.html - including stops at museums (I am yet to decide which one should we visit...but please feel free to suggest)

Visit the New town

Take the 5:00pm student agency coach to Cesky Krumlov

Cesky Krumlov: watch the fireworks...have dinner at the restaurant recommended by maitaitom...

19th June: Day 4: Start with the town tour...then guided tour A of the castle

Take a taxi to Linz at 3:30. Fly back to London.

Places/ things that fascinate me...but I haven't been able to fit them in:

- Vysehrad
-Franz Kafka's grave
- boat ride in both CK and Prague

I am sure there are loads of other things...but I haven't probably read about half the places.

Please suggest if my itinerary looks all right...I am more than willing to move around days/ places...if you feel it would work better some other way.

Please help me finalise my itinerary and then I would move to restaurants...

Thanks again for all the help that this forum has always provided me...

We leave in a couple of days...can someone please help me with the itinerary?

Mala Strana is a good area to stay at in terms of access to the city - you'll be best served going on foot for most of what you want to see/do. On Kampa Island, which is just off Mala Strana, there are great little pubs and restaurants tucked down little streets that will be good finds for you.

On day one, your coffee break will depend on where your tour ends. It's hard to go wrong with coffee in Prague (as long as you don't wuss out and go to Starbucks!), so if you follow your nose you'll find somewhere you like. For the evening, the views from Petrin (up the funicular) are excellent, so see what the weather is doing, and how your feet are feeling, and go up if you like. Otherwise, a stroll along the river on the Old Town side would be nice, or even hole up in a pub/cafe for a pre-dinner beverage.

Day 2 - the tour offered by the Jewish Museum is comprehensive, so if you feel you'd rather go it alone then that will work too. Start at the Pinkas Synagogue and move through the cemetery to end at teh Klausen Synagogue. Then you can move on to the Old Synagogue, Spanish Synagogue, walking the Josefov as you go, and find a great Biesel for lunch.

From there, walk back over Charles Bridge and up to the Castle. Don't miss the interior of St Vitus Cathedral (I know it's on your list, just wanted to emphasise it). You can spend the rest of the afternoon here, until close, will all you want to see. As far as "best time" to visit, some will say morning, others afternoon - either way the crowds start arriving at opening time, so up to you. I don't think you'll gain anything from the changing of the guards, esp if the London one doesn't impress you, so at least you don't have to time things around that. The garden ramparts are definitely worth a wander - either on your way up from the river, or while you're up there (check the moat on the opposite side). You can walk around to Petrin Hill if you like from the castle, will take (rough estimate) a good 45mins. The parks surrounding Petrin Hill, particularly leading down to Mala Strana, are very popular, and you'll see why when you're there. Great in Summer. Near the funicular (if you choose to take it either way) is the moving and interesting Memorial to the Victims of Communism. The figures seem to fade into the distance, which is the purpose of the memorial. Might be a little side-trip for you as you're in that area.

Day 3 - a walk of the Old Town should be done, and maybe you'd like to do this on your arrival evening, leaving time for the museum of your choice (not sure of your interests so won't venture a suggestion yet) on this day before you depart to CK. Not sure what you want to see specifically in the New Town?

Not sure I'd be taking a taxi to Linz - have you considered the Shuttle (Lobobus, Shuttlebus, etc) instead?

Your itinerary is pretty packed, as I'm sure you're aware, so fitting the extra things in might be a challenge. Perhaps on your arrival afternoon you can take the Metro to Prague 3 (Zizkov) to visit Kafka's grave (check the closing time of the cemetery), and a boat ride in Prague might be a better option than walking over Charles Bridge/Mala Strana as you'll do that anyway (plus your accommodation is in Mala Strana so a bit of exploring will come with the territory).

the price of a tour of the Municiple house has really shor up,last time I did it (about 5 years ago)it was only 100Kc.I still think it is worth it but only if you are reallu interested or it is a really bad day weather wise.Having a meal or a drink in the is well worh it,it is just a stunning place.Instead of partin Hill why not vist letna Park in the evening there are some stunning views of the Prague bridges from there.I was up there a few weks ago and it really is nice,The Hanavsky pavilion is the perfect spot for taking pictures ,you can have a drink or a sback there but it is not cheap.A bit further alomnng the Parj=k is the beer garden which is really nice,views not as good as the pavillion but pretty good and the beer and snacks there are very cheap.
The Strahov monestry Libary has reopend aver a massive refurbishn=met and it is quite wonderful but it was really busy when I was there in the middle of may,in fact the whole Monestry area was mobbed so I just retired to the pub.
here are my trip reports from Trip Advisor,it was mainly about the Beer Festival and there is not much about the tourist side of Prague but it might give you a few ideas,some place to eat are mentu=ioned along with prices for things.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...e_Bohemia.html
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...e_Bohemia.html

Madamtrashheap I can't thank you enough for your detailed reply. It is extremely helpful. I had read about wonderful restaurants and pubs on the Kampa Island, but somewhere it had slipped my mind. Thanks a lot for reminding us about it.

