10 Top Things to Know Before Visiting the Czech Republic + Cultural Do’s & Don’ts🇨🇿
Czech Republic is by far my favourite country. The fairy castles, the architecture, the people, just every thing about the Czech Republic I find magical. The Czech Republic became one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe recently, Prague is the most popular destination there but there are other amazing places to visit there. The Czech Republic's culture, castles & chateaux, folklore and tradition will make you fall in love with the country. Everyone I know that visited the Czech Republic have fallen in love with it.
Check 10 Top Things to Know Before Traveling to the Czech Republic + Cultural Do’s & Don’ts
Reminder: The currency of the Czech Republic is Koruna and not Euro.
Check Why You Should Visit the Czech Republic: 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit the Czech Republic
How to Get Your Visa for the Czech Republic
You can get the visa by going to the embassy, or visiting the official website, or getting it with an agency like iVisa. iVisa provides 100% online travel documents such as: Visas, health declaration forms, embassy registrations, passport photos, passport renewals, tourist cards, and other travel documents. It is the simplest solution to process your travel visa.
Here’s why you should choose iVisa:
Speed and Simplicity - Easy, traveler-friendly application process. Simple and much less complicated than dealing with foreign governments.
Get Approved - All documents are reviewed by a team of immigration experts. Their staff is well-trained and offers years of experience.
Secure and Safe - World-class data centres and state-of-the-art security. Your credit card information will never be exposed to any government websites!
Awesome support - Their customer support is ready to help 24/7. They want you to enjoy your travels and avoid the stress of getting a visa!
How to Get to the Czech Republic
It is easy to get to the Czech Republic as Václav Havel International Airport a.k.a. Prague’s airport is a well connected airport, you can also reach Prague by train from cities such as Berlin, Budapest or Vienna. Buses can be found as well from other cities to Prague, I like to use Omio to find either buses or trains.
If you are looking for an easy, quick, and reliable way to reach the Czech Republic by plane, train, or bus, then Omio is your best option! Omio are my favourite app/website to move around Europe, and they have been changing the world of travel by empowering customers to go on journeys that move them. Their pioneering and practical platform helps travellers worldwide explore Europe, the United States and Canada via train, bus, flight and ferry. Choosing them means saving time and money while loving the journey you’re on.
Omio is a unique platform on which users can book travel tickets by comparing trains, buses, and flights in Europe on one search. Compare and book tickets for trains, buses, and flights in Europe, the US, and Canada with multiple search filters and time estimates.
All your travel options in one place, with more than 1,000 trusted travel partners across trains, buses, flights, ferries, and airport transfers, so that you can focus on the journey.
Here’s why you should choose Omio:
Support on your journey
Tickets on your phone
COVID-19 travel info
Updates & reminders
If you are arriving in Prague and you are looking for an easy, quick and reliable way to get from the airport to your accommodation, then Welcome Pickups are your best option! Welcome Pickups are the safest way to travel as they provide airport and port transfer, sightseeing rides, and in-city rides. Welcome Pickups are one of the best, most trustworthy and convenient 5-star airport taxi companies for your airport transfer based on user reviews across various platforms such as Google, Tripadvisor and Trustpilot.
Welcome Pickups offers a great experience and safety to its travellers such as:
Local english-speaking drivers
Flat, pre-paid fee
Flight monitoring for delays
24/7 customer support
Here’s why you should choose Welcome Pickups:
20 minute gap between transfers - After each ride, their drivers have 20 minutes to clean the car and ventilate the cabin.
Contactless ride - You can request to have zero contact with the driver during the transfer with just one click.
Regular Car Sanitisation - They provide hand sanitisers and hand wipes for all their travellers and drivers.
Cultural Do's & Don'ts
5 Do's
Know the country's name: the country is called Czech Republic or you can call it Czechia, but do not call it Czechoslovakia or even Chechnya (This is a completely different country).
Always tip: tipping in the Czech Republic is expected, about 10% is acceptable, and keep in mind that if you are paying using your card; you need to remind them to add the tip before they run your card and instruct them on how much you want to tip.
