My backpacking trip around Europe brought me to Prague, Czech Republic (or Czechia is it?) for a second visit. My first trip to Prague was back in 2006 to visit my dear friend Angela during her time studying there. It was a quick trip with two other girlfriends; we were guided around the city by Angela to all the must sees and local gems. Since that trip I have always considered Prague to be, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, so I wanted to show the picturesque city to my boyfriend.

On my recent trip to Prague I again hit all the must sees of Old Town and went on a free walking tour that was advertised at our hostel, Advantage Hostel, which is located walking distance to Old Town. Like other tours I’ve done in European cities, the tour is free but it’s expected to give a tip at the end. A great few hours of entertainment for budget backpackers. (Unfortunately, I can’t find the name of the tour company that we went with, but there are a multitude that meet up at Old Town and can be found on TripAdvisor.)

Tomas, our tour guide was Czech and had studied history and anthropology, so an ideal expert on the city. Not only did Tomas give our group of about 15 stories and legends of the city but he also gave a lot of great tips for tourists in general. Tips that I thought were noteworthy enough to write about here, especially since most of them should be know before even landing in Prague. Must Knows that can help you avoid paying too much or getting ripped off, so here they are:

Must Knows

• Money Exchange – DON’T EXCHANGE MONEY ON THE STREET. Apparently there are people who offer “good rates” for your currency to get Czech Koruna, but don’t be fooled. The tender that they’ll give you  isn’t real Koruna, but rather bills and coins from another Eastern European country, like currency from Bulgaria. Our tour guide recommended a place that gives good rates. It’s called Exchange and is located just on the outside of Old Town Square near to the Kafka Café, click here for a google maps link.

 

• Validate Your Tram/Bus/Metro Ticket – It’s quite easy to use public transportation in Prague. Tickets can be bought at most convenience stores or places that sell cigarettes. Tickets range in price from 24 CZK ($1 USD) for a 30 minute ride and up to 310 CZK ($13 USD) for a 3 day pass. Upon entering your chosen form of transportation, you must stamp it in a little machine that puts the date and time on the ticket. If you fail to do so you might have the misfortune of meeting an inspector who checks for stamps and are known to single out tourists (since locals generally use annual transport cards.) The fee for forgetting to stamp your pass is 1,000 CZK ($41 USD,) a big unexpected expense to any traveler.

 

• Beware of Taxis – They’re known to overcharge. I didn’t need to use one on my recent trip since I walked the entire time I was there, so I don’t know from experience, but again this is another tip from Tomas that I take seriously. I don’t recall exactly how much a taxi may rip you off, but any rip off is worth avoiding. Look for a yellow Taxi light on top of the car and follow other guidelines found here.
  

  Nataranjasana in hiking boots in Prague.

  Another good idea is to ask your hostel or hotel to call ahead and book you a reliable taxi.

 

• Invest in Good Walking Shoes – Prague has retained its historical beauty meaning that the architecture is stunning and there are sites to visit aplenty (plus parks and beer gardens.) Through history those bumpy cobblestone streets have stayed put in the majority of both Old and New Town and they wreak havoc on pedestrians’ feet. No matter which European city (or any city anywhere) you visit it’s an absolute must to invest in a  pair of good walking shoes, be them walking sandals, sneakers, or hiking boots. Cobblestone is no surface to mess around with flip flops or heels in!

 

You’ll be off to a good start keeping these tips in mind when you visit fairy-tale-like Prague. Also remember to drink all the pivo (beer) you can handle and eat some goulash with dumplings. My review of a centrally located Prague yoga studio coming up soon.