PRAGUE GUIDE PRAGUE GUIDE MONEY Currency: Koruna (crown), 1 Kč = 100 haléř Domestic beer (0.5 liter, draught) – 25-45 CZK Essential Information Souvenir t-shirt – 150-200 CZK Money 3 You can exchange your currency at any bank and Gasoline (1 liter) – 36 CZK most tourist offices. Avoid the unofficial money Hostels (average price/night) – 400-600 CZK Communication 4 The capital of the Czech Republic is also called exchange offices; most of them will only scam 4* hotel (average price/night) – 2000-3000 CZK the City of One Hundred Spires. The metrop- you. Always ask first about the exchange rate. Car-hire (medium-sized car/day) – 1000 CZK Holidays 5 olis is well-known for its amazing mix of many Credit cards are accepted at most stores and Taxi from the airport to the city centre – restaurants – identified by the relevant stickers 550-700 CZK Transportation 6 architectural styles, both old and new. Prague is also one of the best destinations in Europe on the door. You will need cash for the smaller Tipping Food 8 for history buffs – literally every street here has businesses. Larger stores and hypermarkets also witnessed some historical event. accept Euro, although you’ll get the change back Tipping is welcomed, especially in bars, restau- Events During The Year 9 The city center, with its churches, bridges, old in crowns and the exchange rate is generally un- rants and by taxi drivers. The usual amount is houses and cobbled alleys, was left nearly un- favorable. 5-10% of the bill or you can round up to the next 10 Things to do damaged by the WWII and, as such, has a ten or twenty crowns. Tips are left in cash, even magical atmosphere. The Astronomical Clock, Tax Refunds if you pay by credit card, and given directly to the DOs and DO NOTs 11 Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle can re- There is a VAT refund available to those who waiters; do not leave the money on the table. Activities 15 ally take you to another time and let you expe- are not EU citizens. VAT is 21% and you need rience Prague’s unique charm. to spend a minimum of 2,500 CZK in one shop . Prague is also a city of culture. Each one of the on one day to be eligible for the refund. Make countless theatres, museums and galleries has sure you get the VAT refund form from the store something unique to offer, be it an opera at the at the time of your purchase. Fill out the form National Theatre or an exhibition of contempo- and, with your receipt attached, and show it and Emergency Contacts rary art at the DOX Gallery. And at night, there the items you purchased on your final departure Emergency (police, ambulance, fire): 112 are plenty of opportunities to hit the bar scene, from the European Union. Make sure you don’t Czech Police: 158 grab one of the world-famous Czech beers and pack the purchased items into your checked lug- Municipal police: 156 enjoy Prague from a different perspective. gage if flying. The customs authorities will stamp Roadside assistance: +420 1240 your documents for you to later make your claim Time Zone General information: +420 221 714 444 through the store’s affiliate – Global Refund is CET (UTC+1), observes DST. the most common in the Czech Republic. These companies have their offices at the airport, so you can get your money back immediately. Prices Meal, inexpensive restaurant – 90 CZK Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant, three-course – 550 CZK Big Mac – 70 CZK Bottle of water at supermarket – 15 CZK (1.5 liters) 2 3 COMMUNICATION HOLIDAYS Electricity Internet 1 January – New Year’s Day The standard electricity supply in the Czech Re- Most hotels and hostels offer their own free Easter Monday public is 230 volt – 50 Hz AC and plugs have two Wi-Fi connection. Cafés, bars and restaurants 1 May – Labor Day round pins. Remember to bring an adapter or in Prague also have their own Wi-Fi hotspots and 8 May – Liberation Day converter if you need it. will provide the password as long as you order 5 July – Saint Cyril and Methodius Day something. Some trams also offer free Wi-Fi. 6 July – Jan Hus Day Languages Alternatively, you could use one of the internet 28 September – St. Wenceslas Day 28 October – Independent Czechoslovak State The national language is Czech, a Slavic language cafés, which though rapidly disappearing, as in Day very similar to Slovak and with some similari- other European cities, can still be found in some 17 November – Struggle for Freedom and ties to Polish and other Slavic languages. It can places. The average price for an hour is 60 CZK. Democracy Day be very difficult to grasp, especially if you do 24 December – Christmas Eve not know any similar languages, but learning a Internet Resources 25 December – Christmas Day few short phrases is not that hard and the lo- Official tourist website for Prague (www.praguewelcome. 