Czech Republic
Basic data and practical information
The Czech Republic neighbors with Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland. There is a number of non-stop border crossings available with an excellent connection by car, bus, train or plane. A valid passport, which does not expire at least for 90 days, is required in order to enter the Czech Republic. There is no need of an entry visa for most European countries and USA. In case of necessity you can obtain visa at the Czech Embassy in your country. Two kinds of visas are available; a short-term visa for 90 days or a transit one for 5 days. The official language is Czech, Slovak language being understandable. Most local people have basic or possibly intermediate knowledge of English or German language. In majority of hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, historical monuments, shops and services the communication is possible in English, German or perhaps French.
Basic data:
- Prague - Area:
- 496 sqkm
- Prague - Population:
- 1,173,000
- Geographical situation:
- north latitude 50° 05', east longitude 14° 27', height above sea level 235 m (average)
- Time:
- Central European (GMT+1), summer time - Central European +1 (GMT+2)
- Climate:
- average temperature 9,0°C
summer season - July 19,0°C
winter season - January -0,9°C - The Vltava river:
- flows through Prague in the length of 30 km, its maximum width being 330 m
- Parts of the historical centre:
- Hradcany, Mala Strana (Lesser Town), Stare Mesto (Old Town) including Josefov, Nove Mesto (New Town) and Vysehrad
- Administrative division:
- 22 administrative areas
- Voltage:
- 230 V
Important Telephone Numbers and Addresses:
- Emergency call
- 112
- Ambulance service phone
- 155
- Police phone
- 158
- Fire emergency phone
- 150
- Municipal police phone
- 156
- Emergency road service phone
- 1230, 1240
- General information phone
- 12 444
- Directory inquiries (Prague and the whole Czech Republic) phone
- 1180
- Directory inquiries (international) - both telephone and fax numbers, call services and prices phone
- 1181
International Dialing Codes:
- Australia
- 0061
- Austria
- 0043
- Belgium
- 0032
- Canada
- 001
- Denmark
- 0045
- France
- 0033
- Germany
- 0049
- Great Britain
- 0044
- Greece
- 0030
- Italy
- 0039
- Japan
- 0081
- Netherlands
- 0031
- Norway
- 0047
- Poland
- 0048
- Russia
- 007
- Slovakia
- 00421
- Sweden
- 0046
- Spain
- 0034
- Switzerland
- 0041
- USA
- 001
- Czech Republic
- 00420
Customs requirements
Without permission foreign visitors are allowed to export goods from the Czech Republic for their personal use only or as a gift. If the exported goods require any special legal permission (e.g. protection of cultural monuments, objects of museum value etc.) they must be presented to customs officials on departure.
Tax free:
Visitors purchasing in CR separately goods having value more than 2500 Kc, which carries out abroad within 60 days, can apply in the conventional time after presenting the confirmation of customs office for reimbursement of the value added tax.
Important customs offices
- Celni urad Praha (Prague Customs Office) - Praha 8, Sokolovska 22, phone 224 816 256
- Celnice Hlavni nadrazi (Main Railway Station Customs Office) - Praha 2, Wilsonova 80, phone 224 221 905
- Celnice Ruzyne (Ruzyne Customs Office) - Praha 6, Ruzyne Airport, phone 220 113 100
- Vyclivaci posta (Customs Clearance Post Office) - Praha 5, Plzenska 139, phone 257 019 102
Postal services
Main Post Office - Praha 1, Jindrisska 14, open nonstop except break 12 p.m. - 02 a.m.
Phone
Local phone calls from public telephones 4,- Kc
Telephone cards in the value of 150,- Kc and 320,- Kc are available at newsagents' and tobacconists', post offices, department stores, hotels, travel agencies, etc.
