Budget Trip To Prague – A Complete Guide
Are you planning a trip to Prague on a budget?
Prague is well-loved among those who have had the pleasure of visiting and for a good reason. It is a beautiful and charming city with plenty to see and do. If you’ve been wondering how to plan a budget trip to Prague, then you’ve come to the right place.
We went at the start of November, for 4 days and had the best time!
I will leave no stone unturned. So grab yourself a cup of tea and let’s get stuck in…
Best Things To Do In Prague
Let’s start this budget travel guide with a list of some of the absolute best things to do in Prague. Many of which are absolutely FREE!
The Clock Tower on the main square
The clock tower in the main square is home to the famous astronomical clock. This is probably the most fascinating clock I have ever seen and definitely worth going to see.
There is a small ‘show’ by the clock every hour, that huge crowds will gather for. I don’t want to spoil it, but it made us laugh. The show isn’t why you should see it though. It is just beautiful and incredibly detailed.
Try to go first thing in the morning so you can admire it in peace.
The Famous Charles Bridge
If you head past the clock tower and just keep walking you will end up at the river and ultimately the Charles Bridge. We were in the City from Saturday – Tuesday and noticed that the bridge is considerably quieter on weekdays.
After around 8 am the bridge will fill with eager tourists and also many street vendors playing music and selling their handicrafts and souvenirs. It almost becomes like a mini market on the bridge.
The Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral
If you head straight over the Charles Bridge and up the hill you will end up in the castle grounds at the top. For just €10 each you can get a ticket that grants you access inside all the castle buildings and the Cathedral.
We got a ticket just to go inside the cathedral and it was totally worth it. I can confidently say this was the most impressive cathedral I’ve been in so far.
Not to mention there are some incredible views of the city from up within the castle grounds.
Museums
Prague has many, many museums. We only went into the National Museum on our visit. We paid €8 each and it was worth it just to see the inside of the building. Sadly though the exhibitions they had on at the time were not fantastic, so I would advise checking before you go.
Some other popular museums in Prague are;
- The Jewish Museum
- Museum of Communism
- Lobkowics Palace
- KGB Museum
- Speculum Alchamiae Museum
- Museum of Senses
If you enjoy Museums then it may be worth looking at the Prague City Card to get discounted access to most attractions within the city. You can purchase the pass online and for however many days you would like.
Hunt for all the works of Art around the city
Art seems to be a key player in Prague and there are statues, paintings and works of Art all over the city.
Visit the adorable Coypus down by the river
If you’re an animal lover like me then these Giant water beaver/rat-looking creatures will make your day like they did for me.
To find them go onto the Legion Bridge and about halfway along, go down the steps. On to the small island on the river. As well as being a lovely spot to enjoy the river it also happened to be where we found a family of 20-30 Coypus all being fed by a local woman.
Walk Up Petrin Hill to Petrin Garden
To get some of the best views of the city just head up Petrin Hill. Explore the gardens and walk the path along the top of the hill to be treated to many amazing viewpoints.
One of our favourites was the observation deck at Vyhlidkova Terasa.
Trip To Prague – Budget Breakdown
Prague is well known for being a great budget destination. But just how cheap is a trip to Prague?
We kept tabs on all of our spending so we could share it with you.
The Cost Of Flights To Prague
This will of course depend on where you fly from. Most large cities within Europe do pretty affordable flights to Prague.
Flights cost per person from Amsterdam – €160
The Cost of Accommodation In Prague
Accommodation can vary hugely in price but we always try to find a great budget place to stay. Usually, we would stay further out of the city centre to save some money but in this case, we found a great spot right in the centre.
We will share our top accommodation picks with you right after this budget breakdown.
Accommodation for 3 nights in Prague – €141.30
The Cost of Food In Prague
These are some examples of the prices we paid for food in Prague.
- Traditional Chimney cake – €1.55
- Lunches – €4.82
- Cheap Dinner – €7.34
- Fancy Dinner – €19.25
- A Large Beer – €1.50
Average daily food costs in Prague for one person – €17
I will cover more on where to find the best food later in the post.
The Cost of Transportation in Prague
Luckily most of the places you will want to visit in Prague are all within walking distance. So you really don’t have to use public transport at all if you want to save money.
We only used transport to get to and from the airport.
Public Transport total over 4 days in Prague per person – €4
The Cost of Activities in Prague
Whilst in Prague the only things we paid to do were entry to the National Museum for €8 each and access to the Cathedral for €10 each. Everything else that we did was totally free.
Total spent on Attractions per person – €18
Total Budget For 4 Days in Prague
Our 4-day trip to Prague cost us a total of around €550 for 2 people, including flights.
Excluding flights, we spent €230 in total.
So as you can see, Prague is an incredibly affordable and budget-friendly place to visit.
Prague Budget Per Day
Taking all of the costs that we listed above, we can say that our daily average spend in Prague (Excluding Flights) was €28.75 per person.
How To Save More Money On Your Trip To Prague
There are a few different ways that you can save yourself even more money on your budget trip to Prague. Here are some ideas;
✅ We managed to pack just a carry-on for this trip which saved us some money not having to pay for a checking bag.
✅ There are scooters and bikes and metros as I mentioned previously but if you are fit and healthy, walking will save you a little bit more money.
