Hello and welcome to PRAGUE.DJ's Visitor's guide, the best resource on the web for finding all you will need to know and more for your stay in the beautiful historic city.

As you will notice, Prague has many faces - from the winding cobblestone streets surrounding Old Town Square to the beer garden at Reigrovy Sady, Prague offers a great deal to explore for travelers of all ages and interests.

Here you can find all the most up-to-date information on where to stay, how to get around, exchanging money, internet/phone access and more! PRAGUE.DJ not only provides all the information you will need to navigate through all the hot spots, such as Prague Castle and Old Town, but also offers information you won’t find in any guidebook or sightseeing tour - from the latest expat hub to the hidden after hours lounges only known by locals.

At your finger tips is all the essentials you will need to know to fully experience the thriving and ever-changing culture that is Prague!

Time Zone
The Czech Republic is in the GMT +1 time zone, usually referred to as Central European Time (CET). The clocks changes by one hour in the summer (GMT + 2) and this change is synchronised with the rest of Europe and the UK.

Climate
The Czech Republic is situated in a temperate zone. There are four seasons of approximately the same length. Winters are relatively mild - the average January temperature is -2 °C, 28,4 °F. Summers are not too hot - the average July temperature is about 20 °C, 68 °F.

So you can travel to the Czech Republic at any time of the year without being too concerned about the weather.

The Czech Republic became a member of the EU in 2004, and is part of the Schengen Zone from 1st Jan 2008. Note that unlike some countries you must carry your passport or European ID card at all times. EU Citizens Citizens of EU member countries need a passport or other ID document to enter the Czech Republic. The same is in force for citizens of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, who enjoy free movement around the EEA (European Economic Area).

Non-EU Citizens - Visitors from other countries must have a passport with at least six months’ validity on the day of arrival and in some cases - visa. A list of the countries whose citizens are required a visa to enter the Czech Republic can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Schengen Zone - From 21. 12. 2007 the Czech Republic is in the so-called Schengen Zone. This group of countries have come together in order to enable people to cross their borders without passport controls. Despite this a valid passport or other ID must be carried at all times.

When bringing commodities into the Czech Republic, limits are set on certain goods. If a certain amount is exceeded, duty must be paid, and the importer is required to inform the authorities of the amount he/she is bringing into the country.

Personal Items
The amount differs according to the country from which the goods are brought in. Greater amounts are allowed to pass between EU countries than to and from third countries. For more information about the import and the export, visit the Czech Customs Service website.

The Law
Law No. 353/2003 Sb., which deals with consumer taxes

Bringing Currency into the Country
When bringing in currency, travellers cheques or credit notes worth more than 15,000 euros, the Czech Finance Ministry must be informed of that by filling in a form available at customs.

VAT Refunds
Tourists from countries outside the EU may request VAT to be returned on purchases over 2,000 CZK. At the border they should produce a receipt bearing the retailers’ stamp and an export form and prove to the customs officer that they have the item with them. The money is returned to the customer on returning to the Czech Republic at the retailer or at Prague RuzynÄ› Airport through a special company. A purchaser loses the right to have VAT returned if he or she fails to do the above within a six-month period of the purchasing.

The emergency numbers in the Czech Republic are as follows. The 112 number is the standard international number and can be called from any phone without knowing the phone's pin number, having roaming activated or even having a sim card installed.

112 – General emergency number
155 – Ambulance
158 – Police
156 – Municipal Police
150 – Fire brigade

Free phone numbers in the Czech Republic begin with 800. The numbers for directory enquiries are 1180 and 1181 (there is a charge for calls to these numbers).

Embassies are all located in the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague - and a complete list can be found here .  Some countries do not have an embassy in the Czech Republic but are represented by a consulate (for instance Australia, Columbia, Malta, New Zealand and Sri Lanka).

New Year (1. January)

Czech Independence Day (1 January)
A day to mark the foundation of the independent Czech Republic, following the division of Czechoslovakia on 1 January 1993.

Easter Monday (March/April, changes every year)

Workers’ Day (1 May)

Liberation Day (8 May)
The day commemorates the liberation of Czechoslovakia by the Allies in May 1945.

Day of the Slavic Apostles Cyril and Methodius (5 July)
The Bulgarian missionaries Cyril and Methodius are closely associated with the arrival of Christianity in this country and the first Slavic alphabet - Cyrillic (in the year 863).

