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BASIC INFORMATION
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Residency:
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"By the end of 2006, 310,187 foreign nationals were legal long term residents of the Czech Republic, with over 60,000 living in Prague - not to mention all the illegal ones. Be prepared to bus tables or pour beer at a sports bar, or be a night manager of a laundromat in between English tutoring gigs. Also be aware that what you make and what you pay for rent in central parts of Prague is now comparable to San Francisco. Unless you have a good source of income - or get paid in dollars - you'll either be living on the outskirts or sharing a 1-bedroom with 3 or 4 people."
"BTW, a large two-room flat in Vinohrady can go for 15,000 Kc/month right now. (The same flat in Smichov would be about 8 000 Kc/month.) Meanwhile the average salary still hovers around 14,000 Kc/month. And in the States, they say you are in trouble if you pay more than half your salary for rent... Enough to boggle the senses!"
"If you're going to work for an English-language school, you might
not need to worry about a work permit. They will help you arrange such things."
"I had to renew my residency permit and I just could not face Pancrac and the Foreigner Police station anymore and someone introduced me to the jednatel and she got it for me in 3 days! I didn't have to do anything at all. I was so grateful I put the site up for her and started submitting it. I admit she is kinda cute too, but don't tell my wife - LOL."
Note: As of April 01, foreigners with a permanent residency in the Czech Republic must possess a valid Czech driver's license.
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General Information:
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PRAGUE (Country phone code: 420. City code for Prague: 02)
(City Codes start with 0. However, when calling from overseas, don't
dial that zero!)
- U.S. Embassy: Trziste 15, Mala Strana (ph. 2451-0847)
- British Embassy: Thunovska 14, Mala Strana (2451-0439)
- Canadian Embassy: Mickiewiczova 6, Hradcany (2431-1108); Fx: (2431-0294)
- The Chamber of Commerce: Argentinska 38, Praha 7, ph: (6679-4111),
fax: (6671-0805)
- Main Post Office: Jindrisska 14
- First Aid: Palackeho 5, Praha 1 (2422-2521)
- 24-hour Pharmacies (rotating schedule):
Na prikope 7, Praha 1 (2421-0229) or:
Pod Marjankou 12, Praha 6 (35-26-41) or:
Stefanikova 6, Praha 5 (2451-1121)
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Tourist Help:
- Cedok: Na prikope 18 (2419-7111) Fax: (2419-7387)
- American Express: Vaclavske nam. 56 (2421-9992) Fax: (2422-7708)
- CKM (Student travelers): Zitna 12 (2491-5767, fax: 235-1297)
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Around the Country:
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- CSA Airline: (2481-5110)
- CSAD-Buses: (22-14-45)
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In the City:
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Car Rentals:
- Avis: (231-5515 or 284-2043)
- Budget: (333-0777 or 231-9595, fax: 316-6727)
- Hertz: (312-0717 or 284-2047 or 312-0717), fax (29-78-36)
- Pragocar: (692-2875)
- Unix: (23-36-93)
"Europcar (FAX: 2481-0039) does a superdrive rate for £ 64.01 (about US$ 105) for a Felicia, Friday PM - Monday AM, including CDW AUF and all tax. The next cheapest was Avis at 246 DM (about US$ 138) + 12% Surcharge. As a matter of interest, Holiday Autos failed to match this rate and undercut by a fiver as their advertising claims. They quoted a massive £ 137 (about US$ 245) for the same car, same period."
- 24-hour Emergency Tow: (77-34-55)
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Parking:
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- Parking in the Blue Zones is reserved for residents only. Orange Zones
are limited to the maximum of 2 hours (at 10 Kc for each 15 minutes) and
the Green Zones for up to 6 hours (10 Kc each 30 minutes).
- "The most convenient downtown parking is at the garage of the
dept. store Kotva."
- "Kino Galaxy at Haje Metro Station. If you speak to the cinema manager he will let you park there for 200 Kc a day. The parking is guarded and accessible 24 h per day."
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Streetcar, Bus & Metro Tickets:
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- PRICE INCREASES EFFECTIVE 7/05:
- single trip ticket (must be purchased before boarding) : 14 Kc
tickets with unlimited transfers within one hour or 90 minutes on evenings and weekends: 20 Kc
- One, 3, 7 and 15 day tourist passes are also available
YOU MAY GET A TICKET FOR NOT FILLING OUT THE BACK OF IT!
"I accidentally got a child's ticket and got busted by a plainclothes
cop. They are everywhere; In three days I was stopped twice."
"If you take the city bus to the airport, do not get off until the
very last stop. The first buildings with airport signs are almost 2 miles
from the international terminal"
WARNING: "Be careful on Tram No. 22. It's a great way to see a lot of historic Prague, but it's also where a lot of people lose their money--in fact, some people call it 'The Pickpocket Express.'"
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Taxis:
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- AAA (ph. 6104-3399)
- Mikrolux (35-03-20)
- Profi (6104-5555)
IMPORTANT: "According to current law, regulated fares must be visibly posted. The initial charge can be up to 30 Kc, each km can be up to 22 Kc, and waiting time 4 Kc/minute. Insist on a meter-printed receipt before entering the cab and negotiate a fare the best you can."
"A taxi ride from the airport to the center, with luggage, should be around 350 Kc."
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From the Airport:
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There is a large display board explaining airport transportation in detail at the luggage pick-up
station in the airport. The airport timetable/information booklet also contains all this
information and can usually be found on counters throughout the airport."
- local bus for 10 Kc (#119 to the Dejvicka metro stop, the last stop on the 'A' line.)
- the 'Cedaz' airport shuttle minibus (white VW van with 'Airport-Centurm' printed on side) that travels between the airport and the Namesti Republiky (Republic Square) in the center of Prague for 90 Kc (about $3.00) and the Dejvicka metro stop for 60 Kc ($2.00). They will also take you anywhere in Prague from the airport for about $12.00.
- The Czech Airlines (CSA) shuttle (small white Mercedes-Benz bus with 'Welcome Touristic Praha - Airport Shuttle' on side) travels each 1/2 hour between the airport and the main Czech Airlines office/Hotel Diplomat in downtown Prague. The charge is about 100 Kc.
- the Belinda private shuttle company using white colored VW cars parked in front of the terminal that look like taxis but are not. They charge a fixed rate of between 120 and 777 Kc ($4.00 to 22.00) depending on the zone. Maps showing the zones and charges are available in the terminal
and should also be in each car. It is also possible to phone for a taxi to meet you at the airport after you arrive.
"We found out about the Prague airport shuttle at an internet cafe (Jama). They picked us up at our hotel and took all 7 of us to the airport for $35.00. They will also pick you up at the airport and wait outside the customs for you."
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Disabled Travelers:
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Only few of the old buildings have elevators, most cobblestoned streets
don't have any ramps and the public transportation system has only limited
access.
Contact:
Olga Havel Foundation: P.O. Box 240, 111 21 Praha 1 (ph: 2421-7331)
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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Newspapers and Magazines:
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Bookstores:
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- "Big Ben Bookshop" Mala Stupartska 5, Praha 1, tel: (231-8021),
fax: (231-9848).
E-mail: bigben@terminal.cz
- "The Globe" Pstrossova 6 Prague 1, ph/fax: (2491-6264), Web site
or e-mail: globebookstore@globopolis.com
"They stopped the free internet as far as I know as it was costing them big bucks. I think it was a marketing ploy to get people into the new location."
- "U Knihomola" Manesova 79, Praha 2 ph: (627-7767), fax (627-7769)
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Internet Locations:
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