Questions and answers Archives

How to order products from Amazon to the Czech Republic? Shipping costs? VAT?

Posted on February 9, 2023February 9, 2023 by Prague Guide

Have you found a product at Amazon that you want to buy? Do you have questions about ordering products from Amazon and delivering them to the Czech Republic? Do you need to pay VAT (import costs) on products ordered from Amazon? How can you order products on Amazon that are unavailable for shipping to the Czech Republic? We will answer all those questions and more in this article.

Amazon is one of the most famous online stores in the world. Not only is it cheap, but you can find almost anything in the different Amazon stores. Besides the well-known brands, you can also buy products created by and for Amazon, often cheaper than similar products from competitors and, in many cases, much better than the competitors. What can you do to order a Kindle and have it delivered to the Czech Republic? Or what if you want to buy a special perfume or a Louis Vuitton bag? Is it possible to order to the Czech Republic? How does it work?

Which Amazon store should you use for shipping to the Czech Republic?

There are three big Amazon stores, one in the United States, one in the United Kingdom, and one in Germany. If it isn’t obvious to you yet, you should definitely use the German Amazon store for orders to the Czech Republic. Why is that?

The Czech Republic is a border country with Germany. As a result, delivery of products ordered from Amazon in Germany is faster than products ordered from the United Kingdom or the United States. Even more critical are the VAT regulations. Since Germany is a part of the European Union, there is no VAT (import costs) on products ordered from the German Amazon store. As a result, the package will be delivered at no additional cost. On the other hand, if you order from the United States or the United Kingdom, the package might be held back in customs, and you have to pay the VAT before the package is delivered. As a result, it is a much slower and way more expensive solution.

We agree that ordering products from Amazon Germany to the Czech Republic is wise. But how do you place an order? What is the price of shipping? How to order products that Amazon doesn’t deliver to Prague and the Czech Republic?

How to order products from Amazon that cannot be shipped to the Czech Republic?

Let us say you want to order a Kindle from Amazon.de to Prague. You have found a perfect Kindle but suddenly realize it cannot be delivered to the Czech Republic. What can you do about that?

kindle doesn't ship to the Czech Republic

Many products on Amazon cannot be delivered to the Czech Republic. If you want to buy a Kindle, you can buy a Kindle available for international delivery or do the following.

Create a mail forwarding address in Germany with Mailboxde.
Use the Mailboxde address for your orders at Amazon.de. This will give you faster and cheaper delivery as the address is in Germany.
As the package arrives at your German address, you will immediately receive an email. Mailboxde will forward the package to your address in the Czech Republic and you can choose which company Mailboxde should use to send the package to your address in the Czech Republic (GLS, DHL, etc.)
Wait for the package to arrive at your address in the Czech Republic.

That is an easy way to order all sorts of products from Amazon.de to the Czech Republic, even though it isn’t available for direct delivery to the Czech Republic.

Is it expensive to use Mailboxde?
It isn’t very expensive for many reasons. The delivery costs aren’t especially high, and if you consider that you pay less shipping costs to Amazon.de in the first place, you might even end up paying less than you would be ordering directly from Amazon. It is possible to compound several packages into one, also helping you to reduce the shipping cost if you have multiple packages that you want to forward to the Czech Republic.

Our experience is that it takes 1-4 days for a package to be delivered to the Czech Republic after you tell Mailboxde to forward it to your home address. The price for forwarding a package with standard size and weight is often around 10 euros.

What if you want to order from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk?

Let us imagine that there is a product on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk that you desperately want to order and have it forwarded to your address in the Czech Republic. How can you solve that problem? Just like Mailboxde gives you an address in Germany, you can use a service named Shipito to get an American address and Forward2Me to get an address in the UK.

Mail forward from the UK (Forward2Me)
Mail forwarding from the United States (Shipito).

It is free to register with both sites, and you only pay as you receive a package and forward it to your address in the Czech Republic.

That’s it – you can now order products from Amazon to the Czech Republic.

