October crowds and weather

I am in Prague several times a year and often visit in October and will be there from the 14-21 October this year.it is a great deal quieter at this time of year than in July and August .I have just returned from a week in Prague 5-12 August and it was manic in the city centre.You will find October busy but no where near as manic as August

hopefully Marcus will see this thread and answer as well.He is in the city centre a great deal more than I am and can probably give a better idea of who the various months differ and how big the crowds are .

Unclegus is right. I also noticed crowds are thinner in October than in June, July, August. The most popular places like connection from Wenceslas Square to Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, Malostranske Square, Nerudova, Castle - so called Royal Golden Way is always crowded. Get up early, start at 7 am and it's just for you. See it and when crowds come you will be somewhere else.

Sadly, Prague is a victim of its own beauty. It receives five million tourists a year, and the average stay is 1.9 days! Thankfully, the crowds are corralled into the Wenceslaus Square, Old Town Square, the Royal Route, the Charles Bridge and the Castle. Avoid these places, and you will be fine. However, if you want to see these places, then you need to be out of bed early.

Even in October, there will still be plenty of tourists. If you want to avoid the crowds, then November is your best bet. The weather is cold and there is a brief reprieve before the ghastly Christmas market on the Old Town Square begins on 25 November. We endure that until 14 January and then we have a few merciful weeks of solitude before the hordes rejoin us again in March.

We were there in October last year. Yes, there were crowds but not like there would be in the summer, in particular around the clock tower and on the bridge. Other than those places, it was manageable. As for the weather, it was pretty much the same as in the northeastern US. Pleasant days and evenings that were a tad cool. As for leaves changing colour,if you are expecting what we have in North America in the northeast in particular, then you will be disappointed. Pretty much the only colours are the yellows.

We were there in October and there were plenty of people around but we never experienced any large crowds, except in front of the astronomical clock. Weather was quite nice, but a little cool. I wore my polar fleece jacket every day we were there and was fine with that.

@Carol, the trees in Prague hold their leaves right until November, when they fall en-masse. The Czech language has even named the month of November for it - listopad, literally leaf-fall.

I don't have any grand expectations for fall leaves. Arizona just doesn't have any kind of autumn, here it is summer until November and spring starts in January. I am just hoping to get some of the seasonal changes I got to enjoy before living in the land of cactus and perpetual heat.
Sounds like October will be a nice time to be in Prague as long as we utilize some smart crowd beating strategies!

Thanks everyone!