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The Newbie Traveler in Prague: Red Roofs and Good Foods

What would your life be like if you hadn't yet traveled to Europe? If you'd spent years reading travel novels and fantasizing over guidebooks, but hadn't made the big leap? This is the case for Andy Miles, who in his late twenties just embarked on a trip to hit most of the cities for the first time. He's walking us through the emotions and observations of a true Newbie Traveler.

Since writing my very first Newbie Traveler article back in 2010, I have been to nine different countries. I'm actually starting to feel more like a seasoned traveler than a newbie, but I believe it's less about where you've been and more about where you're going.

I started off my most recent trip with a week's visit to London for a conference. All business. It was my third time in that beautiful city and as much as I hated to leave it, my itinerary this year was well worth leaving for. My girlfriend and I visited Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam and Bruges, all cities new to me.

After our all too brief week in London, we hopped a British Airways flight to Prague.

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Animals / Israel Travel / Tel Aviv Travel / New York City / Miami Travel / Florida Travel / Prague Travel / Zoos / Zoo Travel / Green Travel / → All Tags

Five Zoos for Visiting Baby Giraffes

And now a post about places in the United States, Europe, and Asia where you can visit baby giraffes. So zoos, parks, etc. Note also that we've embedded a couple of especially cute videos at the bottom, because baby giraffes.

Florida's Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay is at the top of the list, with a new baby born last December and then another one born in February. That's two baby giraffes, which you can see on one ticket. Very straightforward.

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Movie Set Travel / Jaunted On Location / Prague Travel / Tom Cruise / Mission Impossible 4 / → All Tags

Tom Cruise Accepts a Fourth 'Mission Impossible' in Prague

Tom Cruise stepped back into the shoes (and Russian disguises) of Ethan Hunt this week for the fourth Installment of Mission Impossible.

The movie commenced shooting in Prague on Wednesday, after Tom and the movie's producers spent several days last week scouting locations. During their trip they visited the city’s Vrsovice train station, and several sites in the Old Town of Prague, where Cruise is rumored to be staying. Old Town Square, which dates back to the 12th Century, was the once central marketplace for Prague and is now one of the most visited sights in the Czech Republic.

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Obama-Around-The-World / Presidential Travel / Barack Obama / Political Travel / Prague Travel / → All Tags

Like a Prague Tourist, Obama Spends All His Time at Prague Castle

Barack and Michelle greet Prague during their trip one year ago

It's been exactly a year since President Barack Obama first set foot in Prague, at that time taking Michelle along for the ride and giving public speeches in places like Hradcany Square. But this year, it's all business as Obama embarked on a whirlwind 2-day trip to the Czech capital for the purpose of meeting up with President Klaus of the Czech Republic and signing a nuclear arms reduction treaty with President Medvedev of Russia.

Sadly Obama did not enjoy the usual delights that Prague offers to tourists, with the exception of multiple visits to Prague Castle for his meetings. Prague Castle is the city's top tourist stop, and since it holds the Guinness World Record for being the "largest coherent castle complex in the world," we doubt that the whole thing had to shut down just for Obama's visit.

How to follow Obama into Prague Castle, after the jump

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Thanksgiving Alternatives / Thanksgiving Travel / Travel Deals / Fall Travel / Virgin / Virgin Vacations / Prague / Prague Travel / → All Tags

Six Nights In Prague Over Thanksgiving For $669? See Ya, America!

Are you a last-minute planner when it comes to big holiday travel times like Thanksgiving in Christmas? Yes, we are too, especially because everything looks so darn expensive and plain booked up. This year, it's either another Thanksgiving of ordering Chinese takeout or booking it out of the country for some autumn appeal overseas...like in Prague.

Remember that it's not Thanksgiving over in the Czech Republic, so that means no dinner reservations or pressure to eat cranberry sauce. Virgin Vacations seems to have the best deal we've seen for this, with a 6-night hotel, airfare, and daily breakfast starting at $669 per person. Sure they have other deals for Thanksgiving to Barcelona, London, Paris and Rome, but the Prague trip sounds like the most fall foliage and old school charm for the lowest price.

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Day Trippin' / Prague Travel / Churches / Ewan McGregor / → All Tags

Visiting The Church of Bones in Prague

Some tourists head to Prague for the Czech beer. Others, apparently, head to a spot nearby Prague instead, for the piles of bones.

We first heard about the Church of Bones--formally known as the Kostnice Ossuary--when Ewan McGregor stopped in here during his Long Way Round motorbike odyssey. It's a creepy collection of over 40,000 human skeletons, with all these bones carefully arranged by monks to decorate a small Catholic chapel. The skeletons are thought to be remains of people who died in the 14th and 15th centuries, but no matter how old they are, seeing the skulls staring out at you all around the church is more than a little disconcerting.

But it's fascinating, and easy to get to on a day trip out of Prague to a town called Kutna Hora. You can take the hour-long bus trip from central Prague for about $6 return and once you get there, admission costs 50 Czech crowns ($2.50). We recommend not souveniring any bones on this trip; a 500-year-old skull might be quite hard to explain at customs.

Related Stories:
· Church of Bones - Kostnice Ossuary [Official Site]
· Czech Beer Still Tasty After NYT Treatment [Jaunted]
· Ewan McGregor Completes 20 Country Motorcycle Tour [Jaunted]

[Photo: lyng883]

Airports / Prague Travel / Ruzyne / PRG / → All Tags

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

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]

Romantic Travel / Prague Travel / Travel Deals / → All Tags

Prague Is Calling All (Cheap) Romantics

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]

Europe Travel / Festivals / Prague Travel / Edinburgh Fringe Festival / Summer Travel / → All Tags

Getting Fringed at Prague's Festival

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 Travel / Beer / Pubs / → All Tags

Czech Culture = Czech Beer

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]