You now know the answers to the most crucial questions about ordering from Amazon to the Czech Republic. If you have further questions or comments, use the comment field below. Until then, happy shopping!

Which is the best beer in the Czech Republic?

Posted on December 19, 2022December 20, 2022 by Prague Guide

The Czech Republic is famous for all its breweries and fantastic beer. It is the country in the world with the most breweries per person in the country, counting more than 4000 breweries in total. That makes it hard to decide which beers to taste and drink as you come to Prague. We cannot give you a perfect answer to the question, but we will try to give you some help as you try to find the best beer in the Czech Republic.

Let us start by telling you something obvious. Beer tastes much better if you drink it with people you love and that you have a good time with. In other words, come to Prague with great friends and taste the different beers together with them.

The three most famous breweries in the Czech Republic.

But, which are the brands you should taste? There are several world-famous beer brands that originate from the Czech Republic. The most famous is the Pilsner Urquell brewery, where popular beers such as the Pilsner, Gambrinus, and Kozel beers are produced.

Another famous brewery is the Budweiser brewery. This is “only” the fourth largest brewery in the Czech Republic, but if you look at the export numbers, it is the second largest. As a result, you shouldn’t be surprised if you see Budweiser beers on the shelf in stores worldwide.

A third well-known brewery is Staropramen. They are first of all known for their Staropramen beer, but they also produce Ostravar, Branik, Velvet, and some others.

The best beers in the Czech Republic.

There is no such thing as the best beer in the Czech Republic. If you ask locals and/or tourists, they will all give you different answers. Some will say that the traditional Pilsner is the best, while others swear that the Gambrinus with a 4.3% alcohol content is the best.

There are some beer competitions from time to time, and in 2008, Kozel’s Medium won the award for the best Czech beer. But, it doesn’t really matter because what matters is what you feel when you drink the beer. Do you like it?

There are many lists online where people share their thoughts about the best beers in the Czech Republic. Some lists claim that Pilsner Urquell really is the best, while others say that this is just a commercial beer. It is still a fact that you will find it on the top of many lists, so you should definitely taste it as you come to Prague.

Taste local beer at a beer dinner in Prague.

Would you like to skip the commercial beers and rather taste beers from a local brewery in Prague? Does it sound cool to taste the strongest beer in all of the Czech Republic? You can do all of this if you come to the following beer dinner not far from the city center of Prague.

It is also possible to find a grocery store and buy 10-15 brands and then arrange your own beer tasting in your hotel room or apartment. Do not forget to buy some snack that you can eat in between as you need to cleanse your mouth between the different beers to feel the differences better.

Can I watch Formula 1 in the Czech Republic?

Posted on March 4, 2020March 4, 2020 by Prague Guide

Is the such a thing as a Czech Grand Prix? Can I watch a Formula 1 race in the Czech Republic?

Many of the countries near the Czech Republic arrange Formula 1 races. In Germany, they have a long history of arranging Formula 1 races. In Austria, they still arrange the annual Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. In Hungary, the Hungarian Grand Prix is arranged, and the Russian Grand Prix is arranged in Sochi.

But, what about the Czech Republic?

Formula 1 in the Czech Republic in 2020

There are no Formula 1 races arranged in the Czech Republic as of 2020. If you are a Formula 1 enthusiast, you better travel to Hungary or to Austria instead to watch a Formula 1 race there. It is also possible to watch all the Formula 1 races and other sports events online, but that can never be compared to actually watching the Formula 1 races at the Formula 1 track.

But, there was a time when they arranged Formula 1 races in the Czech Republic!

Czechoslovakian Grand Prix

Between 1930 and 1988, there were several Formula 1 races arranged at Masaryk Circuit, a track located in Brno. The name was later changed to Brno Circuit.

Since 1988, there have been no Formula 1 races in the Czech Republic, and nothing tells us that there will be any races arranged in the country in the near future.

But, Brno Circuit is still in use, and every year there are fantastic sports events held here. In other words, you cannot watch Formula 1 on the track, but you can watch other events.

