Prague

Prague is the capital city of the Czech republic. Where is Prague? Prague lies in the western part of the Czech Republic, about 150 km (110 miles) from the German border. Click here to check the map.

Why go to Prague?

The centre of Prague is literally packed with architectural gems from all historical periods. The romantic winding narrow streets invite you for night walks. The modern streets lined with luxury shops and restaurants tempt you to walk in. The unique atmosphere is complemented by street artists, historical cars, horse carriages and thousands of tourists marvelling at each corner.

The Best of Prague

Prague is the largest city heritage zone in the world, proudly represented by the world's largest castle complex – the Prague Castle (Pražský hrad). Thousands and thousands of people stand in front of the world-famous Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj) at the Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí), waiting for the hour. The Charles Bridge (Karlův most) – the most beautiful, hundreds years old stone bridge still carries crowds of excited tourists. More tourist information about the mentioned monuments can be found on a separate page here.

Video from Czech Youtube canal Stream.cz International 

Where to stay in Prague?

The answer is simple, anywhere in Prague 1, especially near the Lesser Town Square, Prague Castle or Kampa. And do not worry about excessive prices. You can find beautiful jewels in these locations for very good money, for example check this link.

And of course, to really enjoy Prague without any worries and have a nice place to stay after a demanding day, do not think only about the location, but also the quality of the accommodation. As any other tourist places, Prague offers different accommodation options to meet everyone’s needs. When choosing a hotel, hostel, guest house or a motel, it is always advisable to consider the length of the stay and the travel group.

While a couple in love will appreciate a small romantic hotel with wellness, a group of friends will probably go for a cheap hostel in the city center, right in the middle of sights. On the other hand, a family with children might choose a family guest house, that will be ready for their little ones or nice and big hotel apartment.

The prices of accomodation are naturally related to the location. The Old Town or Little Town tend to be considerably more expensive than accommodation outside the historical city centre. The cheapest accommodation can be found at the edge of Prague. But sometimes, fortunately, you can find a beautiful hotel in the city center right under the Prague Castle for a good price!

Where to stay in the best Prague neighbourhood

With local people is the best stay in Vinohrady district (Prague 2 area) or Holešovice district (Prague 7 area), if you want to stay with normal Czech people. Where every Prague citizen would like to live, but can not afford it because of the high price of apartments, is of course area near the Kampa and Lesser Town Square. And this is really the area where we recommend you stay.

Luxury Hotels, Family Guest Houses

Where to stay in Prague with luxury? Prague won’t disappoint even the demanding tourists. Prague has some very luxury hotels that can proudly compete with the best hotels of the world. The luxury hotels are mostly located in the centre of Prague, the “TOP” ones being Four Seasons, Kempinski, or Hilton. You can choose one of the hotels that have maintained the original ancient architecture or one of the very modern ones.

The main advantage is the relatively low prices for the high accommodation standard. In Prague you can find quality accommodation in a lovely hotel with a convenient access to the city centre under EUR 200 per night. The hotel rooms are generally very well equipped and have their own bathrooms.

Middle Stream

Prague has probably the most 4 star hotels from European cities. These hotels are in great competition with each other and only tourists can benefit from it. For example new hotel (2017) Hotel Royal Prague, just near the metro station, new hotel with great services under EUR 100 in the season. Amazing.

Cheap Hostels

A very cheap accommodation can be found in hostels, motels and lodging houses, for example Aplus Hostel near the Florenc metro station. In this type of accommodation a lower standard of comfort is to be expected. If you are a fan of camping, you don’t need to worry either. There are tens of campsites in Prague, not only at the edge but also near the city centre (e.g. in Troja).

But about accomodation in Prague you can read separate articles that are focused directly on hotel tips.

Prague is Fun

Prague is famous not only for its historical monuments. The city centre is full of various restaurants, stylish pubs, modern cafés, music clubs and also theatres, museums and galleries. Do you love classical music, jazz, rock or modern music? Are you a fan of opera, ballet and drama or do you like to wander among famous paintings? Prague offers a variety of cultural events and unforgettable experiences that come with them.

Multicultural Prague

Prague is said to be the most tolerant city in the world. It is not easy to come across a person born in Prague as people from all over the Czech Republic and the world live here. Foreigners love Prague because it welcomes them with open arms and without prejudice. People come to Prague to study, work and most of all to have fun. Because Prague has a big heart.

What are the Czech people?

In general, the capital city of Prague is outside the general average of the entire Czech Republic. You can find here more educated people who recognize democratic principles and are mostly prowestern. The Czechs are friendly. Especially in Prague, and especially in the younger generation, there is no problem to speak English. Prague likes tourists not only for financial gain but also because of multiculturalism. Do not be afraid to ask local people about good beer or some Czech specialty. It may happen that many people are frowning, do not worry, it only looks like, they are really warm and ready to help you in all.

Prague Tastes Good

Czech cuisine is famous for its delicious and properly caloric thick soups, sauces and most of all bread dumplings. Svíčková (sirloin in cream-vegetable sauce) and roast pork with sauerkraut and dumplings are among the most popular dishes. And who would forget about classic snacks that are great with beer, such as fried cheese, pickled camembert or pickled sausage slices? And, speaking of beer, it would be a sin not to have a chilled draught beer with thick foam that you will not see anywhere else. Once you have tried Czech beer, you will love it forever.

Prague is Bliss

Affordable prices are one of the indisputable advantages of Prague. Accommodation options are more than diverse. If you are looking for cheaper accommodation, you will find a wide choice of nice hotels, hostels and motels. However, you can also go for luxury hotels.

