Im going to prague next week and was just wondering if anyone has been lately? It is supposed to really cold out there at the moment up to -14:thumbsup:

Prague is beautiful! One of my all-time European faves. It does get pretty darn freezing there though! Wrap up warm! Have you been before?

No never been before so right looking forward to it. I have herd the pubs/restaurants are quite cheap what do u think?:thumbsup:

Load up your camera with film. Some of it is simply breath-taking. I recommend you go to the main square where the clock is (you can't miss it cos there will be loads of folk watching it!) Directly opposite is a hotel called U-Price. Go inside and take the steps up one floor to the lift. Hit the button for the terrace and go up to the roof top. It could be cold but the views ) particularly at sunset, are awe-inspiring! You can have cheap cocktails up there, and they do food which is sooooooooo cheap and delicious! The bars in the square tend to be more costly in order that they get the money from the tourists. You can buy amber. Again, go to the shops that are NOT on the main square. If you cross the bridge and walk up the hill you will find that there are more traditional and therefore. cheaper restaurants in which to eat. On that side you can visit the cathedral etc and the views from there are great too. There is a vista cafe just by there. With whom are you going?

It can be rather romantic!

Just going with a group of mates for my 21st birthday. Im only going for 3 nights so got to cram everything in them days. What the price comparison compared to england as i am wondering how much money to take?

Just got back yesterday! we took £125 each for a 4 night long stay and had about £50 left over between us for the duty free. We weren't drinking loads but went out for meals every night. So given it's a 21st do I would say take a bit more than that!
It's probably a good idea to be able to take more out if you need it, plenty of places will let you buy money with a mastercard commision free.

Drinks range from 30p a pint to around £1.50 Pilsner Urquell seems to be the cheapest in most places. Don't bother with the cheapest wines, they're like paintstripper and the local spirit, Bresc..something or other, was foul! but absinthe and whiskey both seemed vert good prices (didn't have any though).

Look around the backstreets gor the best prices, the more touristy places have higher prices but even then they are pretty good.

By the way, wrap up warm, it's freezing out there at the moment, it started to snow again yesterday morning so expect it to be pretty slippy if you're waking anywhere.

You will be able to fit everything in to 3 days (unless you plan to be suffering from hangovers for most of the days), it is only a small city. Depends how much you want to spend and on what. Some things are dirt cheap. Some places you can get a three course meal for about £5! Even their most expensive restaurants are half the price of what you would expect to pay for the same thing over here in the UK. I would say, on average, it is between 1/2 and 3/4 price of the UK. I can not advise how much to take cos I don't know how you like to spend your money.

How was it then did u have a good time? I gon next thursday for 3 nights was thinking off taking £300 was just making sure that would be enough. How much are the meals in the restaurant?

cha, you are right about the wine...it is the most rank and foul-tasting liquid I have ever tasted. I had a glass of wine for 50p in a bar there...however, I could not drink it!!!! There is a restaurant there where, at the weekend, you can buy the pastries that have not sold the day before and simply pelt them at ANYONE sitting in the bar!!! I swear to GOD it is true. I have seen some bouffant women receive a lovely cream puff in the mush whilst sipping their Manhattans. Can't remember the name but it is really famous! I would take a shield if you go in there though. It is just a 'given' that if you go in there on Saturday you are open to any kind of pelting at any time!

I am thinking of going for 1 week, would that be too long there?

thanks in advance

I reckon with most city breaks 3 or 4 days are plenty.

Sounds great carnt wait to go now! Is there snow drifts there at the moment then cus its that cold?

In the city centre the snow is pretty much under control but as you go further out (up the wooded hilll towards the observatory) it gets worse, and incredibly slippy!

Meals can cost anything, we saw sandwiches for £10 a pop in one of the posh places (only stayed for a drink thank god!) but as mentioned above you can get 3 couse meals for as little as 120 Kr (£3). Make sure you try out the local dishes as well, some of the food there is gorgeous.

