Hanzala Fayaz asks whether Prague still deserves its reputation as a cheap city break, comparing the cost of transport, food and attractions with the reality of travelling there as a student.
My first experience of Prague’s prices was not exactly promising. After landing, I paid about £7 for the Airport Express bus from the airport to our hotel. Seven quid for one bus journey felt steep, especially when I had arrived expecting the famously cheap European city everyone talks about.
Luckily, Prague redeemed itself almost immediately.
A three-day public transport pass cost me roughly £12 and that covered buses, trams and the metro. All three, as often as I wanted, for three days. That is ridiculously good value.
Back in Leicester, in comparison, contactless bus fares can cap at £6.30 for one day or £24 across a week – and that is only for buses. Prague’s system is cheaper, more varied and, from my experience, much easier to use. The expensive airport bus suddenly felt more like an annoying exception rather than a warning of things to come.
Food has been similarly unpredictable. On our first morning, I paid £6.92 for a cheese omelette and a caramel latte. The omelette came with bread and fresh cucumber, so it was a proper breakfast rather than something designed to leave me hungry again within an hour. For the price, I could hardly complain.
But, on our first night, it wasn’t as cheap. On Sunday night, our group went to SASY The Original for dinner.
The food? Absolutely delicious. The price I paid for it however… I paid about £17.56 in total for pizza and drinks.
It was nice, but nearly £18 is not what most students picture when they hear the words “cheap city break”.
Prague can be affordable, but where you eat matters. Wander into a restaurant in a busy tourist area and your bank balance may start behaving as though you are still in Britain.
The attractions, however, brought the price back down again. I paid £12.47 for a panoramic cruise along the Vltava, £10.35 for the Story of Prague immersive museum and £11.22 for Prague Zoo.
None of those felt like throwaway activities bought simply because they were cheap. They gave us plenty to do and, compared with many UK attractions, the prices felt fair.
Prague also has plenty of familiar shops, cafés and mini-markets, which is useful when you want something quick. There is Starbucks, because apparently no city is allowed to exist without one.
More surprisingly though, there is even Marks & Spencer. Flying hundreds of miles across Europe only to find M&S waiting for us was not quite the cultural shock I expected.
So, is Prague still cheap? My answer is an irritating one: it depends.
The airport transfer and some restaurant meals can be expensive, particularly around tourist hotspots. But public transport, breakfasts and attractions can offer excellent value.
Prague is no longer the place where every meal costs pennies and students can spend without thinking. Come prepared, avoid assuming everything will be cheap and choose carefully. Do that, and it can still be a very affordable city – just not all of the time.
