Free wifi around town

Unlike many western countries paid-for wifi networks never took off here so you won’t have to part with more hard-earned to get online in cafes, bars and restaurants, other than the cost of a drink. Most places offering free wifi will have a sign on the door or window making the fact abundantly clear. If you’re going to put down roots for an extended length of time in one of these places, play nice and order some food. Many places do have a password on their network, often displayed on the menu, or a chalkboard. Otherwise just ask. The Czech for “password for wifi” is “heslo pro wifi” (pronounced viffy). This site, in Czech but easy to navigate, maintains a fairly comprehensive list of hotspots around town.

If you’re going to be traveling around the country, perhaps to Karlovy Vary or Cesky Krumlov, you may need your access to be a bit more portable. Don’t worry, we’ve got the answers for that.

Get your smartphone online for cheap

If you’ve got an unlocked smartphone you can buy a pay-as-you-go SIM. All the major operators offer mobile internet but some are cheaper, faster and simpler to set up than others. Overall we recommend O2 at 40Kc a week, with enough bandwidth for casual email, web, Facebook and Foursquare use. Enabling it on the SIM can be done at an O2 store or just by sending an activation SMS. Full info here.

Stick it to ‘em

If you’re toting a laptop, you can pick up a pay-as-you-go USB stick from most of the operators. Again O2 has the best deal. They have a kit for around 1000Kc for an unlocked USB stick, SIM card and a month’s internet access. If you’ve got your own unlocked stick, you can just buy a SIM card and activate the service. O2 stores in the center should all have English speakers.

Going on vacation no longer means being out of touch. Take a moment to tell your friends and family back home how much you’re enjoying your Prague vacation or maybe post some pics on our Facebook page.

Image credit: Rubenerd via Creative Commons on Flickr

22nd September 2010 Sting @ O2 Arena
25th September 2010 David Guetta @ Tesla Arena
27th September 2010 Guns N’ Roses @ O2 Arena
15th October 2010 Santana @ O2 Arena
18th October 2010 Vanessa Mae @ O2 Arena
26th October 2010 Deep Purple @ O2 Arena
3rd November 2010 Joe Satriani @ Tesla Arena
12-14th November 2010 Cirque du Soleil @ O2 Arena
14th November 2010 Simply Red @ Tesla Arena
17th November 2010 Lady Gaga @ O2 Arena
18th November 2010 Joe Cocker @ O2 Arena

The map below shows the locations on Tesla Arena (to the west) and O2 Arena (to the east). To get to Tesla Arena take the C line metro (red) to Holesovice and walk (follow the crowds), or get a tram to the Vystaviste tram stop. For O2 Arena, take the B line metro (yellow) to Ceskomoravska.

If you’re headed to the city for one of these gigs and you need a place to stay, we have a great selection of hotels and apartments in Prague, and plenty of excursions and day trips for you to choose from, for the rest of your time here.

Pilsner Fest 2003

The world renowned Pilsner Urquell brewery in the town of Plzen (Pilsen), about 100km west of Prague, is holding it’s annual beer festival in the brewery itself. Pilsner Fest 2010 takes place on the 27th and 28th of August. This makes it a great option for a day trip if you’re vacationing in Prague.

The festivities begin at 4pm on Friday 27th, till around midnight and resume again at midday on Saturday 28th, till after midnight.

The Fest has been moved forward over the past couple of years – it used to be in early October but his late August timing should mean better weather and an all-round more enjoyable event.

As well as enjoying one of the world’s best beers and quite arguably the original Pils, as well as the sister breweries’ Gambrinus, and Radegast Birrell (non alcoholic) beers you will be entertained with live music from some of the biggest names on the Czech music scene, on two stages. Entry is free and the beers are around 30Kc.

There is one beer you can get for free – the one that is part of the record attempt for the world’s largest toast, taking place at 7pm on Friday 27th. Your blogger was a proud record holder from the 2003 attempt at this record. They count how many beers are given out, stamping each person’s hand to make sure nobody takes more than one. Sadly you don’t get your name in the Guinness Book of Records but you may have the satisfaction of knowing you took part.

In addition to the beer there will be various outdoor food options, grilled meats and traditional Czech fare like potato pancakes, langoš. There’s also the brewery restaurant, Na Spilce, with a full menu of Czech classics.

Further entertainment is provided courtesy of Gambrinus G-City (info only in Czech), with various inflatable attractions like an obstacle course, gladiator-style contests, sumo wrestling and water-football.

If you can, join one of the brewery tours to get a behind the scenes look at the current methods as well as a trip into the labyrinthine cellars beneath the brewery where you can sample some Pilsner Urquell that is brewed the traditional, pre modernisation way and only available to the public as part of the tour.

