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How to Survive 'The World's Most Alienating Airport'

March 31, 2009 at 9:00 AM | 1 Comment


Prague's Franz Kafka International Named World's Most Alienating Airport

In one sense this clip isn't totally inaccurate. Every airport has its own quirks. Ruzyne Airport in Prague is no different - empty information desks, lost luggage, and the occasional empty cash machine that still debits your bank account. There's a reason they're trying to privatize it.

Getting into and out of Prague can also be a hassle. We strongly recommend that you avoid the fixed-priced taxis. Instead avail yourself of bus #119, which runs about every 10 minutes and takes you to the beginning of the city's gorgeously efficient metro.

None of which compares, of course, to the angst-ridden existential ennui uncovered by the Onion's intrepid correspondents as shown in the clip. They call the airport Franz Kafka International Airport but just like the security checkpoint officer who stamped the word "Liar" on a passenger's hand, the Onion is just poking fun. Don't try to book a flight using airport code FKI or anything.

On the other hand, any report that implies that there's a European airport more infuriating than Alitalia-dominated Da Vinci/Fiumicino - in jest or otherwise - is just plain untenable.

What do you think is the most 'alienating' or infuriating airport? Let us know!

Related Stories:
· Airports coverage [Jaunted]
· Prague's Franz Kafka International Airport Named 'World's Most Alienating' [The Onion]

[Front door photo: Solja]

Prague Is Calling All (Cheap) Romantics

January 22, 2009 at 1:40 PM | 1 Comment

If your boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other hasn't taken you to Prague yet, we recommend dropping seriously heavy hints. This weekend's UK Times reported that it's a bargain time to go, which will appeal to those looking for a cheap date, and also romantic because for once, the streets aren't too jam-packed.

Prague in winter is cold but undeniably pretty with a layer of snow, and what better weather is there for snuggling up with your sweetheart? It helps that most of the best hotels are offering rooms for nearly half price right now after tourism's dropped off (there goes that bad global economy again).

Apart from wandering the snow-dusted cobblestone streets hand in hand, you can also explore Prague Castle, gaze lovingly at art in the Veletrzni Palac, or take a walk through the woods of Petrin. If all that fails, there's always Czech beer to put you in the mood.

Related Stories:
· Instant Weekend: Prague [UK Times]
· Czech Culture: Czech Beer [Jaunted]
· Prague Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: alan.devlin]

Jason Mraz In His New Video?

January 6, 2009 at 9:02 AM | 2 Comments

Low-key crooner Jason Mraz went all out for his new music video "Lucky," which places him and singer Colbie Caillat on two dream vacations. We've figured out one--now we need your help to crack the other.

Despite claims online that he shot the vid in Luxembourg, Mraz, who recently performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert, is cruising through the streets of Prague in an old-timey car. Included are several shots of historic Old Town Square, which is given the "Vanilla Sky" treatment and appears to be empty. (It probably never is in real life, right?)

Now it's your turn: Where is Colbie Caillat in this video? She's on a beach that we think looks sort of Everglades-y, but we could be wrong about that. Keep in mind, Mraz's last video "I'm Yours" was shot in Kauai and Oahu, while Caillat recently shot her own video "You" in Seal Beach, California. Leave your best guess in the comments!

Related Stories:
· Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat, "Lucky" [PerezTV]
· ScarJo Fetes Peace Prize Winner [Jaunted]
· Singer Colbie Caillat Films Video at Seal Beach Pier [OC Register]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Movie Set Travel: Wanted

June 27, 2008 at 9:35 AM | 0 Comments

Summer's big action-adventure flicks are finally surfacing and "Wanted" won't disappoint. Angelina's back as a gun-toting, ass-kicking secret society trainer for a young man who finds out his father was an assassin. (You can barely tell she'll soon be a mother of 5!)

Wes Gibson (James McAvoy) is a boring office drone popping anti-anxiety meds when he meets Fox (Jolie) and finds out his father was a member of a secret society of assassins called "Fraternity." Fox takes him under her wing and trains him to bring out his own special powers and avenge his father's death. It's a comic book come to life, in which all the characters are stunning.

"Wanted" was shot in stunning Prague, so this Friday we offer you some cool things to check out in the Czech capital.

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LCC Travel: Eastern Europe to Dubai Sounds Smart

June 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 0 Comments

For a cleverly named European LCC, Smartwings doesn't get a lot of air time. That's because it's not as smart as it sounds ... or is it?

Smartwings is based largely out of Prague and if you want to fly from the Czech capital to anywhere in southern Europe (read: anywhere warmer and sunnier), you've got lots of choices. They also have a few routes out of two other Czech cities, Brno and Ostrava.

The most curious route is a new addition. Smartwings added flights from Prague and Budapest to Dubai last month. This is definitely one of the first low-cost long-haul flights to come out of central and eastern Europe, and it opens up interesting possibilities for flying from Europe to Australasia for a lot less. So maybe Smartwings really is smart.

Related Stories:
· Smartwings [Official Site]
· New Budapest to Dubai Route Opened [CarRentals]
· Site Scramble: Smartwings [Jaunted]

[Photo: mr_nhw]

Getting Fringed at Prague's Festival

May 22, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments

The grand cities of Eastern Europe are holding festivals left, right and center: We talked about the Budapest Fringe Festival in the spring and now it's time for the Prague Fringe Festival, which runs from May 25 to June 1.

It started back in 2001 and is closely modeled on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There are all kinds of performances to be seen at the Prague Fringe, from shadow puppets from Cyprus to Czech theater and pretty much anything else you can imagine.