The most important events at Brno Circuit

The most important event at Brno Circuit is the Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. It has been arranged there since 1950, and it is the most famous race in the Czech Republic each year.

The venue has also used for the FIA World Touring Car Championship, FIA GT1 World Championship, Formula Two and the Superbike World Championship.

Is it dangerous to go on a river cruise on the Vltava River in Prague?

Posted on October 23, 2019October 22, 2019 by Prague Guide

The Vltava River is an amazing river as it floats through the city of Prague. More than 30km of the river can be found within the borders of Prague as the river crosses under 18 bridges, including the Charles Bridge. But, is the Vltava River to be considered a dangerous river?

After the river cruise accident in Budapest in May 2019, many tourists have been worried. They are not worried only before visiting Budapest, but also before booking a river cruise in Prague. Should they be worried? Do they have any reason to cancel a reservation or book some other activity instead?

Is it dangerous with river cruises in Prague? — River cruise in Prague – is it safe?

The Vltava River is a beautiful river and it has flooded several times. During floods, the water level rises, and because of the increased amount of water, so does the speed of the water. During times of flooding, one should pay even more attention than normally.

But, if you have ever done a river cruise in Budapest and in Prague, you will notice one big difference – there are no locks/dams/canals in Budapest. Here the boat goes on and on for hours without ever stopping. In Prague, it is very different, and you will normally spend quite some time in the canals moving from one level to another. This can be annoying, but it also makes sure that the current of the river within the borders of Prague is much weaker than it is in Budapest.

Still, you shouldn’t ever go for a swim in the river, and you should stay on board the boat. If you ever end up in the river, make sure to get back on the boat or to dry land as quickly as possible. All boats are equipped with life vests and other necessary safety equipment, in order to make you feel safe all along the way.

Always be cautious, but you don’t really need to worry!

A river might sound scary when you read about it or hear about an accident here or there. But, if you think of flying around 10,000 meters above the ground, it does sound scary as well. Luckily, the plane is keeping you safe up in the air, and the boat is keeping you safe while you enjoy a river cruise in Prague.

It does sound scary to travel on a train, traveling at a speed of 300km per hour (in case of an accident), but luckily, accidents rarely happen. And if they do, they might just as well happen on the way to the train as you walk across the road as during the actual train ride.

In the same way, river cruise accidents rarely happen, and if they do, the boats and the personel are there to help you out. In addition, the currents in Prague are much “nicer” than they are in Budapest, meaning that you have a much bigger chance of surviving with basic swimming skills in Prague (compared to Budapest). But once again – stay clear of the water!

Conclusion about river cruises in Prague

Enjoy life, and book a river cruise in Prague today. You shouldn’t worry, and you do not have to worry. Of course, you can live life worried and skip out on any program that has a sense of danger to them. But, if that is so, you should most likely stay in your room (which might be dangerous as well), because accidents can happen anywhere.

If you first visit Prague, make sure to enjoy the city and the view from a river cruise, and maybe especially in the evening when the city is more beautiful than ever.

Do you have any thoughts or questions about the river cruises in Prague, related to safety, or about the Vltava river? Ask your question or write your comment beneath this text!

What is the distance between Wenceslas Square and the Old Town square in Prague?

Posted on September 24, 2019September 24, 2019 by Prague Guide

The Wenceslas Square and the Old Town square are very popular squares in the capital of the Czech Republic. They are also popular locations for the annual Christmas markets. But, what is the distance between the two squares? It is easy to walk from the Old Town square to the Wenceslas square on foot? Do you need to use public transportation to move between the squares?

If you haven’t been to Prague before, you might be nervous about the distances. Maybe you want to book a hotel located on the Wenceslas square, but you are worried that is will be far away from the Old Town square? Well, here we will give you the answers you have been looking for.