Getting There

Getting there from Prague is a snap. Trains run from Prague’s main station to Plzen main station every hour, at 4 minutes past the hour. Trains take about 1hr 5 minutes to get to Plzen and the main station in Plzen is a short walk from the brewery. Travelling by train in a group is very cost effective – a group return ticket is the cheapest option.

You can take a bus, but the journey takes 1 hr 40 minutes from Prague’s Florenc bus station and will be less comfortable than by train. Student Agency runs plusher buses with on-board wifi from Zlicin metro station, which being at the end of the metro means the journey takes just one hour. The downside to either bus option is further to go when you get to Plzen.

Use Idos.cz to get precise timetable information.

Getting Back

Getting back is a little less straightforward as the last train departs at 10:10pm, so unless you take that, you’re either pulling an all nighter (first bus to Prague is at 3:30am, first train at 4:10am) in one of Plzen’s numerous late night pubs or clubs or you need to find somewhere to sleep, which isn’t too easy during Pilsner Fest!

Drink responsibly!

And have a great time at Pilsner Fest!

In pleasant weather take a seat on the terrace deck, but if it’s raining there are plenty of tables on the indoors lower deck.

What makes it different to many other places along the embankment is that Grosseto Marina’s prices are in line with their other less centrally located branches. You’re not paying a premium for the vistas, with most pizzas and pastas comfortably under 200Kc. It’s not quite the best Italian in the city, but it’s pretty damn good and the location and prices combine to put it firmly near the top of our list of places in the centre to recommend to all our guests.

Read a full review of the food from the Prague Post.

For transport info for out-of-town events, go here – there’s a language switch to English or German at the foot of the page.

We’ve cherry-picked a few for you

Most are a short distance (less than 60 miles or so) from Prague, some are within the city limits so you don’t even have to travel.

19 June Sonisphere Festival, Milovice

Apologies for the short notice on this one but if you’re in town right now and into metal and you don’t already know about this, your plans for the weekend just got made for you. An hour by slow train from Prague. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Therapy. Need we say more?

24-26 June United Islands, Prague

Taking place on 4 islands in the Vltava right in the centre of Prague, featuring more than 100 bands from the Czech Republic and further afield. Oh, and it’s free! If you’re in town for this there’s bound to something worth checking out, take a look at the schedule.

3-7 July Rock For People, Hradec Kralove

A massive open air festival with an international line-up. Headliners are The Prodigy, Skunk Anansie, Muse, NOFX, Morcheeba, Juliette Lewis but there’s a hell of a lot more too. The journey from Prague takes less than 2 hours by train or bus, and there are shuttle buses running throughout the festival between the train station to festival area.

15-18 July Colours of Ostrava, Ostrava

About as far away from Prague as you can get in the Czech Republic, but if you prefer more variety of genre at a music festival, Colours is the one for you. Where else would have Iggy & The Stooges and The Cranberries sharing top billing? Best bet for travel is the Super City Pendolino, which takes 3 hours 4 minutes, but it’s pricey. Save a few crowns and spend another half hour getting there with a normal express train.

4-7 August SazavaFest, Kacov

Somewhat harder to get to than some festivals, this one entails at least one change of trains, some routes involve a couple of changes. All in it’s still less than a two hour journey. International headliners are Papa Roach, Leningrad Cowboys and Chumbawumba, but this event is more about the Czech bands anyway, with all the big guns out for this: Mig 21, Support Lesbiens, Tata Bojs, Monkey Business and Wohnout.

12-14 August Open Air Festival, Panensky Tynec

Some info in English, look for the British flag in the bottom left of the page. Headlining are Kasabian, Faithless, LTJ Bukem and Kosheen, and a whole load of the biggest Czech bands too (similar to SazavaFest), Just under two hours by train from Prague, buses are a better bet with direct buses running from Florenc and Dejvicka. Information will be released closer to the time about dedicated Open Air Festival buses too. A bonus for O2 Extra customers (anyone with an O2 CZ SIM can sign up) – two for one tickets if bought before the end of July.

So now you’ve got no excuse for not getting outdoors and enjoying some music.

