Is it easy to book horse and cart rides in Prague? If anyone has ideas about good routes to go on that would be great. We are going in December for a long weekend. Thanks
Yes, they are all waiting on Old Town square and I think that they have their own "sightseeing" way. No need to worry which way to go, they just go around on the streets of old town. Few years ago I heard that ride comes to $40 in Czech currency, but I didn't hear it from someone who actually had this ride.
$40!? I hope that is for the ride and not per person - I know gasoline is high there but, hay must be ridiculous. Anyway, I think Old Town is much better suited for walking - so many things to explore that you would just miss if you only take a ride.
I agree with you 100% Glen. For for one who knows the area it is like "merry go round". Tourists think that they will see "something" but it is just the streets around the square, which they can walk easily and I think more enjoyably. Even though Charles Bridge is so close, no vehicles are allowed on, so they still have to to through the streets to get there. Prague Castle is totally somewhere else.... Perhaps I am not romantic, but I would compare this ride to slowly driving car through the streets, not being able to stop when I see something interesting. But worse of all, these horses stink something fearsfull (pissing wherever they stop) and I practivally run through the place where they stand in the summer. Intersection where they stop on red light is also saturated. How they smell when one is sitting behind their behind I will never find out. I have some pics as they are going under window of my apartment, but I still didn't figure out how to insert pics here. Will do that next week.
One of the offers (http://www.city-guide.cz/): Ceny vyhlídkových jízd kočárem (prices for 5-6 persons). Jízda po Praze (60 min.) 3.800 Kč (approx. 180 USD) Přistavení kočáru (minimum charge for the buggy coming to pick you up at chosen spot) od 1.500 Kč (approx. 72 USD) Simply ridiculous! :shock:
By comparison - In New Orleans, you can take a half hour horse (well, mule actually) and carriage ride for $50 for four people or $100 for an hour and there are coupons on line for $5 off. But then, New Orleans isn't Prague (although it is a wonderful city and a great place to visit).
:roll: I am shocked. :shock: Thank you very much Jana, now when I hear them under my window I won't say anymore "here comes $40" I would have to think of something else to say. I thought that $40 was rather high. No wonder Czechs think that anyone from West is loaded and money means nothing to them. My mother (now deceased) was getting cca $200/month old age pension to live on (no other income!), while listening to those horses going by all day and night. I am glad she didn't know.
My husband and I had a horse and carriage ride on our wedding day from Hluboka (the castle) down to a restaurant in town. It was probably a 20 minute ride, but the horse and carriage waited at the castle for us about 20 minutes as well. It cost $35 U.S. per hour. My mother-in-law (czech) thought it was ridiculous that we paid that much so she rushed us from the castle to the carriage. I wanted to stay around and take some pictures. I found out the next day that she was rushing us because she was afraid we would have to pay for another hour. I would have gladly paid an extra $35 to take my time on my wedding day. :cry: Oh well, cultural differences and language barriers. What can you do? Bless her heart, she was only looking out for my husband and I. I guess Prague is much more expensive than Hluboka. :wink:
