Conference Venue

• Arriving
• Visa requirements
• Getting around
• Restaurant recommendations
• Sightseeing
• Things to be aware of

Prague is one of the principal European cities with direct air connections to most European cities (Prague airport is called Václav Havel Airport Prague PRG).

The conference itself will take place in Hotel Pyramida:

The series of workshops on Monday July 9 will take place at Charles University, at Malá Strana (Malostranské námestí 2/25, Praha 1):

Both places are not far from each other (see map below). There is even a direct tram connection using lines 22 and 23 (between stations Malovanka at the hotel and Malostranské náměstí at the department). When you are at the tram stop Malostranské náměstí (arriving by either tram or by foot) you need to enter through the door marked in red on the picture of the department building below.

Arriving

• By plane: Prague airport is one of the major airports in central Europe with many direct flights from major European cities and some direct flights from large cities around the World. To get from the airport you can use:
  • Public transportation: price 32 CZK/per 90 minutes. To get from the airport use bus no. 119 to metro A (green line) station Nádraží Veleslavín and then to the city center (e.g. metro station Můstek). To get to the conference Hotel you can consult an online connection search or Google maps. Bus tickets can be bought at a ticket machine at the bus stop, which also accepts credit cards (it is advisable not to exchange or withdraw money at the airport).
  • Special Airport Express (AE) bus: price is 60 CZK, paid directly to the driver (5:30 am - 9 pm). The route is Terminal 1 - Terminal 2 - Náměstí Republiky (yellow metro line B), and then it continues to train stations.
  • Shuttle: you can pre-order a shared shuttle, which takes you from the airport to any address in Prague. The price is 290 CZK for one person, but the price per person decreases if you order it for more than one. The shuttle driver will pick you up with a name plate at the airport.
  • Taxi: the price from the airport should be about 600 CZK and might increase if you get queued in a traffic jam (about 6 CZK/min of waiting). To avoid trouble we advise to ask the driver to estimate the price before you start the ride. If the driver knows that you are aware of the expected price, you might get a fair ride.
• By train: There are several good connection mostly from neighboring countries. If you will buy tickets online in advance (via cd.cz eshop) there can be a significant discount.
• By bus: The cheapest but maybe the most uncomfortable way. However there are plenty of buses from every major city in Europe.

Visa requirements

Czech Republic is a part of the Schengen area and as such shares its visa policy. For EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, the only requirement is a valid passport or national identity card. There are many other countries whose citizens are exempt from visa requirement. For details about visa requirements in the Schengen area please consult a webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

Getting around

Prague has a quite dense system of public transportation. To plan your travels you can use an online connection search or Google maps. The price of a ticket is 32 CZK per 90 minutes.

If you would like to use a taxi try to avoid getting a taxi on the street (it's advisable to call one of the major Prague Taxi services) and if you have to, try to negotiate the price in advance. If you take a taxi on the street, you should know that the maximum price designated by the city council is 28 CZK per kilometer). See also below for some further comments.

Restaurant recommendations

Most restaurants have lunch menus with cheaper dishes on working days. If you do not see a lunch menu at the table, ask the waiter.

Restaurants in downtown

Sightseeing

There are many guidebooks about Prague. For a selection of interesting places you can check wikitravel. Another warmly recommended source is the Honest Guide.

Charles University

Charles University is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Monday workshops will be held in the historical building at Malá Strana. You can also visit the oldest part of the university called Karolinum in the city center, which has an exhibition about the history of the university.

Things to be aware of

Since Prague is a major tourist destination, it is unfortunately unavoidable that certain tourist traps exist, which you should be aware of. You can find a whole list of YouTube videos by the Honest Guide on scams found in Prague. Generally speaking Prague is a very welcoming city, but you probably should know about the following potential traps.

• At the airport: it is advisable not to exchange money, nor to withdraw money at the airport (tickets for public transportation can be bought at a ticket machine at the bus stop, which accepts credit cards). The exchange offices at the airport often have terrible exchange rates (see also the note about exchanging money below). Many ATMs at the airport will try to fool you into withdrawing large amounts of cash, by only offering huge values. Remember that 1 Euro is approximately 25 or 26 CZK, and that Prague is still quite cheap compared to other European cities (as witnessed by the above mentioned lunch prices for instance). If you need cash, it is recommended to either exchange or withdraw money in the city (see comments below), or bring it with. Most places in Prague will accept major credit cards though.
• Exchanging money: especially in the very touristy old town of Prague, some exchange offices will try to offer you terrible exchange rates (for example 15 CZK for 1 Euro, while 1 Euro is worth about 25 CZK). Always check the exchange rate thoroughly: it should be at around 24 CZK for 1 Euro. Also, never exchange cash in the streets, as you will most likely receive some completely worthless currency instead of Czech crowns! We recommend eXchange, which has fair rates.
• Withdrawing money: at the airport some ATMs only offer to withdraw huge amounts of cash, which you will most likely not need (Prague is still quite cheap compared with other European cities, see above mentioned lunch prices for example). In the city you can come across ATMs that try to convince you that you should use their exchange rate instead of your bank's rate: you will get a choice between using the rate of the bank that the ATM belongs to and your bank, but the button for your bank will be colored red while the ATM's bank will be colored green to indicate that the latter is the supposedly better choice. However, this is often not the case, as the ATM's bank will have a worse rate.
• Taxis: some taxi drivers will try to charge you horrendous rates, e.g., 5000 CZK instead of 500 CZK. It is recommended to try and avoid getting a taxi on the street (it's advisable to call one of the major Prague Taxi services) and if you have to, try to negotiate the price in advance. The maximum price designated by the city council is 28 CZK per kilometer.
• Shops and restaurants: in the old town area, some restaurants and corner stores will be quite overpriced. It is recommended to always check the prices before deciding to buy something at a store or ordering at a restaurant. For restaurants, the above list of lunch prices can guide you. If you enter a store and see that a can of coke costs 80 CZK, then just walk right out of there!