Had a wonderful week in prague,il get the negativity out the way first.Yes i got my wallet lifted on a 23 tram, guys be advised these are experts, never put your wallet in your back pocket,, in fact never get on a crowded tram.the experience at the police station was just as bad,4 hrs waiting to be seen, finally giving my statement to a bored police official who typed it one fingered on a typewriter circa 1930.Were it not for a kind native speaker, their with her hubby to report a theft, i would have been hours longer waiting for an interpreter.The typical chzech pubs listed in prague experience are sadly overcrowded with tourists,still we did manage to find a gem of a place that sold wonderful beer at 17.5 crowns,the dearist dish on the pub menu 88 crowns, a gem of a find. One disconcerting habit however was after a meal in a highly recommended bar, was finding the bill was just a figure on the slip of paper used to mark drinks etc.. no itemised bill.as we ate in the bar section, i dont know if the same was thru in the restaurant proper, i sure hope not.be advised, dont attempt to jump on public transport without a ticket, in out 5 day stay we were checked twice and saw many people being fined.We found the people polite, invariably friendly. and was a delight to see young people offer their seats to the elderly on public transport. the city is wonderful,, architechture to die for but ohh in near of proper maintenance the graffitti is the worst of any capital city ive bin to,, i thought Athens was bad ,,wow pragues worse, But,, i cant wait to go back,, my wife and i enjoyed it immsensely..more later
They are experts????!!! They are so blatently obvious it makes me wonder how poorly educated could the police actually be?! only a farmboy would have their wallet lifted here...its like disneyland, very safe. But I do know a few girls from Moravia that wouldn't last an hour in Manhatten :} The paper ticket action is as much of a joke as the dual priced menus, one for them, one for the foreigers...:{
Hi Andrew, Thanks for sharing your experiences on your trip to Prague. I'm sorry to hear that you were pickpocketed, but I'm glad to know that you still enjoyed your time here! I have also seen that it's typical in bars and pubs to get checkmarks on a slip of paper. With a large group it can be tough to see if the bill is right. I always have to remember to check over a regular bill too. One time at a restaurant, there were four of us and we had a total of 3 beers. I looked over the bill and saw that we were charged for 22! What's the name of the pub you liked?
Well, I usually remember what I have had. (And if I am unable to remember anything, I write it down on my forearm ) Of course, in restaurants I expect a proper bill.
Hi all, I just wanted to comment on what Andrew said about the people being friendly and polite (even to someone that spoke hardly any Czech). I found this also and I was also impressed by the younger people giving their seats to older passengers on the tram or bus. I was in Prague in December and I am planning on going back in July. I had a wonderful time. As my girlfriend had to work I explored much of the city alone and not once did I have any problems with pickpockets or anything else(thank goodness). The coat I wore probably had something to do with that, very long and down filled. I have recommended to many people to visit Prague. It is a great city to visit. BTW the graffitti is pretty bad but it is a big city.
Oh dear Andrew, wallet in the back pocket on the tram? No no, wallet goes *under the clothes.* But I guess you know that now, and I am very sorry you had to learn that way! Yes, the little slip of paper is typical in pubs. Nicer restaurants give you an actual bill. I'm glad you found a good pub. Do you remember the name?
Tram 23 is good pickiings for pick-pockets,as it goes through the tourist area at the Malovanka end of the route. Czechs are very polite, even the school kids, they'ill let you on in front of them (not like the transport in the UK, where they stampede you) You will only be ripped off in restaurants in the tourist areas, a favorite is the hidden service or couvert charge. The bits of paper on the table are quite normal, each time you get a beer a stroke goes down on it, then the cost of your food, it's all added up at the end, sometimes it is transferred to a till receipt. l have never come accross differing prices in the Czech and English sections of menus, I always consult both. You were in the right sort of place Andrew when you paid 17.5 KC for a pivo, there are still many such places if you look, don't be afraid to venture into dodgy looking places, nobody will bother you (unlike such establishments in Glasgow or Belfast). By the way it normal for prices to be rounded up to the nearest Korouna, so your 17.5 beer becomes 18, if purchased on it's own.
