Other tourist info
The electrical current is 220 volts AC, 50Hz. North American visitors will need to bring adapters.
Disabled visitors have had a tough time in the city. Many public buildings have steps into them and the cobbled streets have high kerbs, but things are changing. The Association of Disabled People (Sdruzeni zdravotne postizenych, Praha 8, Karlinske nm. 12, tel. (+420) 224 81 69 97, ext. 238) can loan wheelchairs for 15-20K per day or 700K for a month. They also have specially adapted cars which can be rented for 5K/km.
Czech Railways , tel. (+420) 224 61 56 33, can pre-arrange transport at the stations and there are specially adapted carriages on selected trains . You should call four days in advance to make arrangements.
More hotels, restaurants and cultural venues are introducing disabled access. Some metro stations have disabled access and these are all well marked on most public transport/metro maps.
You can drink the water - you can - but you may not want to. It tastes disgusting which is why you see even the oldest babicka in Prague struggling home from the supermarket with a six pack of the local bottled water.
Don't change any money on the street and don't believe exchange office claims that they charge no commission.
Don't flag a taxi down within shouting distance of a five star hotel, prices are sure to reflect your supposed rich tourist status.
No holiday or city break is complete without a bit of retail therapy, and while The Czech Republic isn't able to outgun great shopping cities like New York, London and Paris, there are enough interesting outlets to keep all but the fussiest of shoppers happy. Indeed, The Czech Republic today has a decent mix of well-known big name western stores, local brands, souvenir shops and specialist outlets.
Typically, Czech products include crystal, hand painted eggs, handicrafts, folk art, puppets, wooden toys and the now familiar trinkets left over from the Communist era (such as Russian army surplus hats, knives and badges).
Czech Republic's stores open between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday - although many are now extending their hours. If you need to replenish food supplies, plenty of late-night grocers' shops are dotted around the downtown area, with one of the most central being the Bl labut store at Wenceslas Square.
In department and specialist stores the time honoured (Communist inspired) practice of ordering goods, paying for them at a separate counter, then returning to have purchases wrapped, still goes on. In such places, unhelpful staff are the rule rather than the exception, with a shrug of the shoulders often signifying the degree of help that you'll get to anything more than a routine purchase (in particular, be wary of female shop 'assistants' kitted out with blue overalls, white socks and open sandals - they'll turn even the most seasoned shoppers into gibbering wrecks).
National Holidays
New Year - January 1
Labor Day - May 1
Liberation Day (End of World War II.) - May 8
Constantin and Methodius Day - July 5
Jan Hus Day - July 6
St. Wencelas Day - September 28
Czechosloviakian Statehood Day - October 28
Freedom and Democracy Day - November 17
Christmas Holidays - December 24. 25. and 26.
Some important telephone number:
112 - General Emergency Number
150 - Fire
155 - Medical Emergency
156 - Prague City Police
158 - Police
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