Prague, A tourist trap sh-t sandwich??

[snipplechops]

A dear friend of mine lives somewhere in Germany. He told me today I can use his home as a hub to travel from and see Europe from which is sweeeeeeet !!!!!!!!!! It'll be rough. Many cuban cigars and much drinking, but I just saw the movie Beerfest and I will begin the same type of training b4 my trip. Ive decided to go in the begginning of the year 2007, unless someone talks me out of it for any reason. Please Tpunkers, any input is sincerely appreciated. it'll be cold but so what, the airfare is pretty freagin' cheap during those months.
Anyways back to the point in question, He told me that Prague has gone downhill in the last couple of years. A tourist trap with more tourists than NYC. He said Poland, Croatia, and Denmark are rockin'. Anyone have any input to support my good friends theory. Is it true or is he drunk???

Any reason to go to Poland, Denmark or Croatia? Since he offered his place, ( what a guy ) A few more luxuries will be afforded on this adventure thanks to him. Please if any of u r partaking in a frosty beverage of any kind, A toast to the good man Tim B. is in order !!!!!!!

[clevercraig]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(snipplechops @ Oct 4 2006, 08:18 PM) [snapback]141711[/snapback]</div>

A dear friend of mine lives somewhere in Germany. He told me today I can use his home as a hub to travel from and see Europe from which is sweeeeeeet !!!!!!!!!! It'll be rough. Many cuban cigars and much drinking, but I just saw the movie Beerfest and I will begin the same type of training b4 my trip. Ive decided to go in the begginning of the year 2007, unless someone talks me out of it for any reason. Please Tpunkers, any input is sincerely appreciated. it'll be cold but so what, the airfare is pretty freagin' cheap during those months.
Anyways back to the point in question, He told me that Prague has gone downhill in the last couple of years. A tourist trap with more tourists than NYC. He said Poland, Croatia, and Denmark are rockin'. Anyone have any input to support my good friends theory. Is it true or is he drunk???

Any reason to go to Poland, Denmark or Croatia? Since he offered his place, ( what a guy ) A few more luxuries will be afforded on this adventure thanks to him. Please if any of u r partaking in a frosty beverage of any kind, A toast to the good man Tim B. is in order !!!!!!!
[/b]

Check out Olomouc in Easter Czech. not so many oturists and an amazing little town with three squares. Also Cseky Krumlov to the south is a Czech MUST.

[TheWills]

I would say just do some reaserch and see if there is something for you in Prauge I was there 3 months ago and loved it, however you have to be weary of people trying to hustle you on the streets and if you go to eat somewhere just walk a few blocks away from the main streets especially around charles bridge and youcan find some cheap grits.......Pruage is still lovely but it can suck your budget if your not careful......just remeber if something seems fishy then just walk away if its too expensive you dont have to buy it

I also agree with Cseky Krumlov, and poland is supposed to be a good time although I never went

go enjoy prauge!

[chelseafc05]

i didnt think much of Prague it is nice but there are nicer places to go..... Cesky Krumlov is really cool deffinatley worth a visit... poland is alot of fun i went to krakow warsaw and gdanks same with croatia i went to zagreb split hvar and dubrovnik id choose any of those places over prague... what exactly ya lookin to do go out get pissed or touristy stuff or bit of both?

[snipplechops]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chelseafc05 @ Oct 5 2006, 05:46 AM) [snapback]141740[/snapback]</div>

i didnt think much of Prague it is nice but there are nicer places to go..... Cesky Krumlov is really cool deffinatley worth a visit... poland is alot of fun i went to krakow warsaw and gdanks same with croatia i went to zagreb split hvar and dubrovnik id choose any of those places over prague... what exactly ya lookin to do go out get pissed or touristy stuff or bit of both?
[/b]

Mostly touristy stuff during the day. Well, not really museums and such. I like to people watch. Find some cool puplic places to sit and relax a bit. Bullsh-t with other travellers and the locals if they are up to it. I been working very,very hard for the last 2 years and just want to walk around and go with the flow.

And later in the day and night, get very pissed. I want to party on my vacation.

[tumblezweedz]

Going in the winter, you have the advantage of missing out on the bulk of the tourist hordes - especially in places like Prague that are normally chockablock all summer. I would definitely go to Prague in the winter, it is a great city but the crowds make it less pleasant in summer. Definitely getting away from the tourist sites gives you a better sense of the city, I particularly liked the residential area under the castle and another spot near the Carmelite church...Our Lady of Victory, I think (where they have the Infant of Prague...if you figure that out, you'll work out the area I mean). We actually stayed in a guest house, and the host was a wonderfully affable fellow who shared local secrets with the diverse group who were staying there. Not a full up party hostel, if that's what you're looking for, but a ... dare I say, bohemian experience?

