Travel Guide to Prague, Czech Republic

Region: Europe · Budget: Cheap · Flight from UK: 2 hours · Best months: April to October

Prague survived the 20th century with its medieval centre almost completely intact — no Allied bombing, no Soviet 'modernisation', just 1,000 years of Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings stacked on top of each other. The Old Town Square, the Charles Bridge, the castle on the hill — these are postcard images that somehow live up to the postcard. From the UK you're 2 hours direct, and on the ground Prague is one of the cheapest capitals in the EU: a great Czech beer is £2, a hearty pork-and-dumplings dinner under £15. The city is small enough to walk in three days, but spend four to give yourself a slow afternoon at one of the riverside park benches and a night out in the bohemian Žižkov district where locals actually drink. Beware the tourist trap food in Old Town Square — chimney cakes (trdelník) are not even Czech, and goulash bowls served in bread are designed for Instagram, not your stomach. Walk five minutes off the square and prices halve, quality doubles.

Budget breakdown (per day, GBP)

Stay £15–£35 · Food £8–£18 · Activities £5–£15 · Total £28–£68

Best time to visit

May–June and September are perfect — 18–24°C, long evenings, beer-garden weather. December is magical with Christmas markets on the Old Town Square but expect crowds and -2 to 5°C. January and February are cold and grey but cheap and genuinely empty of tourists. Avoid summer weekends when the Charles Bridge becomes a slow-moving conveyor belt of selfie sticks.

Weather overview

Continental climate — warm summers (22–28°C with the occasional 32°C day), cold winters (-3 to 3°C with reliable snow), short pretty shoulder seasons. Rain is moderate year-round. Cobbles are everywhere — comfortable shoes are non-negotiable.

Suggested trip length

Weekend

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Prague, drop bags at your accommodation and take a slow orientation walk through the centre to get your bearings before the jet lag hits. Grab an early dinner near your hotel — somewhere you can walk back from in five minutes — and have an early night to reset your body clock. If you've still got energy in the evening: Charles Bridge.
Day 2: Old Town Square in the morning while you're fresh and the light is good for photos, followed by a long local lunch somewhere off the main tourist drag. Afternoon: explore a neighbourhood you haven't seen yet on foot, stopping for a coffee or a drink whenever you find a spot that looks right.
Day 3: Prague Castle — book any tickets in advance online to skip the queues, which can easily eat 90 minutes in peak season. Afternoon: a slower café-and-shops loop in a different part of town, then dinner somewhere recommended by your accommodation hosts rather than a top-10 list.
Day 4: Beer halls. Use the second half of the day for any souvenirs or gifts to take home, and try a restaurant outside the main tourist strip — typically 30–40% cheaper for noticeably better food. End the day somewhere with a view, sunset is usually the best free attraction in any city.
Day 5: Day trip out of Prague — a coastal town, mountain village, vineyard region or nearby city is usually under an hour by train, bus or ferry and gives you a completely different angle on Czech Republic. Pack light, leave early, and aim to be back for a relaxed dinner.
Day 6–7: Revisit your favourite spot from earlier in the week now that you know your way around, slow down with a long lunch, and pick up anything you missed on the first pass. Use the final morning for a quiet breakfast and a final wander before heading to the airport — leave at least 3 hours' buffer for international flights.

Things to do in Prague

Walk Charles Bridge at sunrise (before 7am) — completely empty, all 30 baroque statues to yourself, the light over the Vltava is unmatched.
Climb the tower at Old Town Hall for the city's best skyline view — better than the busier Petrin tower.
Spend a slow morning at Prague Castle complex — go straight to St Vitus Cathedral, then the Golden Lane, before the coach tours arrive at 10am.
Cross to Letná Park for sunset — locals drink beer in the garden overlooking the bridges and you'll see the city the way it's meant to be seen.
Drink in a real Czech pub: U Zlatého Tygra (Hemingway's old haunt), Lokál, or anywhere in Žižkov off the tourist track.
Visit the John Lennon Wall and the Kafka Museum back-to-back — both quirky and on the same Mala Strana side of the river.
Day trip to Kutná Hora (1 hour by train) for the Sedlec Ossuary — a chapel decorated with 40,000 human bones. Not for the squeamish but unforgettable.
Catch a classical concert in one of the baroque churches (the Spanish Synagogue and St Nicholas Church both host beautiful evening concerts from £15).

Best areas to stay in Prague

Mala Strana (Lesser Quarter) — at the foot of the castle, baroque palaces and cobbled lanes, atmospheric and quiet at night.
Old Town (Staré Město) — most central, but the immediate Old Town Square is loud and tourist-priced; pick a side street north towards the river.
Vinohrady — leafy 19th-century apartment district 15 minutes by metro, wonderful neighbourhood restaurants and the best value in the city.
Žižkov — bohemian and grungy with the highest density of bars in Europe; great for a younger second visit.
Avoid Wenceslas Square for sleep — convenient but loud and surrounded by stag-do bars.

Transport tips

From the airport: bus 119 to Nádraží Veleslavín then metro line A to the centre — 40 koruna (£1.40), 35 minutes total.
Get a 24-hour or 72-hour public transport pass from a yellow ticket machine — works on metro, tram and bus.
Tram 22 and 23 are the city's prettiest — they run past the castle, the National Theatre and Mala Strana for the price of a regular ticket.
Avoid taxis hailed on the street, especially around Old Town — use Bolt or Liftago apps for honest pricing.
Train to Kutná Hora, Karlovy Vary or Český Krumlov leaves from Hlavní Nádraží — book a few days ahead via the cd.cz website.

Safety tips

Pickpocketing is the #1 risk, especially on tram 22, around Charles Bridge and on the metro at Můstek — keep zips closed.
Currency exchange shops in the centre advertise great rates then charge brutal commissions — only use ATMs attached to banks (ČSOB, KB, Česká spořitelna).
Taxi scams from the airport and Old Town Square are the most common rip-off — always use Bolt.
Drinking is a national sport but stick to bottled or boiled water if you have a sensitive stomach.
Watch for trams when crossing roads — they're silent and faster than they look.

Visa & entry requirements (UK travellers)

Check the UK Foreign Office (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) for the latest visa & entry requirements.