Such a cherished prague!
..transport accessibility! Unfortunately, to get to the Czech Republic for us may be more expensive than, for example, to Madrid or Rome, and the distance between our countries does not play any role here! Of course, you can use trains or buses, but it is too long, tedious and not a fact that it will get cheaper. So for a trip to Prague I would advise you to consider only the airfare. However, the question arises that it is more profitable: to organize an independent trip or purchase a ready tour? Often the latter is easier and cheaper.
I will not walk far for example. Recently, one of my acquaintance bought tickets from St. Petersburg to Prague and back for 11 thousand rubles, and the flight "There" was also with a transplant. And just a couple of weeks later, his mother left the burning round in the same direction and only for 10 thousand rubles. At the same time, the price of the tour included direct flight to Prague and back, transfer airport-hotel airport, accommodation in a good hotel 3 * with breakfast, medical insurance, and also a city tour! Therefore, with all my dislike for finished tours (especially in the cities of Europe), you have to admit that in the case of the Czech Republic, this option is almost the only reasonable.
However, if desired, you can organize a self-journey on the basis of such a tour, squeezing all possible "juices". To begin with, buy the cheapest trip (for 8-10 thousand rubles per person) with the worst hotel, because it is completely optional there. Next, use the direct flight (in fact, for which everything is stood), do not refuse from the shuttle. But housing can be booked independently (better – in advance), good in Prague it is quite adequately at the cost. The main thing is to quickly decide where you better drive with a group transfer, and negotiate with the guide so that you are not looking for at the hotel, which was intended as part of a tour package. Accordingly, you will live here where they have already chosen individually, and in your legal hotel you can walk, for example, for breakfasts, if allowed))) Well, do not forget to visit the excursion, it is incorporated in the price of the tour – what to refuse , since "plugged"?! Thus, acquiring a finished tour, you get direct flight, transfer to the city center, sightseeing tour and medical insurance, and all this is priceded by the aircraft! And housing, as used to, choose this, which will like you and your wallet, without binding to those hotels that are offered by travel agency. In my opinion, a very pretty option!
About insurance It must be said separately. Since many travelers usually have a multivise with a mandatory medical policy (otherwise it will simply be not allowed), then when buying a ready-made tour, two insurance for one person will immediately. However, it is unlikely to use them at the same time, so you can make the next "Fint ears". Save the medical policy made by tour, until the end of the valuation of the visa and bring it always along with the main insurance. Thus, if necessary, it will be possible to show that while in Schengen, you used the appropriate policy from the tour package. Accordingly, the "flow" days on the second insurance at that moment did not occur. Just in case, I always advise you to clarify this moment in the firm, which issued you a policy to obtain a visa, however most companies adhere to the scheme described above.
For the sake of fairness, it is worth mentioning about the sale of air tickets to Prague, which are quite rare, but still happen. Therefore, if you firmly decided to visit the capital of the Czech Republic and you have enough time to expect a stock in this area, you can wait a bit – what if you caught?! If nothing happens – burning tours almost always at your service)
As for my personal experience of a trip to Prague, here, I admit, nothing to brag. Since it was my first journey to far abroad, and age did not allow any other decision, our trip to the Czech Republic took place as part of an ordinary group tour. However, then I slowly began to pour from the old walking on the sights, depending on the clear schedule of excursions and in general from the lack of freedom in such a beautiful city … In general, closing ahead, I will say that it was my penultimate trip with a travel agency, not counting recent Greece, which would face me in a penny!
Prague hotels
As one more minus ready tours, it is worth mentioning and lack of normal choice of hotels. For this reason, we lived in Prague not in the center of the city, but on the outskirts, so it happened (((Hotel Villa Andy fully justified his name – it was a small villa with a courtyard in a quiet green area of Prague. Around the same neat houses were located, each with their own plot, but sometimes there were larger residential buildings. In general, the place could be called pleasant if it were not for his remoteness from the city center. On the road we left about half an hour at one end: 10 minutes walk to the stop and another 20 minutes on the tram. As for the number of rooms, nutrition and maintenance – I do not remember anything criminal. Modestly, but good and places even very cozy. From the advantages you can note responsive staff, also many very much caught a restaurant in the hotel, however we fed, mainly during excursions, so here I can hardly say something from myself personally.
