[creampuff]

I'm with Simona. I'd probably eat all the donuts I could and save the rest for later or give them away as I walked down the street.

RE: Taxis -- If your hotel calls you a cab, it is supposed to be fine and was okay when I was there. I also was sick and cold one day and just hailed one on the street. It was (I think) something like ABC company, which had a good reputation. I had no trouble and was taken straight to my hotel.

Any hotel and most restaurants will call you a cab so you can avoid this issue. Prague has great public transportation and is very walkable as well.


My basic rule of thumb with foreign cabs is to try to find out what the fare should be from hotel, restaurant, whatever before I get in and ask the cab driver what it might cost to see if the two are close. If they don't speak enough English for me to understand. I ask them to write it down. Numbers are pretty universal. Then I watch like a hawk to make sure the meter is turned on appropriately. I've almost been known to pull out my street map and follow the cabbie's route, that way I can check to see if I'm being given the long way around.

Having said all this there have been very few times where I felt a taxi was taking me "for a ride."

Check with your hotel about their recommended way to get in from the airport.

Here is what Frommers says about getting from the airport

Getting Downtown -- You can make your way from the airport to your hotel by taxi, airport shuttle bus, or city bus.

Official airport taxis are plentiful and line up in front of the arrivals terminal. Alas, the Volkswagen Passats queued directly outside the terminal's main exit all belong to the same cartel sanctioned by the airport authority. The drivers are getting more pleasant but are still often arrogant and dishonest. Negotiate the fare in advance and have it written down. Expect to pay about 700Kc to 800Kc ($25-$28) for the 20 or so minutes to the city center, depending on the whims of the syndicate. If you want to save money, find other travelers to share the expense.

CEDAZ (tel.220-114-296; www.aas.cz/cedaz) operates an airport shuttle bus from the airport to námestí Republiky in central Prague. It leaves the airport daily every 30 minutes from 5am to 9pm and stops near the námestí Republiky metro station. Going back, you can use it from 5:30am to 9:30pm (every 30 min.). The shuttle costs 90Kc ($3.20) for the 30-minute trip.

Even cheaper is city bus no. 119, which takes passengers from the bus stop at the right of the airport exit to the Dejvická metro station (and back). The bus/metro combo costs only 12Kc (40¢), but the bus makes many stops. Travel time is about 40 minutes.


Hope this helps.

[queenla]

hi erin, i did remember to ask the H as he ran out the door this morning. he said Charles Bridge and, i think, mala strana, are two things he loved about P.
with regard to taxis, i remember on my first trip to Rome I was very unsure about taxi rides. It turned out that the my first cab ride was at night. I had done a lot of walking and knew where we were going so things were going along all right, but when we arrived at check out he doubled the fare. I made such a fuss that he gave up on me and told me just to leave. Later i found out that it was standard to for taxi fares to be doubled in the evening. I did feel bad for the driver. But maybe it is something to watch for...??
_________________
truth, like gold, is not the less so for being newly brought out of the mine.

[Erin]

Wow, guys all this info is crazy! Thank you so much, I have taken a lot of cabs over the years but have not had to deal with weird rules or dishonest drivers, just ones that can't drive.
My first time in a NYC cab the guy honked along with his music while creating his own lane down Broadway. Last year heading to Lincon Center I slid across the seat slamming into the door in my opera dress as my driver navigated Columbus Circle. I guess it is an adventure where ever you are.
I almost forgot the accident in Mexico.
_________________
"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."

[Erin]

Aahh Prague, where do I begin........maybe with the teens who ransacked our room the night before we arrived. These drunken mauraders did such a thorough job of it the maids were refusing to clean it up. Bad for them, good for us! As a result we were set up in a private apartment, about fifty meters from the Charles Bridge, with our own maid and a nice breakfast was included for no extra charge. So for three nights, and a late checkout we paid less than $200 USD, so great.
I really liked Prague, except for the endless throngs of tourists who only came for a party, the smoke everywhere and the stupid pickpockets. I really loved the architecture, and fell in love with the National theater building, I just wish it had been a bit less crowded. On two occasions I foiled pickpocketers attempts, one on my husband,one on a stranger.
I was able to find some glass shops away from the touristy center, and found a few classic pieces to add to my table. I didn't bring back much in the line of food, besides some liquor and chocolates with Mozarts face on them.
I am so sad to report that there were no doughnuts thrown during my visit. We walked like ten bilion miles to the Imperial Cafe only to find that it was closed for a remodel. So sad!
_________________
"It's watery....and yet there's a smack of ham."

"It's hot ham water."

[tonny21]