Map showing the walking distance between the Wenceslas Square and the Old Town square — Map showing the walking distance between Wenceslas Square and the Old Town square

The annual Christmas market has two main locations, the Wenceslas Square and the Old Town square. If you check the map above, you can see that it says the distance is 950 meters and that it should take approximately 10 minutes to walk the distance.

But, it is very important to notice that the final destination on the Wenceslas square is already far into the square. So, if we do the search again, but this time we only want to walk to the Merchants Crown Hotel. This is located at the very beginning of the Wenceslas square, the location of the square nearest to the Old Town Square.

Now the distance between the Old Town Square and the Wenceslas square is only 500 meters.

As you can see, the ideal distance is 500 meters. So, if you walk the shortest path between the two squares, it should take you about 6 minutes and a 500-meter walk to get from the one square to the other square. And then you can still walk for 6 minutes to get to the other and of the Wenceslas square, but at least you are there.

It can also be nice to know that the annual Christmas market at the Wenceslas square is arranged at the start of the square, the part closest to the Old Town square.

Other cool things to do in the area!

If you are in the area of the Wenceslas square, why not enjoy our authentic Czech Beer dinner which is arranged only a few hundred meters from the square? You can read more about the beer dinner here.

Another idea is to join in on a river cruise in Prague. The tours we can help you arrange have their pick-up point in Na Prikope (the street at the start of the Wenceslas square), meaning they are also very close to the Wenceslas square.

Look around in the Prague Guide and be inspired as you plan your trip to Prague!

Is Prague a dirty city?

Posted on September 16, 2019September 16, 2019 by Prague Guide

Are you planning a trip to Prague, but you are worried about it being dirty? Have you heard people complaining about the city? What is the truth? Is Prague floating in garbage, or is it really a nice looking and clean city?

There are cities where you walk around and it almost feels as if you are walking on garbage. That might be especially true about Saturday and Sunday morning when the party people have thrown all their garbage on the streets the evening before. Other cities simply doesn’t have a well working litter removal policy, meaning that the garbage cans are packed and the garbage is floating on the street nearby the garbage cans, simply because they are full and people have nowhere else to throw the litter. But, what’s up with Prague? What should you expect in the Czech capital?

Is it much pollution and dirt in Prague? Source: Pixabay

Prague and garbage

Many people think that Eastern Europe equals dirt and garbage. But, the fact is that it is often the very opposite that is the truth. How come? In rich nations and in popular nations, they do not really have to do anything, because the tourists will keep coming no matter what.

But, in cities like Prague and other cities in the Eastern Europe, there is a much bigger fight for the tourists. This isn’t only true about the cities themselves, but when you visit a restaurant you will experience the same. The quality and the look of the restaurants is often way cleaner, simply because there is a struggle to survive, and therefore, they feel the need of making it look nice and clean (including the bathrooms).

When you walk the streets of Prague, you will quickly discover that it is almost free of garbage. This has to do with people throwing less garbage on the streets, and also the fact that no garbage on the street makes people watch out so that they do not throw garbage on the street. It is strange, but that is how it works. If you have some garbage in your pocket and it falls on the street next to a cigarette and a chocolate paper, you will leave it there. But, if it falls out of your pocket to the street and it is completely clean, you will most likely pick it up and throw it in a garbage can on the next corner.

Once again – Is Prague a dirty city?

The answer is no! It is, in fact, the very opposite of dirty. Things are clean, the streets are clean, and it looks very nice no matter what time of the year you come. Even during the Christmas markets at the Old Town Square and at the Wenceslas square, they manage to keep the city clean and without much garbage falling to the street.

There is, of course, pollution in Prague. As a result, some of the buildings starts to look a bit dirty and black, even though they might have been shining and beautiful a few decades ago. That is natural and it comes with all the traffic and airport transfers bringing hundreds of thousands of people to and from the city center of Prague every single day.

But, for you as a tourist walking the streets of Prague, you shouldn’t have to suffer much because of pollution or garbage in the streets.

When it comes to the polluted buildings, there is a constant work on renewing and cleaning these buildings, giving them all back their former glory. Besides this, as more and more electric cards and hybrid cars are used in the Czech capital, there is a hope that things will look better and better for every year passing by.

