Stop off in Prague

supermom

Wed, Jul 11 2007, 3:27 pm

I have a stop off in Prague for 18 hours. They are giving me a hotel for free. The question is do I need to bring my own food, or is there a place near a hotel where I can get kosher food? Is there maybe a kosher hotel? Or am I dreaming.. Rolling Eyes

Raisin

Wed, Jul 11 2007, 4:05 pm

I think there is a kosher resturant in Prague.

chocolate moose

Wed, Jul 11 2007, 4:20 pm

My boss just and brought his own, but I'm pretty sure you can buy there.

amother

Wed, Jul 11 2007, 4:23 pm

There are 2 kosher restaurants in Prague. One is a sandwich type place run by Chabad that is fleishig and the other is an expensive nice fleishig restaurant.

YALT

Wed, Jul 11 2007, 4:45 pm

yes there are those 2 places. But they are not right next to the hotel (I assume they are putting you in a chain hotel by the airport.)
But they're not that far either. (A bus and subway ride away?)
It's right in the middle of "Jewish Prague". If you're going to be there throughout the day, take advantage - it's a gorgeous place!!!! And one day is perfect. We did that, and enjoyed ourselves sooo much!
We arrived early am, went straight to the Jewish quarter, and walked around seeing all the shuls, museum, cemetary, backwards clock, king's palace, changing of the guards, etc...... We davvened minchah in the Alte-Neu Shul (and saw it properly then, and we were allowed to take photos then*) sat down to eat something, and then made our way back to the airport for a snooze on the chairs (we weren't offered a hotel) until check-in.
If you want some serious stuff, there's a bus tour to Theresinstadt from there.

* About the Alte-Neu Shul: They are VERY afraid of terrorists there. THerefore, you are not allowed to take photos inside any building (none of the shuls, museum, etc..) You also need to pay to go in to any of these shuls, as if a museum.
After we paid, (and almost had our cameras taken away, not knowing of this law) we met the Chabad bochurim there who said that they davven Mincha there everyday. If you come to davven mincha, and they see that you're really frum & they can trust you - then they'll open the women's section (which is closed during the day for the tourists) and they'll let you take photos.

Another interesting thing about that shul - is the windows. Going from the womens section to the mens - it's like the Bais Hamikdosh windows - narrow-wide.

Enjoy your trip whatever you do!

PS. That was 6 years ago that we went. Just verify things first that they're the same (example:I know there were problems with the shul a couple of years ago. Do they still davven there?)

PinkandYellow

Wed, Jul 11 2007, 5:07 pm

we also had an 18 hour stop over there. they gave us a hotel outside of prague it was far and not kidai for us to go there. although others got a hotel across from the airport. we took a bus and train to the chabad house, which was our base. we weren't int in paying to see the museums or shuls and we were also exhuasted. we ate at the chabad deli resteraunt both lunch and dinner (our food wasn't allowed on the plane, we had to ck it in). we walked around alot and it was intersteing. if we had been in the hotel close to the airport I would've opted for staying there all day and sleeping as my son slept almost the whole day anyways. I wouldn't go there again if I had a choice. it wasn't so good.

ChavieK

Wed, Jul 11 2007, 10:44 pm

2 years in a row ds's(2 diff ones) took that flight. They got a tour of Teriezenstadt & the Jewish quarter. There is a tour company but you can only do one or the other with them(the travel agent gave me the name). My boys had a tour guide named Yakov Schwob.I'll try to find his phone number if you want. This time my ds was alone. So we had his driver pick up ds at the airport,cost a few dollars more than a taxi. The shul is near the InterContinental hotel.The driver took him to shul where he met up with Yakov. Then I'm not sure which guide took four or five pple to Terizenstadt.Ds was quite upset at first that I made him go but he was actualy really pleased in the end.My inlaws are survivors & fil was niftar a year ago. Then they gota tour of a good amount of the Jewish quarter. Ds heard that one of the restaruants wasn't good so he stuck with the bagels I sent with him.

shabri

Thu, Jul 12 2007, 6:50 am

We stopped off in Prague right after Pesach. They put us up in a hotel right across the street from the airport. The hotel was a Marriot and was really nice. In fact, it had opened the week before. We ended up sleeping a bit, and then taking a bus into the main part for some touring. We brought our own food (there was a fridge in the hotel) but ended up eating at the little cafe run by chabad. We had a great time.

But some friends stopped off in Prague a few days later and they put them up in a hotel that was much more out of the way. I guess its a bit of a gamble.

supermom

Sun, Jul 15 2007, 3:58 am

Thanks for the replies. How much extra money would I need? I am taking my baby with me. I don't know how much I can see before she gets kvetchy. How far apart is everything? Do people there speak somewhat english? Confused

How far away is the chabad house from the airport?

Raisin

Sun, Jul 15 2007, 6:21 am

Try

http://www.chabadprague.cz/index.htm

Have fun - I'd love to go to prague.

supermom

Sun, Jul 15 2007, 6:30 am

Thanks. Anyone know what the change rate is?

Raisin

Sun, Jul 15 2007, 6:39 am

Try http://www.xe.com/ucc/

very useful website for figuring out currency exchanges.

supermom

Sun, Jul 15 2007, 1:26 pm

Thanks so much Raisin I really apprieciate it. Smile

pinktichel

Sun, Jul 15 2007, 3:07 pm

enjoy your short stay there. I went to Prague for two days and had a great time (brought my own food though, so can't help).

MommyLuv

Sun, Jul 15 2007, 7:19 pm

Enjoy Prague....!!

the closest I got to Prague was the border of Czech Rep., where my friend and I got kicked off the train and sent back to Germany.....
We hadn't known that you need a travel visa to get into Czech and didnt have one.. Twisted Evil

....so at 5 am we had to spend 3 hours at border control in a little town, I think it was Cheb??? before getting escorted to a train going in the opposite direction!!!.... Crying

Oh well, maybe one day I'll make it to Prague...I really want to visit.

Ruchel

Tue, Jul 17 2007, 6:48 am

I know there is a kosher restaurant in Prague, but I heard (from mil, so yeah) the food is bad.

miriamnechama

Tue, Jul 17 2007, 8:43 am

I went 10 years ago with my seminary. it really is a great place. we alkso went to the noda beyehuda's kever and we wnt inside the shul and took pix. I have tons. outside the shul to the side are steps that the golem of prague used. (don't go up those starirs!!)

I didn't know about the kosher food theer must be something new.

dh and ds went last year on the way back from uman they had a good time but dh was warned to be ware of pickpocketers, so don't keep valubles or money jsut like that out, hide them.

prague is really beautiful, I heard that there was a pact between chech and germany that they wouldn't bomb prague during the war.

the shul is full of histaory and the walls are stained with blood probably from some pogrom of years ago. and the mahara's chair is still ther and they have a pasuk in initials. it's splended.

we were also in a hotel, nothing major in our days we took all our food with, well we wen't with a group so it was different.

enjoy the trip. where you flying to??