Prague - TAT (The Away Today) Score
| Prague, Czech Republic | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Cost Per Day (including transportation, lodging, food, activities, etc.) | $78.00 | ||||
| Average Steps Walked per Day | 18,670 | ||||
| Architecture | 4 | ||||
| Food | 3 | ||||
| Walkability | 4 | ||||
| Public Transportation | 4 | ||||
| Activities | 3 | ||||
| Vibe | 3 | ||||
| All Around | 4 | ||||
Prague: The Pros & Cons
When I started planning a stop in Prague, I was so excited – I’d heard only great things about this city. The beauty of the architecture, the history, the language, the nightlife – it all sounded like a great time. I was going to Prague right after my visit to Lisbon, and I was on a travel high. When I arrived, I took public transportation to my hostel (love that), immediately met some really great people in my dorm room (looove that), and went out to one of the coolest bars I’ve ever been to (looooooove that!!).
Sounds great, right?! It quickly took a turn for the worst. We all decided to go to the next bar, but when we stepped outside, it was torrential downpouring. Some of us decided to turn back around into this perfectly fun (and dry) bar. I realized that the people I turned around with all coupled up and started making out. Growing tired of the scene and the bar, I decided to make my way back to the hostel. It was drizzling when I walked out, but by the time I made it back to the hostel, it had started pouring again and I was completely soaked.
This perfectly describes my entire trip to Prague. I was so excited to arrive, but quickly my excitement turned to disappointment.
The Food
Pro
I love cheese, bread, and meat. The typical Czech meal is roasted pork with delicious sauce, dumplings, and sauerkraut. A lot of the snacks are some type of meat or cheese in a fried dough. You can find plentiful schnitzel and pierogis here as well.
Con
I got sick of cheese, bread, and meat – and I was only there five days. Seriously, where are the fruits and veggies?! We found a few cute boutique type places with vegan, vegetarian, and healthy options, thank goodness.
The Architecture
Pro
Prague truly is stunning. All of the buildings are beautiful and it seemed like they all have their own story. There are a lot of unique statues and monuments that can provide a nice little self-walking tour if you decided to find them all. Prague is also unique in that although it suffered damage during the world wars – the majority of the city is still intact despite being bombed.
Con
As beautiful as the architecture is, it’s also a dark color scheme. When it’s cloudy and/or rainy, it really just makes the city seem like it’s down in the dumps.
The People
Pro
You meet nice and interesting people everywhere you go in the world, especially if you give people the chance to show their kindness. I especially really enjoyed the people I met in Cesky Krumlov, a small(ish) town about two and a half hours south of Prague. The people I met in the hostel were awesome – I’ve already met up with a few of them in other cities!
Con
Prague is by far one of the most touristy places I’ve ever been. It was insane. Everywhere you walked on the street, you heard English or any language other than Czech. There were swarms of tour groups all over the place. Walking through the main squares was so hectic and you were constantly trying to dodge fellow tourists. Cesky Krumlov was equally (if not more) as touristy as Prague. When I did a walking tour in Cesky Krumlov, the tour guide mentioned that there are only 13,000 residents – but over two million tourists a year. Side note – the Wiseman walking tour in Cesky Krumlov is still one of my favorite walking tours!
Is it just me (or maybe the weather), but does it just seem like everyone is in a bad mood here? Maybe it’s remnants of oppression and the communist era. Maybe it’s a hatred for how busy Prague has become in the last five to ten years. I’m really not sure.
We did a walking tour in Prague, our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and interesting. However, compared to every other city I’ve done walking tours in (spoiler alert – almost all of them), she wasn’t the most friendly. I usually ask a lot of questions on walking tours (I know, I’m that person), and I felt like I was almost annoying her. When I asked her how locals felt about the crowds and tourists in Prague, her response was “Oh, we hate you.” She kind of laughed it off, but that’s the impression I got from most locals.
The Weather
Pro
It wasn’t miserably hot, especially considering it was June.
Con
It was rainy and cloudy for almost all five days I was there, and it was humid, since it was June.
The Hostel
Pro
It was a social hostel with lots of people, and it was centrally located downtown and close to public transportation.
Con
It was a party hostel, without being advertised as a party hostel. Don’t get me wrong, I love a night out every once in a while, or even every week, especially when traveling. I went out with the hostel the first two nights, and stayed out until either 2am or 4am. But when I wanted to go to bed at 11pm, I was woken up every time with drunk, young, partiers. It seemed like everyone in the hostel was 22 and had never been set loose in a bar before.
The staff at the hostel were all expats – either American, Canadian, or Australian – no Czech people. If I wanted to party with 22 year old Americans, I could’ve just stayed at home and gone to a frat party.
It was also about $45/night for an 8-bed mixed dorm, I thought it was a good deal because there was “free dinner” and I’d heard great things about it. Remember those 22 year olds? They’re the ones cooking the meals – get ready for only pasta with tomato sauce or iceburg lettuce with a few slices of carrots.
Changing My Perspective?
Although I wasn’t particularly thrilled with my time in Prague, I think it helped me appreciate other Eastern/Central European cities more. For example, I was worried Budapest would have the same fate, but I loved it. I had very little expectations of Krakow, and it’s one of my favorite cities now. When I first arrived to Bucharest, I knew I didn’t like it – five days later, and I completely changed my tune.
I’d really like to go back to Prague one day, preferably with someone who loves it there. I’m open to changing my mind about this city, but for now, it’s not my favorite.
Have you been to Prague? What did you like? What did you not like? I’d love to know!
Be sure to check out my posts for other European cities!
Although we did really like Prague, we had a similar experience where it was less amazing than we were expecting. I think a lot of it for us was the weather, as we also experienced a good bit of rain and cloudiness before heading to Budapest, where we had sunny, blue skies for our entire stay. I also agree about the food – delicious, but heavy after a while – and we found the city to be grittier, less friendly, and MUCH more heavily touristed (even in October) than perhaps we were anticipating based on everyone’s rave reviews.
That said, we enjoyed Prague, and while I wouldn’t prioritize it over revisiting a couple of other European cities (Budapest, Paris, and Edinburgh, to name a few), I wouldn’t hesitate to go back. The architecture was incredible and the history of the city really is fascinating. I hope our next trips cause both of us to change our minds and fall in love!