Tips for Prague

by | Oct 23, 2023 | Guides

Tips for Prague

         Prague is a beautiful country in the Czech Republic. Everyone there is very kind to tourists and overall, you don’t need to prepare too much. Thankfully, many of the locals speak English, so there isn’t too much of a language barrier. Though, I will be going over some tips that may help and make your trip seamless!

 Packing

        When packing clothes for this trip, make sure that you look ahead at what season it will be. The seasons there are similar to Virginia’s. If you are going in the summer, which are the months of June- August which is when I went, I would recommend bringing an assortment of clothes for warmer and cooler weather. While there are some days that could be in the upper 80’s and 90’s, a cooler day could easily sneak up on you, so make sure to bring some pants and sweaters. It also tends to be cooler at night.

         While it is typical for people in the U.S. to walk around in sweatpants or pajamas, people in Prague tend to dress up regardless of where they’re going. I would recommend bringing various dresses and skirts to avoid sticking out in the crowd. If you are planning on going to certain churches, I would double check their policies on clothing. Some churches are open to the public and have no set of rules, but others require more modest clothing and to cover the shoulders.

         As far as shoes go, I would recommend bringing comfortable walking shoes. Most of the streets are cobblestone and if you plan to tour the city, you will be walking a lot. There’s a lot to see on foot so you’ll spend a lot of your time walking. I wore Chacos for most of the trip, but any tennis shoe with support will work. If you do plan on wearing heels, choose a shorter heel or sandal that still has some arch support.

Surviving Jet Lag

        I’m going to briefly go into tips for surviving jet lag. Due to the 6-hour time difference, jet lag is inevitable. Especially after 12 hours on a plane. The best advice when arriving is to keep moving. If you try and take a small nap, you’ll end up over sleeping and making your sleep schedule even worse. As soon as we got there, we had about an hour to unpack and get settled before we proceeded with our tours of the city. While we were all dragging a little, this was the best strategy for beating the jetlag. Once the day was over, we all easily went back to sleep and adjusted to the new hours.

Planes, Trains, and automobiles:

        Prague is known for having one of the best public transportation systems in Europe. So, while a lot can be accomplished by walking, there will be times you will have to use one of their transportation methods.

         The metro, trams, and buses are used by two-thirds of Prague’s population. If you are traveling a long distance, the metro is a great option as it can travel a great distance in a short period of time. The metro has three color-coded lines that form the city’s transport backbone. Line A (green) goes from Depo Hostivar to Nemocnice Motol. Line B (yellow) goes from Cerny Most-Zlicin. Lince C (red) goes from Letnany-Haje. Using this method can take you from one end of Prague to the other in about 30 to 45 minutes. That’s insane!

         The trams have intervals. At peak hours the tram will come every 8-10 minutes and during off-peak it will come every 10-30. Night connections are a little slower with the tram coming every 30 minutes. It’s also important to note that at pedestrian crossings, trams always have the right of way over pedestrians!

        I personally took a bus most of the time we were traveling anywhere greater than walking distance and we never had any issues getting to our desired destination. The bus intervals are every 6-8 minutes during peak hours and every 15-30 during off hours.

        All these modes are great options for traveling and overall great for the environment. The only time that it may be recommended to take a taxi or drive is during commute times when the bus, metro, and tram may be crammed.

a plane wing through the window of a plane flying over clouds
citystreets

Restaurant Etiquette

         The food in Prague was one of my favorite parts as I’m a huge foodie. We went to several restaurants every day to enjoy their fresh cuisine. So much fresh bread, pasta, and yummy meats. Some of their most popular dishes include, Kulajda, a creamy potato soup with mushrooms, dill, vinegar, and a poached egg; wiener sausages; Svickova, beef and bread dumplings served with a vegetable sauce with cream; Roast duck which was one of my favorite dishes; and Trdelnik which I mentioned was a pastry covered in sugar. While some of these foods may be out of your comfort zone, it’s important to respect every culture. So, if you aren’t a fan of a dish, be as polite and respectful as possible.

       Another thing to note when going to restaurants in Prague is that they include the tip in the bill. This means that you are not required to tip more as it was already added. Though, some people may be aware of this, if this is your first time in a European country you may feel the need to tip and unfortunately many of the servers won’t correct tourists (I mean it’s extra money for them). Another thing to note is that water is not free in Prague. So, it may be more worth your money to purchase another beverage.

 

Money

         The currency in Prague is the Czech Koruna. Notes come in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 CZK. Coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 CZK. So, one American dollar is equal to about 23 Korunas. You either have the option to convert money from debit or credit cards into cash or use the card itself. Prague only accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express. I made the mistake of only bringing a Discovery card and was disappointed when it declined on my first purchase. Thankfully I had enough U.S. cash that I could convert into Korunas and use throughout the duration of my trip. Don’t make that mistake and come prepared with the correct debit/credit card and have cash just in case a store or restaurant is cash only.

Phone usage and outlets.

        One thing that is common in most international countries is the use of WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a mobile app that allows you to make phone calls and send text messages without the extra international fees. It links with your phone numbers and all your contacts, so you don’t have to input numbers. My dance group used this every day to communicate plans for the day and I used it to communicate with my family back in the U.S.

         Another thing to note is that the electrical outlets in Prague are significantly different, so you will have to purchase different plug adapters. The two types of plugs are C and E. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type E is the plug which has two round pins and a hole for the socket’s male earthing pin. You can purchase these on either Amazon or in Walmart.

 

Public Restrooms

       One small thing to keep in mind is that some public restrooms require a small fee for use. I was very surprised the first time this happened. We were in a park and me and my friends walked into the bathroom to see a lady asking us for money. We weren’t sure how to respond, but later found out this is a normal thing there. It’s typically just a few Korunas, but if you can avoid using certain public restrooms I would.

