Seriously every.single.person we talked to (that has traveled around Europe) said some variation of: "You must go to Prague! It is such a beautiful city!"
So we had pretty high expectations for this place. And it did not disappoint!
I'm in a short & sweet mood today, so you're going to get a quick overview of our wonderful Prague experience (with my recommendations).
If you're traveling to Prague by train... don't take the overnight train! Or if you do, make sure you book early enough to get a cabin with a BED. [We left at 10pm, arrived at 7:30am and it may have been the worst (noisy, jerky, uncomfortable, nervous someone might snatch my stuff) sleep of the entire trip.]
Fun Fact: Prague = Praag = Prag = Praga = Praha (Confusing, I know. Why can't there just be one universal name for each city?!)
We walked. A lot. Public transportation is OK, but not great. If I were to do it again, I'd rent a bike.
Visit the Jewish Synagogue! So beautiful and unique.
Eat a local pastry. I like them with Nutella.
Hang out in Old Town Square.
While in the square, watch the Astronomical Clock at the top of the hour. (It's way overrated, but you just have to do it because everyone does.)
You can also go up in the Clock Tower at the top of the hour. It's not as busy because everyone is down below waiting for the "show." The views are SO worth the 50CZK.
And you can play real-life "Where's Waldo" with your fellow friends/travelers below. So if you're bored... Find Chris!
Walk across the Charles Bridge. Lots of neat artwork and street musicians.
Check out the cute little shops to find some souveniers and treasures. (Artwork, Russian dolls, puppets, and "lucky" witch dolls to hang in your kitchen.)
Venture up to the Prague Castle & Cathedral. We didn't pay to go inside because we have already seen a lot of castles... but I heard it's big and beautiful.
Go to Petrin Park to see the fake Eiffel Tower and go up to the top for beautiful panoramic views. (Beware, you have to take the stairs up!)
Walk along the river to see Frank Gehry's Dancing House. The inside is nothing special, but the building is crazy-cool looking.
Don't be freaked out if you spend 748,00CZK when shopping... because really it's only $40. (But you'll totally feel like a baller at the Casino!)
Tell the police if you see people doing heroine by the train station locker storage. But don't be surprised if they ignore you and don't care.
Explore the Vyšehrad area. There's a beautiful park, more panoramic views of the city, and a church with amazing doors.
Speaking of that... for a door lover like me, Prague is AMAZING. I saw so many beautiful, unique, ornate doors.
Check out the John Lennon "peace" wall. Write, color, draw, paint on it.
Eat some traditional goulash in a bread bowl.
Stay at the Plus Prague Hostel. It's only 3 years old, super clean, has lots of fun, young people, and is really cheap... about 8 Euros per person. [But also be prepared for what might happen when you sleep in a dorm with 3-4 other people. You may get caught in the middle of a real-life soap opera: Australian girl and South American boy are "getting it on" in the bed next to you. Security guards bust in your room screaming at them (mostly him, since he isn't a guest.) Guards leave so he can get dressed. She secretly gives him her key so he can return. Boy leaves. Two minutes later you hear footsteps running down the hall. Boy came back again. Then you hear a second pair of louder footsteps barreling down the hall. Security is back. Poor South American boy pleads to stay. Says he worked so hard all summer and it's his last night in Europe. He doesn't have a lot of money and he can't bring a girl back to his 3-Euro hostel. Security guard doesn't care. Says he found them both naked in the hostel courtyard, that it's illegal, and there are rules. Inserts many expletives. Says he usually calls police, but he wont this time, if the boy just leaves. Both walk out the door. Finally it's quiet and you can almost fall back asleep. Five minutes later... that boy is back AGAIN. Man, those South American boys are persistent. No one knows how he sneaked in for a third time. You hear the remainder of their love session from the squeaky bed, to the tile floor, back to the bed, and then finally... it stops. On second thought, maybe you should find a hotel on Priceline.com.
Lastly, I think I'll join the bandwagon and say: Go to Prague! You will love it.
So we had pretty high expectations for this place. And it did not disappoint!
