Transcription
If you are visiting the stunning city of Prague for the first time, be sure to watch this video, because in it, I'm going to be sharing everything you need to know to have the best trip ever. Because as much as I love Prague, it does have a lot of tourist traps.
Now, in case you're new here, hi, I'm Christina from HappyToWander.com and this channel is all about practical travel advice from someone who's been there, done that, so be sure to like and subscribe if that sounds like your kind of thing.
Now, let's get started with some Prague travel planning tips. First, do know that Prague is a wonderful year-round destination, but it's almost always going to be very busy. I am super lucky because I used to live not too far away over in Munich, so I have over the years been able to visit Prague in three out of four seasons, and I can confirm that it is beautiful in all of them.
Now, one thing I will say though, is often I do see Prague hyped up as a very good Christmas market destination, but in my honest opinion, the markets here are just fine. The real magic of the markets in Prague really comes from the fact that the backdrops of Prague are so stunning. And so, of course, you're not going to have a bad time, it does look magical, but if your goal is to experience an authentic Christmas market with amazing food and shopping, I do have to say that Germany or Austria might be better places to look for that. But you can see more clips of Prague at Christmas in my Prague Christmas video, so you can make that decision for yourself. That said, there are some lesser known Easter markets that happen in Prague as well that look pretty cute, so definitely keep those on your radar.
Next, do try your best to plan your visit for the middle of the week to avoid the worst of the crowds. Prague is probably one of the most popular weekend trip destinations that Europe has to offer, especially for stag dos and hen dos, so if your goal is to avoid big crowds and crowds that are just drunk off their faces, then I would strongly suggest planning for a midweek trip if you have that flexibility. Of course, prices will also be lower if you do it this way, so it's really a win-win.
Now, in terms of where to stay, I would personally advise you stick to districts 1 and 2 if you want to be in walking distance to Prague's main sites. To help you get your bearings, Prague officially has 22 different administrative districts, but honestly, the vast majority of the main sights in the city can be found in districts Prague one and two, which includes the tourist hotspots of Staré Město, the Old Town, Malá Strana, the Lesser Town, and Nové Město, the New Town. If you want to easily walk everywhere, then what I would really advise is staying within this rough area. Though, of course, do know that prices are going to be higher and it's likely to be very busy and possibly quite loud if you're staying by any nightlife spots.
If, however, walking everywhere isn't a huge deal to you, public transport is very efficient in Prague, I'll be talking more about this later, and honestly, you'll have quick and consistent links into the city center so long as you stay close to a metro station. So, if you find a really good place that's close to a metro station, honestly, I would just go for that. Just keep in mind though that Prague is a city that is famously built on several hills, so you might want to double check the location of any accommodation that you're looking at, in advance, just to make sure you're not going to be climbing up a giant hill constantly to get back to your hotel every day.
Now in terms of currency, the local currency in Prague is, of course, the Czech crown, and I would highly suggest you familiarize yourself with the exchange rate ahead of time because a lot of the time, when tourists get scammed in Prague, it's usually just because they don't quite register when prices aren't exactly right or when they don't make sense. So, the best form of protection, really, is to just have a rough idea of the conversion rate in your head to see how much things are actually costing you so that the alarm bells can go off if things are overpriced.
Now, another really great tip that I think basically any Prague local is going to give you is to check out the Honest Guides YouTube channel for great advice. Honestly, I do my best in this video to summarize the most important must-knows for your first trip to Prague, but if you really want to deep dive into research, the Honest Guides channel is run by two locals and it's really next level and it's going to give you a lot more thorough and detailed information about places to eat and things like that, so definitely check them out if you're looking for more detailed information.
Now, it's time to discuss some Prague tips for transport and getting around. First off, do know that the cheapest way from the airport to the city center is, of course, going to be through public transport. If you're not traveling with too much luggage, generally, the best option is going to be hopping on the trolley bus 59 to Nádraží Veleslavín station, where you can then hop on the green metro line A into the city center. This will only cost you 40 Czech crowns, but does involve a transfer and, of course, lugging any bags that you've brought with you around. If you're able to do that though, there's no cheaper option.
A more direct way though, would be the airport express bus, which costs 100 Czech crowns one way. Another option is shared airport shuttles, though to be completely honest with you, if you are traveling with more than one person, a lot of the time, the cost difference between taking a shuttle and just booking a taxi is not super high, so you might as well just do that. Legitimate taxis aren't actually too expensive in Prague, so you might find it's actually worth the extra cost for a direct ride to your hotel. I checked, it's about 500 Czech crowns from the airport to the center, so yes, it is, of course, a lot more than just taking the bus and metro, but at the end of the day that's only about €20 so it's not going to break the bank, especially if you're going to be splitting it with other people that you're traveling with.
