How To Spend 72 Hours in Prague: Europe’s Cheapest City? | Top Things To Do + Travel Guide

Today, John and I are in Prague, Europe's hottest and cheapest city. Just a two-hour flight from London or Rome, Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. Ranked as one of the safest cities in Europe, with crime rates way lower than London and Paris, we're spending 72 hours putting Prague and its top experiences to the test. Amazing, amazing. This is my favourite spot in whole of Prague. It's a mash-up of Europe's best cities all bundled into one incredible place. From next-level food to the world's largest ancient castle, Hollywood sets. This is being ambushed. This is where Mission Impossible was filmed. And downtown, a medieval clock is drawing crowds on the hour. Look how many people there are. John and I have just flown in, caught the train to the city and we've checked into our hotel. So, let's dive in and put Prague to the test. Oh, look at us. This is the first time we've gone out, like dressed up to go out. Usually, we're eating in our sports clothes. Tired, just like... We both look really pale. We spent 24 hours travelling here today, John. It shouldn't have been that bad. And... We've got the big guy. We've got the big guy out. Get the squat in, babe. Get the squat in. As well as the iPhone, we've bought out the DSLR for this one. John. Oh, and where are we staying? This looks marvellous. This is the park in the old town. It's the M Gallery. Work discount. If you're new here, John's an airline pilot. So, he gets cheap hotel rates globally. It's a perk of the job. It is gorgeous. Look at this place. John's planned out the entire trip. So, this is the plan. Let's bring up a map. Our hotel is here. We're going to visit the old town square. Prague Castle. Charles Bridge is a must. And along the way, we'll indulge. So, first up, we're heading to one of Prague's top-rated restaurants on the river. It's practically a floating ship. We managed to get an early start down at the Marina Ristorante. It's a floating restaurant. In the background, John and I are dreaming up our next boat adventure. With plans on having a new little stowaway join us soon. So, we've decided to come over here to Central and Eastern Europe. Which is often skipped. It's totally safe. And it is seriously underrated. So, while we're over this way, we're not only going to explore Prague. But Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary. Especially this time of year when places like London, Rome and Paris are packed and pricey. What are your first impressions of the streets? It's beautiful. It's clean. Trams are whizzing by. And beneath our feet are cobbled stone streets. It's a little uneven. It's hard to walk on. We're here in summer. So, these spray showers peppered around the city are a godsend. Really substantial. To get around, we're using an eSIM on our phones. John's the navigator. And Google Maps is our friend. So, if you want a copy of our pins, hang around until the end. Look how beautiful this is. So, this Marina Ristorante that John managed to get a booking for is famous for its modern Italian. And you might be thinking, you're in Prague. Why is your first meal Italian? Well, we'll find out. Plus, the walk there to the river takes us right through the city. Perfect for getting our bearings on day one. It's all very opulent. Just being here, I'm almost in tears. I feel like I'm in a fairy tale. I've already had a couple of moments where I've gotten a little teary. This is what happens to me all the time. And then you get hungry. In 20 minutes, we approach the river. John. Wow. Come on. That's a big castle. We're going to go check that out for the moment. That is unbelievable. Look at what I'm looking at. John's got to get it better with his camera, but my god. And right beneath it is the Vltava River. It's the longest in the Czech Republic and winds right through the heart of the city and is home to Marina Restaurante. So it is 4.30. And look at the sunshine. So this is a boat we got on, right? Floating restaurant. Oh, look at it. We're right on to the river. Fancy. This is way fancier than I was anticipating. That's why I said, dress up. You're worried about overdressing. Castle in the background. It's made up of two decks. We went riverside. This is nice. Thank you. Oh, John. How was that? Waterfront. Like, prime waterfront. Looking out, this is the Europe that we dream about. John and my conversation as we watch the world go by goes something like, why haven't we visited Prague sooner? Well, there's no pedal boat. There's less crowds. It's way cheaper than other parts of Europe. Its views are magical. And it's something completely new. And at this waterfront restaurant, we're able to soak up the Charles Bridge in the distance. Look at all the people walking along the bridge. The majestic castle up on the hill. And it is toasty. Oh my gosh, that's so delicious. Like, borderline hot. Delicious. So this place has 10,000 reviews. 