10 experienced tips on how to cheaply travel to Prague on your own. What nuances do you need to know about? We tell you about our trip - how to save on everything and how much money to take.
Our review of a self-guided trip to Prague
The city is popular with both independent and package tourists - in both cases it is cheap to travel to Prague. We traveled on our own as part of a Euro tour and lived there for a week. Our opinion about Prague is contradictory. Did you like it? 50 to 50. Our hearts and stomachs were captured by national cuisine, beer and some sights. However, the city disappointed because of high expectations: there is no that notorious atmosphere, there are many tourists and beggars, some sights are frankly boring and bloated. Will we come back? More likely to the Czech Republic, but not to Prague - we think that the province is much more interesting!
1. Get some rest during low season
Prague is an all-season city, but the peak is in the spring-summer and winter holidays. Spring, summer and the first half of autumn are good for walking around the capital and traveling to neighboring cities. All gardens, parks and museums are open, beer gardens and terraces are open, festivals are held. Cons - a lot of vacationers and high prices.
It is very beautiful in autumn when the trees turn yellow. Sales season begins, but the weather is getting worse. Winters are mild but windy. It's great if you see Zlata Prague in the snow and visit the Christmas markets. Cons - cold and rainy, some of the attractions are closed, for example, gardens. But prices for accommodation and tours are low, with the exception of New Year and Christmas holidays.
So, if you want to save money on your trip and are ready to put up with changeable weather, plan your trip to Prague during the low season. We went at the end of November - snatched a cool 3-star hotel for a low price (only 32 euros). However, don't expect Prague to be deserted. November is seemingly a low season, but everything was filled with tourists. It's scary to imagine what is happening in the summer.
Consider your wardrobe well during low season. Dress warmly, as the wind blows away all curiosity on the tops of the hills. For example, in Vysehrad in November we dreamed only of a glass of scalding mulled wine. Don't forget an umbrella and waterproof shoes.
2. Make a visa yourself
For a trip to Prague to take place, you need to obtain a Schengen visa. For this, it is important to submit the documents correctly. We advise you to do everything yourself, because there is nothing supernatural in obtaining a visa to the Czech Republic. Visa fee - 35 euros. Plus, visa centers charge an additional service fee of 25 euros. The processing time is from 5 days, but the application can be considered up to 30 days.
Don't forget about insurance! She will save you from expenses in case of emergency. Submit it on Sravn.Ru or Cherehapa services. Cost - from 300 rubles per week.
3. How to buy cheap tickets to Prague
Prague is a popular destination, so you can get there on your own very inexpensively. We recommend looking for tickets on Aviasales and Skyscanner. Find out the secrets of finding cheap flights.
There are direct flights from many cities of Russia - from 14 thousand rubles in high season and from 9500 - in low season. The cheapest flights are from Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Do you want to travel cheaply to Prague from Russia on your own? There are 3 ways to save money:
- Low-cost airlines or "plane + bus" combinations. It's cheap, but there are inconveniences. But you can see another city along the way. These options are suitable for those who are traveling light. Pobeda flies from Moscow to Karlovy Vary - you can buy a cheap ticket and take a bus to the capital.
- Use a cheap last minute tour for a flight. Sometimes there are vouchers to Prague that are cheaper than air travel - the price includes hotel, meals and transfers. If you don't like a hotel on a cheap tour, you can book another yourself.
- Buy an inexpensive ticket for a direct scheduled flight with promotions or during low season.
4. How to book an inexpensive hotel in Prague yourself
In the low season, hotels are slightly cheaper. If you are planning a trip to Prague during the high season, think about where you will live in advance. There are a lot of tourists even in the off-season, so look for accommodation several months in advance! So there will be a large selection of inexpensive options. Book your own hotel on Rumguru, and an apartment or apartment on Airbnb.ru.
How much does the housing cost? A bed in a hostel - from 7 €, hotels in the center - from 25 €. We lived in an almost ideal 3 * hotel in Nové Mesto for 32 € - Royal Court Hotel. We also rented a cozy apartment in Zizkov for 27 € per day.
Council of experienced tourists: find out about heating, it can be very cold out of season.
How to save money and find a cheap but good hotel in Prague:
- Choose a hotel with a score of at least 7 out of 10.
- Read the reviews carefully - even expensive hotels have drawbacks.
