Trifter

Prague: The Survivors Guide

Prague the home of cheap beer and all night hotdog stands. It’s also the home of the Astronomical Clock and the biggest ancient castle in the world but beer and hot dogs are much more interesting. In all seriousness though, Prague is a magnificent city. A city that was by the most part untouched by the war and as such has the feel of bohemian tranquillity.
Being a citizen of the European Union I had the fortune of living and working their without the requirements of a Working Visa and whilst living there I managed to meet many Americans as well as other wonderful people from all around the world. It is a difficult thing for anyone to move away to a foreign city and survive and when I moved to Prague it was my first time living away from my hometown. In what I considered a moment of clarity I decided to go and experience it. Now for practical reasons I would recommend that anyone who is considering moving to Prague or any other city for that matter that you plan it thoroughly before hand. I know this because I experienced it without any of the planning. I applied for one of the TEFL schools, I got accepted, I booked my flight and then I went. I never even had a map. Now as excitement goes nothing comes close than landing in a foreign country and knowing nothing but it can be overwhelming. It is so easy to dive in the pool before dipping your toes in but it’s also easy to drown. So here are my top tips to surviving the city of Prague.

Do not travel blind.

It’s an obvious one to start with of course, but I cannot stress how important it is to know your way around the city. The Prague Metro system is in theory very straight forward to use but without your bearings it will mean nothing to you. One of the first things to do when you arrive is to find out where your nearest Metro Station is. I would also highly recommend getting a monthly metro pass. You will need to have some passport photos taken and you will find photo booths at the major metro stops. You should also know that not only will the pass give you access to the Metro but it will also allow you to use the Tram and Bus lines as well. The Transport system works on a trust basis so you will notice that there are no turnstiles at the stations but I cannot stress the importance of having a valid ticket when you travel. The Local Law Enforcement will not hesitate to hand out an on the spot fine to anyone they catch without a valid ticket and it will be in the region of 1000kc the equivalent of $25 US roughly and believe me when I say that they love nothing more than to hit ex-pats with them. You will find that they will be out in force during the night and every night tram will have two ticket inspectors on board so make sure that if you are out at night and planning on getting home by tram that you have a valid ticket. It’s also important to note that the metro stops running at midnight and that the city taxies will rob you blind so I would avoid them at all costs. I would recommend that you pick up the number for AAA Taxis though; their operators speak English and will charge you at the proper rate all of the time.
Unlike other European cities Prague is relatively small in comparison. Paris, Budapest, Rome and London are all much more difficult to navigate. So you will find that after getting used to your new surroundings you will be able to walk around the centre with some ease. I would recommend picking up a Map of the city at the airport or train station when you arrive and nailing it to your bedroom wall for easy reference.

Internet Access is King.

If like me you are an Internet Junkie you will need to know where to find some internet access. First of all if you are taking a TEFL course then they should supply some sort of Wi-Fi connection at their school. And depending where you stay you may have access to the Internet at your home but failing that there are still plenty of places to get connected. The most common one among the ex-pats is The Globe Bookstore and it’s also a great place to meet other ex-pats. If you do not have a laptop with you, you can also find Internet Access at the Bohemia Bagel Cafe near The Old Town Square (They also do some fantastic food and it’s also very popular among the ex-pat community) I will mention though that there is a quaint Czech bar a few outlets down from Bohemia Bagel that offer free Wi-Fi to patriots. So if you would rather sit with a beer and surf the net for free I would recommend trying there.
I would also highly recommend the website www.expats.cz for anyone moving the Prague. You will find Job Listings; Property and a lot of useful guides and reviews to the city of Prague.

The language barrier

Of course you will know that the local language is Czech and that it’s just that, Local. I’m assuming most of you travelling there will not have any experience of the Czech language and as such it will prove quite difficult at first. It’s noteworthy that the more tourist targeted areas of the city will have staff that will have some grasp of the English Language, but English is not taught at the schools in the Czech Republic and once you start to venture further out of the centre of the city you will struggle to find people who speak English so I would recommend learning some key phrases. In my experience Phrases such as “Thank You” “Please” and “Your Welcome” (both have the same word “Prosim”) “Good Day”, “Goodbye”, “How are you?”, “Can I Have a Beer Please?” and finally “Cheque Please” will all come in extremely helpful (I will list these phrases at the bottom of this article). The Czech’s are friendly people and they appreciate it when you attempt to speak to them in their own language also if you have any knowledge of the German language that may come in handy as most Czech’s are taught German at school.

Money, Money, Money

I had a great deal of trouble with the local currency. Most of you will not experience this particular problem but just in case there are any Scottish people reading this article I will let you know now not to take Scottish Bank Notes with you as they are not recognised as British Tender and as such the banks will not exchange them or will give you an undercut exchange rate. For everyone else it’s important to understand the local currency and what you are getting for your money. The local currency is of course the Czech Koruna. Now first things first you need to know that it’s pronounced Crown in the Czech Republic. The denomination of the currency is pretty easy to understand but if you happen to get a 5000kc note I would go to a bank and get it changed for something smaller because nobody will accept it. Also if you are planning on working in Prague you will need to get a bank account. This is actually simpler than it sounds. I would recommend the CSOB bank to any ex-pats moving there. If you take in two forms of identification they will have you setup in around half an hour and you will get your debit card at your local branch within seven working days as well. They do not charge strange fees for just having an account as other Czech banks do and they keep it fairly straight forward for newcomers to the country as well.
If you happen to have a cell phone that is open to all SIM cards then try and pop into a T-Mobile shop and pick up a Pay as you go SIM card. You will find it essential to have a phone to use over there to keep in contact with the people that you meet.