Next, I have to say, beware of taxi scams because they can sadly be quite common in Prague. While the situation has definitely improved over the years, I do think it's always a good idea to be booking any taxis that you're ordering in Prague through an app like Bolt, Uber, or Liftago, which is a local Czech app. This is always going to be better because then you have a paper trail, which minimizes your chances of getting scammed, along with a price estimate that gives you a better idea of what to expect costwise. Otherwise, if you just grab any taxi off the street, you could easily fall victim to different scams like rigged meters and unclear pricing. And speaking from experience, what scammy taxis love to do is target drunk tourists who don't know better, so definitely don't forget this piece of advice even after a few beers as well.
All that said, I probably wouldn't take taxis too often because the center of Prague is actually very walkable. So, exploring on foot is probably the way to go. Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe with gorgeous little streets and facades pretty much all around the old town and beyond, so I would advise you walk as much as you can to take it all in. But, I will say there are some streets in the tourist core that are just filled with tourist traps and crowds, and honestly, I would avoid them when possible and choose alternate routes instead. Karlova Street, in particular, is pretty awful, and honestly, I'm not a huge fan of Wenceslas Square either.
For longer distances that aren't walkable, you should know that public transport is based on an honor system but don't forget to buy and validate tickets because they do check. While public transport in Prague is very efficient and really well run, it does have certain intricacies that can catch first-timers off guard, so listen up. First off, in Prague, there are no ticket barriers at the metro station, and bus drivers generally won't be checking your tickets when you board. Instead, the way it works, it's more like an honor system, so you buy a ticket and you validate that ticket, and only when an inspector comes on board and asks to see it, do you present it to them.
You can easily buy single tickets for 30 minutes, 90 minutes, 24 hours, and 72 hours, with all tickets being valid for buses, trams, and the metro as well. You can easily buy tickets digitally through the PID Litačka app, but you can also get them at ticket machines, information centers, train stations, and even through machines on board trams and buses, so long as you pay with a contactless card. Now, I would personally advise getting a ticket before you board though, just in case, because the machines on board buses and trams aren't always going to be working, so you want to have a ticket just in case.
Do keep in mind though, buying a ticket is not enough. You do need to make sure you validate your tickets properly as well in order to avoid a fine. I've heard that the inspectors in Prague can be very ruthless and don't care if you're a tourist and you have a sob story, so do make sure you stamp the ticket correctly, and make sure you only stamp it once because otherwise it's considered invalid. Now, tickets purchased on board buses and trams are activated already at the point of purchase, but tickets that are bought from ticket machines and information centers need to be stamped properly once at a validation machine. And tickets bought on the app need to also be validated as well, in advance of boarding. What the app does is, actually, it doesn't validate your ticket for a minute or two, so make sure you give yourself a good window of time for the activation to go through.
If you plan to use public transport more than three times a day, getting a 24-hour or 72-hour ticket through the app, depending on the length of your trip, is probably going to make the most sense. And this eliminates the need to constantly buy and validate single tickets. Of course, to use all these apps and tips I'm recommending, something you can't go without in Prague is mobile data, because trust me, you're going to be using it constantly.
So, on that note, this week's video is brought to you by Airalo, my go-to eSIM provider with packages for over 200 countries and regions around the world, including, of course, Europe. Standing for embedded SIM, an eSIM is an amazing digital alternative to physical SIM cards, because it's pre-installed on your device and therefore able to connect you to local telecom networks 100% digitally as soon as you land. Which is very handy in Prague because then you can get your transport tickets or order a taxi right away, while checking currency conversion rates and routes to make sure you're on track and not getting scammed. All you need is a few minutes to purchase and set up your eSIM beforehand through the Airalo app and your data will be ready to go as soon as you arrive, without needing to deal with SIM cards or the pricey fees linked to roaming. So, if you want to try them out, you can download the Airalo app by scanning this code here and be sure to use the code HAPPY3 to save on your first purchase. You can also check out my Airalo guide to see step-by-step how to set your eSIM up. So, thanks again to Airalo for sponsoring this week's video, now let's move on with a fairly random but important-to-me tip, which is to make sure you don't miss the beautiful old entrance hall of the train station. It's honestly very much worth a look. Prague's Central Station these days is almost disappointingly modern, but on my last trip I did accidentally walk into the old entrance hall of the station, which is honestly so beautiful and really worth looking at. You can find it by searching up directions to the Fantova Kavárna, which is the café that's inside of this hall.
