Question about Viking Pre-Cruise in Prague

Has anyone purchased either the Prague Card, or the Prague welcome card? Both include public transportation and museums. I'm more inclined to do the Prague Card as it includes a few museums I'm interested in, which the other does not but the e-mail customer service is less than stellar. Does anyone have experience with either card? My main reason for thinking about getting one is not having to buy bus, tram or funicular tickets or wait in line at museums. Any thoughts?

Good question. You might want to also post it on Trip Advisor's Prague Forum. The Destination Experts and other posters might have some opinions that will help.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g274707-i96-Prague_Bohemia.html

We are also doing a pre-cruise in Prague, so I also eagerly await answers to this question.

We did the Viking stay in Prague before a cruise earlier this year. We stayed at the Prague Hotel Intercontinental and really enjoyed our stay. They upgraded us to a room overlooking the river and had an excellent breakfast all 3 days we ate there. In our case we didn't get to the hotel until late in the afternoon of the first day and since it sits right next to the historic center of the town we just walked around that afternoon and evening. Then we did the "free" included walking tour of the town that Viking arranged. We had a good guide and after a nice morning tour arrived at the castle. There we did the rather overpriced tour of the private museum, lunch and concert in the afternoon. That occupied our second day. The third day we visited the old town on our own and walked across the famous bridge on our own. Then we had a really nice dinner in a restaurant with a great view of the town. We didn't have a lot of time to visit other museums and didn't use any of the public transportation because we walked everywhere.

I know this doesn't answer your question but IMHO if you stay in a hotel near the old town you may not need a transportation card.

Have a great next cruise.

We're staying at the Hilton Pobrezni through Viking which is not the one in Old Town and my mother's 88 so, although she does great for her age, she won't be keen on waling to Old Town as opposed to walking in Old Town. I also want to visit the Troja Museum and the Muller Villa and they are really not walking distance, I don`t think. So, Viking only does a walking tour, no buses? I thought they took people up to the Castle and Wenceslas Square? Would you elaborate on what the tour consisted of, because I may skip it if we've already done it on our own the day before. I'm not particularly interested in the lunch and concert either.

With the "free" tour we walked from our hotel thru the old Jewish quarter to the old market square where the famous clock tower with the moving figures are. Then we walked to the Charles Bridge, the one with all the statues and all the crowds, on it. Then we had some free time before a small bus, there were only 10 of us, picked us up and took us to the castle. There we saw some of the castle and since 8 of the 10 were doing the lunch, concert and museum additional cost tour, the guide took the other 2 back to the bus to take them back to the hotel. There were people at the lunch and concert who were staying at the Hilton you are going to be at and they were not very happy with the location. They said there wasn't a lot they could walk to that was worth seeing so your idea of getting a pass for public transit is probably a good idea.

The guide we had was pretty good and did try to explain things and answer questions but you can probably do the same kind of walking tour of the old town on your own with a decent guide book and a map. But I also noticed that street signs were all in Czech which was a little confusing the time we were on our own. The views from the castle were really nice.

If you want a really fine dining experience with a great view have your hotel get you reservations at Terasa u Zlate Studne. We went there our last night in Prague and had their tasting menu with wine. It took over 3 hours to finish but the view, the service and the food were all fantastic. It was a little expensive but far less than a similar meal would cost in any major US or other European cities.

Link to it on trip advisor

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d1092210-Reviews-Terasa_u_Zlate_Studne-Prague_Bohemia.html

Hope this helps a little.

Before our Viking cruise we spent a week in a rental apartment in the Old Town exploring Prague independently. I second the recommendation above to research on Trip Advisor and other Prague tourist sites. You can view and download maps, including transport maps, and other excellent advice. One warning I recall was never hail a taxi in the street or at a rank, always phone the call centre so there is a record of your journey. Otherwise drivers take a very scenic route.

The Old Town is a cobble-stoned, flattish walking environment with subway stations, trams and buses around the outside. The castle is on top of a hill above the Lesser Town on the other side of the river. The 22 (I think) tram goes from the Old Town to the top of Castle hill a ten minute, cobble-stoned stroll from the castle entrance.

We used one of the "Prague" tourist cards for three days, can't recall which. It's web-site had a ready reckoner to calculate if it was good value.

You can buy a one-day transport only card (110kz) for unlimited transport on buses, trams, subway and funicular. We saw them on sale at the TIC next to "The Clock" in the Old Town square, at tabacs, and at vending machines in railway stations. The vending machines take only coins, no notes and instructions are in English. We found them as easy to use as those in New York and Washington DC.

Your hotel may also sell the cards. Our Viking Hotel (Hotel Corinthia) claimed to sell the cards but had run out before we arrived and did not restock.

