Travelling to Prague from Australia: 5 Things to Do on Your Visit

1. See the classic sights (but time them right)

The big three are Prague Castle, Charles Bridge and Old Town Square, and they're popular for good reason. The catch is the crowds. Go early: Charles Bridge at 7 am, before the tour groups and souvenir stalls arrive, is a completely different place from Charles Bridge at noon.

Prague Castle is less a single building than a whole complex — St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, Golden Lane — so give it at least half a day. On Old Town Square, catch the astronomical clock on the hour, then wander off into the side streets, where the real charm is.

For views without the queues, climb Petřín Hill or head to Vyšehrad, an old fortress south of the centre with a quiet cemetery, river views and far fewer tourists. Letná Park is the local pick for a sunset over the bridges.

2. Eat and drink like a Czech

Czech food is hearty, built for long winters. Try svíčková (beef in a creamy vegetable sauce with dumplings), goulash, roast pork with sauerkraut, or smažený sýr — fried cheese, a guilty pleasure the locals swear by. That spiral pastry, trdelník, sold all over the Old Town? Tasty enough, but it's a tourist invention rather than a Czech tradition.

Then there's the beer. Czechs drink more per head than anyone in the world, and a half-litre of Pilsner Urquell or Kozel in a local pub often costs less than a soft drink. Look for a "hospoda" or "pivnice" a few streets away from the main squares, where prices drop and the menus switch to Czech. In summer, the Letná and Riegrovy Sady beer gardens are hard to beat.

On tipping: rounding up or adding around 10% is standard in restaurants. Check the bill first, as some tourist spots add a service charge.

3. Get around without the stress

You won't need a car. Prague's trams, metro and buses are cheap, frequent and run late. Buy tickets from machines, newsagents or the PID Lítačka app, and validate paper tickets when you board — inspectors do check, and the fines aren't small. If you're staying a few days, a 24- or 72-hour pass usually works out cheapest.

Tram 22 doubles as a sightseeing route, rattling past the National Theatre and up to the castle. From the airport, the Airport Express bus runs to the main train station, or take bus 119 to the metro.

Avoid hailing taxis in the Old Town, where overcharging tourists is an old sport. Use Bolt or Uber instead. And on money: Czechia uses crowns, not euros. Skip the street exchange booths, use bank ATMs, and when a machine offers to charge you in Australian dollars, say no — you'll get a much better rate in crowns.

4. Enjoy Prague's nightlife

Prague after dark has something for everyone. Žižkov is said to have more pubs per head than anywhere in Europe and is full of cheap, friendly local bars. Vinohrady is the place for wine bars and cocktail lounges, and the jazz clubs around the Old Town, such as Reduta and AghaRTA, have been going for decades. If you want to dance, the big clubs near Charles Bridge stay open until the early hours.

The city also has an adult entertainment scene, and it works differently from home. Paying for adult company isn't a crime in Czechia, but brothels and pimping are, so most of it runs through independent adults who advertise privately. If that's something you're curious about, the Ashoo escort portal is a straightforward way to see who advertises where in Prague and read their descriptions without any pressure. The basics: arrange everything by message in advance, never send a deposit or bank transfer before meeting (that's the most common scam), and be respectful and on time.

Whatever your night looks like, one rule applies: ignore the touts in the Old Town promising a "great little bar just round the corner". That usually ends with a huge bill for drinks you never ordered. Pick your own venues, keep your passport in the hotel safe, and carry only the cash you need.

5. Take a day trip out of the city

If you've got an extra day, get out of town. Kutná Hora, about an hour away by train, is famous for the Sedlec Ossuary, a chapel decorated with the bones of tens of thousands of people — eerie, fascinating and unlike anything else. Český Krumlov, roughly three hours south, is a fairytale town on a bend of the Vltava River and well worth an overnight stay. Karlovy Vary, the old spa town to the west, is another easy option. Trains and buses are cheap and comfortable, so there's no need for a tour.

Before you go

A few final tips for the trip over: Australians can visit Czechia visa-free for short stays under the Schengen rules (check the latest entry requirements before you fly), the weather swings from warm summers to freezing winters, and English is widely spoken in Prague, though a "dobrý den" (hello) and "děkuji" (thank you) go a long way. Book the castle and popular restaurants ahead in peak season, wear comfy shoes for the cobblestones, and pace yourself on the pilsner. Prague is one of the easiest cities in Europe to enjoy, and a bit of planning means you'll fly home wanting to come back.