Be humble: the Czech's value humility and modesty, so do not be arrogant.
Have lunch: lunch is the main meal in Czech, so do not miss it.
Avoid Monday: most museums are closed on Mondays, so if you are planning a trip to the Czech Republic, avoid Mondays.
5 Don'ts
Don't miss the culture: the Czech Republic has a rich culture and you do not want to miss, also locals love it when you show interest in their culture.
Don't call it Eastern Europe: Czech is in Central Europe and not in Eastern Europe, so do not get confused, because locals will let you know if you make that mistake.
Shouting: do not talk loudly in the streets of Czech, do not shout and talk quietly and calmly.
Special requests in restaurants: do not make a special request when eating at a restaurant because it is not that common, so don't do it.
Be arrogant: be humble and modest, the Czech's don't like arrogance.
Check Prague Travel Guide: 12 Things to do in Prague, Czech Republic
10 Top Things to Know Before Traveling to the Czech Republic
1. The Currency
Euro is not the currency used in Czech, they use Koruna, so make sure to exchange some cash even if you are planning to use your card, but in case you need cash; you cannot use Euros. €1 is equivalent to 25 CZK (2021), and 1$ is equivalent to 21 CZK (2022).
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2. Avoid the "Wikipedia" Tour
Doing a guided tour in the Czech Republic is a great way to get to know the country and the culture and also to meet people. Avoid the "Wikipedia" tour, by that I mean the boring tours where they just state boring facts and show you the building on your right and gives a long story and then show you the building on your left and continue with the long story. These tours are boring and you not get to know the country that way because you can simply Google all those things.
I did two walking tours, both were different but were great! Both of my tour guides told stories that I couldn't Google that only locals know, and showed me places that I didn't know about. You need a local perspective to the cities you are visiting! I booked my tours through GetYourGuide.
Check Prague Travel Guide: The Best 2 Days Travel Itinerary
3. Do Not Exchange Money on the Streets
I can't believe I have to mention this, but people still do it! Do not exchange money from random people on the streets, you will get better conversion rate from your bank so you can withdraw money from an ATM, or you can go to an exchange office and do it there.
Check Czech Diary: Day 1 - Prague
4. Don't Stay in the City Centres
As a tourist; visiting the city centre is great, but don't just stay there, go explore other locations, the locals stay away from the city centres. When I was in Prague, I was hanging out in the city centre a lot, and then I discovered my favourite neighbourhood the called Malá Strana, it was not as crowded as the city centre and it was the most beautiful neighbourhood I saw, it was calm and locals were just living their day-to-day life without tourists around.
Check Czech Diary: Day 2 - Prague
5. Plan Less, Enjoy More
My trip to the Czech Republic did not go to plan at all, and I was sad about it at first, all my plans were ruined or canceled from day 1, but then it ended up being the best trip I ever went on because I was flexible. I met amazing people and hung out with them and we did a lot of spontaneous stuff, but it was the most memorable trip and the most enjoyable.
Check Czech Diary: Day 3 & 4 - Prague
6. Eat Czech Food
Trying local dishes is one of the best things about traveling, and Czech food is amazing! You do not want to miss it, and you will find a lot of dished that you will like.
Check Why You Should Visit Prague: 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Prague, Czech Republic
7. Public Transport is Well Connected
Public transport in Czech is well connected as well as affordable, so you do not need to worry about moving around in Czech. You can buy your public transport tickets can be bought at most newspaper stands and all metro stations.
Check Prague Travel Guide: 24 Hours in Prague, Czech Republic - A Complete 1 Day Itinerary
8. You Can Walk Everywhere
Most landmarks are within walking distance, I explored Prague on foot and didn't use any mode of transport expect from and to the airport. So wear comfy shoes!
9. It's Not Just Prague
There is more to the Czech Republic than Prague, places like Český Krumlov, Brno, Karlovy Vary, and more are not to be missed. The Czech Republic is a beautiful country so explore as much as you can.
10. Learn the Language
English is widely spoken in the Czech Republic, but do try and learn a few words/sentences in Czech. Locals appreciate the effort so do learn some basics.