The nightlife

I am sure you will have found out about Prague’s nightlife elsewhere but let me just go over a few basics with you. Prague is known for many things and one of them is its adult nightlife so let me get that out of the way first. For the guys looking to experience some of the more explicit sides of Prague then there is plenty of strip clubs to choose from on and around the Main Wenceslas Square. I will warn you up front though that the line between Strip Club and Brothel is pretty blurry, but if you stick to the centre of the city you should avoid the seedier clubs that are out there.
Now for the more mainstream entertainment I have a few recommendations for you. Now I know that when you first arrive that you might want to try a few of the tourist targeted bars and that is absolutely fine. You will find a good atmosphere and meet plenty of tourists looking for a good time but be ready to pay through the nose for a beer or the meals; they will be charging you the same prices that you would find in other cities like Rome or Paris. So it’s important to find some places that you will be able to have a good night out without having to worry about running out of money. The most popular Ex-Pat hangout has to be the Chateau Rouge which you will find just of the Old Town Square. Inside you will find a relaxing bar and downstairs you will find a decent nightclub but mostly you will find English speaking locals and reasonably priced beer. There is also a fantastic Czech bar out in the Vinohrady area of Prague called U Sadu. You won’t find as many ex-pats out that way but they have some brilliant bar staff and a great atmosphere as well you will find it near the Zizkov TV Tower if you go looking for it. I would also highly recommend a small place called Bar-Bar. It’s located on a small bendy lane in Prague 1 that just screams of Bohemia and inside you will find a beautifully eccentric little bar as well as a wonderful restaurant that serves a very eclectic menu at extremely reasonable prices.
The main nightclub in Prague is called Karlovy Lazne which is a six floor behemoth that boasts that it’s the biggest nightclub in Eastern Europe. For those of you looking for some serious partying then this is the place for you. It’s open till the wee hours and with it hosting six floors of different types of music you are sure to find something for you. I would also like to mention a place for the hardcore party goers out there. A small place called Le Clan. It doesn’t open until three in the morning but it’s a pretty funky place to head to if you are still going at that time. I will leave it up to you to find the place though, and I tell you now it isn’t easy!

Where to stay?

Probably one of the biggest problems you are going to have is finding somewhere to stay. If like me you are going to attend some TEFL school they will probably offer you some sort of accommodation whilst you are on the course. Afterwards you will probably end up wanting to stay with some of your class mates and that is sometimes a good place to start but it is a chore starting from scratch like that. You will need to find an estate agent who speaks English and then find a property within your price range that is suitable for you and your friends. The other option is of course flat sharing. If you don’t mind moving in with strangers at first this is a much easier option. You will be able to find a host of English teachers who are looking for someone to rent one of their vacant rooms. It can also be a great way to meet some new people as well as a good way of avoiding the bother of signing your own lease and so on. I would once again refer you to expats.cz for property listings. Also if you are at a TEFL school then it may be a good idea to say to the admin staff there that you are looking for a place, a lot of the former students will post their vacancies with them to show the newer pupils.

Job hunting

If you are doing some version of TEFL then jobs are a plenty in Prague. You will probably find that after you complete your course your school will probably have some sort of job fare to introduce you to some of the companies and schools who are looking for TEFL Teachers. You will find that it will be mostly Business English or Small Group Teaching that you will be doing. If you are looking for something slightly different there are a few call centre positions available for fluent English speakers and there are also opportunities to head sightseeing tours as well.

The odds and ends

Of course with every city you will find the things that appeal to you personally, but I would like to give you a few of the little things that made me fall in love with the city.
If you get the chance I would seriously recommend picking up a good book from one of the English bookstores and then pick up a few cold bottles of beer and take a blanket down to Kampa Park on a sunny day. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting under one of the trees with a good book and a cold beer and some of the people you see and meet there will blow your mind.
If you want to check out one of the best beer gardens you will ever come across then I urge you to go to the Jihiro Z Podebrad Metro stop on the green line and head to Riegrovy Sady Park I swear you won’t regret it. Finally I want to tell all of you who do go to Prague that this is just a survivor’s guide for those looking for some good advice before leaving and I cannot stress how important it is to explore the city yourself and find your own things that you love about the place. You will meet some wonderful people and will have a life changing time in this city. It’s a magical place and if you absorb the culture and atmosphere it will sweep you of your feet.

I hope that this guide will help you through your first few weeks in the city of a thousand steeples and that you have a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve given some useful phrases below that will help you out when you first arrive in Prague.

Some key Czech phrases (Please note that these are spelt phonetically)

Good Day (Formal way of saying Hello) – Dobre Den
Hello – Ahoy
Goodbye – Nascladanu (or informally Nasclay)
How are you? – Yak Se Maty (or informally Yak Se Mash)
Can I have a beer please? – Muzo Meet Peevo Proseem
Thank you – dekuji (Thank you very much – Dekujeme or Thanks – Deeki)
Please/Your Welcome – Prosim
I’m feeling good – Dobshe
I’m feeling bad – Spat Nye
Yes – Ano
No – Ne
Cheque Please – Zap La Teem Prosim