For those worried about the quality of the air in Prague, there isn’t that much to worry about. Luckily, the Old Town is well sealed off from traffic, meaning that you will not bump into a lot of car traffic during your stay (hopefully). If you leave the old town, you will, but as long as you walk around in the walking area of the city, you should be safe!

Watching the Rugby World Cup in Prague!

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Prague Guide

We will be visiting Prague in September and October and come from England, the land of rugby enthusiasts. We are however afraid that since the Czech Republic will not play in the Rugby World Cup that it will be hard to see the matches. Have you got any advices?

It is true that rugby is a very “second-hand” sport in the Czech Republic and only a few people actually know that there is an upcoming rugby world cup in England this autumn. That is why you will not see the action on typical Czech television, but around in the city there are quite a lot of sportsbars and pubs and in these they often show live streams of sports events from English TV, so you should be able to find a place which will show the rugby world cup, even if you are in the Czech Republic and in Prague.

If this does not work, or if you want to watch it on your laptop, on your iPhone or maybe your Android device instead, then there is an easy way in which you can watch the rugby world cup online, and that is by using a VPN connection. You can read more about this and exactly how this works in this article written in the IP Address Guide.

For a full schedule of matches and which teams will play when, this article will give you more information.

We hope this answer has helped you, and do not forget to enjoy a nice river cruise, maybe a beer dinner and some real Czech goulash while in town!

Where to watch Ice Hockey World Championship online?

Posted on April 27, 2015May 11, 2016 by Prague Guide

It is 2015 and soon it is time for the Ice Hockey World Championship 2015 to start. It will be arranged in the Czech Republic and in the cities of Prague and Ostrava, and if you want to know more about the World Championship in Ice Hockey we recommend our following article on the subject. The best is of course to come to either Prague or to Ostrava to watch the action, but if you are located somewhere else and want to follow the action, what can you do to watch the Ice Hockey World Championships online?

There are quite a lot of TV channels who will broadcast from the Ice Hockey World Championship online. The best way to watch the Ice Hockey World Championships online is by starting to get yourself a VPN subscription, because that will give you the chance to get IP addresses in different nations, which again will make it possible for you to watch the Ice Hockey World Championships online in different ways. We recommend using the VPN services of IPVanish for this purpose. Visit the IPVanish website here.

Find out how to watch IIHF World Championship 2016 online here

Now that this is in order what you can do is the following:

1) Visit Ceska Televizie, the Czech TV channel, and connect to a server in the Czech Republic with IPVanish. Once you get your Czech IP address you are ready to watch the Ice Hockey World Championships online on CTV in the Czech Republic. That is a free channel to watch, so you need no other subscription for this to work!

2) You can also watch it on NBC Sports in the United States with a US IP address or at Premier Sports in the United Kingdom with a UK IP address, but for all these options you need a special subscription to these TV channels in addition to the VPN subscription, so those are quite costly versions.

So, go ahead and sign up for IPVanish and watch the Ice Hockey World Championship online on Czech television, live from the Czech republic.

Which restaurants are open on 24th December in Prague?

Posted on November 30, 2014October 13, 2022 by Prague Guide

Which restaurants are open on 24th December in Prague?

There are plenty of restaurants which are open on 24th December in Prague so here you can find the names of some of them! These are all restaurants with great quality, but do not forget that you will for sure need a table reservation to get a free table, so make sure to book your table as soon as possible if you want to visit any of these restaurants.

Bily Konicek (Staroměstské náměstí 548/20, 110 00 Praha – Staré Město, Czech Republic)

Bily Konicek (White Horse) restaurant is open on Christmas Eve. The restaurant is located in the heart of the city just right at the Old Town Square. The restaurant offers a wide range of various dishes and drinks from the best international to the most delicious Czech foods. The meals are prepared with the best quality ingredients and spices. The restaurant is open every day from 11 in the morning until 01.00.

