Top insider tips for your visit to Prague
Prague is a tourist city of note and it’s therefore always handy to have a couple of insider tips to make your stay less crowded and more memorable. It’s also useful to know what to eat and drink and how to get around.
Here are some great insider tips for when you travel to Prague:
1. How to get around
Walk walk walk, and when you can’t walk anymore, hop on a tram. Prague is a city to be seen on foot, and it’s relatively easy to do so.
There are cobblestoned streets and alleys to meander along and every so often you will stumble upon something unexpected such as an underground jazz bar.
Prague’s public transport system is great, so when you have to travel a bit further and don’t have a lot of time, the metro is a win.
2. What to drink
It is often said that beer is cheaper than water in Prague, and even though that might not be 100% accurate, it’s pretty close. A bottle of beer will cost you roughly 15 CZK while a 500ml water will cost you roughly 10 CZK.
Prague is also famous for its hot alcoholic drinks such as Becherovka (a Vermouth-style dry aperitif and often served with a fruit juice) and then there’s the staple hot alcohol drink – hot mulled wine.
3. What to eat
As with any big city, food is more expensive closer to big tourist attractions. Keep this in mind when travelling to Prague (or any big city for that matter). However, it’s also not exorbitant. Prague is a very affordable city for the most part. Things like electronics and fashion items are much more expensive here, however.
Get your teeth stuck into the Goulash and slobber up some slow-cooked pork knuckle. In fact, indulge in all the pork in all its forms: ribs, slow-roasted, and so the list goes on.
4. What to see
Prague is a city with plenty of tourist attractions that are all well worth a visit. There’s the Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, the Astronomical clock, the Jewish quarters and much more. But don’t forget the city’s underground! It is really something spectacular. There are numerous underground city tours to choose from and almost every building that you pass by would have a section underground.
Hotel Jalta is one such establishment. It’s a nuclear fallout shelter, right under a 5 star hotel in Wenceslas Square. The shelter was connected to the outskirts of Prague via tunnels to allow people to escape in case of nuclear attacks.
After the end of socialist times, Hotel Jalta was bought by an investor with a passion for history, who preserved the shelter and turned the hotel into a five-star property.
5. Other useful tips
Charles Bridge is certainly one of the top tourist attractions so rather plan to see it early in the morning or later in the evening when there will be fewer people.
Within the fairy-tale fortress that is Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) – the largest ancient castle in the world – you can visit the St Vitus Cathedral and climb up the tower for a breathtaking view of the city.
The historic buildings inside the castle walls represent virtually every architectural style of the last millennium. Best of all? It’s free to walk the castle grounds and cathedral, or you can pay a reasonable fee for a tour and be able to enter the galleries, museums and other restricted areas.
Central Prague is divided into 10 different districts, with areas of Prague 1 through Prague 10 considered to be convenient by residents. While Prague 1 is the heart of the tourist district, where Old Town Square and the Castle is located, it doesn’t mean that Prague 10 is the furthest away.
Tip your waiter. If there is one type of person you do not want to upset, it’s a Czech. Tip your waiter at least 10%.
There are plenty opportunists in Prague, so keep a close eye on your belongings. It’s not an unsafe city, but you would be wise to always be cautious.