Prague tourist tips

Let me pass along a few suggestions from my visit. The tourist books often warn of unscrupulous taxi drivers in big cities, but Prague has received particularly harsh criticism. Reportedly, the city government is trying to improve the situation. I saw these signs at many cab stands around the city. In exchange for the right to cue at high-traffic areas, cabbies agree to certain rules and tourists are advised (in English) of reasonable expectations and where to report problems.

Pickpocketing is another common hazard in big cities, but Prague also has been highlighted as a special favorite of thieves. I saw these reminders to be careful (in English) in several trams.

As in Bratislava, signs pointing the way to a W.C. (public toilet) are common in Prague. This one is at Old Town Square.

Friends keep asking me about the weather, this late in the year. So far, it has not gotten down to a hard freeze at night, although that might be happening next week. The outdoor cafes do all they can to make visitors comfortable, with heat lamps, blankets, and awnings. This is an Italian cafe on Old Town Square, where I had a fabulous cappuccino, brioche, and orange juice for 140 CzK (about $7.00 -- the dollar is in awful shape against every currency here.)

The easiest way to get around is with an unrestricted travel pass good on the excellent system of subways, trams, and busses. I bought mine at the city Information counter right outside the long-distance train station when I arrived in Prague. They take credit cards and speak English. I bought a seven-day pass for 280 CzK (about $14.00). I'm not actually in town for 7 days, but that was cheaper than piecing together 3-day and 1-day passes.

Prague uses the "honor system" on public transportation, as do Bratislava and Vienna. You are supposed to carry a valid pass or time-stamped ticket with you at all times. If an inspector comes through the train and discovers you do not have one, you will face a very serious fine. So far, despite hopping on and off trams regularly during my visit to Prague, not a single inspector has come through. None came through in three days in Vienna. In two months in Bratislava, only one has come through. (I am not encouraging scofflaws, just reporting my experiences!)

On my first day in a new city, I like to ride a tram across/around a city to get a sense of the lay-out and make it easier to find my away around later. For Prague, I recommend the #22/23 trams, which cut across town from the west by Prague Castle, far out to the eastern end of the city. The #22 is a truncated version of the same route, and is plenty for tourists to see. One trip across the city takes about an hour (each way), but you see lots of interesting sites you will want to visit later.

If you want to mail postcards from the post office, it's easy to find them in the central areas on a tourist map. They do not take credit cards, however, so you will need some Czech currency. A stamp for a postcard to the U.S. is only 12 Czk (about $0.60), significantly less than I paid in Vienna and Bratislava (where postcard stamps cost about $1.00).

To get Czech currency, if you have an American ATM card but are worried about using ATMs from companies you have never heard of, Citibank has several offices and ATMs in Prague. You pay an international currency exchange charge of a few percentage points, but the exchange rate is better than rates you get at hotels or currency exchange booths.

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