Chagall’s Restaurant (Kozi 5, Old Town, Prague 1, Czech Republic)

Chagall’s Restaurant is also located in the centre of the city nearby to the Old Town Square. The restaurant only has international dishes from the best burgers through steaks and different pastas to desserts as well. All the dishes are for reasonable prices. The restaurant is open on 24th December from 11 in the morning until midnight.

Christmas Eve dinner in Prague — Como Restaurant is open on December 24th in Prague

COMO Restaurant (Václavské náměstí 818/45, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic)

COMO Restaurant is a nice and stylish restaurant located in the centre of Prague nearby to the Wenceslas Square. At the restaurant you can eat mostly Mediterranean dishes but you can also have some of the best and most delicious Czech foods as well and all this for friendly prices. The restaurant is open every day from 7.00 until 01.00. They have a special menu at Christmas Eve, and this you can find right here.

Do not forget that in addition to these restaurants, most nicer hotels have open restaurants, so that could also be an option. Enjoy your meal and we wish you a merry Christmas. If you want more information on the Christmas markets in Prague, you can find that here. If you plan on visiting Budapest you can also read more about restaurants open in Budapest on December 24th in this article.

Where to eat breakfast in Prague?

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Prague Guide

Prague is among the most visited cities in Europe and thousands and millions of people visits Prague every year. Prague is the capital city of the Czech Republic. In Prague there are a lot to do and the city offers a wide selection of programs and activities during the whole year.

It is a great tourist destination and it is also a perfect place for a romantic get away as well. In the city there are plenty of attractions, historical buildings and museums, restaurants and pubs to check out. In this article we will list some of the best places for breakfast in the Czech capital.

Bakeshop

The first place of our list is the Bakeshop. Bakeshop is absolutely one of the best places to have breakfast in the city during a holiday. The place offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, all kind of desserts and there is also a possibility to take away. The Bakeshop has a wide range of breads, prepared fresh salads, scrambled eggs and all kind of desserts as well. The place has no seats so you will have to eat on stools near to the window. The Bakeshop is located in the central of Prague which means it is always busy and crowded.

Bakeshop
Kozí 918/1

Bohemia Bagel Burger Bar Holesovice

Bohemia Bagel Burger Bar Holesovice is the second bar from our list which is also one of the most popular breakfast places in Prague. The Bohemia Bagel Burger Bar offers breakfast and brunch. The place offers a rich selection of the best sandwiches, home made chips and burgers with fries. At Bohemia Bagel you can have various burgers and freshly baked bagels filled with baked salmon, cream cheese red onions and so on and all this for a really reasonable price. At the bar you can also enjoy the best Czech beers.

Bohemia Bagel Burger Bar Holesovice
Dukelských Hrdinů 906/48

Jan Paukert

Jan Paukert is buffet in Prague. The place is located in the heart of Prague near to the National Theatre and the place offers the best breakfasts, brunches and lunches. Jan Paukert has a wide selection of various, fresh and delicious sandwiches filled with roast beef, smoked salmon, ham, salami or egg. Each of the sandwiches and dishes are masterpieces. The bar also offers other traditional Czech dishes for breakfast along side with a wide selection of desserts and salads as well for fair prices. It is highly recommended for everyone.

Jan Paukert
Národní 981/17

Erhartova Cukrarna

Erhartova Cukrarna is a small cafe in the central of Prague. This cafe offers a wide selection of the most delicious, freshly made cakes and all kind of pastries. It is the best place to get the most delicious cakes in the city for a really good and fair price. It is a perfect place to eat some cake and drink some coffee as a start of the day or during a sightseeing with the family. The Erthartova Cukrarna has a lovely atmosphere with simple retro interior which reminds of the old cafe houses. Erthartova Cukrarna is open from Sunday until Saturday every day from 9 in the morning until 6 in the evening.

Erhartova Cukrarna
Milady Horákové 387/56

These cafe houses and bars are among the best in Prague but there are several other places where you can have a breakfast in the city.