Bring sensible shoes to Prague, or risk enjoying this view with the monologue 'Owie ow ow ow ow ow ow OW!' repeating in your head.
Beloved and I are getting married in Prague this fall. Many, many people have asked us, “Why are you getting married in Prague?” Most apparently suspect that one of us is secretly Czech. The truth is actually a bit boring – we love to travel, and would like to share that with our friends and family. Once we crunched the numbers on cost, length of flights, annual rainfall, and price per litre for beer, Prague became the obvious choice.
Many of our guests (family members in particular) are less than familiar with international travel. That is to say that they will freeze like deer in the headlights the first time they see a menu with € on it. To help them make the adjustment, we prepared a short list of tips on how to make the most of a trip to Prague.
We highly recommend that you hire the hotel shuttle for when you land in Prague. In the case of Hotel Josef, the ‘shuttle’ is a large, comfortable, leather-bound Skoda sedan which will whisk you through 40 minutes of heavy traffic in comfort and style. I’m not sure what the Four Seasons uses, but it’s probably a Mercedes or a gilded chariot drawn by unicorns. The shuttle is available for the low price of 30 Euro at Hotel Josef or 3 gold Sovereigns for the Four Seasons. Just kidding about the Four Seasons. Well, probably.
We strongly recommend against renting a car. Parking in Prague is both rare and expensive, and almost everywhere you might want to go is either within easy walking distance or quickly accessible by streetcar. Also, the Prague police have car-towing down to an art form. Seriously, there are hoists and pulleys involved and everything. To obtain tickets for the street cars, talk to your hotel’s front desk. To obtain your rental car after it’s been stolen by the Magical Czech Towing Machine, talk to Petr, our photographer’s assistant. He’s had his car towed so often that the guys at the impound yard know him by name.
Perhaps the most important item you can bring with you to Prague is a pair of sensible shoes. Prague is a beautiful city and everything is very near to everything else. As a result, it’s very easy to walk from one place to the next and the next and so on until you suddenly realize you’ve been walking for three solid days without stopping. You may want to bring a second pair of shoes, and you will definitely want to bring lots of comfortable socks.
For the ladies, wearing heels is probably not the best of ideas. We have only seen one woman wear heels in Prague and she was carried by the doorman into a taxi. Cobble stones hate heels and will destroy them and any nearby ankles, simply out of spite.
Like much of Europe, many of the public restrooms in Prague charge an entrance fee. The cost is usually around 10 Kc (about $0.50), but can be avoided by ducking into one of the many neighborhood cafes that abound in Prague. That said, it doesn’t hurt to keep a bit of extra change in your pocket. Nothing is worse than trying to convince the guy at the mulled wine and sausage cart* to change a 1,000 Kc bill for 10 Kc coins when you really, really need to pee.
Almost everyone in Prague speaks English, though we do recommend that you start off with saying Good Day in Czech (Dobry den, or “DOH-brie DEN”, or the less-formal and more-piratical ”AHOY!”) and it never hurts to use Please (Prosim or “PRO-seem”) and Thank You (Děkuji or “Deck-oo-yee”). Of course, many of you will also want to know how to order a nice cold glass of pivo (“PEE-VO” or beer). Lastly, if you ever you find yourself stuck, then try your magic word – English? (“Anglicky?” or “ANG-lich-key?”)
Also, there are some good websites out there with valuable Czech language resources.
The most cost effective way to obtain Czech currency is from an ATM. I know, it sounds like there must be some sort of catch, but it really is that easy. The bank machine isn’t going to spit out Monopoly money or mace you or anything like that. Most of the ‘exchange booths’ you see on the street will charge 9 or 10% commission. An ATM will charge perhaps 2 or 3% off the exchange rate, which is better than what you’d get from a bank teller (assuming they will even accept filthy Canadian lucre).
Just look for any ATM with the ‘Plus’ logo. Sometimes, even these ATM machines will yell at you in electronic Czech and refuse to give you money, but persistence pays off and another ATM will almost certainly help you in your valiant efforts to prop up the European economy. Your other option would be to use US dollars or Euros, but then you have to suffer the death of 1,000 currency conversions. Those converting directly from US dollars should do so at a bank, not a money changing booth.
You may wish to have some pocket money when you first arrive, and there is a currency exchange booth in the airport which charges a reasonable commission. Still, we’d recommend you keep it to $50 or less so that you can spend your money on fun things like croissants, crystal and heavily discounted coats. Or on beer, beer and beer.
There are student discounts available for many of the popular museums, shows and sites. We recommend that you bring a student card, if you have one - even if it did expire 20 years ago.
When eating in Czech restaurants, you should expect to pay for everything that you would normally receive for free in North America, such as the bread plate or any water that does not clearly come from a tap. You may also be charged a small seating fee. If you are being served something that you don’t want to pay for later, then just wave it off.
Try to avoid restaurants that advertise that they have English menus, particularly if they do so in neon lights. Almost every restaurant in Prague has English menus, and so those that feel the need to point this out are likely tourist traps. Restaurants on Wenscelas Square or the Old Town Square are typically over priced, but you don’t need to go far down the side streets to find a nice, reasonable restaurant.
Many restaurants post their menus (and prices) at the door and the price of a pint of beer or coffee is a good measure of reasonability. Coffee or beer should be around 30 Kc, or about $1.50. Yes, a pint of beer in Prague does indeed cost as little as a cup of coffee. Most restaurants in the Czech Republic still allow smoking, but may have a non-smoking section or a patio where you can find a bit of fresh air. Tipping is not expected, but is appreciated. 10% is considered generous.
If you can, try to pay for the bill with cash rather than credit. The transaction charge on credit card bills can be 5 to 10% in the Czech Republic, so proprietors typically prefer cash. We are not liable if they give you ever-so-friendly bear hugs or shots of Beherovka** to show their gratitude.
* Yes, mulled wine and sausage carts really exist. And they’re awesome.
** Fun Fact: Did you know that Beherovka is Czech for “the thin layer of diesel floating in the puddle behind the restaurant”?
Do you have tips to share from your trip to Prague, or elsewhere in Eastern Europe? Share them in the Comments section…