Currency
Legal tenders - Crown (Kc) = 100 Hellers
Coins:
hellers: 50
Kc: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50
banknotes: Kc 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000
Where to find accommodation
- Immediately:
- Prague Information Service
Praha 1, Staromestske namesti 1 (Old Town Hall)
Praha 1, Na Prikope 20 - Reservation:
- Prague Information Service Pragotur - 186 50 Praha 8, Za Poricskou branou 7, phone 221 714 130, fax 221 714 127 e-mail: pis.pragotur@mbox.vol.cz
Ticket Agencies
- Ticketpro - Prague Information Service
- Old Town Hall, Staromestske nam. 1, Praha 1, phone 224 223 613
Na Prikope 20, Praha, phone 224 226 088
Lesser Town Bridge Tower, Praha 1 (during summer season), phone 257 531 591 - Ticketpro - reservations by phone
- phone 296 329 999
- Ticketpro - reservations by mail
- 110 00 Praha 1, Salvatorska 10, fax 296 328 888,
web: http://www.ticketpro.cz,
e-mail: etix@ticketpro.cz, info@ticketpro.cz - Prague listing of cultural programmes in Czech, English and German languages
- http://www.prague-info.cz
Medical Emergencies
- Praha 1
- Palackeho 5, phone 224 949 181
- Praha 2
- Sokolska 27, phone 224 266 150
- Praha 3
- Konevova 205, phone 284 862 149
- Praha 4
- Pacovska 31, phone 241 733 917
- Praha 5
- Kartouzska 6, phone 257 323 219
- Praha 6
- Vitezne namesti 13, phone 233 340 912
- Praha 7
- Dukelskych hrdinu 1, phone 233 370 391
- Praha 8
- Budinova 2 (the Bulovka hospital), phone 283 843 222
- Praha 9
- Sokolovska 304, phone 266 310 372
- Praha 10
- Nad Olsinami 4, phone 274 812 509
Dental Emergencies
Mon to Fri 7 p.m.-7 a.m., Sat + Sun non-stop
- Praha 1
- Palackeho 5, phone 224 946 981
- Praha 4
- Pacovska 31, phone 241 733 918
Pharmacies offering non-stop service
- Praha 1
- Palackeho 5, phone 224 946 982
- Praha 2
- Belgicka 37, phone 222 519 731
- Praha 4
- Soukalova 3355, phone 241 770 498
- Praha 5
- Stefanikova 6, phone 257 320 918
- Praha 6
- Pod Marjankou 12, phone 220 514 473
- Praha 7
- Milady Horakove 18, phone 233 375 599
- Praha 8
- Budinova 2 (the Bulovka hospital), phone 266 082 017
Foreign Medical Clinics
- Unicare
- Praha 6, Na Dlouhem lanu 11, phone 235 356 553
- Medicover Clinic
- Praha 2, Vysehradska 35, phone 224 921 884
- Canadian Medical Care
- Praha 6, Veleslavinska 30, phone 235 360 133
- American Medical Centers
- Praha 7, Janovskeho 48, phone 220 807 756
- General Health Care Corporation
- Praha 1, Krakovska 8, phone 222 211 206
- Health Centre Prague
- Praha 1, Vodickova 28, phone 224 220 040
In case of emergency or an accident use any hospital, health clinic or the Nemocnice na Homolce Hospital (foreign pavilion) - Praha 5, Roentgenova 2, phone 257 272 144; 257 272 146.
