Study Abroad- purchasing "essentials" in Prague
 

I am going to be studying abroad in Prague for 5 weeks this June/July. Sorry if my questions sound naive, but I've never been to Europe before, and I'm on a incredibly tight budget so planning ahead is essential.

I will be traveling through Europe for a couple weeks ahead of time, and so I will be trying to pack light. I am hoping to buy shampoo/makeup/sheets/pillow/some clothes/towel/hair products/ etc... once I get to Prague.


Obviously, they will have all of these things... my question is about budgeting and brands...

Are these types of items comparable/cheaper/more expensive than buying in the states? I just want to know how much to budget (and whether there are certain things I should just bring from home..)

Also, I'm not heart-set on any brands (I usually just buy whatever is on sale at Target :)
But, I do not speak any Czech.. will it be relatively easy to figure out what things are? (For instance, is this lotion or sunscreen?)

My school is in the central Prague area, and my dorm is just a few blocks east. If anyone has a recommendation of a good place to buy these things, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Prague was one of the first Eastern European cities (yeah, I know, it's technically central Europe but "eastern" means Soviet bloc) to have Western investment, economic ties, sizable tourist influx, etc., after the fall of the Wall and the Velvet Revolution. American collegians and recent grads flocked to Prague to teach English. And the Brits routinely ransack the city on lad's weekends. There is a lot of English spoken.

The Czech language has its peculiarities (the letter v standing alone is a word) but it's not so strange you won't be able to figure out what the shampoo, laundry detergent, etc. are.

The one word you will need to know is pivo (pee-voh). That means beer.

Just one other word you need to know:

Tesco.

www.itesco.cz will give you most prices (especially if you register) And help you master the basics

Also, try LivingInPrague.com. It is a sort of blog, posted by a resident of Prague, and it has a wealth of information. Another resource for student travelers is STATravel.com.

It might not be obvious from the czech website but Tesco is the European equivalent of Kmart or Walmart in the US. I would expect you can find anything of what you need there. You might use a phrase book or online translator to help you make a list in advance in czech language. If you can't find something in the store you can always ask a clerk or another customer by pointing to the czech word on the list.

Here's another website in English which describes Tesco (and gives a new town location which might be handy). http://www.pragueexperience.com/places.asp?PlaceID=790

EXACTLY what I was looking for, thanks for the responses!

I gave you the wrong website above. It's LivingPrague.com. NOT LivingInPrague.com