Jan Hus Day (6 July)
The day marking the burning of Jan Hus at the stake (6. 7. 1415). Jan Hus was a reforming religious leader and the rector of Prague University.

Day of Czech Statehood (28 September)
The day Czech Prince Wenceslas was murdered in the year 935 by his own brother. Not long after his death he was declared a saint. On this day the Czechs celebrate their patron saint and symbol of Czech statehood and national identity.

Czechoslovak Independence Day (28 October)
A public holiday to mark the day Czechs and Slovaks established their own state in 1918 – the most important national holiday.

Freedom and Democracy Day (17 November)
The day Czechs remember the student struggles of 1939 and 1989 against the Nazi and communist regimes.

Christmas Eve (24 December)

Christmas Day (25 December)

Feast of St Stephen (26 December)

School holidays
The main school holidays are during the summer (July and August). Children are also off school around Christmas (usually from 23 December –until 3 January) and in spring (a whole week – depends on where they study).

 

Tips for visitors

Public transport does not run as often on these days as on weekdays. There are also special limited timetables in operation during the summer holidays.

Most banks and offices are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Czech holidays. Supermarkets and shopping centres often stay open. It’s no problem on these days to visit a concert, exhibition, restaurant or bar.

Small Shops
In small towns most shops are open Mon – Fri, from 8 or 9am until 6pm, and only in the morning on Saturdays. In big cities shops may stay open until 9pm. Few shops have a lunch break, usually between 12 and 1pm.

Shopping Malls
Shopping malls and department stores have longer opening hours, usually until 10pm even at weekends. Some large supermarkets are open 24 hours a day.

Tips for Visitors
Should you find yourself in a place without large shopping centres, there surely is a so-called „Večerka“ somewhere nearby – a small shop that stays open late and where you can buy basic foodstuffs.

Banks
Banks are only open Mon – Fri, usually from 9am until 5pm, though some days they may stay open until 7pm. Branch opening times differ from place to place. ATMs (cash machines) can be accessed 24 hours a day.

Offices
Offices in the Czech Republic have set opening days. (Monday and Wednesday), and are usually open until 5pm at the very least. On other days some offices are closed to the public.

Post Offices
Post Offices are usually open on weekdays from around 8am until 5pm and on Saturday mornings.

Restaurants
Restaurants, pubs and cafes are normally open daily from 10am until 11pm. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

Tips for Visitors:
In the summer months, eating and drinking outside is particularly popular. Outdoor seating at restaurants is usually open until 10pm when a period of quiet lasting until 6am comes into force.

Bars and Clubs
Bars and clubs usually open in the afternoon. They normally stay open until 2am, in some cases until 3 or 5am. This depends on the number of guests at these times.

Tips for Visitors
Hit the town on Friday or Saturday night when bars and discos are often open until the early hours.

Czech belongs to the Slavic group of language (alongside Polish, Russian, Bulgarian and Slovak for instance)

Useful Words and Phrases

Dobrý den [dobree den] Hello (formal)
Ahoj [ahoi] Hello and goodbye (informal)
Na shledanou [naskhledanow] Goodbye (formal)
Dobrou noc [dobrow nots] Good night
Ano [ano] Yes
Ne [neh] No
Děkuji (Díky) [dyekuyi] Thank you
Prosím [proseem] Please
Pomozte mi, prosím [pomozteh mi proseem] Help me, please
Promiňte / S dovolením [prominyteh / sdovolenyeem] Excuse me
Mluvíte anglicky? [mluveeteh anglitsky] Do you speak English?
Nemluvím Česky [nemluveem cheski] I don’t speak Czech
Nerozumím [nerozumeem] I don’t understand
Ztratil jsem se [stratyil sem seh] I’m lost
Potřebuji doktora! [potrshebuyi doctora] I need a doctor
Potřebuji si zavolat [potrshebuyi si zavolat] I need to make a phone call
Zavolejte policii [zavoleyteh policiyi] Call the police
Hledám nemocnici [hledam nemocnitsi] I’m looking for the hospital
Kde je… [gdeh ye] Where is…?
Je to daleko? [ye to daleko] Is it far?
Vchod [fkhot] Entrance
Východ [veekhot] Exit
Informační centrum [informachnyee tsentrum] Information Centre
Toalety [toaleti] Toilets
Muži (Páni) [muzhi] Men
Ženy (Dámy) [zheni] Women
Kolik je hodin? [kolik ye hodyin] What’s the time?
Otevřeno [otevrsheno] Open
Zavřeno [zavrsheno] Closed
Potraviny [potravini] Grocer’s
Kolik to stojí? [kolik stoyee] How much is it?
Voda [voda] Water
Pivo [pivo] Beer
Víno [veeno] Wine
Mléko [mlehko] Milk
Chléb [khlehb] Bread
Maso [maso] Meat
Dobrou chuť [dobrow khutch] Bon appetite

