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G-Man's Guide To Prague

General InformationBack To The Top Of The Page

Language (Czech / Český)
The Czech Republic is in the European Union and is part of the Schengen agreement/area
Time is 24-hour clock
Primary time zone is GMT (UTC) +1 (whole country) aka Central European Time (CET +0). Clocks go forward on the last Sunday in March at 02:00 CET to 03:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST). Clocks go back on the last Sunday in October from 03:00 CEST to 02:00 CET.
Weather information from Weather Underground
Country telephone dial code = 420
Capital city = Prague (Praha)
Primary airport = Ruzyně (PRG)

Electricity - PowerBack To The Top Of The Page

Voltage of 230v at a frequency of 50Hz.
Plug = two pin Europlug.
Socket = 2 round pins (Europlug) with ground receptacle.
NOTE: If the power supply for your device is universal or can handle the voltage of 230v at a frequency of 50Hz you just need an adaptor for the plug/socket. If your power supply is not universal or cannot handle the voltage of 230v at a frequency of 50Hz you will need a specialised power converter.

Czech Money And Using Credit CardsBack To The Top Of The Page

The Czech currency is Czech Crowns (Česká koruna - denoted as Kč) available in both banknotes and coins. It is best to use local currency or a credit card where accepted. Either change your money before you go or use a local cash machine to withdraw money (the fee for one withdrawal is usually about £5/1% so always try to make one large withdrawal - always be aware of your surroundings and make sure the money is secure when you travel on the public transport).

NOTE: Some shops (especially supermarkets) don't like being given large notes so always try and carry small notes (≤200Kč) when shopping for essentials. Use large notes (≥500Kč) at restaurants where they are accepted without problem and change given. Many metro stations and tourist areas have public toilets but there is usually a small cost to use the facilities. Therefore keeping and travelling with some small change (1, 2, 5 and 10 crown coins) is wise.


Credit/debit cards are accepted in Prague (usually as Chip & Pin transactions) but not everywhere especially some restaurants so always check beforehand. If you lose a credit card contact:

VISA = +420 224 125 353
American Express = +420 222 800 111
MasterCard/Eurocard = +420 261 354 650
Diners Club = +420 267 314 285
Barclaycard = +44 1904 544 373

Czech Currency CZKBack To The Top Of The Page

Prague TaxisBack To The Top Of The Page

Always use AAA taxis (call +420 14014). They are easy to use, usually speak English and are easy to spot (yellow/white and/or with a large black/red AAA Taxi logo on the side). They are also the official taxi service to and from the airport so you shouldn't get conned. Look for the vehicles immediately as you leave the terminal building or use the AAA Taxi booth inside the arrivals area. If you have a lot of luggage or are in a big group and need to get to/from the airport use the official Cedaz minibus service.

NOTE: If you are going to use a taxi from the airport and also back again when you are leaving use the AAA taxi service from the airport. They usually have a voucher on the back of the front seats entitling you to approximately 50% discount for the return journey. You must have one of these vouchers, use the telephone number on the voucher to book your return taxi (not the standard +420 14014 number) and present the voucher at the time of pickup (not the end of the journey).

NOTE: There are taxi points located around the city called "Fair Taxi". These are supposed to have "good" taxi drivers but it is not always the case therefore, where possible, always use the AAA taxis.

Prague Travel And TransportBack To The Top Of The Page

Prague has a great public transport system including trams, underground "metro" and buses and one ticket allows you to travel on them all. If you are doing lots of travelling/sightseeing in one day buy a 24 hour pass (it's not just one day until midnight, it is valid for a full 24 hours from the time of stamping not from the time of purchase so you can buy several if you want). You can stamp it at 14:00 one afternoon and still use it at 10:00 the following morning! If you are in the city for a longer period there is also a 3 day (72 hour) ticket available. The Metro stops at around midnight (one hour later on Fri/Sat nights) whereas trams and buses are replaced with a night service just after midnight (Night trams and buses start with a 5 e.g 51 and 501).

