Metro/Tram: Well we all know about the need to validate public transport tickets before boarding. It is not difficult, you purchase the tickets either in the machine (note they only take coins- not bills/notes) or at one of the stands near/in the metro. There is a little yellow machine before you head down the escalators where you have to "punch" the ticket to have it marked as to the time you validate it. Then it is good for the time period from that time (for example I bought a 24 hour ticket). Easy. The cost of the tickets vary but the 24 hour ticket that I purchased was 110 CZ, which is about $4.97 USD.
Street signs: So there are tons of signs along the street pointing to areas of interest/ historical significance. They give you a great idea of where you need to go to get to your destination. However, they are only in Czech. Not English. Now your guidebook or map will have the name of the landmark in both English and Czech so you need to match up what you are looking for so that you can recognize the Czech word. I find the language difficult and not easy to translate (in my head it was similar to Russian). So whatever "trick" you need to remember the word use that.
Locations: Pretty much everything is close together and easy to get to by walking. I used the tram/metro to get to the Prague Castle but for pretty much everything else I walked. There were a lot of tourists around, but if you are wanting to be in a more quiet space then go out early in the morning. Several mornings I was out by 8 or 8:30 and it was pretty empty. I enjoyed that.
Cobblestones: Ok, I have been harping on the cobblestones in my blog posts and I apologize. I have been to cities with streets that are paved with stones or cobblestones many times. But I have never seen the street lined with so many different types of stones as I have seen in Prague. Not only are there different types of stones, there are many missing stones which can make walking complicated. Additionally, the stones in and around the castle area are kind of pointy and can be painful when you walk on them for very long. I have very sturdy shoes and my feet were killing me. I don't understand how the medieval horses were able to trot along on those!!
So there you have it! Just a few tips and tricks I have learned here in Prague. I am sure that there are many others but these are the ones that stick in my head now. So put your tray tables up, raise your seat back, sit back and relax and enjoy your flight! As usual, these are my tips and your mileage may vary!!
No comments:
Post a Comment