26 December – St. Stephen’s Day cals will be very happy to see you are trying to cz) speak Czech. The younger generation usually Official tourist website for the Czech Republic Opening Hours speaks English, while the older people know some (www.czechtourism.cz) Smaller shops are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Russian and/or German. Other languages, such Official website of the city (www.praha.eu) on weekdays and sometimes even on Saturday as French or Spanish, are also taught in some Prague Post (www.praguepost.com) – local mornings. The supermarkets and shops in malls schools. If you have any questions, your best bet English newspaper have longer opening hours and usually stay open is to try asking someone young in English. until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. However, mall shops also open later in the morning at about 9 a.m. Some Mobile Phones hypermarkets, especially in large cities, are open The whole country is covered by the GSM 900/1800/ round the clock. GPRS/HSPDA network. European mobile phones should work fine, though visitors from the US and Museums close on Christmas Day, New Year’s Asia might need to check compatibility. There are Day and other holidays (see Holidays above). three operators in total running the network – O2, Otherwise, they are open from 10 a.m. every day. Vodafone and T-Mobile. There is also a fourth op- Closing hours vary depending on the museum, erator, U:fon, which runs on a different standard so always check the museum website. and offers lower prices, however you will need to buy their hardware if you want to use their Official institutions and smaller shops are com- services. You can use your own card or buy a pletely closed on these days. pre-paid anonymous card if you want a Czech number. The international access code for the Czech Republic is +420. The area code for Prague is 2. 4 5 TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION Public Transportation Train – there are five train stops in Prague. As a Regional Transportation Walkability Prague is well-covered by public transport, both tourist, you won’t use these unless you want to As the capital, Prague is a well-connected city. Prague is a picturesque city and the old medieval in the city center and the more distant suburbs travel to other cities. Buses and trains run at regular intervals both to center is easily walkable – in fact, you would miss and all lines are operated by one company. Of other cities in the republic (Brno, Cesky Krumlov out on many sights if you didn’t walk! Almost course, you will need tickets and you can buy Boat – the Vltava River is used for scenic cruises and others) and beyond the border (Germany, every area of “older” Prague is walkable and them at the metro stations, in tobacco shops, at and some small ferries are integrated into the Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, …) Trains are useful for reveals its hidden beauty if you step off public tourist offices or from the bus drivers. Alterna- public transport system. travelling longer distances, while buses are good transport and decide to explore on foot. Make tively, if you have a Czech SIM card in your mobile, for travelling to and from major cities and also sure you cross the road only on the crosswalks you can also buy an electronic SMS ticket. When Funicular Railway – goes up the Petřín hill and local towns. and on a green light, as fines are quite high if you using a paper ticket, always validate it before en- easily accounts for the most romantic ride in all do not adhere to these rules. tering the metro station or right after you board of Prague. It runs every 10 minutes (15 minutes IDOS (jizdnirady.idnes.cz) – a useful tool for search- the bus or tram, but slotting it into the little time in winter) and accepts tickets used for other forms ing the timetables of public transport across the and date stampers near the entrances or doors. of public transport. country Keep in mind that Prague is divided into different Regular transport runs from 5 a.m. to midnight Driving or 1 a.m. on the weekends. After this time, you zones and transport to farther districts could cost Speed limits in cities – 50 km/h (31 mph) can use one of the night trams which use differ- more. However, the basic tickets are just fine if Outside the cities – 90 km/h (56 mph) ent numbering from the day trams.