Maybe we could go to Petrin the first day, because the weather forecast is showing rains for Friday. Thanks about the tip about visiting the Memorial..it's written in my guide book as well..hopefully we would go there...a 45 minutes walk sounds doable...I think we would walk up...

How about Bellavista for an evening meal...I think someone on fodors suggested it...I am not sure who...

We are looking for a great meal with good views...and would like to spend not more than 50-70 GBP, including couple of glasses of wine/ beer.

Day2: I have spoken to the Wittman tours for the Jewish area and they say that they would need to confirm if they would have a tour on Friday or not, as they don't have three people yet. However they seem pretty certain that they would have more.

Now that you have said that the tour offered by the Jewish Museum is pretty comprehensive...I am a little confused. I wouldn't mind paying the extra 30 pounds if it is brilliant...however my experiences of tours have usually been a little underwhelming. There is a guide who everyone recommends for Kyoto...and we thought he was all right...nothing great...but that could be because we had lived in Japan for a while and already knew some of the customs... similarly the Through Eternity Vatican tour was fairly average at best...the guide was basically repeating a Lonely planet/ fodors guide book...not much else. So I am really worried that are we the kind of people who just can't appreciate guides...or we just haven't lucked out yet on a great guide...

We definitely do intend to go to St. Vius...if we head towards the Castle at around 2:30...will we have enough time to see everything? We will definitely give the changing of the guards a miss. We will stop in the gardens...maybe on our way back...

I am sure we would walk around the Old town/ Charles bridge area on the night of our arrival. The last day is basically to visit places that we might have missed. In the New Town we wanted to go to the Communism museum...visit the wenceslas square...and feel the history of the area where the revolution began...maybe we would cover this on the first day of the tour and may not need to go back...

I meant the shuttle bus and not a taxi from Linz...I am sorry about the confusion. I have written to sebastian tours and lobo shuttle both...but lobo is significantly more expensive. So I would probably go with Sebastian.

Where can I have a good Czech meal- traditional/ modern? I am a vegetarian and my husband can have sea food and all meats except beef and pork.

Thanks a lot for all the help...

sorry one of the links is wrong .this is the correct one.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...e_Bohemia.html

Unclegus...thanks a lot for the information. Letna park looks great and especial Hanavsky Pavilion looks breath taking. When you say it's not cheap...what do you mean? Why do you feel that it would be better than going to Petrin...from what I hhve read the views from up there are also stunning.

I think we would get a meal at the municipal house and skip the entrance...or maybe decide once we get there.

Thanks a lot for teh report...seems like you had a lot of fun. I am sure my husband would be interested in visiting a beer garden...I have forwarded your report to him...I am sure he would enjoy it a lot.

when I say not cheap I mean for a drink.Prices for a beer there was 60kc for a 330ml glass wheras in tonw you woiuld get a 50ml glass for around 40kc,I van't comment on Prices of food but quite frankly i think it is worth it for the view.You don't have to go into the pavillion to get the views but what bettre way of relaxing than haveing a beer or a coffee with this wondeful view.
I have a lot of reviews awaiting to be placed on Trip Advisor most with photos so hopefully they will be posted soon.There are some recent reviews of places that have already been posted but only one with photos.
I have been travelling to the Czech republic for nearly 20 years and just love the place,I go to the Beer Festival every year now and also try to get another break at another time of the year.

must spell check my postings but that 500ml beer is about 40kc and I think you can work out the rest

In terms of food & drink:
unclegus is your guy for beer - although I've tested quite a few myself!

There are so many places to eat in Prague, and everyone has their favourites. One I used to go to, U Vejvodu, seems to have gone downhill in terms of food lately. You might have more luck at Ambiente Lokal – Dlouha 33, in the Old Town just off the square (good selection of vegetarian dishes and menu changes daily) or U Kolkovna - Kolkovne 8, on the edge of Josefov (modern Czech, not a great amount for vegetarians, but a large menu so you might find more things on there which are suitable).

