As we arrived in Prague, we each exchanged 100€ to czech korunas. Now that, I tell you, was not very wise. My first tip for you is this: only exchange sufficient money for the trip till the hotel and maybe the ticket for public transportation. The rest you can exchange as you go on exchange booths which you can find all over the city. At the airport they'll charge you a 2 to 3% commission that you can avoid outside.
Another useful tip - don't buy the 24-hour ticket as it will cost you more. A 24-hour ticket will cost you 100 ck and one single ticket will cost you 18 ck. This single ticket only allows you to go through 5 stations, but that should be enough if you choose a hotel not very far from the centre. It would take you 6 5-station trips a day for the 24-hour ticket to be worth it and believe you me, the city is too small for 6 trips in a single day. We only took the metro 2 times a day usually - one to get to the centre, another one to get to the hotel.
Now about the hotel: it was a disappointment. Besides the fact they charged us 3 times the price of the room (on which we were later on reimbursed), when we arrived the room wasn't completely tidied. The breakfast was taken in a little hall just in front of some rooms, which must have been a bit irritating for people sleeping there. So, these 30€ a night for a double bedroom weren't that well spent.
More important, what to see in Prague?
There is the Castle, with the St. Vitus Cathedral inside, and a couple of other places to see (like the golden lane with the house where Kafka lived for some time). You can walk around the castle in the streets of the Malá Strana (they call it Lesser Town in English, but I believe Little Town would be more accurate) where you can find some more interesting sights to see.
Then you have the Old Town with the Jewish Square, a rich and deligthful to see part of the town, well-kept and beautiful. There you can visit the old-new synagogue (we didn't) and the Old Jewish Cemetery (we saw it from outside, it's really an incredible sight because, as the Jewish couldn't bury their relatives elsewhere, the cemetery is full of funeral plaques one over another). And, of course, don't forget the Old Town Square, with the Astronomical Clock right next to it. If you go with 5 or 6 people you can visit the city in a multi-person bike. As we were only two we didn't do this, but we saw many people doing it and they seemed to be having fun. The streets around the Square are very nice so take a while to rummage around. Don't forget to stroll over the Charles Bridge and, if you feel like it, climb one of the towers for a nice view of the city.
You also have to visit the Wenceslas's Square, where you can see the statue of the mounted saint. This part of the town is not so pretty (and you can see some strange people there), but it's an important part of the city so you shouldn't overlook it. Here you can also find souvenir shops but wander around to find the best prices.
If you are going to Vienna next, you can go to one of the train stations quite easily, since there is a metro stop there. One ticket to Vienna without seat reservation is around 38€ and really you should try going without seat reservation, since there are always a couple of seats free.
update: as I lost the card on which the Prague pictures were, I've only got this one picture we took with the other card, already at the train station, waiting for the train which would lead us to Vienna. Portuguese people will understand the joke.
No comments:
Post a Comment