Hello - In the past week I have been reading all the helpful comments here about hotels etc., Now I hope some of you can please help me prepare for our visit.
Yesterday my husband and I (in our mid fifties/active) made a decision that Prague it would be - and booked a week at Le Palais at the start of May for our wedding anniversary. We have arranged a hotel car pick up from the airport.
Some of the things we want to do include seeing some opera and a ballet. I notice that Carmen, Tosca and Swan Lake are all on that week. (We are not opera or ballet buffs, but feel Prague would be a great place to do some music etc., and take in the venues as well).
1. So should we book seats ahead via the internet or take a chance and get tickets when we arrive?
2. We like to eat early, rather than late after a show, so can someone please suggest somewhere which has good food and efficient service that would also be near the theatres.
3. We are also looking for special memorable restaurant to have an anniversary meal. We also like nice coffee shops and places to have morning or afternoon teas. Ok we do like food.
Normally we always hire a car on holiday, but we haven’t done so yet for this trip as it’s meant to be relaxed pace city sightseeing. Now we are wondering if we should hire a car for a few days or even the week. We’ve been a bit put off about all the comments on pick pocketing on public transport and this has made ME (not him) a bit nervous of using trams and I am never keen on using the underground in any city – I just don’t like being underground. (These phobias come with age...)
4. So any thoughts on car hire please/ good companies or taxi use instead?
Thank you in advance for your replies.
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dont hire a car. You wont be able to park it in the centre as you need a permit to do so. Czech drivers are a nightmare and if you haven%26#39;t driven on narrow busy streets where trams have absolute right of way, you will end up having a prang.
Public transport is not full of muggers. Take precuations, don%26#39;t leave valuables hanging out ready to be taken, but look after them in a sensible manner and you should be ok.
If you want to book ahead, Bohemia Tickets International is a reputable agency www.ticketsbti.cz and can send the tickets to your hotel or hold them in their offices for you. Unless for premieres, opera rarely sells out.
which theatre are you looking at, as they are in different parts of town, so that will affect which restaurants are nearby.
Only place that does real afternoon tea is the four Seasons, which is not up to English standards and the bar is very smoky
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Hello and thanks very much for your reply. Yes I understand your comment about sensible precautions. London, Barcelona etc., all have similar problems, but somehow I think we all want to forget such things on holiday and just be carefree. However I do take your point. I%26#39;m excited about going there as everything we have heard from friends in the past has been so positive, all wishing they had stayed longer and done things more leisurely.
Re the theatres - At present they are bit meaningless to me, but these are the events I am considering and they seem to be in the State Opera or the National Theatre. Yet my 1000 Places Book to see Before You Die mentions the Estates Theatre!!
State Opera Prague Opera
Carmen Bizet May 2 or May 7
National Theatre Prague Opera
La Bohème Puccini May 4.
State Opera Prague Opera
Tosca Puccini May 5.
National Theatre Prague Ballet
Swan Lake Tchaikovsky May 5 or 7 May
Thanks for the tips on car parking and the warning about the smokiness of the Four Seasons Bar - any other awful smoky places to avoid? Hope this post generates fewer spaces.
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None of the performances above are in the Estate Theatre (which is nice, but the State Opera is just as imporessive). a good pre or post dining option for State Opera is Zahrada v Opere next door. Prague restaurants tend to be quite slow, so you can be under pressure if you do pre dining.
Cafe Louvre on Narodni street down the road from the National Theatre, or over the bridge on Vitezna street - Olympia or Cafe Savoy are both good as well.
For post opera dining, you are well to book.
Very few Czech restaurants have non smoking rooms, so many restaurants and pubs are smoky compared to England
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Thank you so much for such useful information. Glad to know this theatre compares so well interior wise.
It%26#39;s also worth knowing to book a meal after a show or allow plenty of time preshow, so thank you.
Not keen on the sound of smoky places, but we have feet so can always move on if it%26#39;s too bad. I%26#39;m glad we%26#39;ve booked a nice hotel room just in case the latter is a major problem for me. I%26#39;ve had radiotherapy to my throat and as a lifelong non smoker have always avoided smoky places, but now post treatment it is even more of a problem when faced by the puffers.
Just wondering if 5 star lounges etc., are generally more user friendly to non-smokers. Do any have non-smoking sections or am I wishing for the moon - this was one thing that we never thought about before booking as non smoking places are increasing everywhere in UK and it%26#39;s much less of a problem here than years ago. But I won%26#39;t let it put me off - we are going now and will make the very most of it.
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most of the hotels have non smoking rooms. DaNico on Dlouha street is a good restaurant with a separate non smoking room
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Thanks Peb
I guess it%26#39;s like everywhere - if it%26#39;s smoky don%26#39;t go in if it offends you. But glad to hear some places are designated for nonsmokers and I am adding that restaurant to my list now.
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