You can buy some beautiful crystal in the Czech Republic. Again, there are an enormous amount of shops to choose from and you can go crystal crazy just going in and of them all day. Don’t be seduced by sale or factory signs, the prices aren’t any cheaper than the shop next door. My favourite crystal store is called Celetna Crystal which is on Celetna Street, off Old Town Square. Every piece of crystal I’ve ever bought, (including my beautiful chandelier lovingly carried back to Tooting), was bought here. The shop is over 3 floors, staff don’t follow you around, and they will deliver to your hotel and can also arrange delivery overseas. Not the cheapest and not the most expensive crystal store in Prague but a pleasant and civilised environment to shop in, they even have sofas for foot weary shoppers to rest on. The store also sells Amber and Garnets.
Public transport in the Czech Republic is efficient, relatively safe (see Dangers and Annoyances) and cheap.
From the airport you have a choice of buses to get you to the city centre. Bus number 119 will take you to to Dejvicka (tube line A to the centre). The journey takes approx. 20 minutes and Dejvicka is the terminus, so you can’t miss your stop.
Bus number 100 will take you to Zlicin (tube line B) and Bus AE will take you directly to Nadrazi Holesovice.
There is night bus service 510, which will drop you a Divorka Sarka, where you can catch night tram 51 to the centre. You may find Divorka Sarka a little lonely in the middle of the night esepecially if you are travelling on your own.
Your ticket will cost you 20czk and can be bought at a kiosk at the airport or at the ticket machine at the bus stop, (the ticket machine will only take coins). The ticket kiosk is located to the right of you as you come through arrivals (terminal 1). This kiosk closes around 10.00pm. Tickets can also be bought on the bus for a couple of crowns more. You will need to have change, don’t present the driver with a 1000Kc note, he’ll give short shift.
Buses, trams and tubes run on a trust system in the Czech Republic and when you board the bus you will see little yellow boxes where you can validate your ticket. If you do not have a ticket or have not stamped your ticket you will be fined 500 CZK on the spot if an inspector gets on. The public humiliation is thrown in free. I’ve seen Czech Ticket Inspectors in action and it’s not pretty or an ideal way to start your trip.
Once stamped a 20 CZK ticket is valid for 75 minutes on weekdays and 90 minutes at the weekends and you can hop on and off as many buses, trams and tubes as you want within this time. These tickets are not valid for trains.
The airport bus runs every 10 minutes and the last bus from the airport leaves at 12.00 pm starting again at 4.30am.
As with all public transport in busy cities please take care of your belongings. Pickpockets like Prague too.
