Me and a couple of friends [all of us 18] are considering coming to CR for the summer holiday I have read a wealth of information about the country, but what i'd really like is straight answers about specific questions, from people who know the place Relative prices. I appreciate that everywhere is different, but generally how do prices compare to England? What i've read seems to say it's cheaper, but by how much [food and alcohol are the primary concerns here ]? Accomodation. We are pretty skint, but really dont fancy the idea of camping. All we want is basic rooms at low prices - Am i right in assuming a hostel is the best option? [i'd think our max would be about 1000 CZK pppn :lol:] Language. Ashamed as i am to admit it, i didn't even know there was a Czech language untill recently. I plan to learn a few useful phrases, and may well buy a dictionary, but how easy is it to get by as a stupid English Tourist? Is anything written in English? Could i expect most people to have a basic knowledge of English? In short, will my attempts to communicate nearly everything in English be met with scorn, bewliderment or helpfullness? Nightlife. I have seen lots of questions/links/information about clubs in Prague. But just because there's a thousand clubs doesnt mean they are good. Could i expect any differences between English and Czech clubs? Is there a good dance scene [ie are the clubs full?] And finally: My ideal would be to spend the mornings asleep, the afternoons walking the streets and soaking up the atmosphere and surroundings, the nights dancing untill i'm thrown out, and all on a limited budget. Could youe envisage me enjoying Prague? If anyone can be bothered to read all that, thankyou If you can be bothered to reply - that would be even better! Thanks.
Dear C Seeing as no one has replied I will tell you why. People don't really want drunken english lads roaming the streets setting a bad example. So asking about going with a gang of mates where the beer is cheap just doesn't warrant a good reply. English boozing types really stick out with their shorts and football shirts smirking at Czech women and thinking they are all fair gameand don't understand English - big mistake. Prague is a great city and if you respect it and its people you will have a good time. If you hang out in seedy clubs or get into one of the big white limo's offering to take you to a club you will get ripped off and ditched when you have no money left. You can do this in any major city at home. Czech girls are not deparate for Englishmen or anyone else for that matter. They are more like your mum's or Grandmothers generation and expect respect. This is despite the fact that Czech women are on the whole good looking. If you get drunk and turn out on the street remember that you will get arrested if you are rowdy. The police are firm and are armed. If you drive the blood alcohol level permissable is ZERO. Put you off yet?? If you want to have a blast when you can really let your hair down, get legless and nobody minds, go for New Year. It is the best and best natured party anywhere. In short please go when you are older and less prone to throw up on the street. Go to Benidorm where nobody minds! Joss
I understand, and i appreciate your comments - i'd only just started looking at information and i realise now that i'm more likely to get my answers by aiming questions at a revelent demographic. If i gave people an unfavourable impression, i apologise. Although, i am surprised. You seem to have labled me as 'English Football Thug abroad' and have been very keen to jump on my single mention of the word 'alcohol'. Rest assured, anyone matching your discription will be in Portugal this year for the World Cup and i have no intention of bothering people or throwing up in the street. Unfortunately you seem to have read 'soaking up the atmosphere' as 'staggering drunkenly' as opposed to 'visiting the castle, exploring the old town, perhaps seeing where Kafka was born'. What i've gathered from other sources indicates that there is a reasonably strong and growing dance culture in CR. As sensible, mature adults i'm sure that none of you would begrudge someone from enjoying themselves as they wish as long as it is not at the expense of others. The very reason i'm not looking at benidorn et al is to avoid the people you're complaining about. I sinscerely hope that people haven't read of a 'group' [three, actually] of young, English [god forbid...] people who like dance music, and automatically made a inaccurate, unfavourable judgements, as i'm sure isnt the case. There's a difference between dancing all night and drinking all night. In summary, if i've somehow made people jump to the wrong conclusions - sorry. And thankyou joss for replying, i'd rather know i wasn't going to get an answer than think i'd been ignored. I'm still bewildered at how someone keen to learn about Czech language, doesnt have loads of money to spend, and interested in researching information about good places to go well in advanve of leaving metamorphoses into someone who thinks Czechs are ignorant, is only interested in cheap beer and is keen to frequent crap, seedy clubs. But maybe thats just me? Anyway, i still havent decided if ii want to go to CR, but i'll ask any further questions elsewhere. And btw - 'charlie' is non-gender-specific
Hi, Charlie -- Although I'm an infrequent "poster" here myself (only because I typically have little contribute), I must admit I'm surprised that no one but Joss -- who seems to have a rather large chip on his shoulder -- responded to your original post. Everything that I have heard thus far about Prague makes me think that you will love it. I do hope that someone with a positive outlook and first-hand experience will respond to your questions. Susan
