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Flights to Prague and other
ways to travel there Click
here to download our mini-guide to Prague :-)
 By plane: it can be as quick as a 2 hours flight from the UK and as cheap
as 80 £. Low cost airlines have dramatically lowered costs to get to Prague.
Usually, it is better to book in advance to get the best fares. All of these
arrive in Prague Ruzyne airport, 45 minutes away from the center. Depending
on where you live, you can choose from the following airlines : Once at the airport:
1. When you get out of the luggage zone, go to your left.
2. Withdraw cash from one of the ATM's, that is the best way to change. One
£=33 czech crowns. Usually your bank takes a fixed fee +%, so it is better
to withdraw significant amounts at a time (but not more than you would want to
carry with you in cash)
3. If you choose to go by taxi, get out and go to the right to the CEDAZ
white minibuses, it will cost you 15 £ (480 CZK to any place in Prague center
for 1 to 4 persons), and 30 £ for 5 to 7.
4. If you prefer to save on the taxi and do not have too much luggage, then bus 119 goes to the metro station Dejvicka. Buy tickets at the public transportation shop on your right when you get out of the baggage claim area. Choose "prestupna jizdenka" for 26 crowns, that is 0.8 £. Caution : you need tickets for your luggage items larger than 25 x 45 x 70cm. If you intend to ride a lot on public transportation, take a "turisticka sitova jizdenka" for several days (these also entitle you to carry one larger item for free.
Go straight out of the airport, bus stop is 30 meters ahead - Take bus 119 to its end, that is Dejvicka (count 25 minutes) on metro line A. From there tram 20 goes to Andel, very close to our office.  By bus: a cheap and flexible solution if you come
from continental Europe. You can check www.eurolines.com  By
car: it can be a good solution if you arrive from continental Europe.
- Once
in Prague, you will not need your car any more because most of the sightseeing
and entertainment are concentrated in a small pedestrian area, so choose a good
accomodation in the center (with Rentego !) and put your car in a safe parking
(as there are many car thefts). A good solution in the center is Rudolfinum,
on Jan Palach Square, for 20 euros/24hrs (13£/24hrs)
- You can check your itinerary and travel time
at www.maporama.com
 By
train: might be a good solution if you arrive from one of neighbouring
countries (Austria, Germany, Poland). Until now trains are not very competitive
from further destinations.
Once there : if you use public transportation, here are the new
rates:
Single tickets
|
| |
| |
transfer |
non-transfer |
| Adult persons over 15 years |
26,- CZK |
18,- CZK |
| Children from 6 up to 15 years inclusive |
13,- CZK |
9,- CZK |
Transfer tickets
Tickets for two fare zones can be used 75 minutes from validation.
On working days from 08.00 PM to 05.00 AM and on Saturdays and
Sundays round the clock such tickets can be used 90 minutes from
validation.
Non-transfer tickets
apply to trams and buses 20 minutes allowing no change. On the Metro
such tickets are valid for the distance of 5 stations from the
station of validation (not including the station of validation)
allowing to change between the lines A,B,C, but no longer than 30
minutes. These tickets do not apply to night routes and funicular
railway.
|
Season tickets
|
| |
A. Short-term tickets
| 24-hour ticket |
100,- CZK
|
| 3-day ticket (72 hours) |
330,- CZK
|
| 7-day ticket (168 hours) |
500,- CZK
|
| 15-day ticket (360 hours) |
,- CZK
|
B. Long-term tickets
| Monthly, full-price |
,- CZK
|
| Quarterly, full-price |
,- CZK
|
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Charge payable for carriage of various items
|
| |
Charge payable for carriage of various items is paid by a
transfer ticket for CZK 10.-. Validity of such ticket is identical
to that of the ticket used by a passenger carrying the luggage (but
no longer than 240 minutes). This charge is payable for carriage of
items larger than 25 x 45 x 70cm (a bar over 150cm, a board over 100
x 100 x 5cm) and an empty pram. Season tickets of all types entitle
their holders to a free of charge carriage of one of the items
subject to the charge payable for carriage of luggage. Passenger may
carry only items permitted by Contractual Transport Conditions.