Lost and Found Office
Praha 1, Karoliny Svetle 5, phone 224 235 085
- Lost credit cards:
- American Express - phone 222 800 222
Visa, MasterCard/Eurocard - phone 272 771 111
Diners Club - phone 267 197 450
Embassies
- Austria
- Victora Huga 10, 151 15 Praha 5,
phone 257 090 511, fax 257 316 045 - Belgium
- Valdstejnska 6, 118 01 Praha 1,
phone 257 533 283 - 287, fax 257 533 750 - Brazil
- Susicka 12, 160 41 Praha 6,
phone 224 324 965, fax 224 312 901 - Canada
- Muchova 6, 160 00 Praha 6,
phone 272 101 800, fax 272 101 890 - Denmark
- Maltezske nam. 5, 118 01 Praha 1,
phone 257 531 600, fax 257 531 410 - Finland
- Hellichova 1, 118 00 Praha 1,
phone 257 007 130, fax 257 007 132 - France
- Velkoprevorske nam. 2, 118 01 Praha 1,
phone 251 171 711, fax 251 171 720 - Germany
- Vlasska 19, 118 01 Praha 1,
phone 527 531 481, fax 257 534 056 - Great Britain
- Thunovska 14, 118 00 Praha 1,
phone 257 402 111, fax 257 402 296 - Greece
- Spanelska 14, 120 00 Praha 2,
phone 222 250 955, fax 222 253 686 - Hungary
- Ceskomalinska 20, 160 00 Praha 6,
phone 233 324 454, fax 233 322 104 - Italy
- Nerudova 20, 118 00 Praha 1,
phone 233 080 111, fax 257 531 522 - Ireland
- Trziste 13, 118 00 Praha 1,
phone 257 530 061, fax 257 531 387 - Izrael
- Badeniho 2, 170 01 Praha 7,
phone 233 097 500, fax 233 097 519 - Japan
- Maltezske nam. 6, 118 01 Praha 1,
phone 257 533 546, fax 257 532 377 - Netherlands
- Gotthardska 6, 160 00 Praha 6,
phone 224 312 190, fax 224 312 160 - Norway
- Hellichova 1, 118 00 Praha 1,
phone 257 323 737, fax 257 326 827 - Poland
- Valdstejska 8, 118 01 Praha 1,
phone 257 530 388, fax 257 530 135 - Russia
- Pod Kastany 1, 160 00 Praha 6,
phone 233 374 100, fax 233 377 235 - Slovakia
- Pod Hradbami 1, 160 00 Praha 6,
phone 233 113 051 - 2, fax 233 113 054 - Spain
- Pevnostni 9, 162 00 Praha 6,
phone 224 311 441, fax 233 341 770 - Sweden
- Uvoz 13, 118 01 Praha 1,
phone 220 313 200, fax 220 313 240 - Switzerland
- Pevnostni 7, 162 01 Praha 6,
phone 220 400 611, fax 224 311 312 - Ukraine
- Charlese de Gaulla 29, 160 00 Praha 6,
phone 233 342 000, fax 233 344 366 - USA
- Trziste 15, 118 01 Praha 1,
phone 257 530 663, fax 257 530 583
Tourist information and services
In the city centre the tourist information offices of the Prague Information Service offer, all under one roof, the following information
- all necessary details concerning Prague (culture, tourism, orientation, traffic, accommodation and gastronomy, trade and services, nature, sports, important addresses etc.)
- basic information for tourists concerning the whole Czech Republic (historical monuments, castles and chateaux, museums, etc.)
- accommodation on spot in different price categories
- survey of Prague cultural events in Czech and in English
- tickets for concerts, theatres and other cultural events
- several kinds of city tours including Vltava steamboat cruises
- one-day and half-day excursions to castles and other interesting places in the Prague surroundings
- booklets in foreign languages providing essential information on Prague, city guides, street maps, etc.
- tourist tickets for the city transport
- telephone cards
Tourist information centres
- Staromestske namesti (the Old Town Hall) - Staromestska radnice
- Na Prikope 20
- The Main Railway Station lobby
- Lesser Town Bridge Tower (summer season only)
- General information in Czech, English and German languages - phone 12 444 - Mo - Fr 8 p.m. - 7 a.m.
- Foreign guides centre:
- Staromestske nam. 1 - the Old Town Hall, phone 236 002 562, 236 002 569, fax 236 002 380
e-mail: guides.pis@volny.cz - Czech guides centre:
- Za Poricskou branou 7, Prague 8, phone/fax: 221 714 151