Prague ticket stamp machine You will need a valid ticket (info / prices) to travel on the transport system. The first time you use the ticket you will need to stamp it using the yellow stamping machine found on the tram/bus or at the Metro station entrance (see picture - usually a vertical yellow box approximately the size of a small shoebox with a "credit card sized" slot in it - put your ticket in the slot, details facing up and in the direction of the arrow on the ticket i.e. the blank end in first). Always check to make sure the ticket has been stamped okay and if not, try another stamping box. However, the ticket must only be stamped correctly and only once to be valid.

NOTE: As with any major city pickpockets are common. Make sure all valuables are not in easy reach and are secured. Try to avoid the usual rush hours and be especially aware when the tram/metro/bus you are getting on is busy/crowded.

NOTE: If you are over 70 you can travel for free on the Prague transport system as long as you have your passport with you to prove your age.

Czech PostBack To The Top Of The Page

Prague post box If you wish to post postcards/letters from the Czech Republic you will need stamps. You can obtain these from "Tabak"s (small newsagent type shops) or Post Offices. Once your post is stamped you can post the items in the Česká pošta post box. These are usually orange in colour and found on various street walls – see picture. The current rates can be found here under International Ordinary Mail > up to 20g inclusive (for postcards) > priority and either European countries or Non-European countries depending on the destination.

Visiting the Czech Republic with a 3G device e.g. iPhone or iPadBack To The Top Of The Page

See this article on MacStrategy

Wi-Fi - Internet AccessBack To The Top Of The Page

Public Wi-Fi is available in many locations. Some places to get Wi-Fi easily include:

Hotspot providers

Hotel, restaurant, bar and cafe chains

Individual hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes and locations

Useful iOS Apps For iPad - iPhone - iPod touchBack To The Top Of The Page

FREE Apps Specifically for the Czech Republic/Prague

Google Translate
English-Czech Dictionary
mapy.cz - local maps with better/additional information to Google
smsjízdenka - public transport (metro/tram/bus) offline map+tickets via SMS (in Czech but obvious/easy to use)
Lékárny - Czech Pharmacies
TV Magazin - Czech TV guide including cable channels
Zlaté Stránky (Yellow Pages) for iPhone/iPod
Zlaté Stránky HD (Yellow Pages) for iPad
iSki - Czech Ski slopes information
TripAdvisor Hotels Flights Restaurants
TripAdvisor City Guides
Prague Find The Pub Lite
Staropramen
Alakarte - Fine dining
Buildings - Architecture

FREE Travel Related Apps

Skype for iPhone/iPod
Skype for iPad
Fring - VOIP and multiple Instant Messaging (IM) support
XE Currency - caches information so it can be used offline

PAID Apps (not free)

Lonely Planet Travel Guide - Prague
In Your Pocket - Prague
Prague2Go - includes an offline map
WiFi Free Czech - locate free Wi-fi hotspots
IDOS - (in Czech) Czech transport [buses/trains]

Airline Apps

Skyteam Czech Airlines (+Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Alitalia)
Aer Lingus
Air France
Austrian Arlines
British Airways
Delta
Easyjet
Germanwings
Iberia
KLM
Korean Air
Lufthansa
Malév Hungarian Airlines
S7 Airlines
SWISS International Air Lines
TAP Portugal
Turkish Airlines
Vueling
Wind Jet

Apple EquipmentBack To The Top Of The Page

Apple as a brand languished for many years in the Czech Republic mainly due to the excessive cost of such electronic goods. But the Czech economy strengthened considerably in the 00s, there are better wages and westernisation is happening at a very fast pace. With the boom of portable electronic devices like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, Apple has now become a major brand and Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) finally supports the Czech language natively.

If you are visiting the Czech Republic with Apple equipment and you need something:

Apple Stores (Apple Authorised Resellers - there are no Apple owned retail stores in the Czech Republic)

NOTE: To find all Apple authorised resellers in Prague / Czech Republic use Apple's resource locator e.g. enter Prague and select Czech Republic.

Apple Authorised Service Providers (AASP)

NOTE: For AASPs outside of Prague see the official Czech/Slovak Apple distributor's web site.

Public holidays and Non-Working DaysBack To The Top Of The Page
NOTE: Unlike some countries all but one of these non-working days (the Easter Monday) fall on the specific date - they do not move relative to weekends. Visitors should note that public transport tends to operate a Sunday service on these dates.

EmbassiesBack To The Top Of The Page

A full list of embassies and consulates can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic web site.

