What you wished you knew before Visiting Prague or Czech Republic

To spend the first day taking a Prague Free Walking Tour where the guides work for tips. And to go back that first night to take their Nightlife Tour of Prague. They took us to great restaurants, bars and Urquell's brewhouse where they sell 6000 gallons of beer daily.

I later went to Budapest and found it much less expensive--and with even better bars called Ruin Pubs. There, you take a Ruin Pub Crawl the first night in town. It too is a great city to travel in.

That smoking in restaurants was still allowed (2016) - thank goodness it isn't anymore

We don't find Prague overly busy or expensive as we stay in Vinohrady which is just a few metro stops from the tourist areas but lovely and residential.

For tourist stuff I suspect Prague is no more than 10% higher than Budapest and cheaper than Paris and substantially cheaper than London. I would imagine that those that say its expensive lived and ate in the tourist zones There are only a couple, they are small, crowded and over priced. You save a lot by moving out, but then you miss the ambiance and why you went in the first place. The tourist zone of Budapest ......... well .......... its pretty much the city as a whole so easy to find cheap, but good food and drink.

Prague is one of the most heavily touristed per sf cities in Europe, so yep, crowded, but very attractive.

I knew this before going, but if you want to get good photos of Prague old town and the Charles Bridge, get up early and head out just as the sun is coming up. No crowds and the light is fantastic.

First time experience, I stayed in Old Town. Loved late nights on the square but the hordes of party makers got old quick. Mornings were very quiet and it felt special. Second visit stayed in New Town, so much quieter and much less price gouging at restaurants and shops.

Best Prague tip - visit Zizkov TV tower and explore that neighborhood for a much more local feel. Zizkov offers incredible views. Save yourself the nominal elevator fee and have a drink in the bar. The bar itself is a time capsule worth the visit. The restaurant has the most incredible views too.

Czech Republic is so much more than just Prague. Get out of the city. Prices plummet. Indulge yourself in one of the spa towns like Teplice or Karlovy Vary. Take the cable car out of Liberec to Jested and spend the night in the craziest TV tower ala Star Trek or the Jetsons. Visit Hrensko and Bohemian Switzerland (double check because they had some devastating forest fires last summer) to see some natural beauty. Visit the Railway Depository and Technical Museum in Chomutov. Find one of the many castles you can spend a night at for less than the cost of a Holiday Inn in the states.

Prague is beautiful and a pleasure but I’d highly suggest getting out to one of the delightful towns or cities too. Oh and last tip of the day, if you’re traveling with or are a vegetarian, good luck. Preview menus for vegetarian options or find an Italian restaurant. One of my visits was with my veg friend. Out of six nights in the country, we ended up at Italian restaurants five nights. It’s been probably one of the hardest countries for her to navigate. As an omnivore, I find the Czech cuisine delicious!

how brilliant the transport system is.very cheap (free if over 65) tickets cover trams buses and Metro. can get you anywhere in the city quickly and covers a vast area.

I agree about visiting Karlovy Vary! It's a beautiful city with a river running through it and nestled amongst the mountains. Visually and architecturally, it's very, very different from Prague and Cesky Krumlov.

Another lovely town to visit is Telc located in Moravia. It's so pretty with its pastel colored buildings and 2 ponds on either side. And a gorgeous castle!

Prague is great to walk at night. Everything in the old parts of town is lighted. the crowds are gone.

The graffiti is excessive and annoying, and the drunken British Hen and Bachelor parties are worse.

That if you are vegetarian it will be difficult to find something to eat!

We were in Prague for three days before going on a River Cruise. A walking tour was included with the river cruise, which we went on the first day. We fortunately decided to book a private tour guide for the second day. Jason at LivingPrague made the history of the city come alive with his interesting stories and antidotes. He was accommodating, articulate, charming and interesting. His tour was far superior to the river cruise walking tour, and we could not have had a better day. Jason has scheduled small group tours also (which I am sure would be wonderful). He was also easy to contact and was very responsive. Do yourself a favor and contact him if you are going to Prague!

Hi from Wisconsin,
Break the city into sections and go into one each day. Once you get away from the clock tower the crowds dissipate. Prague 7, a postal code I think, is found by heading north from the clock tower until you hit the river, cross over and you are there. Letna is the neighborhood name, I think it means summer. This place is real. And has some nice museums. From Letna to Prague castle is a nice walk through a park.

wayneinIW

Two things I learned the hard way in Prague (luckily, the lessons were inexpensive given the exchange rates at the time):

-never trust a Prague taxi driver. In particular, do not trust a taxi driver who goes into the train station, airport, or similar arrival venue and offers you their services — cabbies who do this are always rip-off artists. You’re better off taking public transportation or walking almost every time.

-if you go to a restaurant that has snacks on the table when you first sit down, they are not free like in the US. You will be charged for them, and they won’t tell you — but the charge definitely will show up on your bill.

Never trust a Prague taxi driver. In particular, do not trust a taxi
driver who goes into the train station,

First of all, "never" never exists and I don't think Prague us uniquely bad, if bad at all.

To the point, it is always wise in any city, Amsterdam to Zagreb, to pull out a cell phone and call a taxi or go to a taxi stand that can be found at most airports and train stations.

I second the comment on the Prague transit. If you are old (like me) it's free. Don't pay! We rode only the trams and were very happy with it.

Also, carry cash outside of Prague. Restaurants often won't take cards. Get an account with a bank that doesn't charge conversion fees. I used Capital One. Be careful with the ATM's. Under pressure to get cash, I got ripped off at one. Others were fine.

There is a really good YouTube channel called "Honest Guides". They are a couple of guys who have lived in Prague I believe their whole lives and give some really good advice about visiting their city.

• It is very walkable

• seniors often get free or reduced fares on transportation

• get local coins for the restrooms, which are often staffed by crabby old ladies without mercy. The restroom at the train station was also accessed by credit card. First time I needed to scan my card to use the toilet!

Many ATMs, even from well-known banks, will charge excessive fees for foreign cards. The only one I found that didn't try to charge me was at the KB Bank branch in Wenceslas Square (about half-way down, on the right-hand side looking towards the National Museum).

I didn't expect things could swing from frustrating to fabulous (and back again) within minutes or meters. (Speaking only from being in Prague-- hl n station to Strahov Monastery to New Town, late May '23)

Your primary choices for restaurants might be packed or not taking reservations for any number of reasons. Already busy weekend nights might be even more crowded at certain places (Lokal, for example) because of soccer playoffs.

That said, one won't be out of dinner options, even during high-volume times. Our hotel desk clerk said going later (after 1900) helps. We also just walked up and asked, which got us a serviceable high-top at Food Lab. Just be willing to poke around, take a 10-minute tram ride, etc.

Examples of "experience-swing:" after a disorienting train station disembarkment, an easier-than-anticipated walk to our hotel; packed Charles Bridge to small-crowd, sensory experience at Image Black Light Theatre; backtracking on confusing streets and alleys before emerging to the wide-open riverside path during a morning jog.

Be willing to audible, go with the flow, reserve slots when advised and venture away from the Greatest Hits, and you'll do well.

How freeking crowded it is in those tiny tourist districts.