Hotel Villa Andy
Photos from Villa-Andy.CZ, TopHotels.RU and STRANA-Naoborot.Com
From hotels in which familiar or acquaintances lived, you can recommend:
Golf 3 * (15 minutes on the tram to the city center, stop right at the hotel);
U SL?dk? 3 * (10 minutes on the tram to the city center, stop near the hotel, you can also walk for 30 minutes);
Adeba 3 * (10 minutes to the city center on the tram or subway, stopping both types of transport 10 minutes from the hotel, walking distance to the center can be reached in 20 minutes);
U Kocku 4 * (located in the city center).
Currency
Separately, it is worth mentioning about Czech currency, for it is slightly different from our relatives and beloved euros. Here in the go predominantly Czech crowns, denoted as k? or CZK. For one crown you have to give about 1.7-1.9 rubles. If you are going to change currency already in place, I advise you to take euro or dollars with you, the exchange rate for rubles will not be very good. Best (read "more profitable") to use the services of the so-called "Arab exchangers", one of which is located on Opletalova Street, which is not far from Wenceslas Square (he was recommended by the familiar recently returned from Prague). It is also worth noting that in some souvenir shops take to pay and crowns, and euro.
Public transport
From the topic of money, we will move on to where they could be spent. For example, in transport! In Prague with this, everything is quite simple. The urban transport system of the Czech capital includes:
– Metro with all its three lines (open from 5 am to midnight, on Friday and Saturday – to the o’clock in the night);
– Very popular trams here (go from 4:30 to 0:15, on Friday and Saturday – up to 1:30, there are also night routes);
– buses that mainly connect the city center with the outskirts (working hours similarly to tram);
– The funicular on the hill Petrshin (works from April to October from 9:00 to 23:30, from November to March from 9:00 to 23:20, except for the time of inspection in March and October);
– as well as six ferry crossings that are mostly on the outskirts of the city and replace the bridges there; Only Kotevn route can be interesting for tourists? – C?SA?SK? Louka – V?to? (Opened from April to October).
As in any respected European city, in Prague, all public transport is included in a single ticket system. Below is a very visual table of tariffs, to which even lower I will write a couple of comments ..
Children (Child) In this case, young travelers aged 10-15 years old are considered. However, the three-day travel (3 days) for some reason they have not yet come up with (
As for the preferential categories of passengers who have the right to free passage, they include:
– children under 10 years old (upon presentation of a document proving age),
– Older people over 70 years old (also with a document showing age),
– as well as disabled.
All tickets begin to act from the moment of composting. You can purchase travel in points of tourist info, newsstands, the infocentrators of the transport company Dopravni Podnik, at some metro stations, and sometimes at the reception at the hotel. Disposable tickets are also sold in special machines at the metro stations or at some land transport stops.
Especially I would like to draw the attention of lovers of "Hare Trips"! At the entrance to the subway Prague there are no turnstiles, as well as no controllers in ground transport. However, this does not mean that the use of transport does not need to pay. You can rather ride something for free, but at some point (without any warning), controllers will appear and you will ask you. This can occur in the tram, bus or, for example, at the outcome of the subway. And if the acting travel will not be available, you will get a fine of 800 kroons (about 1500 rubles). In short, it is better to pay for the passage and you will be happy)
Prague: Must Visit
Long time at the site of modern Prague there was already six cities: Vyšehrad, Prague Country, Mala Country, Gready, Stare Place and Now. At some point, they all united and turned into the capital of the State Czech. Therefore, today the historical center of Prague is one of the largest in Europe, and therefore, there is a lot of time for his inspection, at least two full days, and better – more. In my opinion, for a full and leisurely familiarization with Prague in all its manifestations (not only cultural attractions) you need three to four days. Let’s see what is worth paying special attention to the Czech capital.
Start your acquaintance with old Prague you can hurt, namely from the area Grads (Hrad?ANY), where you must visit and inspect:
– Strahovsky Monastery (Strahovsk? KL??ter);
– Loretan Square with Monastery of the Monastery (Loreta);
– Gradchanskaya Square with Schwarzenberg and Grazan Palaces located on it (Schwarzenbersk? and hrz?NSK? PAL?c), the latter is often called the archbishop palace.