Charge payable for carriage of a dog without a container (not
allowed on the Metro) is identical to the price of a single transfer
ticket for children from 6 to 15 years. Charge payable for carriage
of various items on trains of the Czech Railways is governed by
provisions of the Railway Transportation Code. Season tickets do not
entitle passengers to carry a dog without a container free of
charge.
Season tickets valid for one or more days entitle passengers to
carry free of charge one of the items subject to the charge for
carriage of luggage (does not apply to carriage of animals) |
Free of charge carriage
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| |
Free of charge carriage applies to the following groups of
passengers:
- children up to the age of 6
- prams with babies (on trains of the Czech Railways only in
folded condition - so-called "pushchairs")
- animals (dogs) in containers
- one ski-set with sticks
- bicycles (only on the Metro)
- ...(other specific Czech or handicapped categories)
|
 Which
ID to take?
- If you are a citizen from the European Union, your ID card will be sufficient
from May 1rst, 2004 (until then passport valid for 6 more months after entry
in the Czech Republic was necessary).
- If you are not a citizen from the European Union, please check with the Czech
Embassy in your country – you might need a visa and a passport valid even
after your stay. Us citizens may stay for 30 days without a visa, but citizens
of Australia, New-zealand need one.
 Which money to use?
- Local currency is the Czech crown, and the Czech Republic is not expected
to adopt the Euro before a few years. Some shops like Tesco in the center do
accept euros, but generally cash is preferred.
- In case you wish to exchange money, choose bank instead of an exchange
offices – we have been told by some of our clients they have experienced a
very inconvenient exchange rate in one of those. If for some reason you
don't have other choice, then – once at the counter - ask: “ If I give this
amount of Euros, how much Czech crowns do I get back?”
- Usually the best solution to change money is to use your credit card (Visa or
MasterCard) to get cash from one of the many ATMs once in Prague. Credit cards
are also accepted in many high-end restaurants and shops.
- Traveler's cheques are also easy to change
- Never change money on the street - chances to get a good rate are minimal
but your risk would be maximal
Which clothing to take?
- In all seasons: take comfortable shoes. Most of the sightseeing and entertainement
are within a small area so you will probably walk a lot – with breaks
in nice Cafés and restaurants of course. Moreover, some streets are cobbled,
so high-heel shoes will not be ideal during the day. You might want them for
evening concerts, though...
- In the summertime, summer cloth plus a pullover and a jacket in case it rains.
- In winter, take all your warm clothing : warm coat, gloves, warm underwear, warm
and water-resistant shoes, etc. In january and february for example, it rains
twice less than in Paris or London, but the average temperature is 5 °C
lower. You might encounter snow –and see how it makes Prague even more
beautiful !
You can check the weather on http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/EZXX0012.html
Weather statistics:
| |
Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Mean temperature |
Maximum |
0 |
3 |
8 |
13 |
18 |
21 |
23 |
23 |
19 |
13 |
6 |
2 |
| |
Minimum |
-5 |
-4 |
-1 |
3 |
7 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
9 |
4 |
0 |
-3 |
|
| Mean Total Rainfall (mm) |
|
24 |
23 |
28 |
38 |
78 |
73 |
66 |
70 |
40 |
30 |
32 |
25 |
| Mean Number of Rain Days |
|
7 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
Source: Cesky Hydrometeorologicky Ustav
How
to phone?
Before you go, to phone to the Czech Republic, you should dial: International
+ country code (420) + number (usually 2 XX XX XX XX for Prague)
Once there, you can use four solutions:  How to check e-mails?
You will find plenty of Internet
cafés in Prague where you can connect to the Internet for about 0.03
€ per minute.
