Livingprague.Com Trip Planner and Mini-Guide Jason Holt
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TRIP PLANNER and MINI-GUIDE An English Prague Resident living and working here since 1996 gives all kinds of insider knowledg e to help you plan your trip for getting the most out of your visit to Prague. Accommodation, Tips and Tricks, Getting Around, Food, Drink and Things to Do. Downloadable resources and personal recommendations to make your trip go smoothly from start to finish. 2020 VERSION 3 https://www.livingprague.com Authored by: Jason Holt LIVINGPRAGUE.COM TRIP PLANNER AND MINI-GUIDE JASON HOLT For People Who Want to Be Prepared I’d lived here for 21 years before I wrote the first Trip Planner. It was my wife’s idea that I find a way to share my experiences in using the city both as a tourist since 1996 and as a Permanent Resident since 2005 but in an easily downloadable format. It’s since grown into being a mini-guide on it’s own. You’ll be dipping into my two websites i.e. mostly livingprague.com but also livingpraguetours.com where appropriate. If you are in the “thinking about going” stage then this will help tip the balance. If you are in the “planning your trip” stage then this will help in the following ways: o How to choose the area to stay based on a few simple principles. o Deciding on the type of accommodation and the pros and cons of each. o Your food and drink options both fast/takeaway and sit-down/relaxing. o Deciding if you want to use public transport and what’s involved in that. o Your arrival in Prague whether by Plane, Train, Car or Bus. o Dress codes and recommendations o Transferring to and from your accommodation. o The most popular attractions in the city. o Tour options in the city. So by the time you’ve got to the end of this planner you should have been able to: Get the accommodation you want in the area you have selected, have a good idea about what you want to see in the city, how you want to get around, where and what you want to eat and where you want to go for entertainment. Did I miss anything? You’re always welcome to contact me if you have questions. LIVINGPRAGUE.COM TRIP PLANNER AND MINI-GUIDE JASON HOLT Table of Contents For People Who Want to Be Prepared ................................................................2 Why Visit Prague? ................................................................................................6 The Best Areas to Stay..........................................................................................8 Tips on Using Booking/Comparison Websites ....................................................9 Prague 1 - The Old Town (in Czech - Staré Město) ........................................ 10 Prague 1 – New Town (in Czech – Nové Město) ............................................ 11 Prague 1 – Lesser Town (in Czech – Malá Strana) ......................................... 12 Prague 1 – Castle Area (in Czech – Hradčany) ............................................... 13 Prague 1 – Jewish Quarter (in Czech – Josefov) ............................................ 14 Prague 2 – Vinohrady ..................................................................................... 15 Prague 3 – Žižkov ............................................................................................ 16 Prague 7 – Holešovice and Letna ................................................................... 17 Prague 8 – Karlín ............................................................................................. 18 Accommodation in a Hotel or Apartment ......................................................... 19 Apartments – What to Look For .................................................................... 19 Hotels – What to Look For ............................................................................. 20 Wellness .......................................................................................................... 20 When is a Hotel not a Hotel? .......................................................................... 21 Arrival/Departure .............................................................................................. 22 Arrival/Departure by Plane ............................................................................ 22 Arrival/Departure by Train ............................................................................ 23 Arrival/Departure by Car ............................................................................... 24 Arrival/Departure by Bus ............................................................................... 24 Airport Transfer .................................................................................................. 25 Private Airport Taxi ........................................................................................ 25 Official Airport Taxi ........................................................................................ 26 LIVINGPRAGUE.COM TRIP PLANNER AND MINI-GUIDE JASON HOLT Public Transport Bus ....................................................................................... 26 Airport Express Bus ........................................................................................ 26 Shared Shuttle ................................................................................................. 27 Train Station Transfers ................................................................................... 27 Bus Station Transfers ...................................................................................... 27 Public Transport Essentials ................................................................................ 28 How to Buy Tickets and Passes ...................................................................... 28 Eating and Drinking ............................................................................................ 29 Restaurants and eBooks ................................................................................. 30 Payment and Tipping ...................................................................................... 31 Street Food ...................................................................................................... 32 Takeaways ....................................................................................................... 33 Exploring the City ............................................................................................... 35 Private Guide .................................................................................................. 36 Ratings and Reviews ....................................................................................... 36 Scheduled Paid Tours ..................................................................................... 36 Free Tours ....................................................................................................... 39 Attractions and Places to Visit ........................................................................... 40 Discounted Entries.......................................................................................... 40 Prague Card ..................................................................................................... 41 Skip the Line .................................................................................................... 41 A Suggestion .................................................................................................... 41 Things to Do – Day and Early Evening ............................................................... 42 Show Me Options ............................................................................................ 42 Physical Effort Required ................................................................................. 43 Pop-up Entertainment .................................................................................... 43 Street Entertainment ...................................................................................... 43 Theatre/Classical Music ................................................................................. 44 LIVINGPRAGUE.COM TRIP PLANNER AND MINI-GUIDE JASON HOLT Scenic Locations .............................................................................................. 44 Activities and Things to Do – Evenings after 8pm ............................................ 45 Trips and Excursions ........................................................................................... 47 Souvenirs ............................................................................................................. 48 Thank You ........................................................................................................... 49 LIVINGPRAGUE.COM TRIP PLANNER AND MINI-GUIDE JASON HOLT Why Visit Prague? Figure 1- Wallenstein Gardens There are many great places in the world so there must be a specific reason for wanting to visit. Let’s speculate. Cost of living: Let’s not beat about the bush. The cost of living in Central European countries compared with Western Europe is considerably less. Quite frankly, your money will buy you more, higher standard hotel, better quality food and entertainment. So if you want the most bang for your buck then that’s a good reason the visit Prague. I don’t try and track prices but if anybody uses certain items to budget for a trip then let me know and I’ll find out the current cost. The Triangle: Multi-centre holidays are becoming more popular. It means more transfers and travelling but for those who want to see multiple Capital cities in one trip then Prague is usually included