When we crossed the border from Austria into the Czech Republic, we entered our ninth new country since arriving in Europe nearly 18 months ago. Can you believe we have been here a year and a half? The Czech Republic is our third new country in the pandemic year of 2020. Given the circumstances, we feel lucky to be traveling at all.
We often cross a border without any warning but, in those countries that require payment for using the toll roads, there is always a little place set up where we can stop and buy what we need. The “Vignette” is a popular toll payment system which is basically a window sticker. Typically we can buy one that is valid for a week or a month, depending on how long we plan to stay. Bijou’s window is starting to get a little blinged out. We have emissions stickers from France and Germany, our insurance green card form and Vignettes from Austria (two, in fact!) and now one from the Czech Republic. And that’s just on the passenger side!
Aside from the Vignette sellers we can usually tell we’re in a new country when the quality of the road changes and this was especially noticeable entering the CR. Our arrival time in Prague suddenly got much later as we dodged potholes and got stuck in construction traffic. In one instance we totally missed the detour signage and drove to the bitter end until construction crews finally told us to turn around.
On our way into Prague we needed two things: first, money. The Czech Republic does not use the euro, they use the Czech Koruna, so we needed to find an ATM, or Bankomat. Second, we needed wine. We stopped several times to look for an ATM but found none, and, in spite driving through wine country, we found no wine. We wasted a lot of time looking, though. We really did not want to try and find these things in a big, unfamiliar city, so we decided we’d be fine without and that we’d go out on our bikes once we were settled in our campsite.
As we drove through the city, we saw an ATM machine on a busy street where construction barriers had been set up in the road. It was a perfect place for me to pull over and sit while Steven jumped out and got money. Score! We did, however, arrive without wine.
As it turns out, we needed neither of these things because the proprietor of the campground required no money upon arrival and she supplied us with all the wine we could possibly consume during our stay and more to take with us when we left. Everything was put on a tab and we settled up before we departed. She gave us tram tickets and put it on our tab. She did three loads of laundry for us and put it on our tab. The laundry alone came to 24 euros. The replacement Maxx (our washing machine) we just ordered was 65 euros. Now you see how quickly he pays for himself! I’ll be glad to have him back on board for our upcoming travels.
The campground where we stayed was literally in someone’s backyard. It was one of the nicest, most serene places we’ve ever stayed. It is apparently quite common in this area of Prague for folks to turn their property into campgrounds and B&Bs because there are several right in a row. The homes are huge and so probably the extra income is necessary to pay for the upkeep. In any case, we loved it.
Typically we plan to ride our bikes to tour around a city, but there was a tram stop not far from where we were staying so it was easier to just hop on and go. Once on the tram it is necessary to validate your ticket. This is exactly like the LUAS tram system in Dublin, so we were familiar with the process. Unfortunately, it didn’t dawn on us to actually punch the ticket and validate it until it was too late. We got busted. The fine was 30 euros EACH!! Our insistence that we were obviously not trying to scam the system because we had an actual ticket fell on deaf ears.The Prague tram police are well known for being ruthless, especially to tourists. Needless to say, we didn’t make that mistake again!
The day after our arrival we had scheduled a food tour called “Taste of Prague“. We met up with our guide, Karolina, at noon. A typical tour would have ten or so people, but it turns out this time it was just us! How cool is that? For the next four hours we walked and talked and ate and drank. Karolina took us to four different restaurants in Prague all while sharing stories of what it was like to grow up in communist Czechoslovakia and lots of food history. It was an amazing afternoon and well worth the time and money in which we sampled a wide variety of typical Czech foods. And the beer was delicious!
Over the next few days we visited sights in and around Prague. It is a beautiful city with stunning architecture. Around every corner was an ornate building that I had to take a photo of. I have no idea what goes on in those buildings but they are pretty to look at.
Our food guide had mentioned to us that she had not visited the Prague Castle in years simply because there were too many tourists and it was hard to move around and see much. Once again, we felt very privileged to visit without the crush of humanity, although that certainly didn’t help make the hike up there any easier. It was a long way up no matter how you slice it. But the views were gorgeous!
Prague is a feast for the eyes and, once again, we are having trouble choosing just a few photos. So here’s more for you to get a sense of what Prague is all about. And as of now, we would put Prague in our Top Five places we’ve visited in Europe, so when travel is safe again, put this one on the top of your list.
UP NEXT: Berlin!
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Just started following your blog – we full-timed around Europe from 2017/19 http://www.moho-dream.co.uk. We had the same problem in the Czech Republic when it came to finding a cashpoint – we’ve since discovered that you can programme the sat nav to detect them. 😉 We loved Berlin and spent around 10 days there. We can recommend this place: https://moho-dream.co.uk/berlin-day-4/ Look out for Stolpersteine too in Europe (little brass plaques on the pavement – Google will tell you more (or the top of our blog!). Enjoy your travels and stay safe!
Carol thanks for the comment and link to your blog! I see you stayed in Greece for Christmas one year, that’s our plan this year. I look forward to reading about your experiences. We did use an app to find cash machines, but at every stop they were no longer there! So frustrating! Interesting about the Stolpersteine, I had no idea. We will keep our eyes peeled now. Thanks for following along!
HI Guys,
I think you photos of Prague really capture the essence of the place. Did you get to see the U Fleků brewery?
