Local Information
Public Transport
Prague has an excellent public transport network that includes metro (subway), trams, buses, suburban trains, and river ferries. It is the recommended means of transport around the city. It operates 5am-midnight, with night trams and buses running overnight. It is very reliable and safe (safe to the extent as any capital city may be – beware of pickpockets!).
Basic ticket prices (more details can be found on the Prague Transport Co. website):
- basic – 90 minutes: 40 CZK (1.66 EUR)
- short-term – 30 minutes: 30 CZK (1.33 EUR)
- unlimited 24hr ticket: 120 CZK (5 EUR)
- unlimited 72hr ticket: 330 CZK (13.70 EUR)
Any transfers are allowed among regularly scheduled routes within the city limits and within the max. time bought. The unlimited 24hr/72hr tickets pay off only if you take more than 4 trips per day.
An easy way to buy a ticket is through the PID Lítačka app (Android, iOS). You can also use the app for journey planning since it includes up-to-date schedules with real-time locations.
You can also buy a paper ticket at some tram stops, most subway stations, or at some newspaper stands. Tickets bought before-hand must be validated (stamped) upon entry to the first tram/bus/subway station (stick the ticket into any of the yellow boxes with a slot; this will print the validity start time).
You can also buy tickets inside trams and buses upon boarding (contactless card only), ticket machines are typically near the middle door of the vehicle. These tickets are already validated when you buy them.
Other useful apps you can use for planning your journey around (or outside of) Prague: - Google Maps (Android, iOS), - IDOS (Android, iOS), - Pubtran (Android, iOS).
Bike sharing
Bike sharing is a convenient and fun way to get around the city. There are two major bike-sharing companies operating in Prague, Nextbike and Rekola. Nextbike is an international company (so you might know it from other cities) while Rekola is a local one. Both companies have a pretty good coverage in the wider city center and in the vicinity of metro stations.
For using a shared bike, you need to create an account in the app and pay one-time fee which is approximately the same as a single public transport ticket (30 CZK for Nextbike, 35 CZK for Rekola) for a 30-minute ride.
The bikes need to be returned to a designated station. You can find the stations in the app. For Rekola, you also need to take a photo of the bike upon return. You do not need to dock the bikes (so the number of parking places is unlimited).
Prague is a bikeable city, but in some areas you need to be careful for heavy car traffic and some areas can also get quite hilly.
Taxis
You can use Uber or Bolt in Prague.
For taking regular local taxis, we recommend using the Liftago app, which shows drivers' ratings and prices beforehand.
If you don't like apps, stick to large established companies such as AAA, 111 airport cars, or TickTack and order online or on the phone. When you hail a random “no-name” taxi on the street, there is a risk that the driver will overcharge. Ask about the fare and payment options (CC, EUR) beforehand.
Currency
The local currency is the Czech Crown (Česká Koruna, CZK). The exchange rate is currently about 22 CZK/1 USD and 24 CZK/1 EUR.
When exchanging currency on the street, always check for commission charge and/or worse rates for lower amounts exchanged. When withdrawing at an ATM, watch out for extra charges and check the exchange course (letting your bank handling the exchange is usually preferrable to using the ATM's own rate). See here for preferrable ATMs with no extra fees.
In most places (restaurants, shops around the city center) you should be able to pay using a Visa or Mastercard. Food stands or smaller restaurants outside the center may be cash-only.
Car rental
The usual car rental companies (Avis, Hertz, Budget, Europcar, Sixt) and many other national ones are in the ground floor of the Prague Airport Terminal 1 building, and also in the Airport Parking garage "C".
Visas
The Czech Republic is part of the European Union's Schengen Area. Please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to check if you need a visa and how to obtain it. Note that Czech embassies need 30 days to decide if they grant you the visa or not, so be sure to apply soon enough. See the Registration page for more information about obtaining invitation letters.
Restaurants
Lunches will be provided at the conference venue. As an alternative, here are several tips for food options (not only) around the conference venue:
- Restaurace Na Marjánce - Czech restaurant, 6 minutes' walk from the venue
- Restaurace Malovanka - Czech restaurant, 6 minutes' walkfrom the venue
- U Zelené brány - Czech restaurant, 3 minutes' walkfrom the venue
- Curry King - Břevnov - Indian restaurant, 7 minutes' walk from the venue
- Klášterní šenk – old-style Czech restaurant with a brewery, 4 tram stops (~10 min) from the venue
- Angelato Bělohorská – ice-cream parlor, 5 minutes' walk from the venue
- Lokál – modern Czech restaurants with Pilsner beer, multiple locations across the city center
Many restaurants in Prague offer daily lunch menus from about 11:30am till 2pm, with usualy two to five options, cheaper and faster than the usual menu.
Health
Please be considerate to other in-person attendees and do not take risks with respect to covid or other infections. In case of any doubts, please test yourself, ideally before the conference. If you feel the onset of a respiratory infection, please wear a mask and test yourself. Face masks as well as covid test kits can be purchased in any pharmacy in Prague
The two closest pharmacies to the venue are here: * Břevnovská lékárna * BENU lékárna Bělohorská
The closest hospital is the Military University Hospital.
Sightseeing and more
Historical sites
The Prague official sightseeing site offers a lot of information about the main historical sites in Prague. We list here just a few, to give you an idea.
Signature Prague sights:
- Prague Castle
- Charles Bridge
- Old Town Square, with the gothic Old Town Hall and its astronomical clock
Old religious buildings:
- Prague Loreto
- St. Nicholas at Malá Strana
- Our Lady before Týn
- Infant Jesus of Prague
- Strahov Monastery, with the old library
- Břevnov Monastery
- Prague Synagogues
- ... and many more
Towers with a nice view over the city:
Parks and gardens:
- Petřín
- Waldstein Garden
- Stromovka
- Chateau, Botanical Garden and Zoo in Troja
Culture
Prague has many museums, galleries, music clubs, theaters, and other places to find culture.
In theater, Prague's specialties are Laterna Magika and Black Light Theater; you can also find good opera and ballet in the National Theater. Note that many theaters in Prague use English subtitles, but not all of them, so be sure to check this before you buy tickets.
Regarding music, there are numerous options in the city center, starting from classical music venues such as the Rudolfinum Concert Hall, followed by jazz clubs, e.g., Agharta, Reduta, U Malého Glena, U Staré Paní, or Ungelt, up to pop/rock music clubs, such as Lucerna Music Bar, Roxy, Rock Café, or Palác Akropolis.
For dancing, regular “Tea Dances” (ballroom dancing) take place Tuesdays, Fridas, and Saturdays at the EuroDanceCenter just across the river. You can also check out some of Prague's discos, e.g., at Karlovy Lázně (largest disco in Central Europe), Lucerna Music Bar, or Radost F/X.
You can find more about other cultural events and venues in Prague here:
Other useful information
Photos: Prague City Tourism, Wikimedia Commons (CC3.0-BY-SA)