The Communist Museum is good, and you'll probably wonder why Wenceslas Square gets mentioned so much (see it, but from one end). Getting to Hradcany at 2.30pm would leave a good amount of time to wander, but starting out to walk up to it at 2.30pm will mean you'll get to the front gate at around 3pm (from the Old Town), and many of the interior sights close around 6pm (gardens are open until 9pm and the castle grounds are open until later). Up to you to know how long you want to spend in which parts.

As for guided tours - if you've done them in the past and not enjoyed them, then there are plenty of guidebooks with self-guided walks and suggestions which will certainly suit you for Josefov, Mala Strana, Hradcany and pretty much anywhere else in Prague. The DK (Dorling Kindersley) Eyewitness guides with pictures and text have great walking tours in different districts - see what you can find at Stamfords (if you're in London) or any Waterstones travel section.

It's good to see you're taking the Shuttle and not a taxi for CK to Linz - was trying to work out how you were going to pull that off!

I would be tempted to switch out the walk through Old Town with the visit to the Castle since the Jewish Quarter more or less melds into Old Town.

That would let you visit the Castle in the morning of the third day. I visited St. Vitus sometime shortly after noon and the sun streaming through the stained glass windows projecting the patterns onto the walls was magical. As for the changing of the guards, I would skip it; Buckingham Palace is much more impressive.

I have lived in Prague for the last 16 years. I can't comment on the tours because I obviously have no desire, but I have read that the Sandeman's tour is OK.

1. Mala Strana is basically downtown on the other side of the Vltava River. It's really beautiful. Better than staying in Old Town in my humble opinion.

2. You will pay 3x more for a meal in Mala Strana and Old Town..remember this.but the locales are beautiful

3. Get a map....you will need it. The streets here are complicated for 1st time visitors.

4. Stay out of the taxis! Especially in the downtown area. You and your money will be separted fairly quickly. There is zero reason to get in a taxi. Trust me, my brother-in-law is a taxi driver and his favorite topic is to discuss how much he can get out of foreign tourists. There are trams, busses, and a tube (metro). Simply walk into any metro station and pay 26Kc for a ticket. This lasts 90 minutes. If you cant find a metro station, then go to any "Tabak" or "Potraviny" and ask for a 26Kc ticket. Be aware there will be a transportation strike on June 16th. So bring your walking shoes that day! You can also buy a 24 hour ticket if you want.

5. Go onto www.expats.cz to get the inside scoop of the city and things to do

6. Cesky Krumlov is nice, but so is Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).

7. I think having a picnic in the orchards on Petrin hill is a nice way to relax.

8. Be advised that if you purchase the "super Jewish sites pass" that the sites are scattered all over the city and it is probably a waste of time and money. If you really want to see the main "Jewish piece" then stick with Josefov cemetary downtown.

9. Vaclavske Namesti (Wenscelas Square) is fairly historic: '89 revolution, Havel's speech, Russian tanks, national museum (don't go in), etc. but it is kind of seedy. (metro stop - Muzeum).

10. Customer service can vary. Places with younger staff will be a bit friendlier in my opinion. Some of the older generation can come across as a bit cold. When you tip, do not leave money on the table. You tell the waiter how much the total bill is. Example: if the bill is 575 Kc...then you say 600 Kc.

11. I see so many tourists getting confused on how to get to the castle! Easiest way is to get to Malostranska Metro station, walk out of station and then take the number 22 tram up the hill to the stop called "Prazsky Hrad" - Prague Castle. This is roughly 1 euro, where as if you took a taxi, you could pay around 50 euros depending on traffic and the morality of your driver....which is probably fairly low.

12. Walk and enjoy your time!!

Unclegus I think with the kind of views Hanavsky has...I think they would charge that much...we would definitely try and go there...though I am really being tempted by Vysehrad.

If between Petrin/ Vysehrad and Letna park, we could go to only one...which would you suggest?

Madamtrasheap I read somewhere else as well that lokal is really good...I have written to them for reservations. I believe Ambiente's pizza and pasta places also are quite good...someone who is currently living in Italy recommended it. My landlord has suggested Kampa Park/ Celeste for a special meal and stunning views. Though Celeste would be all right for us for Lunch...for dinner it would be beyond our budget.

Thanks for the suggestion about DK eyewitness guides...I used one extensively for our trip to NY and really liked them. I will see if I can pop out after work and get one. I have however noted down walks etc. from Frommers and national geographic.

I am sorry…I don't know how that got posted before I completed my response.

