Our travel guide for Prague, Czech Republic
As we planned this trip, Prague was one of the spots Bret was most excited for. And we LOVED this city. I had been once, in high school, and it was even more charming than I remembered. The pastel colored buildings and waterside bars lining the Vltava River were a highlight of this city. It was also really nice to slow down our pace a bit, as we were here for longer than past stops. We got our spending in check here too.
Where we stayed
This is another example of a spot where I booked an Airbnb mostly based on cost and did little research on the neighborhood, other than to make sure it is generally safe. As we ended our time in Brussels and started making our way to Prague, I will be honest, I was a little nervous. I think you can certainly have a great experience in a city even if you’re not in the hippest neighborhood, but having a few options for food, coffee and drinks nearby can make a big difference. I didn’t know what we would find, but we really lucked out once again and found our neighborhood to be truly exceptional!
It’s called Smichov/Andel, and it’s on the same side of the Vltava River as Prague Castle, just under two miles south of that prime tourist area. Old Town is on the opposite side of the river. The good news is, we found Prague to be very walkable. You can also get almost anywhere in around 20-25 minutes on transit, which was easy to navigate.
I’ll go into more detail on some of this under ‘favorite eats and drinks’, but we found several great places right in our neighborhood, including an outdoor food hall called Manifesto, a gardeny coffee shop Kavárna co hledá jméno, a wide variety of restaurants, Czech and otherwise, and half a dozen riverside cafes/bars steps from the entrance to our Airbnb. It was quiet enough for a good nights sleep, but not too quiet.
The area also has a major transit hub, a substantial drogerie and a nice grocery store, Alberts!
Favorite eats and drinks
I mentioned this just above – the coffee shop Kavárna co hledá jméno. I found this spot while searching for coffee in our neighborhood, and it was really a great place. It’s tucked away behind some buildings. You actually walk through a parking lot to access it. You’ll see a gate and then a little greenery covered walkway that opens up onto the patio and entrance. Inside, it’s all table service. There’s an interior dining area with big windows and a charming mix of seating, plus the aforementioned patio. The coffee is great, as are the baked goods and egg souffles (we had both!). It’s really a little oasis.
It was actually as we were searching for the coffee shop that we discovered Manifesto, a funky outdoor food hall that was full of energy on the weekend morning we wandered in. We went back for dinner and shared Ukrainian dumplings and a Brazilian chicken dish. The food hall has endless options and several bars, including one serving lots of Czech beers.
U Sadu is a classic Czech pub recommended by our Free Walking Tour guide Mike. It’s a fun place to grab some beers and Czech food. They’ve got a delicious Smažený sýr on the menu. It’s a traditional Czech fried cheese dish (fried cheese — need I say more?). It’s fun to sit outside on a nice day, but the interior is really where I fell in love with this place. Head to the back and down the spiral staircase to find a kitschy, funky basement with lots of nooks and crannies and unique seating. We were there around Happy Hour, but it stays open late and apparently gets pretty crowded down there in the evening hours.
And we really loved the time we spent sitting along the river in Prague. There are lots of restaurants, cafes and bars along the water on both sides. That includes spots on land – and docked boats serving up food and drinks. Two of our favorites are Hoax Pub, which was right outside our door. They have affordable drinks and had live music multiple times during our stay. We also liked Primator Dittrich, on the other side of the river. It’s got a bunch of picnic tables and lounge chairs set up on a boat, and they serve food and drinks out of a storage container on board. We drank $3 Aperol spritzes and watched the sunset one evening. We also shared a pizza from here one night.
Can’t miss activity
I can’t recommend enough going on a Free Walking Tour of Old Town Prague. This was our first ever free walking tour, and it really set a high bar. We booked through 1,2 Tours Prague, and our guide Mike was simply fantastic. So good, Bret went back for Mike’s Prague Castle Tour later in the week. His energy and storytelling abilities definitely impacted our experience. But regardless of who you get as a guide, I would generally say the history of Prague is so compelling and complex, it’s worth having a knowledgeable person to help give you an understanding of the city.
I mentioned this under ‘favorite food and drink’ but I’ll say it again for the people in the back – FIND A WAY TO BE ALONG THE WATER. The restaurants and bars along the river really allow you to see Prague’s energy and beauty. And a number of them have interior spaces, so even in rain or cold, you can make it happen!
Not worth the hype
If you google ‘coolest areas in Prague’, you will likely read about Krymska Street. The New York Times named it the favorite street in Prague on a list of Best Streets in 12 Cities. I saw that fact mentioned time and time again in guides to hip Prague neighborhoods. So, we set out to see it for ourselves, and it is not bad! … I just don’t totally get the hype. It’s a short street with a smattering of spots – a brewery, a couple bars, a restaurant or two and a fun punk store I did enjoy browsing. That said, I think there are cooler neighborhoods that have the similar vibes…and well, just more going on. This was a hike from our place, and I would not in good faith say it’s a must-do.
Getting around
Prague public transit was very easy to navigate. If you arrive via plane, you can take bus 119 from the airport to the city center. There’s a ticket booth in the arrivals hall, and the attendant was very helpful. There were also contactless ticket kiosks. You’ll find the bus right outside arrivals. When you exit the building, head to the right. The bus was not overly crowded on the morning we arrived. It took us about an hour to get to our designated stop.
Within the city, we used exclusively the streetcar system. You can purchase tickets on board the streetcar with a credit card. There are also ticket kiosks at certain stops. It’s a very easy system to use! We got around the city with this mode of transit, and we were able to take it to the main train station on our departure day to catch our ride to Vienna.
Other lessons learned and memorable moments
There are many a great view around the Prague Castle area, but one of the lesser crowded ones, slightly removed from the castle grounds is a spot you might not expect. It’s none other than the Goddess in Green – Starbucks Coffee. I shouldn’t be surprised that Starbucks managed to grab such prime real estate here. And truly, I appreciate them for it. I got a cold drink and a table in the shade and there is fast, reliable, free WiFi with one of the best views over the city. My only gripe –they charge for restrooms. This is common throughout Europe, but it confused me a bit here.
We also encountered a ‘cup deposit’ for the second time in Prague (the first instance was in Brussels). We grabbed drinks at Letna Park and in addition to the price of your drink, you pay a small fee for the plastic cup. If you bring the cup back, you get your change. Just something to keep in mind!