It starts with the winding streets that lure you into the Old Town Square where on a sunny day I could have sat all day and people watched. From the Old Town you are lead out across Charles Bridge and up to the stunning Prague Castle that is a sight to see during the day let along at night from the bridge. Oh and let’s not forget they know how to make a beer here as well.
To put it simply Beautiful + Cheap = Prague
| Day | Transport | Hostel | Attractions | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Misc | Total CZK | Total $AU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | 360 | 50 | – | 200 | 110 | 80 | 800 | 45.09 |
| 2 | – | 360 | 700 | – | 145 | 110 | 250 | 1565 | 88.21 |
| 3 | – | 360 | – | – | 145 | 141 | 289 | 935 | 52.70 |
Transport
I had a hostel booked not far from the train station which in turn is not far from all the action so it was down to my feet to get around. Thinking about it now, I covered a fair bit of ground in Prague especially on the day I visited the Castle. With every view a postcard moment just waiting to have its picture taken I didn’t complain.
The only transport was a train out to Kutna Hora on a tour but that cost was built into my fee so doesn’t really count and I haven’t a clue how much that cost anyway.
Hostel
Prague has a bit of a reputation for a party town and after Krakow I wasn’t really looking for that. Unfortunately I ended up in a party hostel anyway so dealt with noisy drunks running through my room at all hours.
Otherwise I had free breakfast and free wifi reception throughout the building which for around the $20 AUD mark made it doable. The advantage over some of the other backpackers I met in Prague was that I could walk into the centre of the Old Town in around 20min while the rest had a bit of a trip so I guess you take a bit of a hit for convenience.
Attractions
Over three days I was fairly active in the exploring department. I arrived at 7am the first morning so after resting up at the hostel for a bit I caught up with the 11am free walking tour around Prague (Tip at your leisure). It was here I learnt about the day trip they run to Kutna Hora where the Bone Chapel is located. At just on $40 AUD it was a little on the expensive side but honestly the day turned into an amazing one and was worth every cent (We all fell asleep on the train back to Prague).
Had I attempted it on my own I’d have missed stopping at a stunning church and a local meal from a pub where I got to sample some mead for the first time. Re-thinking the ground we covered I know for a fact I’d have got lost seeking out the Bone Chapel in the process of it all.
My last day saw me visit Prague Castle where I didn’t pay a cent. I got the impression I was supposed to pay to enter the Cathedral there but nobody stopped me so why hand over the coin. Most other sections of the Castle were closed for some reason so I’m glad I’d not booked a tour of the entire complex but in saying that it would have been great to hear about the history of the site from someone with a bit of an idea.
Food
Prague was burn your skin hot so much beer and ice cream was consumed while exploring. As breakfast was free I had spare money but instead of splashing out too much I tried out a couple of local restaurants with vouchers from my hostel.
Lastly if I ever go back to Prague and for the rest of you deciding to go there, a stop off to buy a Trdelník is a must. I didn’t eat nearly enough of these and think if I lived there they would easily added to my ever-growing stomach. It’s basically dough rolled around a rolling-pin and cooked up before it’s rolled around in sugar. How could that not be delicious? (Check out my Seeing Prague Castle post for pictures)
Miscellaneous
Due to the warm weather I stopped for drinks both alcoholic and not through my stay. Partly for an excuse to get out of the sun and partly because it was just good beer. There was no crazy nights out here just relaxed slow travel where I could stop and drink a beer while sitting on the steps that lead up to the Castle or enjoy a cold bottle of water in the shade of the trees surrounding the Old Town Square.
Total Cost for Prague
I can see why Prague has fast become a MUST for so many, it combines beauty with a cheap stay. I was never worried about spending money and until now really hadn’t paid attention to what I’d paid during my visit.
With a total cost of 3300 Czech Koruna or $186 AUD (at an exchange rate of 17.74 Koruna = 1 AUD) I stuck to an average of $62 AUD a day. When you consider I paid for an all day tour and didn’t hold back with regards to buying food or drinks as I went that’s super cheap.