Image credit: czechian via Creative Commons on Flickr

16th May 2010 Black Eyed Peas @ O2 Arena

23rd May 2010 KISS @ O2 Arena

2nd June 2010 Cypress Hill @ O2 Arena

8th June 2010 Slash @ Tesla Arena

10th June 2010 Elton John & his band @ O2 Arena

11th June 2010 Bob Dylan @ O2 Arena

21st June 2010 Massive Attack @ Tesla Arena

27th June 2010 Billy Idol @ SaSaZu

29th June 2010 Green Day @ Výstaviště Incheba Expo Praha

1 July 2010 Aerosmith @ O2 Arena

6 July 2010 Seal @ O2 Arena

That’s it for now, the second half of the summer is dominated by outdoor festivals featuring a mixture of foreign and local bands, usually at venues in the countryside. Look out for a future post covering a selection of those. If you’re headed to the city for one of these gigs and you need a place to stay, we have a great selection of hotels and apartments in Prague, and plenty of excursions and day trips for you to choose from, for the rest of your time here.

CATHEDRAL OF ST LAWRENCE

(local name st. Lovro)

Considered one of the finest architectural achievements in Croatia. Finished around 1500, it is most known for its Romanesque door carved in the 13th century by Mater Radovan.

BELL TOWER OF ST LAWRENCE CATHEDRAL

Dating from 14th century. Visitors can climb the 154ft high tower to get a bird’s eye view of the city.

TOWN LOGGIA

Venetian Loggia (cloister) from the 15th century with a unique clock keeping time over the town center square.

THE CIPIKO PALACE

Built by Cipiko family and located in the town square, its oldest walls date from the Middle Ages.

THE KAMERLENGO TOWER

Venetian defence citadel on the western part of the Old Town constructed in 14th century. Nowdays used for musical concerts.

ST  JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH

Located in heart of  the town this used to be a Benedictine monastery. It contains the remains of the medieval frescos and the tomb of the Cipiko family.

TOWN HALL

Famous for its beautiful Gothic staircase and preserved winged lion of St Mark on the well.

MARKET PLACE

Open every day just outside the city walls, visitors can sample Croatia’s tasty fresh foods.

THE RIVA

Perfect place to stroll along the water or to have coffee or lunch in one of many bars and restaurants.

If this taste of Trogir has given you a yearning to visit take a look at the range of hotels, B&Bs and villas in Trogir, and the selection of trips and excursions from Trogir you can book through JayWay Travel.

Prague Main Station's original ticket hall

If you’re making the trip to Europe from the U.S. you might want to divide your time between a number of cities. Here at JayWay we’ve got you covered on all the top destinations in Eastern Europe so why not combine them into a mini Grand Tour with a multi-city itinerary.

What does it cost?

On the Night Train

Couldn’t I just fly?

And getting back?

Our tip

Image credit: Luisvilla via Creative Commons on Flickr.

Wherever you stay you are not far from the island’s beautiful beaches, but it’s not all about soaking up the sun, Hvar has plenty to see too:

THE FORTRESS

On a hill above the Old Town, this fortress was built in the 16th century and boasts amazing panoramic views

THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. STEPHAN

Situated on the main city square, the cathedral dates from the 16th century

THE FRANCISCAN MONASTERY

Built in the 15th century, the Franciscan Monastery is home to a large collection of paintings, manuscripts, old coins and incunabula

PROVVEDITORE PALACE

Gorgeous complex with the city’s clock tower, now the site of one of Hvar’s hotels

PALACE THEATER

Located inside the palace this is the oldest communal theatre in Europe

PAKLENI ISLANDS

Chain of 21 islands opposite the town, promising untouched nature. You can reach the islands by water taxi

And here’s the photo gallery to feast your eyes on:

1. Stradun, Placa Main stone paved street of the city/center of the action
2. City Walls The city of Dubrovnik is completely surrounded with walls and forts, including the Old Port.
3. Franciscian Monastery,Old Town Inside is the Pharmacy dating from the 14th century(the oldest in Europe) and a gorgeous cloister.
4. Sponza Palace, Old Town Originally built as customs house in 1516. Now it functions as the State Archive. On the ground floor is the Museum of the Dubrovnik defenders.
5. Rector Palace , Old Town Built in the 15th century for Dubrovnik’s ruler, the elected Rector, now a museum.
6. St. Blaise church,Old Town Dedicated to Dubrovnik’s patron saint.
7. Cathedral,Old Town This Baroque Cathedral was built in 18th century, after  an earthquake destroyed the original. Inside there is a Treasury with lot of interesting exhibits.
8. Dominican Monastery Gorgeous courtyard with museum housing Dubrovnik’s historical artefacts.
9. Lokrum Island The island is a 15 minute boat ride from the Old Town City harbor. As well as many peaceful coves Lokrum also boasts a Botanical Garden and, keeping with the monastic theme, a Benedictine Monastery.
10. Mount Srđ The highest point above Dubrovnik, with breathtaking views.

Has that got you interested? Take a look at the tours and excursions in and around Dubrovnik that we offer.