Prague

supersport · Jan 2, 2006

I'm going to make a side trip to Prague, while I'm in Germany for World Cup, is Prague still a good deal? What are the things I must see and do?

shwantzme · Jan 3, 2006

supersport said:

I'm going to make a side trip to Prague, while I'm in Germany for World Cup, is Prague still a good deal? What are the things I must see and do?
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My wife will be there at the end of the month. I will ask her when she gets back.

Footer Phooter · Jan 3, 2006

shwantzme said:

My wife will be there at the end of the month. I will ask her when she gets back.
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Please do. We're going in about 6 months.

Placid Casual · Jan 3, 2006

Go to Krakow instead. Or Budapest.

If you go to Prague go to and see the Astromical clock in the town hall square - but avoid eating or drinking anywhere near there like the plague.

Staropramen brewery is a fun couple of hours.

http://iglo.lundegaard.cz/staropramen_new/centrum/eng/index.html

Canadian_Supporter · Jan 4, 2006

Footer Phooter said:

Please do. We're going in about 6 months.
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Prague will be very busy during the summer. If you are going, try to book ahead a few months. Learn a little Czech as the people will appreciate it... even if it is just mluvite anglicky (do you understand English). Someone mentioned the food in and around Stare Mesto.... it is much more expensive then what you would pay outside of Prague and even outside of the city centre. Oh yeah, I wouldn't say Prauge is a good deal, but I suppose that is all relative as to how much you have to spend.

I haven't been to Prague since 2002, and I usually only use it as a base to get into the Czech Republic (by plane) so I'm not that much help.

I'm going back to the Czech Republic this March and I'll be flying into Brno.... I can't wait!

shwantzme · Feb 24, 2006

From my wife

I bought the Rick Steves' book on Prague and it was an awesome resource. We had a great meal at this cool little place called "Klub Arkitekto" (sp?) that he recommended--they sell architecture supplies for students upstairs and there's a really inexpensive, tasty restaurant downstairs.
The Charles Street Bridge is beautiful and just a neat place to take pictures. If you walk down to the bridge from the Prague Castle, you get some amazing views. Neat little bars along the way, too, with dirt cheap beer (most places a beer is about 23 crowns, or $1 USD!!) I was amazed at how inexpensive everything was there, so that was fun in itself.
Tell him the Black Light Theatre is very strange and I definitely wouldn't recommend seeing a play there!! (That was the nude Alice in Wonderland thing). I was tempted to write Rick Steves' about that recommendation--bad, bad!!
If he likes massages, tell him to get one at the place next to the Country Life restaurant near the astronomical clock--dirt cheap.
The architecture everywhere is amazing--"The Dancing House" building is especially cool--they have a restuarant on top that's supposed to be nice but it was closed when we were there. I think it opens at 6pm nightly. (The Perlan, I believe)
Tell him to buy a good street map--everything is easily accessible by walking or taking public transportation, but the streets aren't very well marked, so sometimes it's tricky trying to figure out how close you are to something. We didn't get one and we got turned around a million times. You can buy a 3-day transportation pass for 220 crowns (about $8 USD) and you can use it on the bus, the tram OR the subway. Great deal. Stay away from most cabs--they will try to rip you off. And learn some basic phrases--many Czechs don't speak English but are very nice to tourists.
There's good shopping on Cesna (I think??) Street. Good deals on glass vases, crystal and jewelry. Also some neat shops in the Jewish Quarter, which has some very interesting history but you have to pay to get into all the synagogues and the cemetary.
We did a ghost tour like the one in Scotland, but it was pretty bad and definitely not worth the money.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.
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jmarquez1976 · Feb 24, 2006

supersport said:

I'm going to make a side trip to Prague, while I'm in Germany for World Cup, is Prague still a good deal? What are the things I must see and do?
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From what I have heard Budapest is more interesting than Prague...unless you like "Disney & McWorld" type places. However, I know people who have really enjoyed Brno....which is where some of the better Pilsner brewers reside.

Own Goal Hat-Trick · Feb 24, 2006

Placid Casual said:

Staropramen brewery is a fun couple of hours.
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this beer was all over the place in stockholm. i seem to remember enjoying it.

ASU55RR · Mar 2, 2006

I live in Prague so I can probably help; for starters most of Prague is still cheap by more western standards if thats what you are wondering about. However there are areas where you can spend alot of money here as well, in general the further from Charles Bridge/Old Town you get the cheaper. For sights old town and the castle are where you will find the highest concentration of historic landmarks. If you have any particular interests or want to know good restaurants or bars I can try and help.

RichardL · Mar 4, 2006

jmarquez1976 said:

From what I have heard Budapest is more interesting than Prague...unless you like "Disney & McWorld" type places. However, I know people who have really enjoyed Brno....which is where some of the better Pilsner brewers reside.
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Prague is more popular with tourists than Budapest, and this really annoys the tourists who like to think themselves a step or two ahead of the common herd and enjoy dismissing anywhere that's popular.

I like Budapest, but while it may feel a bit more "authentically east european" than Prague, Prague outshines it in almost every other respect.