Where to eat if you have a backpackers’ budget ?

Posted on | April 20, 2010 | No Comments

You’re in Prague for a couple of days or longer and only have a backpackers’ budget. If you’re looking for a place to eat, the best solution for you would be to avoid the city center… but it’s not that handy when you’re a tourist! If you only have a small budget, here is one restaurant (in fact, it’s more like a canteen) you might want to try: “Havelska Koruna”.

They serve traditionnal Czech cuisine and also the best beer on tap, Pilsner Urquell (34 CZK for a pint… or 1.40 EUR, if you’re not used to go from CZK to EUR!). They only speak a bit of English, but still enough to be understood.

When you enter the place, you get a piece of paper where anything you order will be written down. Keep this piece of paper until you get to the counter (when you leave, at the exit) where it will be asked as you pay the bill. Be careful not to lose your paper, they’ll make you pay an extra charge…

In a word, Havelska Koruna is a good place to go to if you’re really on a small budget, but if you can afford a little bit more, I would recommend something like Kolkovna or Celnice.

Havelska Koruna
Havelska, 23
Stare Mesto
Prague 1
Tel: + 420 224 239 331

Czech currency (CZK) – Notes & coins, Currency converter

Posted on | March 19, 2010 | No Comments

The “Czech crown” is the official currency of Czech Republic, and was since 1993 (dissolution of Czechoslovakia). There is a plan to adopt the euro but no change is expected soon to due political matters. 1 Czech crown consists of 100 “hellers”.
When changing currencies, always check the commission AND the spread (price difference between “buy” and “sell”). Some may advert “no commission” but will charge you a huge spread… it’s the same result at the end of the day !

Some of the best rates in town can be found at these “bureau de change” :

Alfa Prague
Na Příkopě 23, Ovocný trh 12
Praha 1
+ 420 724 215 559
Check here their rates (the website page is only in Czech)

Eurochange
Opletalova 30
Praha 1
+ 420 224 243 614
Check here their rates (the website page is only in Czech)

CZK notes : 50 / 100 / 200 / 500 / 1000 / 2000 /5000
–> Note that the 20 CZK note is not used any more
Click to view the Czech notes (Czech National Bank official website)

CZK coins : 1 / 2 /5 / 10 / 20 /50
–> Note that the 10, 20 and 50 hellers coins (or 0,1 / 0,2 and 0,5 CZK) are not used any more
Click to view the Czech coins (Czech National Bank official website)

To convert any currency against the Czech crown, you can easily use Yahoo currency converter

If you’re afraid of making mistakes or if you prefer to avoid changing currencies, you can still pay in euros (EUR) in many shops and restaurants all around the city center. They just might charge you a little bit more so try to check that before.