Czech Republic / Central Europe
Prague
Beautiful, cheap, and busy in the middle
Best time
April - June, September - October
How long
2-4 days
Best for
Weekend trips, budget travel, couples
Perfect for
Weekend / Budget / Couples / Architecture
Why go to Prague
Prague's centre is genuinely spectacular and genuinely crowded, and both facts matter. The trick is timing: Charles Bridge before eight in the morning is a different place from Charles Bridge at noon. Do the famous things early, then spend the afternoon somewhere like Vinohrady or Karlin where the city belongs to the people who live in it.
It remains excellent value. Beer, food and public transport cost noticeably less than in Western Europe, and mid range hotels in the centre are affordable outside peak weekends.
What to do
Cross Charles Bridge at sunrise
Empty, quiet and much better in photographs. Worth the alarm once.
Walk up to the castle the back way
Through the gardens or up the Nerudova steps, rather than joining the queue at the main gate.
Spend an evening in Vinohrady or Zizkov
Neighbourhood bars, no stag parties, prices from a different city.
Ride tram 22
A cheap sightseeing route through the old town and up to the castle district.
Visit the Jewish Quarter with a guide
The synagogues and cemetery need context to make sense. The combined ticket covers most sites.
Find a beer garden above the city
Letna and Riegrovy sady both have views and pay for themselves compared to the old town.
Where to stay
Old Town and Mala Strana
Most convenient and most atmospheric, at the highest prices and noise levels.
Vinohrady
Elegant, residential and full of good restaurants. Ten minutes to the centre by tram.
Karlin
Renovated, modern and good value, with a strong food scene and easy metro access.
Getting there and around
- Vaclav Havel airport (PRG) is 30 to 45 minutes from the centre by bus and metro. There is no direct train.
- Trains and coaches connect Vienna, Berlin, Dresden and Budapest in four to five hours, comfortably.
- The city is a common low cost destination, so weekday fares are often very low.
Trams and the metro are excellent, cheap and easy. Buy a 24 or 72 hour pass. The centre is walkable, but the cobbles are hard work in the wrong shoes.
What it costs
Budget: Very affordable. Hostels, pub food and transport passes make a cheap weekend easy.
Mid range: Central four star hotel, dinner out nightly and a couple of guided visits, still under most Western European city prices.
Higher end: Historic hotels in Mala Strana with castle views, at prices that would be mid range in Paris.
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