Things You Should Know about Prague
Prague is an amazing city in the heart of the Czech Republic, This is one of my favourite places in the world. With its beautiful architecture, great experiences, amazing food and cocktails that are stunningly creative.
In this article, I will be telling you some must see places when visiting Prague, Scams to avoid and some recommendations that multiple people have given to make this article so informative. This article is based on a PDF given to me before my trip to Prague given to me by my girlfriend’s sister. I have added my own parts to it since travelling there myself, so I can tell you this has already saved me a lot of money (and stress).
Transport
This is something you need to do right now, Download the PID transport app (PID Lítačka), it is a lifesaver. It gives you the most accurate timetables and the fastest routes to where you want to go. It runs better than google maps for longer distances as it includes, buses, metros and trams to find you the fastest route, which in turn will save you money. As Transport costs more the longer time you travel.
You can buy tickets on the app, it’s super easy. But there are ticket machines in some places like the airport where you buy the ticket and you validate the ticket on the bus (as you need to activate the ticket to start, you stamp it). For the trams, you can buy tickets on the trams themselves. The app is the easiest way of buying tickets for all modes of Transport.
Trams
Trams will probably be your best bet for getting around the city as they run very frequently and they are super easy to find, as all the tram stops have got red signs. The trams run 24 hours (Non-Stop) which is super helpful when you are looking at getting in at 4 am after finding a really awesome cocktail bar.
The one problem with trams can be the direction of travel, but there are ways to tell with the arrow direction on the stop. If you mess up just get off at the next stop and jump on the tram on the opposite side of the road.
On all trams, there is information telling you, your current location and upcoming stops.
Bus
The only time I used a bus was coming from the Airport (119) it takes you to all the airport terminals and to trams and metro stops.
This will probably be the only time you will use it too.
Metro
Metros can be the quickest way of getting from one side of the city to the other. But you probably won’t need to use the metro as you be exploring the city slowly using trams.
Tourist Traps and Scams
There is a lot of these around Prague sadly, but this is just like every city in the world. People trying to make extra money off the people that don’t understand how things work in that country.
Some of these tips are the same tips you should use in every city in the world. Simple ways to save you money.
Things to avoid:
Mini markets – They are everywhere around Prague, a bit more expensive but if it is something essential then it is alright. Avoid these if possible and head to places like Albert & Billa which are supermarkets that the locals use.
ATMs – The ATMs you can use and shouldn’t use, can be hard to tell if don’t know what you’re looking for. The ones you should avoid at all costs are the ATMs that are not part of a bank. You can tell these as they normally have Flags around them to promote it to tourists. Mostly found around touristy areas.
Head to the bank ATMs (I.E Raiffeisenbank, Inc or Československá obchodní banka, a. s)
Souvenir shops – These always are a waste of money, but to be fair, we all love a good souvenir. So a way of getting the best price for the obviously overprice stuff, head to the Havel Market (Havelska). There are a few shops around there too, a bit better priced than the markets.
Old Chimney Cake– Prague is known for having a pastry called the Chimney cake and this can be found everywhere! This is the main problem some places have them sitting ready to go. Others you can literally see them making them. Make sure you see them making fresh Chimney cake before you buy as you can find stale cakes very easily.
I got a cake near Národní Muzeum from a street food market vendor, it was very nice but extremely messy.
Actual Scams
Card Cloning- This one isn’t limited to Prague, it’s another scam that is known around the world. This is simply done by buying something at a place and they steal your card details to make purchases.
How do you stop it, well apart from going just to places that are trusted, which is hard to tell. My biggest tip is using a travel bank card like Wise or Relolute and not storing much money and topping up when needed as if you are hacked then you lose a lot less. Or paying cash but this has its own problems.
Theft- Charles bridge is a known tourist hotspot, and all tourist hotspots have a higher amount of pickpockets. Stay alert.
I say this, I walked the whole area with a £1000 worth of camera equipment and I was fine
The Transferring Money– This scam is very big in Prague, with posters warning tourists, and you can find YouTube videos of people doing this. To quickly summarise the scam it’s when someone gives you a better exchange rate for money than the shops, by giving you the wrong currency.
Just don’t exchange money on the street with strangers. As I said before you should get a Wise or Relolute card they give amazing exchange rates and very easy to withdraw money and there is no need to use these shops at all.
Food
Here are some food recommendations based on our own experiences, My girlfriend’s sister’s experiences and other recommendations
- Lokal – At this place you will get traditional Czech food, there are several locations. If you are looking for a traditional Czech experience it is worth it
- Bakeshop- A bakery that has a range of sandwiches, pies, desserts, salads & pastries. Great tasting fresh food, perfect for lunch.
- Palo Verde Bistro– Great Vegan restaurant, nice range of food and chilled environment. Nice food even for meat eaters.
- PAPRIKA – Mediterranean Kitchen & Bar – Quick and easy wraps and Mediterranean food.
- Albert – For a supermarket, it has some great pastries, great for breakfast (and snacks).
Beer Gardens and Cocktail Bars
Here are some drink recommendations based on our own experiences, My girlfriend’s sister’s experiences and other recommendations
- Letna park – remember to bring back the cup, they only take cash here too
- Riegrovy park – We were recommended to go to this park to watch the sunset, a lot of locals come here. They provide beer here and there are some food vans, sometimes even live music
- Beebop Bar – Posh but not caring if you walk in shorts and a t-shirt. great cocktails, the bartenders
- Anonymous Bar -is a very fun, quirky bar. great cocktails, a little harder to find but definitely worth the visit.
- Robotic Bar- it is expensive for a robot to make cocktails but also cool to see. (long island ice tea is great value for money, but extremely strong)
Things to See and Do
- Free walking tours (1.2. Free walking tours were recommended) – There are 2 tours, the old town/Jewish quarter tour and the Prague castle tour. You can do both of these on the same day. You get a real look at the city and then you can explore further.
- The view from Prague Castle is amazing, there is a little winey/ coffee shop at the top which is pretty cool for a drink and view. Heard mixed reviews from the castle itself.
- If you like new architecture, the Dancing houses are you.
- Lennon Wall is pretty cool, it’s filled with Beatle’s lyrics graffiti and anti war graffiti.
- Charles Bridge, is one of the biggest tourist locations, with a statue that people like to rub for many different reasons.
Going To Prague You Need To See These!
See Prague before you go
Want to see what I got up to in Prague? Some might find a 46-minute video on Prague a bit too long!
Others might want to see, what Prague really is like, not just an article explaining what to see and do.
We take you through arriving and seeing Prague for the first time, to Giving tips for public transport and packing, To showing you all the sites!
(not available until 17/6/22)
Puns for your Instagram
Do you want a perfect pun for your Instagram, Snapchat or Facebook well look no further!
Some might be a bit rude and not suitable, but they should make you laugh.
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