There is a fantastic, and cheap, pizza place on the same end of the bridge as Pub 1, keep walking past the end of the bridge and take the second right I think, look for a sign for a steak house and its directly opposite, also a nice jazz bar in the same area.

BTW, That hill that Babs mentioned, go to the restaurant with the fat guy outside it, its incredible when you get inside!

My advice would be to have a wander around the back streets and try random places out, thats what we did and we had no complaints at all!

PatzB: We were there for 4 nights but I could quite easily have stayed longer, there was still plenty of things I wantd to do so I don't think a week would be too long at all.

We stayed at the Waldstein Annexe through Octopus travel if that helps, we got there through the Thomsonfly website.

Karl

My mate is organising everything so not sure where we are stopping but think it is in the old town. So how much did u spend Karl n what are the women like?

Rob

Women are the same the world over Rob. ie each and everyone has differences and similarities. Fashions leave a lot to be desired but I now realise that you might not be so interested this beautiful city for the reasons I first thought. I am sure you will have fun no matter what 'area' of the city you choose to exploit. Enjoy.

If I answered that I think I would be single pretty quickly ;)

I spent £125 but we were on a budget and didn't drink/party at all really. If it's a 21st do I imagine you'll spend quite a bit more on clubbing etc?

Not just going for the women all though that is on the agenda. Abet it is quite quite this time of year tho?

Rob

Thanks cha00kaw, I love to take my time and enjoy a place and have been wanting to go to Prague for such a long time :)

Is there a red light district to avoid?

There's not as many tourists this time of year but still quite a few, apparently St Wencelas (sp?) square is the red light district but I'm not too sure as we never saw anything! Apparently 'cabaret' bars are strip clubs so no doubt you'll be wanting to avoid them as well.


PatzB: I bought the "Rough Guide to Prague" travel book from WHSmiths and we worked our way through each district, roughly one district a day. I would reccomend it you won't miss much by using that as a guide.

I've been twice and loved every minute. It can be as expensive as you want to make it, there are some nice cheap places to eat if you want to shop around. As a rule, the old town is probably the dearer area but there are still some cheaper ones tucked away. We went to the castle side of the river a couple of times on my second visit to eat. You can get a much better deal for food and drink and it isn't as busy and more relaxed. The underground is a great way to get around too and is very easy to use. Hope you have a great time. PS 300 quid is more than enough for 3 nights anon.;)

Originally posted by anonamous
Im going to prague next week and was just wondering if anyone has been lately? It is supposed to really cold out there at the moment up to -14:thumbsup:


I went in october with some friends. Some really good bars, be very careful though if you're in a group of lads as we were - prostitutes block your way, especially when it looks like you've had a drink, then try and pickpocket you whilst pretending to offer you sex. It happened twice to us and we literally had to shove them off.

Also you will be hassled to death by the nigerian pimps/drug dealers/ PR who will try and sell you cocaine, get you into strip bars or set you up with prostitutes.

Both the above were in and around Wenceslas square, it's still a good place to go but be firm with people or they wont leave you alone.

Always get a price for a taxi before you get in, never accept 'on the meter'.

If there's a group of you you have to visit the red light bar. It's a brilliant bar next to a brothel (hence the name!), there are dancers on the tables and they bring you drinks all night (drinks are very reasonable and all they ask is that you buy them a drink every now and again, will cost you £3 or so).

The dancers are NOT prostitutes and there is no hassle whatsoever to visit the brothel. (but if you want to you can pay £1 to get in, then just wander around and have a look, then go back to the bar as we did). It sounds seedy but it isnt, it reminded me of the bar in the film 'Coyote Ugly', it's just fun.

We were there 4 days and didn't visit half the places we wanted to. Check out online guides first for advice and a head start on where to go.

I've been around five times, and as such you get used to things. Are you flying there? If so, I have some advice what to do after you get off the plane and have you bags. Other than this, you'll enjoy it... I can't wait to go back!

