Going to prague in a few weeks

[chris7b]

So im leaving for Prague in a few weeks. Will be spending about 3 weeks there. I was wondering what kind of schemes to look out for. Can any seasoned travellers chime in?

 

[DivideBYZero]

I'd start by not assuming that anywhere outside the US is more dangerous than being inside the US.

 

[chris7b]

YEs...but difference being i have a good idea of how to not get scammed here in the US. I know their everywhere!

 

[mrrman]

I heard that the new ripoffs are people actually cutting the straps off cameras and money belts etc and running...look into some pacsafe products...I just bought these

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: chris7b
So im leaving for Prague in a few weeks. Will be spending about 3 weeks there. I was wondering what kind of schemes to look out for. Can any seasoned travellers chime in?

My dad is from the Czech republic and I've been to prague several times. You are in for an awesome time.

Prague, unlike much of the Czech republic, is extremly westernized. Gone are the days when everything was extremely cheap for americans, as the value of the dollar against the czech crown is ~50% of what it was just 7 years ago. Not to say it is expensive, its not, at least not relative to other places in Europe, but there are a few things to look out for.

Things you should know about the Prague and the czech republic:

-Prague is arranged in several sectors, with Prague 0 being in the center of town and denoting the old town (Karlov Most, or the charles bridge, is the centerpoint). As you go farther away from Prague 0, you move farther away from the tourist sections of prague, although there is still plenty to see.

-Most merchants speak at least rudimentary English, and those in the tourist sections are usually fluent. in the czech republic there is a saying that you cannot hear the czech language in prague, particularly on weekends (that is because all the locals go out of town to avoid the tourist rush)

-the more touristy the location (i.e., the closer to Prague 0), the more expensive everything will be. Food, souvenirs, tours, everything. If you want to find deals on crystal or jewelry, stay the heck out of old town and ask a local for a non-tourist recommendation. The most likely way you will get ripped off is by buying souvenirs in old town for twice what they cost just outside of old town. Note: The artists on Karlov Most generally price their goods well, particularly the photographers. Oh, and if you see a guy with Devil Horns sitting at the end of the bridge on the side near Hradcany Castle (prague castle), he has been there for almost 15 years now. You can look at him, but I wouldn;t engage him in conversation, as he is a bit of a nut. Golden Lane is the 100% worst place to buy anything.

-Food should be extremely cheap. If it costs you more than 100 crowns/person (5 dollars) to eat a good solid meal (not fast food), you are eating in a tourist trap or in the czech version of an american restaurant. Beer should be incredibly cheep (15-20 crowns would be expensive, and that is less than 1 dollar). Try to find a "local" czech restaurant outside of Prague 0. Usually they have tons of different things to eat and most are quite good. If you like a place, come back! Try the Svitkova (sveetch-ko-va) (essentially roast beef, mushroom gravy and usually steamed dumplings). It is generally good everywhere, as it is one of the czech national dishes (as is smezany cir (smez-ah-nee seer), or fried cheese).

-Prague is very, very safe. However, watch out for the Gypsies! You will know them when you see them. They speak a mixture of various languages (typically a mash of French and Czech that is almost unintelligible) and like to prey on unsuspecting tourists. Typically they just try to pickpocket people, and are usually not violent. However, there are a couple things you should watch out for with them. First, be aware of who is around you, particularly in Wenceslas Square (where the Czech national museum is). The gypsies often employ a technique where they surround one person in a crowd, push up against them, and in doing so try to lift their wallet. So keep your wallet in your front pocket or a zipped hipbag (always in front of you). The other thing you have to watch out for with them is at night. Clubs off wenceslas square offer live sex shows (you'd never know, as this is a very prosperous area of town), and the gypsies know this. Often times gypsy women will try to placate younger men who are on the same street as these clubs with offers of sex (literally, they will ask "You want Sex? Sex?") Not that I have to tell you this, because it is just nasty, but for the love of god do not follow a woman who mentions this to you. Prague is full of narrow alley ways, and while you may think your gonna have a good time, shes leading you into a crowd of her buddies who may very well steal everything on you, including your clothes. Not to mention it is very easy to get lost in the twists and turns of the city if you are unfamiliar with it.

All in all, Prague is extremely safe and a wonderful city. As long as you keep your wits about you and use some common sense, you should have no problems with the gypsies or the merchants.

Give me a PM if you want some tips on what to see, where/what to eat, and what tours are and are not worth seeing. I've pretty much seen everything in Prague a few times, so feel free to ask questions. And if I don't know, I can ask a friend of mine who is a travel insurance agent over there.

I will say that while Prague surely has the highest density of sights to see, my personal favorites are well outside the city. In particular I recommend seeing Konopiste (Ko-no-peest-ye), which is Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand's former hunting chalet and my personal favorite tourist location in the Czech republic. It houses the 2nd largest personal collection of midieval armor in the world, as well as ~4% of Franz Ferdinands hunting trophies, ~18000 (yes, thousand) pieces as I recall. A couple of other nice castles to see include karlstejn (carl-schtein) (don't take the interior tour, as it is not worth it unless you can get in to see the crown jewels, which requires reservations far in advance) and Orlik (Or-leek, literally meaning eagles nest). All of these are pretty awesome sights, and you should be able to find tours to them throughout Prague.

Ciao!

-P