10,000. So this is like a cucumber sauce with tomato and the burrata itself. But it's the next restaurant we visit that really blows us away. There's so many restaurants to try. Really? Unbelievable. Oh no. How was it? Is it as good for you as it was for us? If you're after something more traditional. Think Prague ham, pork roast or hearty beef sirloin, creamy sauces, sauerkraut and vegetables. This butcher restaurant is called Cantina. It is the top restaurant in whole of Prague. And it has had thousands of reviews with close to a five-star rating. There's a bar serving beer, a bain-marie where all your food is calculated by weight. There's stand-up seating. But if you're lucky, you'll get a seat. This added up to 750 Czech krona. Oh my gosh, John. We didn't get any veggies. The bill is written on these cards. Turn them around. How many beers are there? And you pay as you leave the butcher diner. Now back to the city. We're on our way to the Old Town Square. Prague is known as the golden city with a hundred spires. They are everywhere. And right in the heart of Prague in the Old Town Square is the oldest working astronomical clock in the world. Not this one. This one. So this clock, you were right. It's the third oldest astronomical clock in the world. But it's the oldest in operation. 1410 it was built. And every hour, on the hour, it has a little like, I was going to say performance, but a show. But it's really weird. I want to say, actually, it's not weird. It's kind of a bit dark because the performance entails symbolism of greed and lust. Like, you know, not love and romance. Very medieval. So medieval. Very Shakespearean. Anyway, we've got to come back in 20 minutes. 20 minutes. Mind you, is it right? Is the time right? It looks like it's stuck on something else. Looks like it's wrong. Someone needs to go and wind it up. No, it does. It looks like it's actually wrong. What time is it? What does your clock say? But it might not work in the same way as a traditional clock. That's an astronomical clock. Is it different? It shows you where the planet and the moon and the sun are in relation to each other. I think. We'll get back to you. John's right. And 20 minutes later, it is peak hour. John and I split up to capture the moment. And this is possible because we have a phone with an eSIM, so it means we won't get lost. Which brings me to the sponsor of this episode, Saili, an eSIM provider that lets us have data in over 180 countries and regions. So if you're a traveler like me, you know how important it is to have a working phone to stay safe, to not lose each other, have access to maps on the go and be connected to family and the world. But roaming costs are really expensive and finding local SIM cards and relying on public Wi-Fi is sketchy. So Saili is a great solution that keeps us connected everywhere we go and is super easy to use. It just takes a few minutes to set up and activate. Find great restaurants, post on social media and use ChatGPT. What did you discover about the clock? Just ask ChatGPT what are the top things to do. It recommended to see the clock early in the morning. Oh my gosh. To beat the crowds. There's hardly anyone around. It was right. Look at this. But the best part about Saili, you don't have to install a new SIM for each country. Once your Saili eSIM is installed, you can top it up with any data plan. Get an exclusive 15% discount on all Saili eSIM data plans. Download the Saili app and use our code KristinasTravels at the checkout. John and I split up and I was worried I wasn't going to be able to find you but... Especially if you don't want to lose your travel partner amongst the masses. Honestly, I think filming all the people was like such an interesting thing. Yeah and the clock itself. So where to next? We're going to leave the Old Town Square which has barely changed in layout since medieval times. More than a thousand years ago. And we're going to add a few more pins to our maps. This city is one of the most beautiful that I think I've ever seen in whole of Europe. I would agree. So many movies have been filmed here in Prague. James Bond, Spider-Man and... This is where Mission Impossible was filmed. Prague is the perfect set because it's a mash-up of Europe's best cities all bundled into one place. Fun fact, the film Eurotrip where they supposedly go to several countries was all filmed in this city alone. That is how remarkable and diverse it is. I managed to find the exact location where Mission Impossible the original was filmed on those famous stairs. You're being ambushed. Abort, that's an order. It all happened here in this little pocket where several scenes were filmed. It's pretty epic because you have the castle up on the hill and Child's Bridge right amongst all the action. What a scene. He's looking out here right and a car blows up, John. All the trees were CGI'd out. What a monumental movie. One of the best in the series. Would you agree? Look out, duotone crew's gonna have both hands on the rail. Yes. Let's go, it's hot. I've put the pin in our maps. We've only gone from there to there. That's it, all day? That's it. Oh, we came from over here. But then zoom out, what have we got to see? All of this, all of this, all of this. Okay, crazy. So we're gonna call it a night but tomorrow we have something really exciting. You taking me to a cool breakfast place? I'm taking you to a cool breakfast place. And then we'll see if it's actually possible to walk up to the Prague Castle. Mission accepted. Good morning. La Bottega blew our socks off. It was slightly upscale. They use seasonal Czech ingredients. It's highly rated but more importantly, it was convenient. Literally a few meters from our hotel in the heart of Prague. Oh my gosh, it's perfect. Really? Yeah, it's like a phone. Try it. Wow. That is the best benedict I've ever had. We ended up coming back a second day so John could try the pancakes. But on the topic of breakfast, a