Tickets are cheerily cheap for all the performances--on the opening Sunday they're just 100 crowns (just over $6). That's cheap enough that if a particular edge of the fringe doesn't suit you, you haven't lost much. You can always abandon the show for a good Czech beer instead.

Related Stories:
· A Guide to Prague's Fringe Festival [Guardian]
· Prague Fringe Festival [Official Site]
· Spring into Budapest in 2008 [Jaunted]

[Photo: christopher.woo]

Prague's Party Trams

April 21, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments

If you're the nightclubber type when traveling, yet loathe showing up at hot spots in foreign cities stone cold sober and haggling over cab fare, head to Prague. They've got the perfect solution: Tramix, a tram-based club. Yep, it's a standard streetcar with a full-on party happening on board, including room to dance and mobile bars.

Tramix travels around the city about once a month, picking up locals and visitors alike and transporting them to area clubs revved up and ready to party. They claim that "euphoric entertainment has no limits on board" and guest count can range from 60-150, depending on the car Tramix takes over next.

The trip's generally around two-and-a-half hours and costs about $18. Partiers can buy tickets in advance on Tramix's site. Definitely beats paying a cab driver for just an ordinary ride.

Related Stories:
· Tramix [Official Site]
· Prague: A Moveable Feast [NYT]
· Prague coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Poslouchej]

Czech Culture = Czech Beer

July 31, 2007 at 10:25 AM | 0 Comments

While we don't exactly condone the British habit of picking a European city, flying in for a weekend to sample alcohol and women, and flying home leaving a trail of destruction ... well, it happens, and if you're going to enjoy a few beers in Prague, why not do it properly. Take, for example, the Prague Underground tour company which sets up pub crawls for groups wanting to try more than just that horrifying green absinthe the Czech Republic is known for.

Prague Underground offers the Zizkov Pub Crawl: Zizkov is a neighborhood of inner city Prague that claims to have more pubs per square mile than anywhere else in the world. If you're after a more scenic route, the River Pub Crawl has slightly less hardcore nightlife, but your guide still won't leave you until 2am at the earliest. Drink up!

Related Stories:
· It's Not Easy Being Green [Jaunted]
· Prague Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]

[Photo: johnystadlerka]

Super World Travelers: Brangelina Touches Down in Prague

May 3, 2007 at 9:05 AM | 0 Comments


Where is the world's most glamorous family touching down now? In the Czech Republic. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and their brood landed in Prague this week, and will be in town for the next month while Angie shoots the thriller Wanted, with Morgan Freeman.

How did they get there? Via private jet of course. Where are they staying? Well, we don't know for certain, although the Aria Hotel, a five-star luxury boutique in town might do the trick. Once a printing factory, its interiors were done by Rocco Magnoli, the architect for the world's Versace stores. It's also music-themed with a private screening room (perfect for watching the dailies!) and an in-house music library. Hm, might be the perfect place for Brad to babysit.

[Photo: Fame/TMZ]

Related Stories:
· Brangelina: Czech Please! [TMZ]

Czechs Say No To Freudian Statue

April 19, 2007 at 9:25 AM | 0 Comments


Eastern Europeans are going a little crazy over statues recently. From plans for a Rocky Balboa statue in Serbia to a (now axed) proposal for a giant Sam Fox, the Czech proposal to build a statue of Sigmund Freud in Prague seems positively mundane.

And perhaps locals saw it the same way. Voters rejected the statue of Freud for Kozi Placek (Goat Square) in favor of--not Rocky or Samantha--a statue of goats instead. The reasoning? You can put a statue of Freud anywhere you want, but three goats really only belong on "Goat Square." Can't argue with that. But what Freud would say about the meaning of all this is something we'd rather not contemplate.

[Photo: the_girl]

Related Stories:
· Prague Residents Reject Freud Statue [Prague Daily Monitor]
· Rocky Solution to Serbian Landslides [Jaunted]
· Serbia Doesn't Heart Sam Fox [Jaunted]

When the Clock Strikes...Scorpio?

October 25, 2006 at 9:35 AM | 0 Comments

If you've ever wandered through the streets of Prague (with your eyes open), at one point you probably looked up and spied the Old Town Hall's Astronomical Clock. Chances are, you then looked down in the confusion of not being able to tell what time the clock displayed and walked on.

We'd like to say that we will clear up all the mysteries of Prague's Astronomical Clock, but we aren't sure we can. We have quizzed local Czechs, asked Wikipedia and Googled it to death, only to come up more bewildered than before.

There's a zodiac ring, a 24-hour clock, sun and moon indicators, and even a part showing "Old Czech Time," which starts at 1 every time the sun sets. There are also plenty of arrows that we think are secret pointers to the best pubs in town, so we recommend only studying the Astronomical Clock long enough to decide which direction to go for the next beer.

Send us your thoughts on the Astronomical Clock if you got 'em.

[Photo: Helen & Simon]

Defending the Honor System

September 7, 2006 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments



Does using the honor system for public transportation actually work? Setting aside debates on the relative morality of different cultures, it would appear that it's not the best for catching people in the act, in Prague at least. The city uses the honor system for its network of subways, trains, and buses, but according to the Czech media, only .3 percent of those who "ride black" each year are caught.

There are several problems; inspectors--of which there are only 150 in number for the whole system--are paid based on the count of tickets they hand out. Many riders feel these folks pocket the fines instead of reporting them, and the shambolic look of the inspectors doesn't add much credibility in their defense. Still, it's too expensive to add turnstiles or gates to every station, so it looks like things will stay as they are for the time being. Our solution? Bring in the MTA--if they run the Prague metro like they run the L train, no one will ride black, or at all, before the year is out.

[Image via mrphillip/Flickr]

Related Stories:
·   Free Riders [Prague Post]