3 Day Itinerary in Prague, Czech Republic on a Budget


So just the other day, I was reminiscing about the 6 months I spent in Europe, specifically Munich, Germany. During my time there, I had traveled experienced and seen more of the world than I ever had in the past 22 years of my life.




During that 6 months, my other half and I had an opportunity to travel to Prague, Czech Republic for a short 3 day trip, while a close friend of mine decided to drop by to Venice, Italy (you can read all about her Venice trip here). This is my first time to Czech Republic but I know that I’ll be back again, even if it’s just for the cheap food and delicious Trdelník. If you were to just visit the city of Prague, I believe a 3 day trip would be sufficient for you to see all that you need to. Short trips also meant lower expenses!

Considering that I made this trip to Prague from Munich, Germany, this meant that I could travel via land transport (bus/train). Here are the options available for a two-way trip for one person to Prague.
Do note that the pricing of the transportation varies, depending on the date and time you chose to leave the country. 



Just from a glance, it is obvious that the cheapest ride would be via DB Bahn bus and so, I chose to take that up.

Do note that the local currency in Prague is the Czech Koruna, so you'll have to make a trip to the bank or money changer before your travels.


Day 1: Munich - Prague

I had chosen to purchase the tickets for the cheapest time slot, and so we boarded the bus early at 10.15 am from Hackerbrücke station. This is the main bus station in Munich, and so it made a lot of sense. 

Munich Main Bus Station; Hackerbrücke Station




It was such a pleasant journey, along with FREE WiFi, and onboard entertainment (you'll need your own smart phone for this). I was initially skeptical about taking the bus, due to my motion sickness tendencies. So glad that none of that puking or mess occurred during the 4.5 hour ride. I'd say that it was a relatively short ride if you consider that the train option takes you about 5 - 5.5 hours after a single transfer.  


We are in Prague!!

Prague Main Railway Station, Praha Hlavní Nádraží

We then decided to have our lunch (and our very first meal in Prague) at the train station in order to fill our hungry tummies, we took our chances and entered Restaurace Potrefená Husa for a meal.

Pork Neck (Kč 236)

Cabbage Soup (Kč 75)

Having stayed in Munich for almost 6 months, you'd know if you are out of the country just simply from looking at the architecture and taking in the environment. We had decided to explore the place a little by taking a short 5 minutes walk to the next station - Museum Station. 
Hey walking is free, no shame there! 

From there, we bought train tickets to our apartment. The tickets costs Kč 24 for 30 mins of travel and Kč 32 for 90 mins of travel. There are also day tickets and other options available, and you can learn all about the pricing here.





We spent the rest of the evening walking in the area around our apartment, trying to take in all the sights and smells.

Loving the warm colours of sunset.


Being the lazy people we are, we decided to have dinner somewhere near by the apartment. We chanced upon Restaurace U Malvaze, a great restaurant with traditional food and a very nice cosy ambiance. Although it was found in the tourist area, the quality of the food was relatively high.
There is also free WiFi provided; what more can I ask for?

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The interior.

Photo of U Malvaze restaurant - Praha, Czech Republic. Grilled pork medallions in mustard sauce with mushrooms
Grilled pork in mustard sauce with mushrooms.

Image result for U Malvaze restaurant goulash
Beef goulash and bread dumplings.

I can't remember the price of each of the individual dishes, but the bill came up to Kč 660 (approx. € 25). It was a great dinner and we went back to the apartment with a happy tummy and a thinner wallet.


Day 2: Castle & Old Town

The next day, we woke up bright and early and it was such a fantastic feeling to be waking up to great weather and a beautiful looking apartment.




We decided to head out early, over to the old district of Malá Strana to look for some food for breakfast. To be there, you'd have to cross the Karlův most, commonly known as Charles Bridge in english. This is an iconic 14th century stone bridge linking Prague's Old & New Towns, with street artists & entertainers.

It was really surprising, or even disappointing for us to find that the weather can just change in a split second. One moment, the sun was out in full blast and the next, grey clouds seem to cover the area. 

For those who are just like me and can't travel without doing sufficient research and proper planning, be sure to get your Prague map here. It's the pictorial answer to all your mapping questions.

One end of Charles Bridge.

Grey sad clouds, you'd never think that the sun was out just 10 mins ago.


Upon crossing Charles Bridge, we were so amused to find that the depressing grey clouds were gone, and the sun was out again. We also found ourselves a tiny bakery, Bakery Krusta.
It was a quaint little shop that sold Trdelník as well. However we decided to hold off eating the Trdelník for a later snack, since its not such a great idea to have so much sugar in the system early in the morning.





My bread stick (Kč 22).