The international dialing code for the Czech Republic is +420 (or 00 420). When calling from abroad this must be dialed first, followed by the 9-digit number.

Mobile Telephones
There are three mobile phone operators in the Czech Republic. Almost 100% of the country is covered by the mobile signal. The network uses the GSM 900 and 1800 Hz system. This is compatible with the rest of Europe and Australia. Problems can arise with handsets from North America and Japan.

Mobile Telephone Operators in the Czech Republic

• O2 - info line 800 02 02 02
• T-Mobile - info line 603 603 603
• Vodafone - info line 800 777 777

All these operators sell pay-as-you-go SIM cards charged with a certain amount of prepaid credit (300–2000 CZK). These are useful on medium length visits. In order to use a Czech SIM card you will need to have a telephone which has not been blocked by your operator.

Public Telephone Boxes
The Czech Republic has one of the most dense networks of public telephone boxes in central Europe. The majority of these take telephone cards (150, 200 and 300 CZK) or Czech coins (though there are less of these).

The official postal service provider is the Czech Post Office. It delivers packages up to 50 g. In case you need to send anything heavier, you can pick one from the dozens of Czech and international couriers available in the Czech Republic.

International Post
The Czech Post Office delivers letters all over the world. A letter weighing less than 20 g can be sent within Europe for 10 Kč (around 30 cents) and outside Europe for 12 Kč. International post can be tracked as in other parts of the world.

Post within the Czech Republic
Items up to 50 g are delivered within the Czech Republic next day.

The Correct Address
A normal item of post sent another address within the Czech Republic must bear the name of the receiver and his/her address (street, house number, town and postcode). Items sent abroad must also have the name of the country clearly displayed. The address must be written in the Latin script unless another script is used in the place the item is being sent. It that case, only the name of the country must be written in the Latin script.

The Koruna
The koruna (crown) is the official currency since 1993, when the Czechoslovak koruna divided into Czech and Slovak koruna. One koruna comprises 100 hellers (h), though the smallest denomination of coin is the 50 heller piece.

Coins
In the Czech Republic you will find coins worth 1 Kč, 2 Kč, 5 Kč, 10 Kč, 20 Kč and 50 Kč.

Banknotes
Banknotes come in the following denominations: 50 Kč, 100 Kč, 200 Kč, 500 Kč, 1000 Kč, 2000 Kč and 5000 Kč.

Exchange Offices
You can change money in the Czech Republic in many places but never on the street!
At exchange offices in banks you will pay 2 % of the total sum in commission. In certain banks there is a minimum fee of 50 Kč (1.70 euros). You will pay this only when the 2 % commission comes to less than this amount. In privately run exchange offices it is recommended that you first of all ask for the exact sum you will receive for your money: the sign advertising 0 % commission often relates to buying foreign currency! You can also change money at your hotel reception.

ATMs and Credit and Debit Cards
In the Czech Republic you will find a dense network of ATMs (cash machines) which accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Plus, Maestro, Cirrus and others). The majority of shops and restaurants also accept cards.

Numbers to Call if you Lose Your Cards

• Visa Czech Republic - phone: 800 142 121
• MasterCard Czech Republic - phone: 800 142 494

Travellers‘ Cheques
American Express, Thomas Cook and Visa customers cash their travellers’ cheques without any problem in banks in the Czech Republic. Eurocheques are also widely accepted.

Medical Facilities
In the Czech Republic there are both private and state medical facilities. The majority of them have agreements with the State Health Insurance Company on the providing and payment of healthcare. They provide patients with healthcare which is free at the point of delivery (this is also true for citizens of EU member countries who have an European Health Insurance Card - EHIC).

