Trip to Prague

The list adapts to you

When you add it, the checklist asks a couple of questions and keeps only the items that fit your situation.

• Traveling with kids? NoYes

What's inside

1. Check passport validity and visa rules

   Czechia is in Schengen: your passport must be valid 3+ months beyond departure. Check visa requirements for your nationality early.

2. Buy travel medical insurance

   Schengen visas require €30,000+ coverage. In winter make sure slips on icy cobblestones are covered.

3. Save tickets and bookings offline

   Border control may ask for a return ticket and accommodation address. Screenshots plus paper copies.

4. Remember: the currency is koruna, not euro

   Czechia is in the EU but pays in koruna (CZK). Euros are accepted in places — at robbery-grade internal rates. Euro price tags downtown mark a tourist trap.

5. Exchange smart: bank ATMs or vetted offices

   Downtown '0% commission' booths make money on the rate — ask the final payout first. Big-bank ATMs are safer; always decline the ATM's own conversion (DCC): choose 'without conversion'.

6. Make copies of your documents

   Photos of passport, visa and insurance in the cloud; paper copies separate from originals.

7. Broken-in shoes for cobblestones and hills

   The whole center is cobblestone, and Prague Castle and Vyšehrad sit uphill. Thick soles save your feet; winter demands grip.

8. In winter, dress properly warm

   November to March is damp and windy, and Christmas markets mean hours outdoors. Hat, gloves and a thermal layer are not overkill. Hot svařené víno warms but won't replace a coat.

9. Pack a compact first aid kit

   Painkiller, plasters, your regular meds. Pharmacies (lékárna, green cross) carry the rest, much by prescription.

10. Chargers and a power bank

    Type E sockets — EU plugs fit; US/UK plugs need an adapter.

11. Set up an eSIM or local SIM

    An eSIM beats roaming; keep access to your bank's SMS codes from home.

12. Download offline maps and a translator

    Add Czech to your offline translator — signs and menus outside the center are Czech-only. 'Pozor' means 'attention', not what it sounds like.

13. Sort transit tickets and validation

    Buy via the PID Lítačka app, machines or the yellow card readers on trams. Stamp paper tickets on first boarding — plainclothes inspectors don't joke.

14. Taxis — app only

    Street taxis by the station and downtown are a classic rip-off. Uber, Bolt or the local Liftago charge honestly.

15. Check the bill in tourist areas

    Around Charles Bridge and Old Town Square markups double, and 'bread' or 'service' sneaks onto bills. Walk two streets deeper — better food at half price.

16. Know: beer is cheaper than water — really

    A pint at a normal hospoda costs less than bottled water. You can ask for tap water (kohoutková), though not everywhere obliges.

17. Plan Prague Castle properly

    The grounds are free; the cathedral interiors and Golden Lane need a ticket (valid 2 days). Before 9:30 am beats the crowds; there's security at the gates, so skip big backpacks.

18. Tipping: ~10%, said out loud

    Tip by naming the total as you pay ('make it 300'), not by leaving coins on the table.

19. Consider a day trip: Kutná Hora or Český Krumlov

    The Kutná Hora bone church is an hour by train; fairy-tale Český Krumlov is 3 hours on a RegioJet bus (book ahead). Both earn their day.

20. Kids' documents Yes

    Each child needs their own passport (and visa where required). Birth certificate if surnames differ; check single-parent travel rules.

21. Kid hits: the mirror maze and the zoo Yes

    The Petřín mirror maze (funicular up!) and Prague Zoo — among Europe's best — fill a happy day. In summer a riverboat runs to the zoo from the center.

22. Kids' first aid kit Yes

    Child-dose fever reducer, thermometer, plasters. Familiar meds beat explaining symptoms at a lékárna.

23. Baby carrier over stroller for the old town Yes

    Cobblestones and stairs eat wheels, and trams are tight. Stroller for parks, carrier for the old town.

24. Snacks and entertainment for transit Yes

    Offline cartoons and familiar snacks for the flight and queues. Trdelník may be tourist bait, but as a kid bribe it never fails.