Had I travelled to Prague now (November 2014) the total cost for the 3 days would have been $170.19 AUD. Yep the Australian dollar is still on par with the Czech Koruna and I can imagine Prague is getting more popular by the day so I’d build some extra into your budget to deal with usual inflation costs on the ground.
I don’t know where my plans will take me once my visa for the UK expires but I do know if I’m left with a choice of places to spin my heels for a month or two then Prague will be right up their fighting for top spot. I’ve only seen such a small part of the country but going on what I know so far… a month or two in the Czech Republic may just not be long enough.
I was just in Prague last week and also did the free walking tour. It was totally worth it. I think I tipped about $5 USD at the end which was more than most on the tour. For more than 2 hours on the tour, I defintely got my money’s worth.
Another free tip for Prague is heading slightly south of the main city to Vyšehrad. It is a beautiful castle complex and I only paid to use the bathroom (10czxk). It is walkable along the Vtlava River and a great outdoor day in Prauge.
Erin I didn’t know about that castle complex but will be sure to visit next time I’m there sounds like an amazing place to visit.
Most people on my tour tipped 5 CZK and I don’t think they realised how cheap that actually is compared to their own money.
I lived in Prague for a year after my UK visa expired. Loved it. But for what you earn in Prague, it’s a fairly expensive city (except for the beer!)
Roy I agree with you about the money, if you earnt the money there it really isn’t as good as someone coming in from abroad. One of the tour guides told me about that as people tip 5/10 CZK thinking its the same as everywhere else.
Always great to get a transparent look at your budget. Also lets us see how tight you can be in Europe. It is so fricken expensive there!
Anthony its only expensive as you make it. Sure asia will always be cheaper but there are parts of europe that are friendly to your wallet and other parts that as long as you aren’t stupid can be cheap too.
I wouldn’t have thought Prague could be doable on such a shoestring budget after hearing everybody’s Europe horror stories. Good to know.
Chris when this series is done I’m going to put all my figures into one post and go through what was costly and what wasn’t so bad. I want more people to come to Europe and stop camping in asia.
Prague is one of my favorite places in the world. I just moved to Europe and have plans to return for a visit very soon. You’re right … the beer is so so good, not to mention cheap.
Great to know that you were able to enjoy your time there and so very cheaply! 🙂
Where are you at in Europe right now? Have you been up to Berlin just yet? That’s where I now call home.
Hi Cheryl, I stopped in Berlin earlier on my trip around Europe last summer. Currently living in London for the time being on a 2 year working holiday visa and trying to soak up as much of Europe as I can.
Prague can be cheap yes. I recommend the Clown and Bard 5€ per night in the 24 person dorm room but it was a great room got to meet loads of travellers really fun. As you say Prague is a party town. When I went to the infamous 5 story club I got my purse and passport stolen. Total cost of Prague incl getting a new passport (excluding travel) around £700. You have to be careful there it is KNOWN for its pick pocketers and after a few drinks you can forget this. My bag was on me at all times but they just dipped into it. Luckily for me Schengen allowed me to get back to the homeland (Germany) without being late for work. Clown and Bard were great though and really looked after me. Free internet there too.
My girlfriend and i are backpacking through europe for the next 2 months, we’re in prague at the moment and loving it. We have given ourselves a budget of 50 euro a day between us, and so far its proving more than enough. We also did the free walking tour and made our own way out to kutna hora. We are making our own lunch with food from the supermarkets rather than eating out, so at the end of the day there is even coin left over to have a few beers
I’m just about to head over to Prague for a few days so it was great to see a budget and get some good tips, mainly about the bone castle which is what I definitely want to see! The castle sounds like it is worth visiting in my quick 2 day visit as well. Thanks for the info!
Prague was never in my list but went with a friend. Now one of my favourite places in the world. But yes, stealing does happen as they stole my wallet n camera but thankfully my friend seen them do it n chased after them. When in the Czech Republic a must see is Plitvice Lakes. Would love to see these lakes in winter as well as Prague again
Plitivice lakes are in Croatia:)