- It is not necessary to rent accommodation in the center: transport is convenient and inexpensive, and the distances are short. Settle in neighboring areas - it is cheaper and more interesting. For example, we went to the center on foot from the Nove Mesto and Zizkov districts.
- If the hotel is far from the center, check if the metro or bus stop is close.
- A breakfast hotel saves time and money.
- Convenient if there are supermarkets and inexpensive cafes nearby - look at Google Maps or Maps.Me.
- Read the general hotel search rules.
5. How to eat inexpensively in Prague
At lunchtime, you can eat inexpensively almost everywhere, since there is a business lunch - it costs about 70-200 CZK, depending on the type of institution. It is called Denny Nabidka (Denní nabídka) and operates from 11 am to 4 pm or 12 pm to 3 pm, except weekends. In general, it is cheaper to eat in Asian cafes, pubs and canteens.
How to save money on food in Prague? We did this: we had breakfast at the hotel (when we moved to the apartment, we cooked ourselves), had a business lunch in a pub or cafe, and dined in a Chinese restaurant or a pub. Sometimes we bought groceries for dinner at the supermarket. It turned out on a budget.
We advise you to try shank, dumplings, trdlo, fried cheese and different types of beer, of course! We especially liked the dense Pardubice porter at pivnice U Járy.
6. Use cheap public transport
Transport from / to the airport. You can save money in Prague on a trip from the airport to the center and back - use the bus and metro. This is how we got there. This option will not work if you have a lot of luggage. Conveniently, buses run even at night. Tickets start at 24 CZK.
For the historical center, transport is not needed - the distances are scanty, and it is more pleasant to walk them. And to get to sights remote from the center, for example, Vysehrad, use the metro.
Metro simple and straightforward. The city also has buses, trams and a funicular. There is a nostalgic tram that takes tourists to historical sites.
There is a unified ticket system in Prague - the purchased pass is valid for all types of transport. A ticket costs 24 CZK for 30 minutes, 32 CZK for 90 minutes, 110 CZK for 24 hours, 310 CZK for 3 days. There are travel cards for a longer period. We used passes for 30 and 90 minutes. The latter is convenient when traveling to the airport. Unlimited transfers during the specified time. The ticket must be validated upon entry, otherwise it will be invalid. Save it for the rest of your trip.
You need to buy from vending machines at the entrance to the metro, tobacco shops, kiosks, minimarkets. We advise you to buy tickets in advance - it happens that the metro is closed, the machine does not work, etc. The machines only accept change - somehow we had to look for a store to change money.
Taxi thanks to the convenient system, it is not really necessary, because the transport runs even at night. Boarding costs 40 CZK, 1 km - 20-28 CZK.
For trips out of town use trains or buses - they are inexpensive. For example, we went to Kutna Hora by train. It is advantageous to take tickets immediately there and back for two - they cost 356 kroons. Route planner →
7.See the sights of Prague for free
To travel to Prague cheaply, you need to think over a cultural program - in total, a lot of money is spent on sights and excursions. For example, we hardly spent on them, but watched a lot of things. Here are our tips on how to save money on self-guided tours in Prague.
Architecture. Yes, almost everything in Prague can be viewed for free and on your own, without excursions! Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, Josefov Jewish Quarter, Prague Castle and Hradcany, Mala Strana and Petřín Hill, Vysehrad - all this is available to everyone. You can walk and watch for free, with the exception of the Golden Lane in Prague Castle - but even there at 16:00 or 17:00 visitors are allowed free of charge. Well, you already have to pay to enter many buildings.
Museums, palaces, galleries. They are, of course, almost all paid. But even here you can save money: find out in advance when they have an open day (mostly - the first Monday of the month), or plan a trip to Museum Night. Some have free admission all year round, such as the Lapidarium or the Infant Jesus Museum. Find out what free museums there are in Prague.
Temples and cathedrals. Paid churches are really free to look at - usually they let you into the front part without any problems. Only from there the details cannot be discerned. For example, this is how you can go to the Cathedral of St. Vitus and Tyn Church.
Excursions. There are free sightseeing tours, but they are in English - from Prague Extravaganza and Royal Walk free tour.
Before traveling to Prague on your own, plan your itinerary carefully. There are many sights in the city, and there is even more information about them on the Internet - and all this is an avalanche of tourists. When we realized that we were drowned in this stream of information, and there was little time left, we just bought the pocket guide Lonely Planet. We dislike them for their pathos, but in some cases this is a real salvation!
