Going in three weeks. What to do in the city and any good day trip suggestions.

What is your definition of a day trip?

What mode of transportation?

How long are you there?

Can you speak Czech?

If not can you speak German or Russian?

There are a lot of good places to visit in Boehmen, I have been pretty much everywhere in South Bohemia, I have yet to go to Prague, just because it is another big town that has little to offer except for shopping malls, McDonalds and tourists.

But there is a lot of stuff to see around Czech, but it helps if you can speak Czech, or German, or Russian. I can speak both German and some Czech so there are less limitations.

One day trip however that is both nice and I think you can do without a language other than English would be Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad in its original German). It is a very wealthy spa town in the formerly German speaking part of Bohemia. There are a lot of nice old buildings to see, spas and luxury stores due to the wealthy Russian tourists that like to come there.

You could go to the brewery in Plzen, Pilsner Urquell (the first pils/pilsner beer) is brewed there, I have also yet to make it there, but one day I guess I will go there and to Prag. When I was in Ceske Budejovice (Budweis) there were advertisements for the brewery in Plzen, but not for the Budwar brewery in their own town, it was funny.

Id also recommend making a trip down the highway into Germany and Nuernberg, its worth the trip, its a larger town, but doesnt have the whole "touristy" feel. The town walls are all still intact, the moat is still there, the castle is impressive, the Albrecht Duerer museum (German renaissance painter) is excellent and as I always say, Nuernberg is the best town in Germany.

You would have to pay the highway toll to drive from Prag to Plzen and to Nuernberg, but it would be worth it to go to Nuernberg. I think that I went last two years ago now, my wife had never been there and so on our vacation to the Bohemian Forest, we stopped by Nuernberg.

I am most familiar with Germany as I live here, but I go on vacation every year to Czech and often Switzerland, France, Serbia and Austria, so I can usually help with those countries too.

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...[Prague] is another big town that has little to offer except for shopping malls, McDonalds and tourists.

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Classic.

Ceske Budejovice is a couple hours south of Prague. Very pretty city and there is a brewery you can visit if you're into that.

Cesky Krumlov is a little further south from that and is another very pretty small town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Another option to consider about 45 mins to an hour north of Prague is the Terezin concentration camp. When I went we just saw the camp so I don't know anything about the town of Terezin itself.

drugs

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I have yet to go to Prague, just because it is another big town that has little to offer except for shopping malls, McDonalds and tourists.

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Wow.

classic randy

UglyScientist made some good suggestions for South Bohemia if you wanted to go south. As I said, I have been to Budejovice and Krumlov and both are nice and I would suggest going to either/both, they are a bit further away though.

Krumlov is actually more touristy and has more to offer pure english speakers than Budejovice, its clear that the smaller town is geared more to tourists/lives more from them.

Also again, I dont see much reason to go to any large towns. Maybe once just to say "yeah I saw it", but the best places to go to, especially in Eastern Europe, are the smaller towns where the west hasnt quite infiltrated them, you can at least get a taste of what it used to be like 20 years ago. Its similar to my distaste for Munich, you dont actually have to speak German to go there, not one second. I am a tourist that is more interested in authenticity than "Seeing sights" and taking pictures with me in front of it like an asian. I dont think that I have one picture of myself with any "sights" except the Eiffel Tower in Paris, because I took my brother and mom with me and they wanted a picture with all of us. I have some pictures to say "yeah I saw it" and thats it.

There are however a lot of people who go to places because they want to tell everyone they were there and want proof or something, I dont quite understand that .. but sure whatever, the world is big enough for tons of opinions.

[This message has been edited by Randy03 (edited 1/1/2011 7:45a).]

Oh something else that could be of benefit to you, in Prag or outside.

If you get Euros first, then find yourself an exchange booth that will give you 25 Crowns per Euro.

I usually get my Crowns at the border crossing with Germany at Philipsreut, but I bet you can find some small exchange place around town and get that rate.

Right now the official rate is at 25:1, so you want to get at least that. In the last few years I was able to get 25:1 even when the official rate was at 23-24:1.

