Over winter break, my boyfriend and I decided to take a three day trip to the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. This beautiful and historic city has been on my travel bucket list for a few years now and while I tried to prepare myself as best as I could, there were still a few bumps along the way, so here are my top tips to make the most and enjoy a lovely trip to Prague.
Tip #1: Understanding Czech Korunas
Czech Korunas is the official currency of the Czech Republic but Euros are also accepted in a lot of places. However, I highly recommend only paying in Czech Korunas because a lot of things, including souvenirs and food, will be much cheaper in Czech Korunas. It is very important to know that $1 USD is equivalent 22.74Kč CZK, so while something might be 230Kč, it’s important to remember that it’s actually only around $10.
However, I only recommend that option if you want to get physical cash, which comes in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 CZK. Do not use the ATMs or currency exchanges within airports. This is because ATMs or any currency exchanges within airports will charge you absurd amounts in taxes and in the end you will be paying more than you have to. I promise that you will be able to find plenty of ATMs within the city itself that will be much better to use. Although, you don’t need to have cash, because almost everywhere takes cards and many US debit and credit cards are accepted. To be safe, definitely be sure to check with your bank.
Tip #2: Use Public Transportation
Honestly, this is a good tip if you’re visiting most major cities in Europe because they all have very accessible public transportation systems. In Prague specifically they have buses, a metro system, and a tram system that make traversing the city very easy. To use the public transportation system, you must have a valid ticket. Tickets can be purchased at bus stations or metro stations. I got mine at the airport, which I think is the best way because taking public transportation from the airport is quick, easy, and way cheaper than getting a taxi or Uber.
The public transportation tickets are based on time: there is a 30 minute ticket, a 90 minute ticket, a 24 hour ticket, and a 72 hour ticket. Since I spent 3 days in Prague, I got a 72 hour ticket and was able to use that one ticket for my entire stay in Prague. The amount of transfers doesn’t matter and the only thing you have to do after buying your ticket is to validate it by stamping it on one of the yellow machines before entering a bus or the metro. DO NOT STAMP YOUR TICKET TWICE! That will invalidate your ticket and you will need to buy another one.
The Prague trams are most likely the mode of transportation that you are going to be using the most. They go across most of Prague and make it incredibly easy to get from point A to point B even if they are across the city from each other. I used Apple Maps to know which tram to get on and which stops I needed to get on and off of, and it worked perfectly. I always got where I needed to be.
Trust me, during your trip public transportation is going to be your best friend.
Tip #3: Make an itinerary
Listen, I know that itineraries seem really stuck up and useless to many people but if you want to make the most of your time in Prague, I would definitely recommend making one. There is so much to do, eat, and see in Prague and depending on how long your stay is, there is a chance that you won’t be able to do everything you’d like to.
Whether you want to visit museums or cafes, I think you should research what there is to see and do in the city and then decide what is an absolute must, what is a maybe, and what you don’t really mind missing out on. Then you can take all of those things, research their locations, how far they are from your hotel, and how far they are from each other and then group them into days. It is also important to research the average time it takes to do each activity. For example, I spent around three hours at Prague Castle, which is also where St. Vitus Cathedral and St. George’s Basilica are located, but seeing the Idiom Installation (also known as the Infinity Book Tower), took around 10 minutes in total to do.
I think an itinerary for each day of your trip is the best way to make the most out of your time. And if an itinerary is too much for you and you are more of a go with the flow person, even just having an idea of what each day is going to be focused on will help you tremendously.
Tip #4: Try traditional Czech foods
Personally, I was quite scared to try traditional Czech cuisine because I was afraid that I wouldn’t like it, but I am so happy that I got over that fear. Of course, it can be really scary to try any new foods but one of the best advice I can give for any traveling is to dive into the culture as much as you can, and one of the best ways to do that is to try the traditional food.
My absolute favorite traditional dish that I tried was Beef Goulash, which is a stew made with meat, vegetables, and spices, primarily paprika. I was immediately in love with this dish as soon as the spoon met my tongue. Not only is it delicious, but it’s such a warming meal to have on a cold day, which is not uncommon in Prague.
I highly recommend that you have dinner at least once at Lokál, a traditional Czech pub that has many traditional dishes and drinks and is also budget friendly. There are also many different locations of Lokál throughout Prague, so you will definitely be able to find one that works for you during your trip.
Not to mention, the pastries and desserts in Prague are absolutely delicious and more than worthy of a try. My absolute favorite that I tried was a Trdelník or Chimney cake, which is baked dough wrapped around a cone and then filled with ice cream, chocolate, fruits, and really, anything else you’d like. It is a very popular street dessert in Prague so you will not have an issue finding a shop that sells them.
Overall, I definitely recommend giving the traditional food a go and even if it ends up not being your taste, at least you can say you’ve tried it, and in its most authentic form nonetheless.
Tip #5: Research a good time to visit
This is one of the biggest tips I have for visiting Prague, because it is more than likely that one of the things that you will want to see most is their famous Christmas Markets. But you are right alongside thousands of other travelers who visit these markets, especially before and right around the holidays. My boyfriend and I went in early January and we were scared because we had seen multiple videos and posts about how packed the Christmas markets were just days before our trip. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find manageable crowds, even in very famous markets like the one in Old Town Square.
Of course, if you want to go right before Christmas when the crowds are larger, that is totally up to you. But if you still want to experience the markets without the large crowds, but if you still want to experience the markets without the large crowds, early January is the best time to go. I highly recommend doing that. On top of this, if you are going anytime in the winter, bring layers! Prague gets really cold, snows, and has high wind speeds during the winter month. This is what it was like when I went, and I stupidly forgot my coat so I had to buy one there, and I’m so thankful I did because I would not have survived without it. While I don’t have any personal experience of visiting Prague in the summer months, a little research shows that it usually doesn’t get any higher than around 60℉ in the summer.
I always recommend researching the weather while you pack for a trip and look at every day that you will be there before deciding your clothing choices. Like I said, buying that coat was very necessary for me as someone who was born and raised in Colorado, so if you plan to go in any cooler months, keep that in mind.
These are my top 5 tips for visiting Prague. It was honestly such a beautiful city with so many different things to do and will now be on the top of my travel recommendation list. If you do decide to visit Prague, I hope these tips help you out and I hope you have an incredible time while there!