If you are a Wi-fi user, you'll find the following access points in Prague
1 and 2 (you just have to buy a card inside these points to get a login and
pasword with credits) :
| Area |
Address |
Access point |
| Praha 01 |
Celetná 10 |
Pizza Hut |
| Praha 01 |
Jindřišská 14 |
TELEPOINT |
| Praha 01 |
Kaprova 14 |
KFC |
| Praha 01 |
Na poříčí 46 |
KFC |
| Praha 01 |
Na příkopě 3 |
Star Café |
| Praha 01 |
Národní 25 |
KFC |
| Praha 01 |
Národní 37 - pasáž Platýz |
Káva Káva Káva |
| Praha 01 |
Nekázanka 876/19 |
Paneria |
| Praha 01 |
Platnéřská 9 |
Restaurace Clementinum |
| Praha 01 |
Vodičkova 32 |
KFC |
| Praha 01 |
Washingtonova 1600/19 |
Hotel Esplanade |
| Praha 02 |
Karlovo nám. 10/2097 - Nákupní pasáž ATRIUM |
Café Nescafé |
 Shopping:
- Overall Prague is not a very interesting shopping destination. The
good deal here compared to Western Europe are entertainement and
restaurants. quality clothe and consumer goods are about 10% more
expensive than in the West.
- The shopping malls Palladium at Namesti Republiky and Novy smichov
at Andel will provide you with
all you forgot and more. You’ll find a , dozens of
clothes shops, etc. and at andel there is even a Tesco hypermarket. If you still can’t find that little black dress to go
dancing, try Zara at Na Prikope 15 or Mango at Na Prikope 8...
- Tesco, on Narodni Trida, might also be a good option
- For cristal, a local specialty, you can turn to Moser, on Na Prikope 12.
- For CDs (interesting in particular for good classical music
recordings at a low price) :
- Bontonland, in the "Palac Koruna" at the bottom of St-Venceslas
square, with a wide choice
- A shop more specialized in classical music at the crossing of Namesti
Franze Kafky and Majzlova
 Various:
- Electricity is 220 Volts, 50 Hz as in most of continental Europe. Power outlets
are the same two small round holes as in most of continental Europe (sometimes
with ground pin). Therefore, devices from the UK will need an adapter and North
American devices will require a transformer
- Safety rules are the same as in any other european touristic cities. Violent crimes
are very rare, but many pickpockets and car thieves are attracted by tourists.
Make sure your wallet is in out of reach, do not leave valuables in your apartment
and put your car in a safe parking as you will not need it in Prague
- No special vaccination is needed for Prague if you come from the rest of Europe
- Tap water is safe to drink in Prague but does not taste good, so you will probably
prefer to drink bottled water
- Public transportation: if you need it often, cards for 3, 5 or 15 days are
a good deal ("Turisticka sitova jizdenka")
- Taxis : the best is to call City Taxi 00 420 257 257 257 AAA at 14 0 14 (they speak english). If you
take a cab in the street, try to choose an AAA or City Taxi or Profitaxi, check that he
uses the meter and ask for a receipt. Avoid taxis parked in a highly
touristic site ( St-Venceslas Square, near Charles Bridge etc.), some of these
prefer to trick a tourist than work all day...
A great way to order taxis is by sms to City taxi: send an sms in english to
00420 777 257 257, with your name, place where you need the taxi, time when you need it. You will not have to phone and wait, you will just get
a confirmation sms with the time when the taxi will arrvie, car type, car color and car plate number.
The taxi will have 257 257 257 in big letters on it.
- The website of the British embassy is on
http://www.britain.cz/en/General/gen_info.html , more travel advice is
available on
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2
FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618387144
- For Laundry you will find leaflets from Laundryland in our apartments,
they ensure full service including pick-up and delivery
www.laundryland.cz
Links to interesting websites :
(Les liens vers la plupart des sites francophones sont sur
www.rentego.fr)
- Dating for serious relationships with Czech
and Slovak girls: visit
www.Romantic-Future.com
Romantic
Future
offers personalized matchmaking services to help you meet the woman of your
dreams. Their international background ensures you will get western quality
of service, and hundreds of beautiful Czech and Slovak ladies await you on
their website
- For more information on Prague
www.prague.cz
- For information targeted to expats
www.expats.cz : we particularly appreciate
the "Search" which will help you find in the forums all the tips from expats
to find your tennis club or Pilates lessons
- Other websites (directories on travel and
related topics, etc. :
Willgoto.com - World travel
guide and directory
- To rent a car: contact A Rent Car
http://www.arentcar.cz/en/about_company.html
and use discount code RENTeGO-discount 5% to get a 5% discount. They can
bring the car to any place in Prague (e.g., your apartment), and take it back
from any place in Prague (e.g., your apartment or the airport).
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