Hi Charlie. I was happy to see that you posted a new message and haven't given up on this discussion. I saw SMZ's reply regarding "someone with a positive outlook and first-hand experience" and I hope to provide just that. I visited Prague 11 Mar to 17 Mar by myself (as my friend had a family emergency and was unable to go) and had the most enjoyable experience. Briefly: I am 38, male, American. I had no problems communicating or navigating the city. I'll address each of your subjects based solely on my experience. Relative prices: Beer was about 30 to 45Kc depending on type and size. It was generally more expensive around high tourist areas. Lunch was anywhere from 200 to 300Kc. The food, to me, was great: roast pork, sauerkraut, potato dumplings and bread - a perfect compliment to the wonderful Czech beer, Krusovice being my favorite and , of course, Pilsner Urquell. Accomodation: I stayed at a hotel that was well outside the city center in order to keep my price down. At that time it was 900Kc per night, single occupancy but you may find hostels for less. Language: I think that Czech is a beautiful language. Visit the sister site locallingo.com to see Czech words translated to English along with real audio to hear the pronunciation. It proved invaluable to me. I only learned about 50 words in the brief time I had to prepare but I think that at the very least any attempt to learn the language, history and culture was much appreciated by the Czech people. And don't worry! I know that I mis-pronounced some words here and there but it was always greeted with mutual smiles or even laughter, but it was all part of the experience! If they did speak English I would always ask "Did I say that right"? Again, I feel that genuine interest is always appreciated. Nightlife: Alas, this is the only area that I'm unable to shed any light. Since I was travelling alone (and I am 38 after all!) I felt it better to end my days at the hotel lobby that stayed open until 1 A.M. But there were groups of college students from Spain and Italy that usually left the hotel at 10 P.M. and I did not see them until the next morning so they obviously found late night entertainment. To sum up: I, too, wanted to sleep late (I was on vacation after all!) and I did spend my afternoons/ evenings walking all over town. There was a tram pass machine outside my hotel. I would always buy two passes, one to take me to the city and one to return. The ones I purchased were valid for one hour after you stamped them upon entering the tram. They are labelled "2 pasma" and were 12Kc each: inexpensive and effective. You can also purchase them at newsstands (trafika) and at tabaks. Most hotels and most restaurants and shops in the major tourist areas such as Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Mala Strana, Old Town and Wenceslas square will be multi-lingual. Some restaurants, pubs and coffee shops will have menus posted at the entrance. If a menu is posted in English then you will know that they have English speaking staff on hand. But if not just remember that a smile and a little patience will get you far. Contrary to what I have read on some travel sites (everyone's opinions and experiences vary, and I respect that) I found the Czech people to be very warm and friendly. Joss did bring up a point: I was never drunken nor noisy. Neither were the Czechs that I encountered, but I did not percieve from your original post that you would be either. After all, we are guests in their country. Anyhow, I hope this helps. I wish you all the best in your travels wherever you go. I, personally, cannot wait to visit Prague again. It's the most beautiful city I've ever seen! Cheers, Danny
Hi Charlie, I'm sorry that it took a while for your questions to get answered here. Sometimes it takes a while before a question is answered, especially a longer one like yours. I don't think a lot needs to be added to TnDan's post, which pretty much covers it. Maybe just a few notes: Regarding the price of beer, it varies by pub/restaurant and location. You can get a pint of lager for 14 Kč (0.40 Euros) in a pub outside of Prague, for 25 Kč in a Prague restaurant, and for 70-90 Kč at an upscale Prague hotel. Hard alcohol and mixed drinks cost more of course. I'm not sure how prices compare to England - don't have the experience. Staying at a hostel may be a good choice if you're on a budget. There are a few real popular ones in Prague, e.g. the Golden Sickle. Take a look at this page for ideas - you can do a quick search to see what prices rooms start at. You should not have trouble getting by with English in Prague. English is relatively widely understood there, especially in the tourist areas. You may run into difficulties if you try to communicate in English outside of Prague though. E.g. I wouldn't expect the waiter at a small town pub to understand English. There sure is plenty of nightlife in Prague. Take a look at the Prague Nightlife page for tips. You will also be able to go to the websites of some of the clubs listed there, so you can become more familiar with what each of them is about. Hope this helps. I'm sure you'll have a great time in the Czech Republic! Dana
You can get one even for 11,- Kč in certain pubs in Brno The common price here is between 13 and 18. I like this town In Prague I would expect the normal price to be around 20,- for a normal lager. However, Pilsner Urquel is something special, this might cost 25 - 30 Kč at least.
hello charlie you can check out www.karlovylazne.cz its a big (and i mean big) disco near the carls brigde also there is the more upscale disco duplex www.duplexduplex.cz. It is on the main square Vaslavska Namesty (Wenzel square) and it is packed on almost every night in the summer and they dont let anybody in. However if you are a group of 18 year old girls you can probably get in anywhere. entrance fees is about 200CKr that is app 5 pounds also stay away from disco ARENA you cant awoid passing it some time during a walk around inner Prague. Accomodation the prices increase in the summer, and really cheap hotels/hostels are hard to find. The cheapest deal from DEnmark is to buy the airfare + plus hotel in a package deal.