bit further out of the city, around half an hour's walk away is Eska. By morning, it is a bakery. Very modern, very industrial. It's had thousands and thousands of reviews. Staff are literally kneading the dough right in front of us, fresh. Loaves are on display, pastries make our mouths water and the menu has us excited to try something completely new. We have the works here. I got the smoked fish. And experimental. Now the Prague Castle is a fair walk away from here but we realized there are so many ways to get there. John's just having a sneak peek. And in general, it's just easy to get around this city. That looks like the car that Bugs Bunny goes in. By boat, these cars, trams, horse and cart everywhere. Whatever these things are. It is a quirky city. But let's just rewind 80 years. Prague was mostly untouched in World War II. It didn't have many factories or military targets so the city wasn't heavily bombed. They had one or two bombs that hit it and one of them was by friendly by the Americans which was a complete accident. I think there was an issue with the coordinates or the navigation but I guess that's why it's so well preserved. It is so unique. It is so beautiful. Everywhere you go, you'll find those cobbled stone streets. It obviously then became part of the Soviet Union. But even then, Prague held on to its gothic spires and medieval lanes. It didn't get the full concrete makeover. Even though it was under communist rule right up until 1989. The Soviet Union didn't have that Russian sort of impact here. And so today, the Prague Castle stands tall. And it is huge. According to the Guinness World Records, it is the largest ancient castle in the world. Now, to put this place into perspective, 70,000 square meters is almost the size of an airport runway or the Vatican City. It is currently midday and they're doing a changing of the guards right here in the Prague Castle at the front of the cathedral. This entire experience is completely free. Actually got right at the front. Look at this, they're about to start playing music. Can you see the clock? How good was that for timing? It was right at the front. So this is also part of the castle complex, isn't it? Yeah, all the ground goes on and on. All the views of the city behind us. If you came here at sunset or sunrise, it'd be absolutely magic. That guy's got a club. What's that? That dude, the statue is some guy. And then that guy's got a club. If you don't know where to look, just look out towards the Charles Bridge. We're catching the funicular down there. So this is a little shortcut from the top of the hill where the Prague Castle is. It's going to take us right down to the riverfront. We're in the back carriage. Now the day that the Charles Bridge was built forms a palindrome, which means the sequence of dates lined up in the year 1357, the 9th of July at the time 531 to be exact, reads the same backwards as it does forwards. It was hoped that being built at this exact time would bring strength and luck to the bridge. This was the only bridge in the entire city up until the 19th century, which is pretty amazing. Along the bridge also, you'll see all these brass statues. All the brass statues are replicas. All the originals are all in museums. But we're just actually listening to Steve's tour. It's a free app and he has an incredible walking tour through the city. We did one the other day, a free walking tour. So we actually are just listening to the back end of this one for the Charles Bridge. This one's great if you want to go at your own pace, but if you'd prefer a local, group tours are the way to go. You know, they'll show you where things are, where the best places are to eat, and some history, help you get your bearings, meet some people. It's a good idea. Top tip. Such a top tip. Wow, it's pretty amazing though, hey? Amazing. Very picturesque. Wow. Staring us straight in the face is the Old Town Bridge Tower. Jodd and I have seen so much and have done some serious walking miles around this city. But for some reason, this spot was special. This is by far my favourite view in the entire city. You have the Charles Bridge. It is seven football fields long. Behind it you have Prague Castle. You can see it there in the distance. This is Charles Square. My favourite thing about this is not only just looking at all the tourists walking by, but also the tram that goes past. And this here is a statue of King Charles as well. So many people around. But the mornings, they were completely opposite. It was quiet, cool, as the blood orange sun would blanket the city. I just wanted to show you the difference between, you know, say 5, 6 p.m. as opposed to 7 a.m. in the morning. As you can see, it's a lot more quieter. This is the romantic spot where Jodd and I would meet after his morning runs. There he is. Hello. Morning. How was your walk? Sweaty. Oh, yuck. Oh, no. Oh, it's morning now. Yeah. It's a bit different to the heat of midday. Yeah. How pretty is it? So pretty. Was it like this the other morning when you ran here? Yeah, it was a bit quieter. It was about half an hour earlier. Where are we off to next? Breakfast. And then Český Kromlov. It's just two hours from here, right on the border I've added a heap of links and resources below, plus the salee eSIM deal. There's extra perks for patrons if you'd like to sign up or leave a super thanks. And if you want to check out this next video up on your screen, YouTube thinks you might like it.