Now, let's move on to some Prague attraction tips. First, I really have to say that waking up early is key to enjoying the top sights in Prague without any crowds. Prague is an incredibly stunning city, but honestly, a lot of the magic does disappear when there's so many people that you can't even move. So, really, the only way to get around this is by getting up hideously early, I'm talking sunrise early, but I promise it's going to be worth it. Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, and the John Lennon Wall, in particular, are all really worth visiting early in the morning because they're just so great to see without all the crowds there.
My next tip is, I would say do definitely lower your expectations for the astronomical clock show because it's really not that exciting. The clock itself is so beautiful, but I think a lot of people hear about the astronomical clock show and expect it to be something that's super big or exciting when in reality, it's actually very low-key and lasts under a minute.
On a similar note, I would also beware that a lot of viral Instagram hotspots can often be quite underwhelming in real life. Like a lot of places, Prague has some spots that are really photogenic and therefore incredibly hyped up on social media, resulting in massive line ups to see them when they do look better in pictures than in reality. Some examples here would include the Infinity Book Tower, which is really just a photo op that uses a mirror to create an illusion of infinite books. In real life, it's pretty short, and apparently these days there's actually absurd line ups to go see it and take this picture, so I personally don't think that's worth your time. There are much better things to be looking at in Prague. The beautiful Clementinum Library is also really gorgeous and I do have to say that the view from the top tower is actually very nice, but the reality is, with the library, you can't even walk inside or anything. So, all you can really do is look at it from afar and snap a quick photo, which can be a bit of a let down if you don't expect it. I've heard it's very similar for the Strahov Monastery Library as well, unless you book a guided tour, which I believe does allow you to walk through the rooms and actually look at the library and the architecture, so be sure to look into that.
That said, there is so much more to Prague than the main must-seas, so be sure to venture out. Of course, when you're in Prague, you do need to see things like Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, and you know, that infamous astronomical clock, but there is way more than that. Some spots I can definitely recommend include Prague's Jerusalem Synagogue, which is decked out with amazing Moorish art and Art Nouveau architecture, and is honestly one of the most stunning buildings I've seen in Prague, with only a handful of fellow visitors drooling along with you. There's also Vyšehrad Castle, which is the lesser-known hilltop castle and fortress in Prague, with equally stunning views as Prague Castle, but like 1/100th of the crowds. It's also home to an amazing cemetery that acts as the final resting place of a lot of famous Czechs. Another fun one is Lucerna Passage, which has a really fun rooftop bar accessible by an old school Paternoster elevator, plus a very quirky statue of King Wenceslas riding an upside down horse and a nice café where you can sip a beer while looking at said horse. And yes, if you do have time, it is really worth venturing out of the central tourist core as well to see some other nice neighborhoods. Karlín and Vinohrady are both known to be super cool, as is Letná, which is known for its gorgeous park. If you want more details, be sure to check out my full things to do in Prague video, which will have lots more info.
If you're on a budget though, do know that there are many free things to do in Prague that are really worth checking out. In addition to admiring the amazing architecture around the city, some really fun free stuff to do in Prague includes checking out the many public artworks of iconic Czech artist David Černý. I warn you, some are really weird. Visiting churches like the Church of Our Lady Victorious, where you can actually see the infant Jesus and all his really cute outfits. Wandering through the Wallenstein Garden, and some museums as well, like the Army Museum of Žižkov and the Prague Aviation Museum.
On that note, another tip of mine is don't miss some of Prague's really cool museums and also know which ones to avoid. Trust me when I say, there are many tourist trap museums in Prague. I mean, ultimately, if you are interested in the topic, maybe it's not a tourist trap, but honestly, there are several places in Prague that are clearly just cash grabs that don't really have any particular unique connection to the city itself. Like, for instance, the Museum of Prague Ghosts and Legends, the Museum of Torture and Torture Instruments, and the World of Banksy, which is apparently unauthorized and just copies of Banksy's work. All that said, I do think that there are several cool museums that really fly under the radar. One in particular that I love is the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, which has this awesome airship installation that you can actually walk in. The national museums are also meant to be very good as well. But all that said, just a warning, make sure you do all the math before you buy a sightseeing pass like the Prague CoolPass. Apart from the cringey name, at first glance, the Prague CoolPass, to me, feels very expensive for what it is, considering the fact that many of the top must-sees in Prague are actually free and you don't need to pay that much money to go see them. So, as I would always recommend with sightseeing passes, make sure you do the math and see how many paid sites you're actually going to go to, before you just blindly pay for a pass like this.
