Prague - Perfect for a Getaway with Girls

A beautiful place to eat out in Prague, the Mánes Restaurant is somewhat set apart from the other fancy eateries across the city. Further from Charles Bridge and in the cheaper priced part of the town, the restaurant offered fantastic food for next to nothing.

The restaurant is set in a wonderful situation, on the water between land and one of the islands on the river. With our table right beside the big panes of the window, we overlooked the water and rowing boats upon it. It was fantastic to watch the river's reflections change as the sky grew darker and Prague's street lights lit up.

Menu-wise, food was fantastic, although with three vegetarians in our party we found the choice somewhat limited. The perfect sized portions were presented prettily and tasted terrific. The desserts were well worth waiting for!

We finished up with coffee and an attempt at replicating English tea (they think that's Earl Grey over in Prague!). When it came to the bill we were really pleased to find it hadn't broken our student sized budget.

The staff were very courteous but not always about - we were waiting a while between courses for example, even though the restaurant was almost empty.

Decor was discreet, with walls painted quietly, highlighting perfectly the giant windows with on-the-water views. This place would be perfect for dining out for two, although larger groups of clients were made to feel welcome.

Mánes made you feel you were dining out in style, while keeping the cost well down. I'd like to go back!

"Not to see our Don Giovanni – not to be in Prague!" proclaim the posters, and certainly a puppet performance of Mozart’s opera lived up to the leaflets. Discreet in a bustling shopping street, it’s easy to miss the National Marionette Theatre. Don’t.

From the moment we bought our tickets at the booth (around 400 czk, cheaper for children and students) the magic began. The theatre is minuscule, with a maximum of one hundred in every audience. The show begins with paper puppets playing an overture and with curtain up their string counterparts swing onto the stage. I won’t say any more or I’d spoil a fantastic show.

The patrons of the puppet theatre included a great deal of children but I think an older audience would appreciate it more. In Italian, the storyline was sometimes difficult to establish but the music and costumes made up for the confusion. There were two performances every day, each lasting around 1 hour 15 minutes.

Expensive by Prague standards, the National Marionette Theatre is a must see stop-off on any trip away to Prague.

Charles Bridge - magical, bustling, busy - amazing.

Definitely a highlight of my trip to Prague, Charles Bridge's charms vary with the time of day you arrive. Before I'd been I'd heard (thanks to IgoUgo.com!) that the bridge was best in early morning with nobody else around. Well I didn't make it up that early(!) but midmorning, afternoon and evening it was a very special place.

The bridge is lined by statues of saints, each with its own individual story, and we spent a good while when the bridge wasn't too busy deciding on our favourites!

The soundtrack to our visit was created by clusters of buskers - from saxophonists to folk bands there was something to suit everyone's ears.

The bridge is also a good setting for shoppers - with craft stalls sheltering under the saints. Wood ornaments, portrait paintings and jewelery all vied for our attention as we moved slowly across through the crowds of tourists.

Bisecting the city in two, Charles Bridge is easy to find - in the centre of Prague and in the middle of every map. The nice thing about it was that it's a tourist attraction that's totally free. And there's something on the bridge that will suit every tourist's tastes.

The one downside is that the bridge is always packed. My group more than once lost members as we walked across to the surrounding stalls.

If you don't mind the bustle, it's a beautiful way to reach your destination.

A mecca for souvenir hunters in Prague! Fun Explosive is the home of bright, colourful knick-knacks, superior to anything else you'll bring back from Prague.

The products don't rely on tired old photos to bring memories of Prague back to life. Instead, everything is artwork - scenes from the city have been painted in poster-like designs onto everything from coasters to cards and jigsaws to jumpers.

There are branches all across the city - it seemed like every street had their own 'Fun Explosive' but watch the prices - they appeared to vary. The closer we got to Prague Castle, the higher the cost seemed to be.

Staff in the shops seemed helpful, opening up t-shirts to let us try them on.

We really liked this shop - it made a change from the usual sort of souvenir. And everyone who received them loved the postcards we posted!

When you arrive at the airport in Prague, prepare to be assailed by a multitude of bus, taxi and (apparently!) limo drivers, all offering to take you and your luggage to the centre of the city. The prices vary from car to car and, with nothing looking official, we were reluctant to let the drivers take our luggage to their cabs. The trick is to look like you know exactly where you're going - we four girls travelling for the first time to Prague probably looked utterly lost!

With a kiosk at the airport, Cedaz cabs seemed safer - and less expensive. It offered us the option of a lift from the airport to the centre, namesti Republiki, for only 90 Kc per person. For someone going straight to the hotel with bags and belongings the company offered an even better option - for 480 Kc altogether, Cedaz drove myself and three friends direct to our hotel. And with a telephone contact number for coming back we were picked up and brought back to the airport in perfect time for our flight home.

Safe and inexpensive, Cedaz is an option I'll definitely use again!