Emergency
Sudden illness, injury and other emergency situations are dealt with by the Accident and Emergency department in a special area of the hospital. Should a life threatening situation arise, a paramedic can be called direct to the scene by calling 112.

Pharmacies
Pharmacies in the Czech Republic issue medicines and other materials necessary for treatment and healthcare based on doctors’ prescriptions and sometimes without them. Prescription medicines are issued free of charge or for a small fee if the patient’s health insurance does not cover the full amount. Some must be paid in full by the patient.

Validity of a doctor’s prescription:

• A prescription from an A&E department is valid on the day it is issued and the following day
• A prescription for antibiotics is valid for 3 days
• All other prescriptions are valid for one week

Pharmacy open 24 hours

Pharmacy
District: Prague 1
Street: Palackého 5
Tel.: +420 224 94 69 82

Pharmacy U sv. Ludmily
District: Prague 2
Street: Belgická 37
Tel.: +420 225 51 97 31

Thomayer Hospital
District: Prague 4
Street: Vindenska 800
Tel.: +420 261 084 01

Pharmacy Andel
District: Prague 5
Street: Stefanikova 6
Tel.: +420 227 320 194
Tel.: +420 225 320 918

Pharmacy Berytos
District: Prague 6
Street: Vitezne namesti 13
Tel.: +420 224 325 520

If you’re looking for internet access or phone services in Prague, there are plenty of options to go around with most located in the center of the city. To use the internet, most charge around 10 Kč for ten minutes and so on and so forth, while international phone services are generally 3-4 Kč a minute. Also, there are a number of cybercafés in Prague with more and more offering free Wifi for those with a laptop computer. Be cautious when using the public pay phones in Prague as a good number of them are broken, and so it’s probably best to use the cybercafés and other places specializing in phone services. Fortunately, here at PRAGUE.DJ we provide the most comprehensive list of all the internet/phone options in the city, making your communication needs in Prague a breeze.

The Czech Republic enjoys good internet connections, so you will have few problems getting online. In recent years slow dial-up modems have been replaced by quicker broadband lines and Wi-Fi networks.

Internet Connection
You can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, ADSL, mobile access and high speed cable.

Internet Access
A computer with internet access now comes as standard at every hotel. There are also internet cafés where you will pay around 60 CZK (2 euros) per hour.

Free internet access
In large towns and cities in particular, the number of places with free Wi-Fi hotspot internet access is on the increase. Restaurants and hotels very often provide their customers with free internet access, though some networks are operated by municipal authorities.

Internet Services
In the Czech Republic practically anything can be done online these days. For example you can:

• access an online bank account
• communicate with various state offices and download necessary forms
• book concert, theatre and cinema tickets
• book various types of tickets including air tickets
• shop online

 

Electricity AC in the Czech Republic is 230 volts. Neither current nor plug sizes are the same around the world. If you discover on arrival that an electrical device has a different plug from those, used in this country, adapters are always available.

Health Insurance for Citizens of EU Member States
Since the middle of 2004 citizens from the individual EU member countries, who travel temporarily to another EU member state and hold a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), are automatically insured. All healthcare providers in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland will accept patients from the EU in possession of an EHIC.

Health Insurance for Citizens of Countries not in the EU
Citizens of countries outside of the EU should take out health insurance before leaving home. If they fail to do so, they are liable to pay for treatment at the point of delivery.

Extra Insurance Cover
Individuals from EU member countries can also take out extra health insurance cover (covering repatriation). The Czech State Health Insurance Company provides a commercial insurance product for those staying in the country for longer periods as tourists.

More information about health insurance in the Czech Republic on the website of Centre for International reimbursements.

In order to travel to the Czech Republic with an animal, all conditions set in the country from which the animal is being brought must be fulfilled and further Czech rules must also be adhered to.

Requirements for Travel with Animals:

• passport (the so-called Pet Passport) or an export certificate from the relevant country, confirmed by a qualified vet
• microchip or tattoo animal ID
• rabies inoculation

For more information, please visit the Czech State Veterinary Service website

The Czech Republic has a law limiting smoking. There is a ban on smoking in public places (on platforms, at stops, at the railway station, in public transport and in places of entertainment). Restaurant owners must provide an area for non-smokers (either a separate room or hours when smoking is not permitted and food is served).

Tobacco based products cannot be sold to individuals under 18 years of age.