So the Summer is nearly upon us and possibly the best time to visit the Czech Republic’s capital – Prague. Like any city you visit for the first time, it’s a good idea to do a little research before you go. Prague is an easy place to get around but there are a few tips following to help you navigate. Prague is now one of the most visited capitals in Europe, so there’s a lot of advice to be found online. One of the best ideas is to sign in with a Czech IP address so you can access local TV stations and media pages – there’s an article here – Czech IP
One area to be wary is taxis, unfortunately they have a bad reputation for overcharging tourists. Firstly try not to wave down a cab on the street particularly if you’re near the bus or railway station.Wherever you get a taxi from always ask what the approximate price will be. Also insist that you will need a printed receipt at the end of the journey. This can only be obtained from the taxi meter and it’s an offence for the taxi driver to refuse.
The local web service called Liftago is usually ok and of course there is the option of Uber in most of the city.The local residents of Prague will normally order a taxi from the big operators by phone rather than from the street for the best price. This should ensure you get the best fare, plus if you supply a phone number you’ll get a message with the approximate cost. Also these journeys are logged, recorded and monitored if you have any dispute or problems.
There’s no doubt that Prague is one of the most stunning cities in Europe, so it’s well worth the effort to visit. Alas with this beauty comes popularity and the city can be rather crowded between the months of June to the end of September. At this time the queues to enter popular sites like St Vitus’s Cathedral and the Charles Bridge can get pretty big. In fact these are likely to persist most of the day, your best bet to avoid them is to visit early morning. Unfortunately avoiding the crowds completely is fairly impossible. However step away from the main sites and off the beaten track and you’ll find it gets much quieter.
If you really want to avoid the crowds try and arrive at places as early as possible. It’s best to arrive before the official opening and make sure you are in the front of any queue that will develop. The cathedral of St Vitus for instance is going to be busy most of the day until it closes at 4.00 pm.The best time to visit Charles Bridge without being in a huge crowd is either early morning or later on in the evening.
Those times apply to most attractions, the Old Town Square is much quieter in the evening after about 8pm.During the middle of the day, it’s best to avoid the bigger attractions and instead look at some of the smaller museums and sites. One of my favorites is called the Museum of Communism which rarely gets too crowded. It maps the history of the City of Prague from the end of the second world war, until the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
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