If you can get 25-27:1 then you can squeeze a few free beers out of your money that the bankers otherwise would earn instead of you drinking it

I dont know what beers cost in Prag, but in the smaller towns of South Bohemia they cost like 25 Koruna = 1 Euro, for 0.5L.

[This message has been edited by Randy03 (edited 1/1/2011 7:57a).]

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There are however a lot of people who go to places because they want to tell everyone they were there and want proof or something, I dont quite understand that

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I totally agree. I dont go anywhere I just sit in front of the TV and watch travel shows. Since you arent really going to live somewhere and experience the culture why not just be a shut in? Traveling and visiting different places is for suckers.

I also dont have any pictures of my kids because they live with me. Why do I need a picture of something I see every day? Everyone already knows they are my kids so it isnt like I need to have "proof" that they are mine.

nice work.

[This message has been edited by Hoyt Ag (edited 1/2/2011 9:51a).]

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especially in Eastern Europe, are the smaller towns where the west hasnt quite infiltrated them, you can at least get a taste of what it used to be like 20 years ago. Its similar to my distaste for Munich, you dont actually have to speak German to go there, not one second. I am a tourist that is more interested in authenticity

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1. Not many people would actually ENJOY truly experiencing what Eastern Europe was like 20 years ago.

2. Modern day Nuremberg is NOT authentic. It's about 65 years old. I have a collection of photos of Nuremberg from the end of WWII. Hardly any structure was left standing... Of course, the restorations are amazing, but they ARE restorations.

Visit the Strahov Monastery and the castle and check out the clock tower in the old town.

Go to the National Marionette Theater. To buy marionettes for souvenirs, go to Obchod pod Lampou (U Lužického Semináře 5) - I brought home some really fun ones.

Things to buy there - crystal, garnets, painted easter eggs.

Get a bus tour to Karlstejn Castle.

If you're not going in the winter, take the hydrofoil to Budapest and Vienna.

Prague is great and a fun city. I was there 20 years ago and it was much more of a "raw" place but there were still a bunch of tourists there because it was REALLY inexpensive. There were a lot of young people that spoke English but not as many people as speak English in Prague today.

Make sure you go to the Jewish cemetary. Pick up one of the "Top Ten" guidebooks. It isnt the kind of book that everyone enjoys but it does give a pretty nice selection of things to do in and around Prague.

Prague:

Drink a lot of beer
check out the big clock
check out the "castle"/church
for some reason they have a replica eiffel tower...i didn't go check it out.
walk across that bridge and rub that famous statues feet.
don't take a boat tour as you won't see squat...I didn't take the tour.
go find the statue that takes a leak.
check out the miniatures museum.
skip the potato dumplings if you ever want to poop again.

The statue that takes a leak is in Brussels.

Go have a meal and a few Pivo at U Fleku

I can't remember where this is exactly. I just remember it is up in the hills on the opposite side of the river from the main square. There is this house that sits by itself. The man that lives there has filled it with his bizzare art work. The entire inside of the house looks like a cave. It was one of the strangest places I went to in Prague. I wish I could remember more details about how to get there, but I'm sure if you ask a local they will know about it.

We also went to the torture museum. That was entertaining.

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25 Koruna = 1 Euro, for 0.5L.

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you paid too much....I was averaging around 20 Kc per .5L in Praha...

And Prague is far from "another big town that has little to offer except for shopping malls, McDonalds and tourists"

One of the few large cities relatively untouched (compared to other cities) by WWII. Prague Castle is, I believe, the largest castle in the world.

If you stick to Stare Mesto, Mala Strana, Vyšehrad Castle you have a good trip....Extremely interesting.

We spent 5 days in Prague last September and 2 in Vienna. I would have rather skipped Vienna all together and spent the entire time in Prague.

Grab a couple of thousand crowns and walk the city. The wife and I averaged walking 14 miles a day, so wear comfortable shoes.

[This message has been edited by army01 (edited 1/12/2011 3:10p).]

I did a tour of Prague with Prague on Segway and loved it, best way to see the sights without rolling your ankle every 4 feet on the cobblestone.