Now, let's move on to some Prague food and drink tips. First, definitely avoid dining on or close to major sites, because most of the time, these restaurants are tourist traps. Now, this is especially true for food stalls that are in the Old Town Square. A very common tourist trap here is that they'll list prices for food based on 100 gram amounts, so that it seems cheap, but then when they actually load your plate up with an insane amount of food, then what's going to happen is it's going to end up costing a fortune. So, be very careful. I would personally avoid these stalls altogether because the quality of food just isn't amazing anyway., but if you really want to try them, do make sure you're confirming the price before you buy. And honestly, just as a rule of thumb, anything that's super close to the Old Town Square or Prague Castle or any major tourist attraction, is likely going to be overpriced, so if you choose to dine even just a few streets away from these touristy spots, you're definitely going to be better off and you're going to save yourself a lot of stress and a lot of money. Make sure you're always checking reviews in advance as well because people don't take kindly to being scammed. So, if a place isn't an honest business, then you're probably going to find out pretty soon.
Generally speaking though, any restaurant that advertises itself as offering "traditional Czech menus" is going to be geared more towards tourists. And in any case, make sure you're always double-checking the itemized bill before paying, because I have heard that many scammier restaurants will take liberties with mistakes on the bill, maybe add on a few extra items.
Now, another thing to be very mindful of is any pretzels or bread on the table are not actually free. They will charge you for them. So, this isn't necessarily a scam, but it can catch a lot of first-timers off guard. In some restaurants, you might see that they've left some pretzels or bread on the table, and so you might assume that these things are on the house, and they're like appetizers that you can have for free. But no, in reality, if you eat them, they are going to charge you for them, so don't take any if you don't want to eat them.
Next, here is a kind of sad one, and that is to be aware that Trdelnik, AKA chimney cakes, are not actually Czech specialties. Everywhere you go in Prague, you're going to see stalls selling these beautiful spinning pastries that are dusted with cinnamon sugar and just smell really good and look really fun because they're just rotating on a spin. Oftentimes, they're going to be served with extra toppings or even used as an ice cream cone in extreme cases. But no, unfortunately, these ubiquitous chimney cakes aren't actually a traditional local delicacy. Their roots are, in fact, Hungarian, so not traditional Czech by any means, even if they claim it is. And if they do claim it is, then odds are you're at a tourist trap. That said, these chimney cakes can taste really nice, just make sure you're getting fresh ones and not ones that have been sitting out for ages. And do try to read reviews beforehand to avoid overpaying.
Now, if you want to try a sweet treat that is more local though, Koláč is a nice puffy fruit based pastry that's really worth trying and that is actually typically Czech, so maybe that's a better idea. When you're in town though, you do have to make sure you're also drinking plenty of nice Czech beer, preferably in a beautiful beer garden while you're exploring. Prague is full of amazing places to grab a scenic drink, and I think in a city so packed with sites, it's pretty easy to just be jumping from attraction to attraction and not leaving yourself much time to breathe. But trust me, to experience the magic of the city, you really do need to chill somewhere scenic for a drink at some point. And in a city where this is the view from a Starbucks, you have plenty of options. The best beer gardens with a view include the one in Letna Park and also Na Hradbach at Vysehrad. If you're feeling for something unique, you can actually even bathe in beer at one of Prague's beer spas.
In terms of what beer to actually drink though, Pilsner Urquell is delicious and it's sold everywhere, but there are loads of micro breweries as well these days, that you can try if you want to branch out. Do note as well that you're going to see lots of signs for Budweiser everywhere, but don't get confused, this is actually a local Czech beer that's produced in České Budějovice, not the American Budweiser, and in my opinion, it is much better than American Budweiser, so be sure to give it a try if you want.
Of course, beyond beer, make sure you try plenty of Czech specialties and dishes during your visit. Some great dishes to try include Tatarák, which is steak tartar typically served with crispy bread and garlic; Smažený sýr, which is fried cheese; Česnečka, which is a nice garlic soup; Kulajda, a nice mushroom soup; Svíčková, which is beef served in creamy veggie sauce; Pečená kachna, which is roasted duck; and lots of dishes that might not be unique to Czech cuisine but nonetheless are very delicious like schnitzel, goulash, and sausages.
