I was in Prague for 8 days in early December. Here are a few tips. Rick's guidebook was generally pretty good and the advice provided on sites and eating was good. I did have to jump back and forth between the site descriptions and the walks which was a bit of a hassle. Public transportation for 65+ is free. You must carry your passport to prove your age if questioned. The trams are your friend. Make extensive use of them. Forget driving. Old city streets are pedestrian only, and they are all cobblestoned, so take good walking shoes. I flew in and my hotel arranged a driver to pick me up. Best money you can spend. Dropped me off right in front of the hotel. Forget public transport to/from the airport. I stayed at Hotel Kampa Garden. Not in Rick's book. Excellent hotel on the Mala Strana side of Charles Bridge. Very convenient. Quiet. Clean. Friendly staff. Good breakfast. Restaurants: My daily chore was to find a non-Czech restaurant for dinner then make a reservation. Czech food is everywhere, so no need to go into this. Old Town: Pasta Fresca (literally fresh pasta), Las Adelitas (best Mexican I've had. Ate there twice!), Country Life (cafeteria style but good food, especially for lunch). Charles Bridge: Muc Dong (Good Vietnamese), Kozlovna Apropos (Czech place, but I ordered grilled salmon and it was great). Mala Strana: Pork's (Must be a Tic Toc haven as the line stretches out the door. If there is no line or a short one, they have great pork dishes), Noi (Thai fusion). Castle: Maly Buddha (between the castle and monastery, excellent SE Asia place). Wenceslas Square: Shahi (near National Museum, excellent fresh Indian, small hole in the wall place with limited seating). Sites: In 8 days I covered everything. Trick is to get to the tourist sites by 9am. The tourists usually aren't out and about until 10:30. This gives you a big jump on them. Old Town Hall has a discount before 10am. You can do this in an hour then be on the street at 10 when the clock goes off. Lobkowicz Palace has an interesting history and worth the visit. The funicular to Petrin Hill is being upgraded and won't be in service for a while. You don't have to do the Jewish Quarter Synagogues in one day, the ticket is good for 3 days (not 5). Vysehrad is definitely worth a visit. Try to attend a performance or two - symphony, opera, Magic Lantern, etc. Travel outside of Prague. I went to Kunta Hora by train. I bought my ticket a few days in advance. Most of the agents speak English, make sure you don't need a reserved seat. It is not a requirement, but ask. Money. Prague is awash with currency exchange kiosks. Very few banks you can walk into. I used ATMs but learned that they will usually spit out large notes - 1000 and 2000 crowns which are not easy to break. You can try to beat the system by putting in an odd amount, say 800 or 1200 and you will usually get smaller bills. If I go again, I'll use the currency exchanges. You can take in US or Canadian dollars or British Pounds or Euros and get them exchanged in smaller denominations. Just make sure you pick a good one. Ask at your hotel. Final note. Rick's guide leads you to think you can see Prague in 2 days. This is baloney. You need at least 4 full days. Lots of Americans on the Prague, Budapest, Vienna 6 or 8 day route and in my opinion, this is not enough time to spend in any of these cities. If you go, have fun. It is worth the trip.
Posted by
Chicago
8205 posts
Forget public transport to/from the airport.
Don't forget public transport to and from the airport; it is real easy to use and good option if you can't afford a driver.
https://www.introducingprague.com/transportation
Posted by
Chicago
3240 posts
Thanks for the info, especially the restaurant recommendations. My sister and I are headed to Prague in March, so this is very helpful. I won’t mention that we’ll only be there for 3 nights. :-)
Posted by
OP
Jacksonville, FL
6 posts
For Carrie. If you only have 3 days/nights, then I'd stick to the main sites. Definitely Prague Castle. Get there before 9 to get your ticket when the office opens. Head straight to the Cathedral. The remainder of the sites are not as crowded. While you are up there, try to go to Lobkowicz Palace (separate admission). Ride the 22 or 23 tram to get up there and back. There is reportedly a good restaurant at Lobkowicz. This will save you steps. Make sure you get in a view of the changing of the guard. The big show is at noon in front of the main gate. It will be crowded. A good vantage point is the steps around the Masarek statue. If you miss the noon show, they change hourly. To avoid crowds, watch at the Northern Entrance to the castle. After lunch, head to Strahov Monastery. Take the tour. You probably will not be able to go into the church itself unless you attend a concert. The same trams will take you back into town. If you are not 65+, you can buy your tickets on the trams using credit cards. Very convenient.
Obviously, you want to go to Old Town and you can use the itinerary I outlined in my original post. The Jewish Quarter is close by and you can see all or part of it. Each of the synagogues tell a different story about the history of the Jews in Bohemia. Read the guide book and choose the ones you definitely want to see. I think going up into the Charles Bridge Towers is a waste of time and money. If you go up to the top of the Old Town Hall tower, you will get the same views. Rick's guide has good tips. Both Tyn and St. Jame's Church are worthwhile.
Forget about Wenceslas Square other than to see Wenceslas on his horse. The entire square is under construction as the tram lines are being restored. I doubt this work will be completed by the time of your trip. The remainder of the square is not scenic, in my opinion other than perhaps the Mucha Museum. The Municipal House and tour is worth it if you have time.
St. Nicholas Church is worth it, but again, try to get there when the ticket office opens at 9. I did not go to the Museum of Medieval Art as this did not interest me, so I cannot provide an opinion. With a short time frame, I'd skip Vysehrad. The tour of the Klementinum is nice, but if time is important, skip it. You definitely need advance tickets for this tour if you decide to go. Weather will be your big determining factor. Choose the best day for the castle. The rest can generally be done rain or shine. Beware the air quality can vary greatly. Prague is in a bowl and when the air quality tanks, it's pretty bad. Enjoy!
Posted by
Washington DC
28371 posts
Thank you especially for all the restaurant tips. I usually spend an extended time in every country I visit, and I like to have a wide variety of food.
The Municipal House (Obecni Dum) in Prague has a really gorgeous Art Nouveau interior. The tour is a must for folks who are serious fans of that style of architecture. There's a small supplemental fee if you want to take photographs. Pay it. Not all tours are in English, of course.
Posted by
Los Angeles
1233 posts
The Municipal House and tour is worth it if you have time.
I agree with acraven - put it near the top of your list. Try to have a meal, or at least a drink, in one of the restaurants. You could also attend a musical performance in the evening.
Livingprague.com is an invaluable resource for planning your trip, and the tours offered by its author, Jason, are excellent.
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3593 posts
Thank you for this, Prague is penciled in for 2026 for 7 nights!