If you want to see as much as possible in a short time and at the same time save money, buy the Prague Card - it provides free admission to 60 attractions, discounts and all sorts of goodies. It is designed for 2, 3 or 4 days and costs 62, 72 and 83 euros, respectively.
Prague map with landmarks
After the trip to Prague, we decided to briefly describe our own route - we hope it will help you. In addition to the list of places that you can see in Prague yourself, it contains useful information: addresses, prices, opening hours, our review, etc.
8. Free entertainment in Prague
You can save money while traveling to Prague not only on sights, but also on entertainment:
- Visit gardens and parks - for example, Obora Hvezda, Kampa Island, Letenskie Sady, Wallenstein Palace Park.
- Changing of the guard at 12:00 at Prague Castle near the Presidential Palace. There are a lot of people, come in advance if you don't want to look at the back of their heads.
- Free open-air film screenings take place in the summer - check the link for which, where and when.
- Admire swans and nutria on the Vltava near the Kafka Museum - they are not afraid of people and eat from their hands. From there, a magical view of the Charles Bridge!
- Free or low-cost concerts take place in some non-touristy cathedrals.
- Watch the free astronomical clock show in Old Town Square
- Find installations and sculptures that are scattered throughout the city. These are mainly the works of David Cherny.
- Go to Nový Svět Street in Hradcany - there are picturesque houses and few tourists.
- If you come around Christmas, don't miss the Christmas markets - they open in the evenings.
Inexpensive entertainment in Prague:
- Rent a boat and see the city from the water. An hour costs CZK 350, the boat can accommodate 4 people - you can find fellow travelers and share the cost.
- Take tram number 22 - the route passes through historical sites.
9. How to save money on excursions in Prague
Look for author's interesting excursions in Russian on the sites Sputnik8 and Tripster.
We prefer to see the sights on our own and walk around Prague. However, we understand that in some cases excursions are better.
When to take excursions:
- the first acquaintance with the city, if there is no time to prepare for the trip;
- interesting is the history of the city, its legends and myths - in this case, take the author's;
- it is impossible or difficult to visit the place on your own (for example, closed dungeons, bunkers, tunnels, hard-to-reach castles and fortresses).
If you want to get to know the city through guides, then choose those excursions where there are a lot of positive reviews - so you won't come across a pig in a poke.
To save money in Prague, take group excursions - they are much cheaper than individual ones.
New excursions are cheap: guides charge low prices to earn reviews and recruit clients. However, then one cannot be sure of the quality of the excursion.
10. Money, ATMs, currency exchange in Prague
In the Czech Republic, crowns are used... If you are traveling with cash, it is better to have dollars or euros and exchange them in the city. Better yet, keep everything on an account or card.
Where to withdraw money without commission? We used ČSOB ATMs (Československá Obchodní Banka). Many ATMs do not take a commission, but your bank can, so check the conditions. We traveled with a Tinkoff All Airlines card - no commission withdrawal at any ATM for an amount of more than 3 thousand rubles. She was paid in shops, cafes, pubs and hotels.
Do not change money at the airport - the course is brutal, plus they take 5%. You can buy a ticket for the metro and the bus at the machine at the bus stop - it accepts cards.
Take a closer look at the exchangerswhen you walk around the city. In the center, the course is more or less the same and adequate for everyone. See that there is no commission.
How much do groceries cost in the Czech Republic
How much does a trip to Prague cost
We spent 8 nights and 6 full days in Prague. Here are our expenses for these days (calculation for two people). Based on these, you can calculate the cost of your trip to Prague. Flights are not included in the budget, since we flew to Prague from Brussels, and then left for Vienna.
| Hotel and apartment | 20,000 rubles |
| Food (cafes and supermarkets) | 10 400 rubles |
| sights | 3 200 rubles |
| Transport (metro + train) | 1,400 rubles |
| Total | 35,000 rubles |
The cost of our trip to Prague was 35 thousand rubles (with the euro exchange rate - 70 rubles). If you add air tickets from Moscow to this, you get about 65 thousand rubles for two - about the same will cost a trip to Prague for a week. As you can see, the main expenses are tickets and accommodation, and food, transportation and attractions are inexpensive.
