First time to Prague

Hi All, First time to the City of Prague, single 46 year old/young, staying 4 nights at the Alton Hotel in Mid February, anyone out can give me advice about what to see where to go what to keep away from, and also about using the public transport, which is the best way of using it and obviously the cheepest?

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www.livingprague.com - tons of info.

Public transport is cheap - buy a pass - I guess a three day one for you. It covers metro, trams, buses and funicular. Rates are on above website. Eyewitness Travel does a pocket sized Top Ten book that has a good map and more than you%26#39;ll be able to cover in 4 days - see if you can find one. I%26#39;ll be tere myself from 1 Feb %26#39;til the 15th. Good luck - you%26#39;ll love the place if you approach it with an open mind.

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If you are taking public transport from the airport, I would buy a 1 week pass (7 day passes cost 280 crowns and 3 day passes cost 220 crowns), as you will tire walking all the way back up Wenceslas Square and up the hill towards the Hotel Alton. You can buy transport passes at the airport at the Prague Transport Authority office on the right when you come out of customs

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Many thanks to your advice all, looking forward to the cold visit, but surely warm within the local pubs

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I agree with Peb about buying the 7 day pass. It%26#39;s not much money and you%26#39;ll find the convenience of having it will outweigh the price. Your nearest metro is IP Pavlova. Ask the reception how to get to %26quot;Banditos%26quot; in Melounova. It is only 100 metres from your hotel. Nice bar and restaurant if you like mexican.

Jason

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Hey Thanks Jason.

Any other recommended restraunts, something with culture, and as I may have said I will be going alone so I don%26#39;t want to feel out of place. Also as you possibly be a regular, 3 top tips of places that I must visit, and place where you would advise perhaps to stear away from

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Hi Soulman - I%26#39;ve visited Prague several times (whenever I travel I swear by the Rough Guide - always a really good read especially if you want a grounding in the history of a place). As for Prague specifically - it%26#39;s always worth checking what%26#39;s on at the National Theatre: www.narodni-divadlo.cz/Default.aspx?jz=en - we went to the ballet christmas day 2 years ago for less than a quid a ticket and the usherettes upgraded our seats. Opposite the Narodni Divaldo is my favourite cafe/restaurant hang-out Kavarna Slavia - it a cheap place to eat (recommend the gnocchi and pancakes) but more importantly, to people-watch - I spend hours here every time I visit and I never get bored. It%26#39;s really popular with Czechs so I like it there. I also like to hang-out in the cafe of the cinema in the Palac Lucerna Arcade (Wenceslas Square) - smoky but worth choking for the bohemian atmos and faded art nouveau decor. If you like art nouveau then try the Grand Hotel Europa (Wenceslas Square) for a coffee (I don%26#39;t recommend the food though and the staff are grumpy) - really something special. Also, you must visit the art nouveau Municipal House (Obecni Dum) and the American Bar downstairs is a must - for its art deco style. I can%26#39;t recommend any nightlife as I tend to haunt cafes ather than go out drinking. If you like architecture, hanging out and people-watching then you%26#39;ll like my tips. Mostly, when you%26#39;re walking round, don%26#39;t forget to look up and around at all times - the buildings are stunning. Enjoy your trip.

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Thanks, sound like you loved the place. I%26#39;m more for culture, not night clubs, but obviously would like to meet peolpe and generally they may be at a well known pub at nights. People watching I love. So here goes Prague.

Thanks Again

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Well awayuk, followed your recommendations with keen interest, I loved the places, just never enough time to stay and visit them all, so it%26#39;s a good excuse to visit again. Visited the Obecni dum (Municipal House) and down to the American cafe, but unfortuneatly not enough time to stay. So any new ones who visit Prague that love culture and people watching follow AWAYUK%26#39;s report. Stayed at Hotel Alton and was very well looked after, the place was very clean, although lacked an actual place to drink but was so central to many cafes and watering holes.