Messages end here and the magnificent starts Prague Castle (Pra?SK? HRAD), Where it is difficult to skip any of its compactly collected attractions:
– Giant giants (BR?Na Gigant?) and Matyas Gate (Maty??Ova Br?Na);
– One of the most beautiful, in my opinion, the Councils of Europe – St. Vita Cathedral (KatedR?La Svat?HO V?TA) and the old royal palace opposite (Star? Kr?Lovsk? PAL?c);
– Basilica of St. George (Bazilika Svat?Ho Ji??);
– Puppet Golden Street (ZLAT? ULI?ka) with a workshop for the manufacture of medieval armor;
– The viewing platform at the exit from Prague Country On the other hand.
Please note that Prague Castle is not always open, its operation mode is: April-October – from 5 am to midnight, November-March – from 6 am to 11 pm.
Now it is the turn for the area Mala Country (Mal? Strana), Where you can not miss sights:
– Nerudova Ulice, which is considered one of the most beautiful in Prague;
– Catholic church of St. Mikulas (Kostel Svat?Ho Mikul??e, it is also called the temple of St. Nicholas) on the main square of the district, Malostranskaya;
– Valdshtein Palace (Vald?tejnsk? PAL?c) in the stunning of the eponymous garden with a grotto;
– "Prague Venice" – the area around the River River and Camp Island, where the walls of the houses are lowered directly into the water and even one of the ancient water mills has been preserved (Velkop?Evorsk? ML?n);
– Overview Tower on Petrshin Hill (PET??n) – an exact copy of the Eiffel Tower on a scale of 1: 5 (you can get there on the funicular).
Leaving the left bank of the Vltava River, pass by Malostran Testers and we will be on one of the most famous bridges of Europe – Karlov Bridge (Karl?V MOST). Without exaggeration, this place is the most beloved among travelers and tourists, and, of course, has long become a symbol of the Czech capital.
After Karlova Bridge and its Starhogodskaya Tower on the right bank of the Vltava begins the area Stare place (star? M?STO). Here are mandatory to inspect:
– Old Town Square (Starom?Stsk? N?M?St?): The fabulous church of the Virgin Mary before the tint, Monument to Magist Jan Gusu and the Old Town Hall with ancient astronomical clock, which show ideas every 60 minutes;
– Powder gate (Pra?N? Br?Na) and municipal home opposite (Obecn? D?m);
– Church of St. Salvator (Kostel Svat?Ho Salv?Tora);
– Ancient Jewish Quarter Josefov (Josefov): Staronian Synagogue, Old Jewish Cemetery, Jewish Town Hall, Spanish and Majelova Synagogues.
South of the old-fashioned area of Prague – New place (nov? M?STO). Here I advise you to find:
– Church of St. Jindrich (Kostel Svat?Ho Jind?ocha) with yindrzhish tower;
– Wenceslas Square-Boulevard (V?clavsk? N?M?St?): A monument to St. Wenceslava and the National Museum behind him, as well as with a lot of other luxurious buildings;
– Franciscan Garden (Franti?K?NSK? Zahrada) with the church of the Virgin Mary Snowy;
– Masarykovo N?B?E??) with the national theater located on it (N?Rodn? Divadlo) and the famous Dancing House "Ginger and Fred" (Tan??C? D?m);
– Karlov Square (Karlovo N?M?St?): New Town Hall, Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius.
And the last old part of Prague – Vysehrad (VY?Ehrad), Which itself is already a landmark, but it is worth paying special attention to:
– Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (Kapituln? chr?M svat?HO PETR A PAVEL);
– Visegrad Garden (VY?Ehradsk? Sady);
– Visegrad Cemetery (VY?Ehradsk? H?Bitov);
– Rotunda Saint Martin (Rotunda Svat?Ho Martin).
What else should be done in Prague?
– ride on the ship along the Vltava River;
– Watch the shift of the guard at the gant of giants (Prague Castle), daily at noon;
– take a picture with a guard, making funny physiognomy;
– Climb on one of the observation towers (Powder Tower, Town Hall or Petrshin);
– Enchae local dishes and taste the maximum possible number of Czech beer varieties.