Delaine can't lie I have been tempted myself to switch around the Castle day. However I have read that the Castle area becomes even more crowded on weekends...and I was hoping that it might be slightly better on a Friday afternoon. However you folks feel that is necessarily not going to be the case...then it does make more sense to switch days. Thanks a lot for the suggestion.

7thson you have given me some great ideas. I got to know about the strike because our apartment owner was kind enough to write to me about it. We had not arranged transfer from the airport as we were hoping to make our way on public transport. We are quite familiar with using it...so definitely would not even dream about getting into a taxi. Thanks for the heads up though. We are very capable of walking and can be on foot for hours on end.

Oh...do you think we should not risk the strike and ask for a transfer from the airport on the 16th?

I am really happy that we chose the apartment in Mala Strana...I saw some pictures for Mala Strana...and it looks like a lovely area.

We might take the tram up to the castle if we are hard pressed for time...and thanks a lot...we will get a map for the city from the tourist info centre...that's what we usually do in a new city...Thanks a lot for all your helpful hints.

You have all been extremely helpful...I will start a thread about restaurant recommendations soon...

If between Petrin/ Vysehrad and Letna park, we could go to only one...which would you suggest?
Thats a difficult one,but as a first time visitor go to Vyshrad it really is the original Prague and the views from there are not too bad at all.There are also cafes and bars within the citadel area and there is this quite amazing cemetary with Dvorak's Grave.
I have been lucky enough to visit the city many times and have had the chance to visit many places over many visits and at a nice slow pace.
Hopefully you will get a chance to come back to Prague.

It is quite unfortunate that your plane lands the same day of the transit strike. Even if you are of superhero health and stamina, you can't walk from the airport....besides the distance, you will be coping with some rather humid weather and a general lack of a walking area for many miles.

Therefore, you will be forced to get a taxi.

There are OK companies and not OK companies...
Try AAA taxi. They usually have taxis in front of both terminals. Have the address ready to show him. Expect cost to be about 600Kc. However it could be upward of 1000 Kc due to an excess of people driving due to the strike.

This company is a about a year old. I don't know much about them, but have seen their advertisements about town: http://www.prague-airport-shuttle.com/

Try not to exchange your money in the airport, it is the worst exchange rate one can get...as is the case in any airport in the world. Also, the change bureaus around the city all say "no commission"...well I guess there is no commission if they can hide the cost in the exchange rate, lol!

Here is an idea for meal costs for non-downtown areas:
Typical Czech dish involving pork and dumplings: 125 Kc
Beer: 25-35 Kc for .5 litre

Downtown area: The same meal will be around 300 Kc and the beer could be upwards of 60 Kc for .5 litre.

But, just go into it knowing that you are paying for the location and it will soothe some of the pain.

Also there is a little tram that runs up the hill from the Malostrana district to the top of Petrin (pronounced pet-sheen)hill.

Yes, if your apartment can arrange a transfer from the airport, then do it. Expect the cost to be anywhere from 500 Kc to 800 Kc for both of you.

Prague-airport Shuttle have been on the go for at least 8 years and are run by an American Ex-pat and his Czech wife,contact them if you can ,they are a highly reliable company and I used them last month when I visited the city.

rajshiv,
I also recommend Vysehrad although I haven't been to Letna or Petrin Hill. I've been to Prague twice & LOVE Vysehrad. It is much quieter than Old Town & the castle area; there are beautiful views of Prague & the river, the cemetery (as Unclegus mentions) is beautiful with lovely mosaics, etc, & famous people buried there. There is a pretty church, Sts Peter & Paul, that is a must-see. There are fortress remains & an outdoor cafe to relax & have a drink. When my daughter studied in Prague, her classes were held at Vysehrad & she thoroughly enjoyed this part of Prague.

If you click on my name, you can read my trip report from August 2009 where I give names & addresses of restaurants we liked. If you have the time, I also recommend the Communism Museum (in Wencelas Square); it's small so you don't need a lot of time. Mucha's museum is interesting, too.

You will love Prague. Try some chilled Becherovka! I'm envious!
We also loved Cesky Krumlov & ate at the restaurant that maitaitom recommends. Had a tour of the castle & a boat ride, too.

BTW, we stayed in Mala Strana both times & really like that area of Prague. I like having to walk across the Charles Bridge every day, especially at night.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUse...e_Bohemia.html

My review of Letna park has now been published on Trip Advisor there are a couple od pics including one of me having a beer in the pavillion and the view from there.