This forum has been very helpful and I can%26#39;t wait for my trip this weekend to see this beautiful city. However, I was hoping that a few locals or regulars to Prague can offer some general insight into must-sees and must-avoids as well as things to watch out for. In general, I%26#39;m staying at the Hotel Dalimil which I understand is about a 10 minute tram ride from the city center. I%26#39;m very wide open to suggestions since I want to take in as much history and culture as I can in two days (know that this is short but I can%26#39;t get sufficient time off of work). Thanks in advance!
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Given your limited timeframe, you might want to consider taking a walking tour. There are a few of them which might be of interest
www.praguewalks.com
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When I was there recently I thought I should surely take a private guide next time, so as to make the most of what there is to see, as the guide will know the best how to see as much as possible and what is worth the most. I think www.guide-prague.cz are very good (they have guides in 36 languages).
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The main tourist area of Prague is not really very big so I personally would not recommend one of the organized tours. The bus tours cannot get into the most interesting part of Old Town and for me, the walking tours are too slow.
Get a good guidebook and read it before you arrive. Study the maps so you have a general idea of where things are in relationship to each other. It%26#39;s really very easy to figure the city out. Without know you and you likes and dislikes, it is hard to recommend anything other than the main sites, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, Old Town itself (just wandering around the narrow twisty streets) and Wenceslas Square (although I personally avoid it, except to visit an extremely well-stocked camera store near by). There are lots of other things to see depending on your interests but you probably won%26#39;t have much time to wander out of the main site areas.
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Hi,
I lived in Prague for 3 years and had a lot of visitors who only came for a few days. The city is beautiful and really in a short time you can walk it all so take some comfortable shoes. My favourite itenerary for a day was this.
Start at The Castle at the top of the hill. Here it is a good idea to hire one of the audio tours (headphones and a commentary) and follow that to see everything up there. Then walk down the hill to Charles bridge - probably lunch time now depending on when you start so stop at one of the cafes for a snack and a beer. Go across Charles bridge and then straight across the road in to the little back alleys. Follow these to Old Town Square and try to time arrival at about 10 minutes to the hour so you can stop in front of the Astronomical clock which chimes/performs on the hour. From Old Town Square head towards the river again and spend time in the Jewish quarter - maybe join a tour to go round or make your own way, but go into the cemetery and the new/old synagogue if possible.
Other points -
Wenceslas Square is not worth visiting
Buy a copy of Prague Post to see if there is something on in the evening you fancy (lot%26#39;s of Jazz etc) and also you can pretty much trust the restaurant reviews here - it%26#39;s aimed at expats so you get advice beyond the tourist places.
Don%26#39;t take a taxi from the street as a lot of them will rip you off - have a coffee or snack and ask the staff there to call a taxi for you.
Keep your hands on your wallet at all times as the pickpockets are exceptionally skilled.
Have a good trip.
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a few questions on the jon%26#39;s post, if i may...
why is wenceslas sq not worth it?
is it possible/easy to book a tour direct, once you%26#39;re in prague, or would you suggest pre-booking, before arrival?
I%26#39;m thinking about going on the Jazz Boat and the communism walking tour.
thanks :)
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I%26#39;m not a local, but I visited Prague by myself for three days back in 2004. I easily spent an entire day visiting the castle and the Mala Strana and you probably will be tempted to do so if you are a history lover. The Josefov and the astronomical clock are definitely worth seeing as well. I also squeezed in the Vysehrad and a modern art museum, which were both nice, but would not make either a priority if I had only two days. The Charles Bridge is packed with tourists almost constantly, so it%26#39;s a little hard to take in and enjoy. I would maybe try to see it in the early morning (if you can manage to drag yourself out of bed after a wild night in Prague).
Yes, taxi drivers will try to rip you off if they think you%26#39;re a tourist. If you do take a cab, say %26quot;Dobray Don%26quot; (not sure of the spelling). I did this and the driver thought I was a local and shut the meter off.
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