I'm in a short & sweet mood today, so you're going to get a quick overview of our wonderful Prague experience (with my recommendations).
If you're traveling to Prague by train... don't take the overnight train! Or if you do, make sure you book early enough to get a cabin with a BED. [We left at 10pm, arrived at 7:30am and it may have been the worst (noisy, jerky, uncomfortable, nervous someone might snatch my stuff) sleep of the entire trip.]
Fun Fact: Prague = Praag = Prag = Praga = Praha (Confusing, I know. Why can't there just be one universal name for each city?!)
We walked. A lot. Public transportation is OK, but not great. If I were to do it again, I'd rent a bike.
Visit the Jewish Synagogue! So beautiful and unique.
Eat a local pastry. I like them with Nutella.
Hang out in Old Town Square.
While in the square, watch the Astronomical Clock at the top of the hour. (It's way overrated, but you just have to do it because everyone does.)
You can also go up in the Clock Tower at the top of the hour. It's not as busy because everyone is down below waiting for the "show." The views are SO worth the 50CZK.
And you can play real-life "Where's Waldo" with your fellow friends/travelers below. So if you're bored... Find Chris!
Walk across the Charles Bridge. Lots of neat artwork and street musicians.
Check out the cute little shops to find some souveniers and treasures. (Artwork, Russian dolls, puppets, and "lucky" witch dolls to hang in your kitchen.)
Venture up to the Prague Castle & Cathedral. We didn't pay to go inside because we have already seen a lot of castles... but I heard it's big and beautiful.
Go to Petrin Park to see the fake Eiffel Tower and go up to the top for beautiful panoramic views. (Beware, you have to take the stairs up!)
Walk along the river to see Frank Gehry's Dancing House. The inside is nothing special, but the building is crazy-cool looking.
Don't be freaked out if you spend 748,00CZK when shopping... because really it's only $40. (But you'll totally feel like a baller at the Casino!)
Tell the police if you see people doing heroine by the train station locker storage. But don't be surprised if they ignore you and don't care.
Explore the Vyšehrad area. There's a beautiful park, more panoramic views of the city, and a church with amazing doors.
Speaking of that... for a door lover like me, Prague is AMAZING. I saw so many beautiful, unique, ornate doors.
Check out the John Lennon "peace" wall. Write, color, draw, paint on it.
Eat some traditional goulash in a bread bowl.
Stay at the Plus Prague Hostel. It's only 3 years old, super clean, has lots of fun, young people, and is really cheap... about 8 Euros per person. [But also be prepared for what might happen when you sleep in a dorm with 3-4 other people. You may get caught in the middle of a real-life soap opera: Australian girl and South American boy are "getting it on" in the bed next to you. Security guards bust in your room screaming at them (mostly him, since he isn't a guest.) Guards leave so he can get dressed. She secretly gives him her key so he can return. Boy leaves. Two minutes later you hear footsteps running down the hall. Boy came back again. Then you hear a second pair of louder footsteps barreling down the hall. Security is back. Poor South American boy pleads to stay. Says he worked so hard all summer and it's his last night in Europe. He doesn't have a lot of money and he can't bring a girl back to his 3-Euro hostel. Security guard doesn't care. Says he found them both naked in the hostel courtyard, that it's illegal, and there are rules. Inserts many expletives. Says he usually calls police, but he wont this time, if the boy just leaves. Both walk out the door. Finally it's quiet and you can almost fall back asleep. Five minutes later... that boy is back AGAIN. Man, those South American boys are persistent. No one knows how he sneaked in for a third time. You hear the remainder of their love session from the squeaky bed, to the tile floor, back to the bed, and then finally... it stops. On second thought, maybe you should find a hotel on Priceline.com.
Lastly, I think I'll join the bandwagon and say: Go to Prague! You will love it.
I loved Prague! But we did rent bikes while we were there and if I had to do it again I wouldn't. It was way too crowded for a bike, nobody will move out of your way. And we ended up having to walk the half the time because you can't get around the crowds.
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