Public transport was very efficient, often crowded but young and middle-aged people always offered their seats as soon as we older travellers entered a carriage.

Just a heads up for the OP, always be alert when using public transit, pickpockets are everywhere and target tourists. Entering and exiting is a prime time for them to strike. I don't want to discourage you from using publuc transit, just be aware and be alert. Tram 22 is the one that most tourists use so pickpockets use it too:(

Thank you everyone. I appreciate hearing about the official Viking tour which I would only join to go to the castle if I can get them to agree. I just found out in an email from the transportation company that people over the age of 70 can use the public transportation system for free but need to have their passport on them in case they were stopped by an inspector. I also found out that there is an extra charge for the Nostalgic Tram 91. It's 20CZK, which is about $1. I'm pretty savvy as a tourist having lived in the East Village of New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s, prime crack period. So, I think pickpockets would go onto more unsuspecting tourists than my mom and me. Thank you for confirming that the Hilton Pobrezni is not a fun walk to old town. I used google maps street view and it is basically in the middle of nowhere next to highways, so not a pretty stroll by any stretch. It's basically a convention center where people go for all day meetings. Thank you for the name of the restaurant. Depending on how tired my mother is, we may do that on our last night. The only reason I went with the entire Viking pre-cruise was for the trip to Budapest to transfer to the boat, or is it ship? On the post-cruise I chose to not stay at their Amsterdam hotel but in one next to the museums I wanted to visit and take a cab to the airport.

HDS, how was the bus ride to your ship? Where did you stop for lunch, and was it a pleasant ride?

Thanks again, everyone.

Ti

Yes it certainly helps and confirms what I suspected. Thank you again.

TI

We also did a bus trip from Prague to Budapest. It was in a 16 passenger bus with only 10 of us who had been staying at the Intercontinental on it. We left after breakfast and with our luggage loaded on the same vehicle. We stopped at a "truck stop" right off the highway and were given time to eat lunch there. They had a nice cafeteria with lots of food options. Then we continued on to the ship.

Have a great next cruise.

Our "cruise" was Prague to Berlin on the Elbe, one night in Prague and Berlin hotels included. We travelled independently in Czech Republic and Germany before and after. I have never considered a cruise company post- or pre-cruise.

The bus trip was awful for several reasons. It was twice as long as expected with one comfort stop at a service station with coin-operated toilets. Most passengers had no Czech currency let alone coins. Viking staff stayed outside chatting to bus drivers.

Passengers had just learnt, what I expected but hoped would not happen; Elbe levels were too low to cruise the most attractive portion of the river and we may not cruise at all. Passengers were disgruntled and Viking staff members were defensive.

Hence the long bus trip to Dresden where the boat was moored for the duration of our cruise. If one must be moored, Dresden is a fine mooring. After three nights were bussed to the other Viking boat in Wittenburg and eventually cruised one day to Magdeburg.

Prague is delightful and I hope you and your mother can enjoy it as much as we did. Have you considered the i-Amsterdam card for Amsterdam? We had a three-day card for our visit in 2008 and found it good value for museums, transport etc.

Dear HDS,

When the weather gods and the good luck gods are in proper alignment, a river cruise can be wonderful. I'm sorry that Viking did not make a small gesture like providing passengers with proper change for bathrooms. That would at least have made you believe that they were making an effort. I decided to go in September hoping that water levels, high or low, would have regulated to normal. We will see.

As for Amsterdam, I selected the Conservatorium Hotel, which ironically, or not so ironically, was on Viking's list as a selection in a higher price range than the Moevenpick. I am paying exactly what we would have paid to stay at the Moevenpick, and I am getting, not only the breakfast, but a two level room with a separate little living room, two bathrooms, free tickets to the Rijksmuseum, a formal afternoon tea, and the use of their state of the art spa, including free yoga classes etc. The hotel is located across the street from the Stejdelijk Museum. I am planning to get the IAmsferdam card because it will cut down on waiting in line. I agree that it streamlines things for people who want to get many things done in a short time.

I am grateful to people like you, who on this forum, take the time to give advice to people like me who will be river cruising for the first time. It really pays to do one's research and know what to expect or how to handle potential issue that make come up on the voyage.

Thanks again,

Ti

We stayed 5 nights at Hilton Pobrezni in July, it is not as isolated as it looks on the map. If you go to lower lobby doors and walk across carpark there is a small arcade of shops. Walk to the far end 150 yards and on that street within 100 yards is bus, tram or underground transport to old town. We used them all, very easy, no problems, just purchased day tickets from one of the shops on the street. Also great restaurant Imperial Café is on the road to old town, under a mile, you can walk of use tram, 1 or 2 stops.

Thank you Peter. I will definitely take your advice.mand the cafe was on my list of places to eat, so this makes it all the easier.

Ti