6 Countries in 2 weeks

by | Oct 23, 2023 | Guides

6 Countries in 2 weeks

Maybe we should just go together? A stranger suggested this to me when we both mentioned solo traveling after the semester. This conversation would change the trajectory of both our lives. Eva, my good friend, and I met on our study abroad trip through our university, despite growing up twenty minutes away from each other unknowingly. Our paths crossed in a strange way, but if you believe in fate that’s what it is! 

We should go together! And so the planning began. We started planning in February or early March for our trip in late April. The plan: go to as many places without sacrificing too much comfort or money but experience what we can. And so we did. Our travel started the day after our classes ended in Florence, Italy. We both had too much stuff for a backpacking trip and ended up sending home our big suitcases with some friends who lived close and hoped they kept them safe. After we downsized extremely, we were ready and nervous for our trip. We were leaving the safety net of having our University in Florence with advisors we knew and trusted for the vast unknown, this truly terrified me. Before the trip I thought “is this really what I want to do or just what everyone is expecting me to do”. But I knew it was something I had to do. Despite missing home, it was an important and fun experience I couldn’t pass up. 

We said goodbye to our friends as they went to the airport. But, we’re going to the train station so we have to go another way. When Eva and I made the turn around the corner, we couldn’t hear them anymore. It was just us. Two new friends about to take on a challenge most long term friends wouldn’t even try: two weeks alone with just each other. Will they make it? We did! But it wasn’t easy. Traveling with someone shows you their true colors as well as your own. I learned I’m too unorganized to plan something this big alone, Eva, being very type A, was perfect for this and taught me valuable planning and organizing tips throughout. She learned it’s okay to ease up from a plan if something goes wrong. We would always figure it out. And most of all, we valued our alone time even though we didn’t get much of it. 

We stayed only in hostels and traveled the continent by train alone. We did this with a Eurail pass and app that, although confusing at first, ended up being very helpful. We decided to take the train to save money so we didn’t have to fuss in any airport until we were on our way home. We mainly used HostelWorld to book and TikTok for recommendations. This one pack way of traveling isn’t the most luxurious and at points isn’t fun, but it is SO worth it. 

Our first stop: Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como is such a special place to me because this is where we were initiated into the traveling lifestyle. At the hostel we stayed at we met countless travelers who told us their stories and we listened intently. Most of those visiting the hostel were from The UK, so we spent most of our nights wandering the streets and contemplating which culture is better. The hostel itself played a huge role in our likeness for Lake Como. The staff was helpful and responsible in the mornings. In the evening, the lobby of the hostel would switch to a restaurant/bar that the staff ran. They always ensured everyone was happy, fed, and a little drunk. 

Lake Como’s natural beauty is something astonishing. It was cold when we went in late April. The enormous lake is in the valley of some of the alps, between the border of northern Italy and Switzerland. We were barely cold on our days there. But, far up into the mountains, we could still see the snow caps atop of them. 

Next up: Interlakken, Switzerland

Then, the picturesque Switzerland. I can, without a doubt, say it is the most breathtaking natural sight I have ever seen. The alps look as if they were sculpted by hand and painted to be put before me. I’d say I was more attached to the natural beauty than the city of Interlakken. The city being between two lakes was the perfect look into the alps lifestyle while not going somewhere as busy or expensive as Zurich. 

Then Nice, France

The biggest change in culture I’d say was from high in the Swiss Alps to way south to the French Riviera. This sunny change boosted our spirits as we rode the train in. I remember the train’s path being parallel with the sea and after an extremely long train ride we had endured. As an American going to France, the #1 rule you need to follow is to not be so sensitive. I had a bad experience in Paris which led me to believe all of the French hated Americans when in reality that is not true (most parisians do though). But here in the south of France we were greeted with kindness and again, more travelers. This hostel wasn’t the best but the stories we came out with were amazing. Although it was a beautiful town we quickly ran out of things to do on a budget. I would say if it is your dream to travel here save extra to be able to afford more excursions. 

 

Where to next? Barcelona!

Up until this point we hadn’t run into any travel or booking errors and considering our spontaneity at times this was surprising. Upon arriving in Barcelona we planned to stay two nights then on the third day take the longest train ride of my life from Barcelona→ Amsterdam. However upon arriving to book our train ticket to Amsterdam we were told the train was booked and we’d be losing a night in Amsterdam for a night in Barcelona. At this point in the trip we’re getting tired, we aren’t the party machines we were during our study abroad so all we could do was saunter around the city and eat food which we did. Outside of anything Italian, Barcelona was a close second with food. Paella, croquettes, patatas bravas, and Fideuà I could go on! I can’t think about the food experience because I will be sad I can’t get this in America. Spain also had to offer alot of heart, I will say Barcelona was alive and everyone wanted to have shared experiences. Definitely would go again, but bring your walking shoes this city is spread out!

 

Amsterdam Finally!

After a long train ride that wasn’t very scenic we arrived in Amsterdam very late. Shocked by the cold that hit us as we walked out of the train station, we had sunburn underneath our coats. It was a very strange experience. We stayed at the Bulldog Hostel which is a famous brand in Amsterdam most people will run into when they are there. Something we noticed immediately in Amsterdam was the streets were lit, and there will always be someone out later than you. Usually arriving in a new city in the middle of the night we were on alert and high anxiety, but here it was eased just by the air seemed more friendly. Amsterdam was a place I was hoping to experience more but we had so little time, we did get an opportunity to go to the tulip gardens and that was unmatched in color and vibrancy. I’d say Amsterdam is my city that got away, because I didn’t get to experience it long enough and as soon as I left I wanted to go back.