✅ The cheapest places we found to eat were Dhaba Bees and Loving Hut. Two Vegan/Vegetarian Asian-style, food buffets. Where you pay for the weight of your plate. Cheap and ethical…what’s not to love.
✅ Take a water bottle and fill it up at the hotel, so you don’t have to buy bottled water.
✅ Visit in Winter when it is less crowded and hotel prices are less competitive.
Where To Stay In Prague On A Budget
I would 100% recommend staying in the old town part of the city.
When we visited Prague we stayed in a really lovely hotel called Cathedral Prague Apartments. There is a very cute café downstairs and the room itself was everything we needed. Not to mention it was lovely and quiet and is only about a 30-second walk to the main square.
✔️ If you want to stay in the heart of the Old Town then check out Cathedral Prague Apartments Here!
Getting To Prague
We decided to fly, as the flights were a pretty good price considering we booked fairly last minute. We used SkyScanner as always to compare times and dates. We were flexible with when we could go so it was a lot easier to pick the cheaper times to fly.
As always the earlier you can book the cheaper the prices will be, use a VPN and book on a Tuesday you know the tricks.
Alternatively, to get to Prague you could always drive or take a train, depending on where you are coming from.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend driving to Prague. Parking could be a challenge and you won’t need your car to explore. Everything is within walking distance.
If you are in Europe and prefer to travel by train this is absolutely an option. Prague’s main train station is only a short distance from the centre of the Old Town. You can travel here from many destinations across Europe.
Getting From The Airport To The City
This is super easy, trust me. When you land, head out of terminal 2 and catch bus 119. The buses are right outside the door, you can’t miss them. Then you take this all the way to the end of the line and it stops at a bus station with an entrance to the Metro.
Take the metro line A to Mustek station and you are in the middle of the old town.
And the best part is this only costs around €1.75 per person, each way.
How To Get Around Prague
Once inside the city, there is no need to use public transport or Taxis. Everything is within walking distance and that’s the best part. Exploring all the side streets and hidden gems.
However, if your legs are tiring then all over the city you will find bicycles and electric scooters (as in the ones you stand on) that you can rent using the Uber App. We didn’t try them but lots of people were on them and they looked like great fun.
TOP TIP – Make sure to pack comfy shoes because if you do as much walking as we did, you will need them… we averaged around 20,000 steps a day!
Where To Eat In Prague
Prague was surprisingly easy to find vegan food. We used the happy cow app as always but one place in particular really stood out.
A restaurant called Maitrea is just off the main square in the old town. It’s a Vegetarian restaurant and they serve amazing dishes including a vegan version of the traditional Czech Goulash dish. It was delicious!
We also found a place called sweet dreams that serve vegan Trdelník or chimney cake. These are super tasty but very filling. They make a lovely treat for breakfast.
However, our go-to places for cheaper meals were Dhaba Bees and Loving Hut. Both are chains and had a couple of locations within Prague to choose from. They are buffet-style restaurants serving veggie Asian food.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Prague
Prague is a wonderful destination all year round. The summer is great from longer days and warmer weather. The winter is special thanks to the Christmas markets and decorations. But you could argue that the best time to plan a budget trip to Prague is September-November and here’s why…
Why Autumn is a great time to visit Prague
As we went in November, Autumn was in full swing. We don’t have experience of any other season in the city but I can definitely tell you why I’m glad we visited in Autumn;
- The colours of the trees were of course beautiful.
- The city felt a little emptier than we expected which was nice to avoid the big summer crowds. It is not a school holiday so this helps with the crowds too.
- We did a LOT of walking so it was the perfect temperature to not get all hot and sweaty.
Budget Trip To Prague FAQs
We know there are a few more questions you might be asking yourself when planning your budget trip to Prague, so we thought we would answer them here for you.
How Many Days Is Enough For Prague?
When we visited Prague we went for 4 days. For us, this felt like the perfect amount of time to get to really explore the city. However, if you can only go for 3 days that should also be enough. I wouldn’t recommend any less or you may feel too rushed.
What is the cheapest way to travel to Prague?
This will strongly depend on where you are travelling from. Anywhere in the US and you will need to fly. If you are coming from somewhere within Europe then the cost of trains may be slightly less than flying but journeys could take considerably longer and require changes, depending on where you are coming from.
The absolute cheapest way to get to Prague from within Europe will be by coach but this will take the longest by far!
How much money do you need to visit Prague?
In 4 days in Prague, we spent €550 in total for 2 people. This included flights, accommodation, food, transport and activities.
You can use our daily average of €28.75 per person (excluding flights) to work out your budget depending on how long you plan to visit for.
How much should I budget for 4 days in Prague?
For 4 days in Prague (excluding flights) I would plan to budget around €120 per person if you plan to eat cheaper meals and do more free activities and sightseeing. And around €180 if you want to have a couple of nicer meals and pay to enter some museums etc.
Budget Trip To Prague – Final Thoughts
Now we have been, we finally understand what all the hype is about. Prague is a beautiful city, especially in the old town area. We loved our stay there and wish we could’ve stayed longer.
Thanks for reading and I hope you too, have the best time in Prague!
If you’re looking for more inspiration for a European city break, you can also read our guide to a weekend in Paris.
