Prague
This magical city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes, has been mirrored in the surface of the swan-filled Vltava River for more than ten centuries. Almost undamaged by WWII, Prague’s medieval centre remains a wonderful mixture of cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, cathedrals and countless church spires all in the shadow of her majestic 9th century castle that looks eastward as the sun sets behind her. Prague is also a modern and vibrant city full of energy, music, cultural art, fine dining and special events catering to the independent traveller’s thirst for adventure.
It is regarded by many as one of Europe’s most charming and beautiful cities, Prague has become the most popular travel destination in Central Europe along with Vienna and Krakow. Millions of tourists visit the city every year.
Prague was founded in the later 9th century, and soon became the seat of Bohemian kings, some of whom ruled as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The city thrived under the rule of Charles IV, who ordered the building of the New Town in the 14th century – many of the city’s most important attractions date back to that age. The city also went under Habsburg rule and became the capital of a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1918, after World War I, the city became the capital of Czechoslovakia. After 1989 many foreigners, especially young people, moved to Prague. In 1992, its historic centre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into two countries and Prague became capital city of the new Czech Republic.
The Vltava River runs through Prague, which is home to about 1.2 million people. The capital may be beautiful, but pollution often hovers over the city due to its location in the Vltava River basin.
More information on Wikitravel
There are three terminals: Terminal 1 for non-Schengen flights and Terminal 2 for Schengen flights are connected whilst Terminal 3 for private jets is two stops away by bus. Located 20 km (12 mi) northwest of the city centre, it generally takes about 30 min to reach the city centre by car.
Terminals 1 and 2 are close to each other and host most of the flights, whereas Terminal 3 is somewhat further on the highway and serves mainly private and charter planes. When going back to the airport, remember to look up the terminal number so that you can arrive directly to the correct one.
The airport is quite big, modern and spacious. Considerable walking time may be needed between the security control and the exit gate. For terminal 2, gates starting with C have 5 minutes walking time, gates starting with B have 10 minutes walking time, and gates starting with A have 15 minutes walking time.
Unlike other airports, there is an extra control on the size of your hand-luggage operated by the airport authorities.
There is free Wi-Fi coverage all around the building (limited to 15 minutes free usage).
There are smokers’ lounges near many gates.
At arrival, it is possible to exchange currency before leaving the baggage drop area, but you will get much better rates in the city.
- Bus
City Bus: The cheapest way to get to the city is by bus, but be sure to have some Czech Crowns ready. Buy a ticket from the kiosk called Public Transport in both (Terminal 1, 2) the arrivals halls (07:00-21:00, credit cards accepted) or the vending machine, next to the bus stop, for 32 CZK (16 CZK extra for a larger piece of luggage). You can also buy the ticket from the driver, but it is more expensive (40 CZK). No machines or drivers accept foreign currencies. Take bus 119 or bus AE to its terminus (Dejvická, Metro A) and go downstairs to the metro. Your ticket will continue to be valid in the metro. Alternately, bus 100 takes you to subway station Zličín (Metro B). At night, bus 510 takes you to the “Jiráskovo náměstí” or “I.P.Pavlova” stop close to the centre. Remember to validate your ticket as soon as you get on the bus by sticking it into a yellow machine with green glowing arrow. If you fail to do so and an inspector catches you, you’ll be fined 800 CZK and you can’t talk yourself out! Ticket inspectors are very strict in Prague. Tickets are also available from the DPP kiosk in the arrivals area of Terminal 1. 24-hour, 3-day and 5-day tickets are also available here. It will take around 30-50 minutes to reach the city center depending on the connection.Airport Express (bus operated by Czech Railways): These buses leave the airport every 30 minutes. Going to the airport, buses run from 6.35 to 22.05; going to the city centre they run from 5.45 to 21.15. Tickets cost 60 CZK per person (or less, if bought as a part of railway ticket further into Czech Republic), public transport tickets are not valid there. Tickets are available from the driver. The route runs via Dejvická station (metro line A), Náměstí Republiky station (metro line B) and Prague Masaryk Station (Praha Masarykovo nádraží; metro line B, Náměstí Republiky station), with the last stop being Prague’s main train station (“Hlavní nádraží” which is commonly abbreviated in Czech as “Praha hl.n.”). From there the bus runs back to the airport. The trip takes 30-40 minutes. Tickets are cheaper when bought online and for larger groups (40 CZK for one person, 70 CZK for two persons (i.e. 35 CZK per person), 111 CZK for four persons, 192 CZK for eight persons).
Cedaz bus: (but in fact the owner is AAA taxi) These buses operate from 07:30 to 19:00 every half hour. They will take you into the city centre to the “V Celnici” street. Fares are 130 CZK per person.
- Shuttle
Various companies run shuttle services to the hotel and back. They can be found at the airport arrival halls. They usually charge around 400 to 500 CZK for trip and in general are a bit cheaper than the taxis. Cheapest one is Prague Airport Shuttle (290 CZK per person) - Taxi
The most comfortable method to reach the city centre will cost around 650 to 850 CZK with AAA Taxi. They and FIX cars have an exclusive contract with Prague airport and they provide a desk near the arrivals gate. If you visit the taxi desk, they will inform you about the price to your destination, call a taxi and give you a voucher with the return price reduced by 20%, which you can use if you arrange your return with the same company earlier by phone. - Private cars
Many companies offer private transfers for fixed prices – to the hotel, apartments, etc. and back. This service must be booked in advance because driver will be waiting directly for you. They usually charge around 500 to 600 CZK for trip and in general are a bit cheaper than the taxis. Chosen companies: Transfer-Service.cz, Transfer Prague, CabinPrague and Cadillac Escalade transport. - Rented cars
Worth if you are planning on visiting the beautiful surrounding cities. There are companies like Trip Avto and Autopujcovna-Praha which allow you to pick up cars right from the airport and provide GPS for navigation. However you should not consider rented car if you want to travel around Prague, especially in the city center.