Poland is, in my opinion, an absolute must-see if you're already in Germany. Warsaw I can take or leave, though many people love it. Krakow and Gdansk are more my thing, although I like less frequented cities like Szczecin and Wroclaw as well.

[omisan]

Yeah, Prague as a whole has become a tourist trap in recent years, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't see it. The Czech Republic is beautiful, and Prague has some of the most awesome architecture, with the unique feature that it was one of the few former-Communist countries that still has its old building and arts intact. There's a reason the tourist hordes can be found there, after all. It's just not as cheap as it used to be, at least not in the city center. But that doesn't mean there aren't great bargains to be found. Beer is universally cheap, food is tasty (IMO) and cheap, and transit is even cheaper.

Definitely check out the other towns around the country. Cesky Krumlov is a favorite among many... and Kutna Hora's worth seeing just for the ossuary alone.

[worldwidemike]

Depending on how long you're staying there, be sure to look up the low cost European carriers as a way to get around from your base in Germany. Easyjet, Ryanair...there's a bunch of them. Tickets can end up costing you less than train fare, so that'll give you a chance to fly somewhere a tad warmer. You can even sign up fro their e-mail saver alerts, where they send you regular e-mails with their sales. If you have your dates set already, keep an eye out and snag ones that fit.

Oh, and you can sign up for a regular e-mail from www.cheapflights.co.uk -- that gives you deals from pretty much ALL the low cost European carriers.

worldwidemike

[DC_Jessica]

I went to Prague twice in one year - it was *just* that good! (Kidding, I went on my own without knowing it was part of a group travel thing later on in the year where we hit a few countries.) For my personal travel preferences, I like doing everything but shuffleboard, so I liked Prague because of a bunch of things.

First, the history, my GOD the history! I'm just the kind of geek that really dug looking out the window that started the 30 Years War. And if you want to see the Infant of Prague, make sure you know how to either say it in Czech or know where the church is before you set out. Locals will not know the English phrase "infant of Prague." They just won't. And gestures are really awkward...trust me. (Lucky I wasn't sent to a convent.) Omisan is right, it's gorgeous. If you just want to sit in a square somewhere and marvel, it's perfect. (And the beauty ties into history!! Think of the betrayal; appeasement!) It is one of the EASIEST cities to go to if you want to make people jealous of your travel pics.

And tacky tourist stuff is always good if you need a break from "legit" traveling - I even do it here in DC on occasion. And Eastern Europeans know how to party. If you had terrific options and you had to prioritize, I can see skipping Prague...for now. But if it's one of those situations where you may not get to go again, do NOT skip it!

Krakow is pretty intense too, as you said Poland's an option. But if anybody is here to say that Krakow isn't tourist trappy, I can say with 100% certainty that you neither saw the Pope John Paul II (rest his soul) t-shirts NOR the dragon cave!!

[danny]

I have lived in Denmark and Poland and visited Prague. In my opinion it is really talked up too much. Very touristy. I am at the moment sitting in Wroclaw Poland after spending over a month here this time going to Gdansk,Krakow,Owciem,Wroclaw,Torun,Poznan it is so cool love the Polish people so friendly.

Denmark is really cool too especially kobenhavn if you go you have to see christiana it is a city set up with its own laws they don't pay tax and smoke hash everwhere plus the archtecture (i hope that is how you spell it) it is really unique so worthwhile seeing. Just don't take any photos down pusher street cause you may find yourself in trouble however you have to get a photo on this sign on the end of pusher street facing back towards kobenhavn that says welcome back to the EU.

Also when you go to Berlin go and do a pub crawl there as it is crazy the Germans really know how to party had so much fun.

[ekc11]

I have to reiterate the opinion that you should definitely check out Poland!! I have also decided to settle in Wroclaw for awhile and LOVE it! As stated above, there is much to see here and Polish people are very friendly and helpful (I have found). Also, your US dollars will go far and you can really enjoy yourself here for MUCH less!!!! A large beer in a pub/club will only set you back 3-6zl I'd say (hehe, but I usually never have to pay for my own beer when I go out here so I could be slightly off... another reason why i loooooove Poland! ) And beer from the store is only about 3zl. 1 US$=3zl so it's a pretty good deal!

good luck with your travels!