Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For more spontaneity, you can make reservations as you travel,
calling hotels a few days to a week before your visit. If you prefer
the flexibility of traveling without any reservations at all, you'll
have greater success snaring rooms if you arrive at your destination
early in the day. If you anticipate crowds, call hotels around 9:00
on the day you plan to arrive, when the hotel clerk knows who'll be
checking out and just which rooms will be available.
Whether you're reserving from home or on the road, the
hotelier will sometimes request your credit-card number for a one-
night deposit. While you can email your credit-card information
(I do), some people prefer to share that personal info via phone
call, fax, or secure online reservation form (if the hotel has one on
its website).
If you must cancel your reservation, it's courteous to do so
with as much advance notice as possible (at least three days; simply
make a quick phone call or send an email). Hotels lose money if
they turn away customers while holding a room for someone who
doesn't show up.
Understandably, most hoteliers bill no-shows for one night.
Hotels in larger cities such as Prague sometimes have strict cancel-
lation policies: For example, you might lose a deposit if you cancel
within two weeks of your reserved stay, or you might be billed for
the entire visit if you leave early. Ask about cancellation policies
before you book.
Always reconfirm your room reservation a few days in advance
from the road. If you'll be arriving after 17:00, let them know.
On the small chance that a hotel loses track of your reservation,
bring along a hard copy of their emailed or faxed confirmation.
E AtI nG
You'll find that the local cafés, cuisine, beer, and wine are high-
lights of your Czech adventure. This is affordable sightseeing for
your palate.
When restaurant-hunting, choose a spot filled with locals, not
the place with the big neon signs boasting “We Speak English and
Accept Credit Cards.” Incredible
deals abound in the Czech
Republic, where locals routinely
eat well for $5. Venturing even
a block or two off the main drag
leads to authentic, higher-quality
food for less than half the price
of the tourist-oriented places.
Most restaurants tack a menu
onto their door for browsers and