The United Kingdom embassy's details are:
Address = Thunovská 14, 118 00, Praha 1 (view location on mapy.cz)
Telephone = +420 257 402 111
Fax = +420 257 402 280
Office Hours = Monday to Thursday 09.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 16.30, Friday 09.00 - 12.00 only
Web site

EmergenciesBack To The Top Of The Page

112 is the general emergency line throughout the European Union (similar to 999 in the UK and 911 in the USA). It should be used for large-scale emergencies, especially for those who don't speak Czech - operators will speak English and German as well as Czech. The number can be dialled from any phone, and the call is free. The call is also traced with Caller ID - even mobile phones can be located within a 200-meter radius. The number can be used for urgent help from Police, Fire Brigade, or Emergency Medical Assistance, though these numbers can also be dialled directly:

General Emergency = 112
Fire = 150
Medical Emergency (Ambulance/First Aid) = 155
Police = 158
Municipal Police = 156 (they have limited authority and resolve smaller, local problems)
Gas (Česká plynárenská) = +420 234 312 375
Electric (Pražská energetika) = +420 267 055 555

NOTE: Some numbers may not have English-speaking operators.

24 Hour Pharmacies - LekarnaBack To The Top Of The Page

Prague 1, Palackého 5 - telephone +420 224 946 982
Prague 2, Belgická 37 - telephone +420 222 519 731
Thomayerova hospital, Prague 4, Vídeňská 800 - telephone +420 261 084 001
Prague 5, Štefánikova 6 - telephone +420 257 320 918
Hospital Motol, Prague 5, V Úvalu 84 - telephone +420 224 435 736
Bulovka Hospital, Prague 8, Budínova 2 - telephone +420 266 082 017

First Aid And HospitalsBack To The Top Of The Page

In case of a non-urgent emergency, doctors/hospitals can be contacted directly. The hospital Na Holmolce is the most expat-friendly, with a special clinic for foreigners and numerous English-speakers, but it is a bit far from the centre of town. A few examples of 24-hour doctors and hospitals:

NOTE: It's always a good idea to take any travel insurance documents, your passport and if you are from the EU your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC - Apply for a UK EHIC card here) with you when you visit one of these people/locations.

Doctors/First Aid:

+420 224 947 717 – Prague 1 & 2 (children)
+420 224 949 181 – Prague 1 & 2 (adults)
+420 284 861 979 – Prague 3 (children)
+420 284 862 149 – Prague 3 (adults)
+420 241 733 916 – Prague 4, 11, & 12 (children)
+420 241 733 917 – Prague 4, 11, & 12 (adults)
+420 257 323 221 – Prague 5 (children)
+420 257 323 219 – Prague 5 (adults)

Hospitals:

+420 257 271 111 – Nemocnice Na Holmolce (Prague 5)
+420 222 801 111 – Nemocnice na Františku (Prague 1)
+420 222 928 111 – Workplace: Poliklinika Palackého (Prague 1)
+420 224 961 111 – Všeobecná fakultní nemocnice v Praze (Prague 2)
+420 261 081 111 – Fakutní Thomayerova nemocnice s poliklinikou (Prague 4)
+420 296 511 111 – Nemocnice Podolí gynekologie a porodnice (gynecology and childbirth services; Prague 4)
+420 224 431 111 – Fakultní nemocnice v Motole s poliklinikou (Prague 5)
+420 267 161 111 – Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady (Prague 10)

Useful Information LinksBack To The Top Of The Page

Official Czech tourism web site.
Prague TV
Thanks to Expats.cz for some of the information on this page.

Useful Booking LinksBack To The Top Of The Page

UK and Ireland Airline Contact InformationBack To The Top Of The Page

British Airways = UK contact telephone numbers
Easyjet = Customer service web site
BMI Baby = Contact information
Thomsonfly = Contact information
Wizzair = Contact information
Aer Lingus = Contact information

NOTE: Ryanair do not currently fly to the Czech Republic.

NOTE: Czech Airlines (CSA) do not currently fly to the UK.

Prague airport web site » Departures / Arrivals.

Google Ads Relating To PragueBack To The Top Of The Page
© Graham Needham

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© Graham Needham