Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Know Before You Go
Your trip is more likely to go smoothly if you plan ahead.
Check this list of things to arrange while you're still at home.
Be sure that your
passport
is valid at least six months
after your ticketed date of return to the US. If you need to get
or renew a passport, it can take up to two months (for more
on passports, see www.travel.state.gov).
Book your rooms in advance if you'll be traveling dur-
ing any major
holidays
(see “Major Holidays and Weekends,”
opposite page). It's smart to reserve rooms in peak season if
you'd like to stay in my lead listings, and definitely reserve for
your first night.
Call your
debit and credit card companies
to let them
know the countries you'll be visiting, so that they'll accept
(and not deny) your international charges. Confirm your daily
withdrawal limit; consider asking to have it raised so you can
take out more cash at each ATM stop. Ask about international
transaction fees.
To see Alfons Mucha's
Slav Epic,
confirm its location
(the artwork will be in the town of Moravský Krumlov through
2009, but may move in 2010; see page 222 for details).
If you'll be
renting a car
in the Czech Republic, bring your
driver's license and carry an International Driving Permit (IDP),
available at your local AAA office ($15 plus two passport pho-
tos, www.aaa.com). Confirm pick-up hours; many car-rental
offices close Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday.
Since
airline carry-on restrictions
are always changing,
visit the Transportation Security Administration's website
(www.tsa.gov/travelers) for an up-to-date list of what you
can bring on the plane with you, and what you have to check.
Remember to arrive with plenty of time to get through
security.
In this topic I've listed many helpful
websites
for sights
and hotels in the Czech Republic. Be aware that some of these
websites may only be accessible from within Europe. If you
can't access a Czech website, try emailing or calling instead.
cafés are set to type using the Czech alphabet. To switch to
English, look on the bar on the bottom of your screen. If you see
“CZ,” click on it until it says “EN.”
News:
Americans keep in touch in Europe with the
International Herald Tribune
(published almost daily through-
out Europe). Every Tuesday, the European editions of
Time
and
Newsweek
hit the stands with articles of particular interest to
travelers. Sports addicts can get their fix from
USA Today
. Good
websites include www.prague.com, www.iht.com, http://news.bbc
.co.uk, and www.europeantimes.com. For the local perspective,
I pick up a copy of the English-language
Prague Post
(which also