“Keep on postin”
Dave
Hi Dave, thanks so much for your kind words! We did not go to the brewery, but we did learn a lot about Czech beer, mostly at Lokal. So far it has been our favorite!
Again, your photos and commentary are outstanding! This brings back memories of when my husband and I were there six years ago.
Thank you, Ginny! Prague is hard to forget, right? It’s one of the most beautiful cities we’ve visited so far. Thanks for taking time to comment!
Once again, amazing! Makes a treat to read with my morning coffee!
Thanks for sharing
Stay safe and enjoy
Thank you, Melissa!
Your blogs just get better & better. Your food experiences are the topping on the cake. Prague looks magical, I can understand it being a top pick.
Thanks, Fred! I was on the hunt for a delicious goulash and Prague did not disappoint! When I make it, I’ll share the recipe!
Please do, we love middle European cuisine & it’s never as good as you get there. I don’t understand why, you would think a recipe should transfer,
Well, since I probably won’t have a chance to make it until we get to Greece, I’ll email you the recipe. 🙂 I’ll be eager to hear how you like it!
Loved your post and what fantastic photos! We’re jealous of all that gorgeous food since our eating out consists of fast-food take-out. Can’t wait to see your next stop.
Thanks, Judy. It’s hard for us to know what’s going on back in the states with regard to what’s open or not, but it sounds like you are still pretty limited. We’ve enjoyed lots of meals out, but still try to be cautious.
Great review and pics of your Prague adventure. Prague and Budapest have become two of our favorite cities. Sorry you got spanked by the the tram conductor for ticket boo boo. €60 is a pretty spendy ding. Steven will have to give up beer for 2 days to recover.
I was literally reading another traveler’s blog post about Budapest when your comment came in. It’s on our list for next year as we make our way to Scandinavia. Looking forward to it!
What a beautiful city! That was quite the food tour…don’t think I could eat that much in 4 hours. 😜
Safe travels and stay healthy!
We had a ton of food, but it was shared. I did eat all that goulash, though, and went back for more the next day. I’m still thinking about it! So when the weather cools off and we settle down for a couple of weeks, I’m going to make it and share the results on the blog!
Absolutely stunning! The Italians will nail you gir the same riding the Vaporetto in Venice!
That’s what my friend Cindy said, too! She said be sure to validate our ticket before getting on the boat or it will be worthless! Good to know, we’re just a few weeks away from Venice! Hope you guys are doing well!
I am glad you posted so many pictures. Full service campgrounds, wine, washing etc.
Yeah, it was amazing. I put all my clothes into the washer and the next thing I know they are being delivered to my door in a basket warm from the dryer! How perfect is that?
Oh my…. Once again simply beautiful. And thanks to you I get to “see” some of it.that cemetary looks very poignant… Lovely food!! Made me drool 😋
The food was one of the best things about Prague and the tour we took was really special. She introduced us to a lot of fun places and we got to try so many new things. I’m glad you’re enjoying the photos! We’ve got lots more coming up!
The food looks fabulous, and I can see easily walking it off looking at all the beautiful spots y’all “took us to see!” Thanks again for the great detailed descriptions and the fantastic photos as well. Y’all enjoy and I’ll see you in Berlin!
I’m glad you enjoyed our little tour of Prague, it’s impossible to take a bad photo there! See you in Berlin!
The dancing house was super cool. Never seen anything like that
I didn’t actually see it, but Steven said it was very cool! I stayed home and cleaned. (Probably had some wine, too.) Hope you guys are doing well!
What a fabulous tour of Prague! Thanks for all of the gorgeous photos (including the food!) and the fun commentary. The architecture is wonderful, and I love the well-preserved murals. I’m trying to figure out the food combo in one of your pics…looks like chicken and slices of banana?
It looks like ‘normal life’ there…so different from here…
That’s duck with dumplings! The small round thingys are potato dumplings, the same kind that are in my bowl of goulash, only smaller. They are really dense and kind of tasteless. Mashers would be better, I think. The large round thingys are bread rounds, which are weird, and I think also called dumplings. 🙂 Honestly, it does feel somewhat normal here, which means we constantly remind ourselves to be careful.
I feel that I could step right into that 1st photo! Also another request for goulash recipe. Thanks. Any chance you saw a village named “St. Ilgen”? Someone my daughter met asked if her ancestors were from there , hence Stilgenbauer, in Bavaria.
I love that photo so much, it really portrays the beauty of Prague. I don’t recall seeing that name, but who knows, we pass through so many places we can’t even remember them all! I’m gonna make that goulash and post photos and the recipe, watch this space! Good to hear from you!
I really love this post. Prague is on my list in a couple of years….2 colleges to pay for first. I’ve always been amazed with the architecture. Love all your blog posts…
Thanks, Bryan! Prague is worth keeping in your sights, it’s really spectacular. Hope you guys are staying safe!
It’s only hard to believe you’ve been there 18 months until I realize next month we will have been here a year! I love the historic squares and the eye-popping architecture, and of course the art. Oh, and the food (again!). The views……just so much to love 🙂 Just the contrast between the cemetery and the dancing house blows my mind.
Did you ever think when you bought that place that you’d be there a FULL YEAR??! I know you must be chomping to get back on the road, but what a blessing that you had such a great place to hunker down, with family, no less. Nothing to complain about there, right? Us, either. Although we do miss family, we’ve had it pretty good.