There's a pub near Muzeum metro stop, central Prague, and beer in there is around 65p a pint...well worth visiting! Plus there's a bar in Wencelas Sq owned by the great Jaromir Jagr, Czech ice hockey legend.

Plenty to do, you'll always find something new - I know I do...

I was in Prague last year (Nov 2 to 4). It was starting to get cool then. I've also been there in winter and it can get very cold: much colder than UK at this time of year. So wrap up well.

I took a small back-pack for carrying extra clothes, etc. If you get warm, you can always take the clothes off but if you don't have enough clothes to begin with, it can be miserable and spoil your visit.

Also, take some decent shoes or boots because if you want to see as much as possible, you will be doing a lot of walking. If you are pushed for time, take one of the bus and walking tours - they run all year round. Many of the streets in the tourist areas are now just for pedestrians anyway.

If you are not much up on Baroque Architecture now, you will be when you come back. The city looks fantastic in the snow.

Don't miss:

Wenceslas Square in the New Town

The Old Town Square with its Astronomical Clock (which should be working again now)

The Old Jewish Town (close to the Old Town Square)

The Charles Bridge, wirth its Statues, (connecting the Old Town on one side of the Vlatva River with the Lesser Town on the other side.

The Hradcany district, above the Lesser Town and of course Prague Castle.

As other people have said. take plenty of film, Plenty of money ( you can always bring it back if you dont spend it - Ha,Ha) and have good time.

Originally posted by PatzB
I am thinking of going for 1 week, would that be too long there?

thanks in advance

We went for 10 days last January, and are going again at the end of the month. There is plenty to see and you can catch the trains out of Prague - there is an Ossary (chapel made of bones) in Kutna Hora which is about an hour away from Prague and a very pretty town.

Also you can get the bus (a bit scary) to Terezin, which is a town that was turned into a concentration camp during the second world war. It is extremely harrowing, but well worth a visit. It is a small walled fortress where the Nazi's imprisoned Jews from all over Europe and then made films pretending it was like a holiday camp, but in reality they had to live in the most appalling conditions.

You could also try and find the Communism museum (next to a McDonalds and above a Casino!) near Wencelas Square.

Alternatively, there are enough pubs, blues and Jazz bars to keep you busy for at least a week!

Realise I might sound a bit morbid, (I'm really not!) but the Ossary is amazing!

I have been twice and the beer is very cheap. I could not believe the difference in prices of beer from one place to the next. If you go down side streets 35p to 50p is common. In the main square 2.50 . I saw all the sites and enjoyed it. Food and drink are the only things that are cheap in my opinion. I looked around the main shopping centres and clothes and everything else are on a par or more which surprised me. Get a three day travel pass for 5 quid (bus, tram tube) and gets you too and from the airport. This can be got in the airport. Bus 100 and 119 get you to tube depending on which hotel your stopping at. Taxis complete rip off as every other city ive been. If in a group probably not as bad though.

Some of my workmates have just been for a couple of days this week (on a work related trip of course but found the night time entertainment much more enjoyable). Make sure you take plenty of thick jumpers and a really warm coat. It was -11 degrees! Brrrrrr.:o

we really want to visit the Ossary

thanks for all the tips

x

I didn't find it particularly cheap, drinks are cheaper than here though.

If you want somewhere really cheap try Bratislava in Slovakia. We got the train there from Budapest last year (£10 return for a 3 hour train journey, air conditioned train, virtually empty!)

The most expensive pint we had cost 60p, the cheapest 44p for a pint of proper Budwieser Budvar.

Slovakia is probably 5-6 years behind Prague in terms of tourism, Budapest probably 3-4 years. The thermal spas in Budapest are amazing though.

Thanks for all your help everyone! I go this thuirsday n will take all your advice

Cheers

Rob :thumbsup:

amazing place, just two things...

Don't forget your camera, and don't forget your camera ! ! !

here are some pics from my last year's visit:

http://www.shutter-release-dp.co.uk/gallery_prague.htm