Moving back to the drink front though, many tourists do come to Prague to try absinthe, but do be aware that many absinthe places in the city center are absolute tourist traps, and the reality is real absinthe shouldn't be a radioactive green color. You will see plenty of these super green bottles of absinthe in practically every souvenir shop window when you're walking around the more touristy parts of the city, but you should know that real absinthe is definitely not meant to be the color of mouthwash, so be careful when you're purchasing any of these and when you're getting shots of them at the bar. If you're looking for actual Czech absinthe, I have heard good things about the St. Antoine absinthe from Zufanek. Generally, absinthe is considered to be more of a touristy thing in Prague, and it's not something that locals are going to be constantly drinking for fun.
Now, in terms of non-alcoholic drinks, something niche to keep in mind is that lemonades in Prague refer to sparkling water and a juice or syrup, not just lemon juice with sugar and water. So, don't order lemonade, assuming you're going to get a North American style lemonade, because it's not the same. Ask them instead what flavors they have, and prepare for it to be fizzy. All that said, Czech food is great, but I would strongly recommend you diversify your meals in Prague with some international options as well. In particular, Vietnamese is very popular. After all, Prague is a big city with lots of great food options beyond just traditional Czech food, so be sure to branch out if you get tired of eating non-stop traditional dishes.
Alright, finally, let's move on to some Prague tips for once you arrive in the city. First off, do familiarize yourself with common scams and general tourist traps before you arrive. Some things to keep an eye out for include:
One - any concerts being sold by costume touts on the street. If you want a concert experience, then you should really be looking up tickets directly through your venue of choice, like the Rudolfinum, for instance, which is a very popular music venue.
Two - any photo ops with people in costume. 99% of the time they are going to ask you for a tip and even be very aggressive about it if you choose to decline.
Three - any street games or challenges. A very popular one that you'll see in Prague is when you have to hold on to this bar for a chance to win money or there's also the cup and ball game, so you're never going to win those, just FYI, they are just there and designed to take your money, so don't waste your time.
Four - anybody asking you to sign a petition, because once you sign, they are pretty much guaranteed to hassle you for a donation or potentially they're using this petition as a distraction while they pick your pockets.
Next is nightlife scams, where attractive people will come chat you up and bring you to a bar where you're then going to pay an insane amount of money for drinks and can't leave until the tab is paid. And just in general, you should try to have a rough idea of the conversion rate and also understand how much basic stuff is roughly meant to cost. Prague might not be the super budget friendly destination that it once was, but these days, a beer really shouldn't cost you more than 80 crowns, for instance, so just have a rough idea of prices, give it a Google and then that way you are much less likely to get scammed.
Now, speaking of money, do make sure you have a little bit of cash on you, even though these days most places are increasingly card friendly, some places like smaller food stalls or smaller attractions will still accept or would far prefer cash, so make sure you have at least a little bit on you. But do be careful about where you get this cash from. I would personally stick to official bank ATMs only, making sure to avoid the Euronet ones at all costs because these ones can be quite scammy and that they're going to charge you a lot of extra fees or really bad currency conversion rates. And when you're paying with card, do always make sure to select the local currency as well because that's going to give you more favorable rates. Otherwise, you are likely to get charged more. I would also advise that you don't exchange any money at those sketchy currency exchange places. These are notoriously scammy establishments in Prague, Honest Guides has like a million videos busting and exposing these people, and you're really not likely to get a good rate or any good deals at these places, so do try to avoid them at all costs.
Now, in terms of tipping in Prague, tipping around 10% or rounding up is generally sufficient because tipping culture here isn't huge, but it is still somewhat expected and customary to tip a little bit. So, the way that you would typically do this in Prague is not by leaving money on the table, but it is simply by telling the server how much you want to pay in total with the tip when they're calculating your bills. So this way, they're going to put that total number into the card machine or that's the amount of money that they're going to give you change based off of when they give you change. Speaking of change though, do expect to pay between 10 to 20 Czech crowns for the use of public toilets. For that reason, I'd really recommend you bring coins.
Finally, I would say, do make sure you're learning a few basics in Czech, though you'll usually be fine in touristy areas with English. Overall, you really don't need to stress about learning a bunch of Czech in advance of your arrival, but of course, making an effort is always appreciated and important, especially because Prague, unfortunately, does get its fair share of rude tourists who don't make an effort at all. So, to be as polite and respectful as possible, do learn a few basics. Dobrý den works as a greeting any time of day and děkuji is thank you.
Well, on that note, thanks so much for watching. Be sure to like and subscribe for more travel videos just like this one, and I'll see you next time. Bye!