There is very nice price checker with Prague and New York: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Prague

You will also experience keen prices in high-quality restaurants, where you can enjoy large amounts of food for next to nothing. Besides, entry fees of the omnipresent historical buildings are not expensive either, when compared to other cities of similar significance. Don't forget to visit Café Imperial or Mincovna restaurant.

Practical Tourist Information

When compared to other European cities, Prague is smaller. Still it has its “travel and transport” specifics that are good to know. Thanks to our practical information your wandering through Prague will be easier, comfortable and completely stress free.

The Czech Republic is a member of the European Union and also a part of the Schengen Area. Travelling is thus very easy for the member state citizens who don’t have to present their passports or ID cards when crossing borders.

Prague map

Propably the best in nowadays (2017) is to use Google map or Apple map in your smartphone, because both platforms support Prague public transport, offline map, Sights description etc.

If you want to have a nice Prague map with main sights, you can try download this image and print it. Also useful could be an actual map of Prague public transport, which is here (link updated 2017). 

Transport

Prague airport

Prague main airport is Vaclav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) - which is located northwest of Prague, about 15 km (12 miles) from the center of Prague. Flights to Prague - for example from New York - best way is direct flight operated by Delta Airlines, or the other lines operated by European airlines (KLM, British Airways, also Czech Airlines etc.) Price is about USD 500 per person, you can check the best price here, also from different locations, not only from New York city. 

Tourists from neighbouring countries often use their own cars. Thanks to a dense road and motorway network Prague is easily accessible. Of course, you can also travel by train or by bus. Prague has a very modern Main train station and bus station. Both stations are located in the city centre and from here you will conveniently get to any spot in Prague.
It is best to use air transport for travelling from further locations. The Prague airport is situated at the edge of the city. The transport to the airport is provided by buses that run throughout the day and night. Or you can use taxis. With yearly passenger traffic of nearly 12 million, the modern Vaclav Havel Airport welcomes tourists from all over the world.

Public Transport for Everybody

The transport in the city is provided by a network of public transport – buses, trams and metro. The dense public transport network secures transportation in Prague 24/7.Metro operates daily from 4 a.m. to 12 a.m. and at night transport is provided by special night buses and trams.

Metro plan (click to show large): https://goo.gl/CrBSKZ

Tickets for individual journeys:

• 90-minute ticket (basic) – CZK 32, children (aged 6-15) – CZK 16
• 30-minute ticket (short-term) – CZK 24, children (aged 6-15) – CZK 12

Time (tourist) tickets - probably best way

• 24-hour ticket – CZK 110, children (aged 6-15) – CZK 55
• 72-hour ticket – CZK 310, no special fare for children

Children and senior citizens over 70 are entitled to free transport.

Travelling by Car

You can also travel by your own car or by taxis. The issue of parking in the centre of Prague and outside is addressed by guarded parking places and public garages. It is also possible to park in the city centre but here you have to follow the parking zones and by the required parking ticket.
Orange zone: Maximum parking time 2 hours; Price about CZK 40 per hour, more information on the parking meters.
Green zone: Maximum parking time 6 hours; Price about CZK 30 per hour. Both zones are equipped with parking meters for coins of CZK 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50, with written instructions.
Blue zone: Assigned exclusively to the residents or companies with their addresses in the district. Only vehicles with parking cards are allowed to park here.

Taxi!

For travelling around Prague you can also use the personal taxi service cars. There are maximum prices set by the government to protect the clients.
The fares are as follows:

• One-time fare of max.CZK 40
• Journeys within the territory of Prague max. CZK 28
• Waiting max.CZK 6/1 min.

There are tens of taxi service operators in Prague with different quality and colour of cars. You can use them throughout the day and night. For your own safety it is recommended to call for a taxi and not pick one in the street.
The taxis use a special parking place, the so-called Fair Place, marked with yellow TAXI signs and an orange hand with a thumb up. The operators of these parking places guarantee safe journeys, professional drivers and fair prices.
 

When to Visit Prague?

Prague is a popular tourist destination all year round. However, the most tourists traditionally visit the city in July, August and September. The spring months are a good time to visit, too. The weather is usually pleasant and the city is not crowded with tourists as in the summer.

Prague weather

Prague and the Czech Republic are situated in the middle of Central Europe. The average yearly temperatures are about 10 °C (50 °F). The coldest months of the year are January, February and December, when the average temperatures in Prague are around -0.5 °C (32 °F). On the other hand, °F are July and August, with the average temperatures between 25 - 30°C during the day (86 °F).
More about average temperature in Prague (Czech republic) can find here.

Prague currency

The currency in the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (koruna, or short format like USD - Kč). The exchange rate changes slightly throughout the year but the fluctuation is not significant.
Table of czech koruna rates can find here.

The average prices are usually very amiable for tourists and Prague traditionally is one of the cheaper cities. The good prices relate not only to accommodation but also to entry fees, food, drink and other services.

Important Contacts

Embassies

All the information concerning the respective embassies including addresses and updated contacts can be found at the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic or at the Embassies website.

Emergency Calls

Fire Rescue Service – 150
Emergency Medical Service (Ambulance) – 155
City (Municipal) Police – 156
Police – 158
Integrated European number for emergency calls – 112

Lost and Found

This is a place where people or the police hand over items that have been found or forgotten, e. g. in public transport. The items are stored here for 6 months.
Contacts:
Karoliny Světlé 5, Praha 1 - Staré Město
Tel.224 235 085
Opening hours:
Mon, Wed 8 a.m.–7.30 p.m.; Tue, Thu 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; Fri 8 a.m.–2 p.m. (lunch break 12–12.30)