Czech cuisine
By the way, about local cuisine! Czech Republic – a country with stunning culinary traditions, so, going to Prague, you simply must arrange yourself not only walking on the main attractions, but also organize a gastronomic tour on numerous urban taverns, bars and restaurants. This is the main thing, without tasting what to leave Prague would be a crime:
– Knedlika (Knedlik) – one of my brightest memories of the Czech Republic! We happened to try bread dumplings with meat gravy, however, the species of this Czech dish are a lot: flour, curd, potato, with meat or even sweet with fruit.
– Veprov Knee (VEP?OV? koleno) or pork steering wheel – a typical Czech dish for meat lovers, and one steering wheel can be depicted at least two (and then three) with meat!
– Czech soups are very praise (Polevka): out of sour cabbage (Zel?A?ka), garlic with smoked (?Esne?ka), onion with cheese and croutons (cibula?ka), potato mushroom (Brambora?ka), gulsh soup (gul??OV? POL?VKA), scar soup (DR??kov?), as well as beer soup (Pivn? POL?vka). By the way, some soups are served in a funny round bowl fully made of bread!
Czech beer
Everyone remembers that in the Czech I went not yet independently, so in our tour group there was one man who came to Prague with the sole purpose. Guessed with what? Yes, it is in order to try to try all the varieties of Czech beer) so every morning, when he sat down on the bus, we listened to his lectures on the topic "How I spent yesterday". Thus, by the end of the trip, our group in collaboration could already write a book "All Prague Bars")))) Eheh, sorry, I did not yet led my blog and could not share such valuable knowledge with readers. Yes, and beer, I didn’t drink too, about now I am very sore (
However, such a big gap in the brewery, I will try to reappear by one very cool link to the real encyclopedia of beer, where the varieties and brands of foam drinks are not only Prague, but also throughout the Czech Republic! Well, for lazy and simply not having the opportunity to explore such a serious material, I will say that KRU is considered the most popular brands of Czech beer?Ovice, Staropramen, Budweiser, VelkopOvick? Kozel, Plze?SK? Prazdroj and Velvet.
In conclusion of delicious topics, I want to warn all travelers going to Prague: always check and recalculate checks in all restaurants, bars and cafes! If the calculation did not bring, but only named the final digit in words – especially since, demand a detailed check and check it twice. Unfortunately, in Czech Pite and Effects, the visitors, only ours, or all – unknown, are trying very often. But in any case, on what language you do not communicate with local waiters, keep your ear in East and calculator!
My impressions of Prague
As for my personal memories of Prague, then they are, of course, very bright, warm, although they are decently blurred over the years. Somehow it happened that the Czech Republic became the most badly remembered strange one of all, where I visited. Even the photos remained only from the film camera (and maybe everything is the fact that Prague was my first serious abroad and at me, then I was still very young, so many new impressions, so much emotions, as if the world was re-opened! In general, that trip turned out to be a little crumpled, although in the good sense of the word. But now, in the beats of Czech memories, I can easily find the brightest and most striking for myself from that journey ..
The first thing struck me is the proximity of the Czech president to their people. The whole group we walked around the Cathedral of St. Vita, how suddenly the door of one of the nearby palaces rolled up a steep black car, the police hooked out the outlet of the building, and around, of course, a pile of zooak crowded around. A group of people came out of the house, sat in the car and left. If the guide did not explain that it was a presidential "tuple", we would never have guessed! So everything is simple, quickly and without excess pathos.
After some time our sightseeing excursion was interrupted for lunch. Ooo … it was one of the most memorable trapes in my life! Then I am first and, unfortunately, the only time I tried the Czech bread dumplings with meat gravy! The feeling was as if I had a half-breeding bun, sliced rings. However, this original Kushan liked it to so much that the past week I ran around the products stores and searched for dyedliki at least in the form of semi-finished products to take it into Russia, but my undertaking has suffered a full fiasco (since then, I have no longer seen (
And the last thing that hit us throughout the journey, it is a subway train, like two drops of water similar to our, St. Petersburg and Moscow. True, when we saw in one of them the "Mytishchi Carriage-Building Plant" tablet, all questions disappeared by themselves – these were the most trains with the same wagons, only thousands of kilometers from their our homeland)))