For the whole morning, we explored the streets of the old town while making our way up towards the Pražský Hrad, also known as the Prague Castle.



In between our walk up the hill,  we chanced upon the Gingerbread Museum - a cute little shop selling lots and lots of gingerbread cookies, in all shapes and sizes.

Image result for prague gingerbread museum

We found this thing really cute, and we purchased one.



After walking for what seemed like forever, we finally reached the top, and we were greeted by the "Starbucks with the best view in the world". You'd see what they mean, when you look at the photos that I have taken below. I was shamelessly standing in their premises (along with many other tourists), taking photos of the view they offered.

Image result for prague castle starbucks



If you'd look behind this view - on land - that would be where the Pražský Hrad would be. Entry was FREE, you just have to go through a simple security bag check to enter.





To be honest, the castle wasn't exactly phenomenal looking and so I got a little bored and decided to move along deeper into the premises to visit the Katedrála Sv. Víta (St. Vitus Cathedral). The interior of the cathedral is so beautiful. The stained glass windows looked fantastic when the sunlight shone through. It looked truly magical.
I could have stayed in that place for the whole afternoon if not for the mass of visitors.



Look at those colours!

The rest of the day was spent roaming the old town, having my first taste of Trdelník, and visiting the Pražský orloj (Prague Astronomical Clock).

Although I was in awe and impressed by the oldest functioning medieval clock in the world, I didn't stay to watch the 12 apostles passing by the window. For those who are interested, this movement may be viewed every hour, above the astronomical dial.



The Pražský orloj.



That night when we returned to the apartment after dinner, we were so terribly lucky to be able witness fireworks being released in the night sky right from our balcony. We aren't too sure what was the occasion, but it was an amazing experience to be able to view such huge fireworks from the comforts of "home".



 Day 3: Old Town Square & River Tour - Munich


The following morning - our last day here in Prague - we decided to drop by the Havelské tržiště street market. The market sold a variety of things, from doll puppets, to nail files, to plates and even fruits. I personally purchased a few handmade glass nail files for my friends and family. Apparently, glass files are much better for use as they seal the keratin layers together at the edge of the nail, hence preventing peeling and chipping!

The pricing of the glass files differ from seller to seller, and is also affected by the complexity of the designs on the file. I purchased 2 files decorated with Swarovski Elements at Kč 200 each (approx. € 8), along with another 3 simpler looking files at Kč 80 each.




Later, we moved towards the Old Town Square to have lunch, and to meet up with the tour guide for the river cruise. As a rule of thumb, you usually get to save about 10% discount off the final cost simply by booking your tours online in advance. 

I personally booked the 1 hour river cruise from Paroplavba which was priced at Kč 250. After the 10% discount, the cost was reduced to Kč 225 (approx € 9).

(Disclaimer: I am NOT getting paid in any way if you do book something on Paroplavba. I'm purely sharing some tips with you.)




After the river cruise, we slowly made out way back to the train station for trip back to Munich. Along the way, we had a gelato too.



Cost Breakdown:

I have spent a total of €182 within my 3 days in Prague, and although this might still be expensive to some, there are certain activities described in this post that you are in fact, optional (for example, the river cruise). Additionally, I had booked my accommodation within the Old Town in Prague on Agoda, making the expenses slightly higher than expected.

However, do note that a cheaper accommodation outside of the main district, also meant higher costs incurred travelling in and out of the area. It might just be worthwhile to pay a little more to be right at the heart of the city.


We have avoided taking or using the cabs in Prague Taxi as they are notoriously bad.
Do try to avoid the urge to flag down a cab on the street, especially those parked around train or bus stations. Also, please DO ask about the price in advance and tell the driver you want a printed receipt, which meant they have to turn the meter on. 



For an overview, this is the cost breakdown of my 3 day trip to Prague from Munich.






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Whew! There you have it. For those who are interested in travelling to Prague, I hope this post is of help to you! Thank you so much for reading!
Do leave a comment and let me know what you think!


Here are some of the information that might be useful to you:




xoxo,
meixii

Comments

  1. Nice photos! As a girl living in Prague I would say great itinerary how to spend 3 days here!

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    1. Hello Lenka!

      Oh wow, that is truly the ultimate recognition for this post of mine, by a person living in Prague! Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I noticed that you recommended to visit the historic fortress, Vyšehrad on your blog. It was a pity that I did not have the chance to visit, your photos of the place looks great. I'd sure to be back again one day, if given the financial means!

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  2. I have never been - but your helpful information will be a great help when I go to Prague! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Hey Alexandra!

      Thank you for reading! Prague is lovely for a short trip. Do let me know how your trip went if you do visit!

