Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lost Property
If you lose any of your personal property, luggage, or other
belongings, try your luck at the Lost Property Office at Karolíny Svêtlé 5, Praha
1(
&
224-235-085
).
Luggage Storage & Lockers
The
Ruzynê Airport Luggage Storage Office
never
closes and charges 60Kc ($2.50/£1) per item per day. Left-luggage offices are
also available at the main train stations,
Hlavní nádrazí
and
Nádrazí Holeso-
vice.
Both charge 30Kc ($1.25/60p) per bag per day and are technically open 24
hours, but if your train is departing late at night, check to make sure someone
will be around. Luggage lockers are available in all of Prague's train stations,
but they're not secure and should be avoided.
Mail
The
Main Post Office (Hlavní posta),
Jindrisská 14, Praha 1 (
&
221-131-
111
), a few steps from Václavské námêstí, is open 24 hours. You can receive
mail, marked “Poste Restante” and addressed to you, care of this post office. If
you carry an American Express card or Amex traveler's checks, you would be
wiser to receive mail care of
American Express,
Václavské nám. 56 (Wenceslas
Sq.), Praha 1 (
&
222-800-237
).
Pharmacies
The most centrally located pharmacy
(lékárna)
is at Václavské nám.
8, Praha 1 (
&
224-227-532
), and is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.
The nearest emergency (24-hr.) pharmacy is at Palackého 5, Praha 1 (
&
224-
946-982
). If you're in Praha 2, there's an emergency pharmacy on Belgická 37
(
&
222-519-731
).
Transport Information
The
Prague Information Service,
near Wenceslas Square
on Na Príkopê 20, Praha 1 (
&
12444;
www.pis.cz), is open Monday to Friday
from 9am to 7pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 6pm (Apr-Oct), and Mon-
day to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm (Nov-Mar). PIS can help
you get where you are going on local transport (while the travel agencies
Cedok, E-Travel.cz, and AVE Travel are all good for intercity connections; see
“Visitor Info,” above). Train and bus timetables can also be viewed at www.
jizdnirady.cz or at www.idos.cz. All metro stations now have much better maps
and explanations in English. You will find more on Prague's public transporta-
tion at www.dpp.cz.
WHERE TO STAY
The range of accommodations in Prague has widened significantly since the 1989 revo-
lution. Today you can choose the opulence of the Four Seasons Hotel, the coziness of
an innovative B&B, or a more spartan stay in a hostel.
Many hotels and pensions are old properties reconstructed to a higher standard,
including refined interiors and tiled bathrooms with modern fixtures. The concept of
easy access for travelers with disabilities has been slower to emerge, however.
HOTELS
Full-service hotels have begun to catch up with Western standards in the
face of competition, but rooms are still more expensive than those in many European
hotels of similar or better quality. The staff, while much more attentive than they were
soon after the revolution, still often act as if you are invading their turf.
The selection is growing, but because there's not much room to build in the historic
center, newer properties tend to be farther out. Notable exceptions are given below.