      Delete
  3. I've always wanted to go and hope to one day! These are suck awesome helpful tips and suggestions. Loved this post x

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    1. Hey there Susana!

      Yessss you should visit Prague one day. It's this quaint little town with so many hidden gems. I liked how the food isn't too expensive, which makes it easier to keep my budget low ;)

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  4. I think that is a reasonable amount to spend! I would love to go to Prague at Christmas time.

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    1. Hi Elizabeth!

      Do visit Prague during Christmas, along with the many other European countries! The christmas markets at each location can vary so greatly - to the point where each of the market feels like a whole new experience. You'll have so much fun!

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  5. I wish I'd had this post when I was teaching World Geography to 8th graders! I did a short unit on Prague because it seemed like such a cool place! Great post!

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    1. Hey Jenn!!!

      I am always in awe when I get the chance to speak to teachers like you. I cannot imagine myself teaching a class of teenagers, I might just go cray cray. Hahah it's so cool that you chose to do a short unit on Prague! My teacher never did that - he only taught all the boring things.

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  6. Enjoyed reading this. Prague is definitely on my travel list!

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    1. Hello Emma!

      Thank you for reading! Even after visiting Prague, it's funny how it is still on my travel list. Hahaha

      Delete
  7. I've never been to Prague but hear so many good things about it! I love how you did a cost break down. It's something not often seen on travel posts.
    Lea, xx

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    1. Hello Lea!

      I thought the cost breakdown would be good to help interested parties cut down on what they find unnecessary. Thank you for reading! Hope you liked the photos :)

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  8. What a great post - I'm obsessed with Prague and will be moving there soon hurray! x

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    1. Hey there Tereza!

      You are moving there soon???? I am so so so envious!!! How lucky of you. You are going to love the convenience of moving around Europe! Bus tickets are relatively affordable :)

      Delete
  9. I'm not a big traveler, but I love following along with bloggers who do post about travel because it makes me feel like I'm there :) Your photos are beautiful, and you made me craaaave gingerbread! :) Thanks for the cool post, I knew almost nothing about Prague before reading!

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    1. Hello Nicole!

      Thank you for your sweet sweet comment! I am flattered to know that someone actually felt that my photos looked beautiful. You have just made my day so much better - thank you for that! Glad you enjoyed reading this post, I'd love to share more of my adventures with you here, if you'd be interested ❤

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  10. I've always wanted to visit Prague! These are some fantastic ideas, especially that view from the Starbucks!

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    1. Hello Miranda!

      The view from Starbucks is definitely one of the best in the city of Prague. There also a platform right at the corner of the wall for dare devils to take that "edge of the world" photo. It's a pity I didn't get to take a photo there due to the mass of people waiting, and time constraints.

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  11. Prague is so beautiful and the food looks so yummy. Especially loved the cute Gingerbread cookies.I would definitely want to visit someday!

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    1. Hey Karen ☺

      The food is definitely unique (in my humble opinion), but then again, each country has their own unique flavour. I'm not too sure if the recipe they used for the gingerbread cookies is a "Czech" or "European" influenced one... because the cookies are actually soft. It's quite peculiar, especially since I am so used to crunchy gingerbread cookies.

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  12. Charles Bridge is so unique! So are all the buildings! Prague looks like sooo much fun and it's definitely on my wishlist!

    http://kristaaoki.com

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    1. Hey there Krista!

      Thank you for reading! I do loveeee Prague, especially since food there is cheaper than in Munich. You'd definitely have to visit the place one day, although I have to warn you that tourists may be seen everywhere in the city.

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  13. That Starbucks really does have the best view in the world! Great itinerary, I love how you included the price of everything. Super useful.

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    1. Thank you for reading Kim!!!

      Yeah, I intentionally added the cost breakdown just so to give a clearer view on where my money went. For example, that quarter on souvenirs and the river cruise could have been saved, if one is on a tight budget!

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  14. I love Prague! Great itinerary. The picture of the food look so delicious!

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    1. Hey there Justine!

      Thank you for dropping by! The food is indeed good. You should visit this place if given a chance!

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  15. The cathedral and the clock look gorgeous! Those would be at the top of my list!

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    1. Hey Kelly, thank you for reading! I do absolutely recommend visiting the Cathedral! It's my favorite place. <3

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  16. Prague is on our list for 2018! Can't wait. The cathedral looks stunning. Intrigued by your bread stick! Bookmarking your itinerary for next year.

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    1. That's great to hear! You should really visit the cathedral! It's my favourite spot for the whole trip <3

      Ps: The bread stick, in my humble opinion, is just a regular bread stick. Nothing too exciting :x

      Delete

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