Prauge Currency

Posted onJanuary 11, 2012 - 5:39 pm by Admin | 0 Comments

I agree to definitely do this own your own. Just got back from the same trip this past November as a solo female traveler with an itinerary similar to joannyc.

Flew into Prague, spent 5 nights with day trip by bus to Terezin. I think Prague is doable in 4 days. Beautiful walking city.

Student Agency Bus to Cesky Krumlov - 3 hour comfortable trip with ticket costing between 7 and 8 EUR. Bus is far better than train to get there b/c it is direct and drops you off closer to city center. I highly recommend Cesky Krumlov -- it's a nice storybook looking town to walk around leisurely. You can fully enjoy it with two nights but it is doable in one night. I recommend 2 if you like leisure and scenery.

I then took a shuttle to Salzburg, but since that is not in your plan I recommend taking a shuttle to Linz and then to Vienna from Cesky Krumlov. Or if you are not interested in Cesky Krumlov, take train from Prague to Vienna. (But go to Cesky Krumlov).

Spent 6 nights in Vienna, but you can do it in 4-5 depending on your interests and if you add day trips, etc.

Took train from Vienna to Budapest - spent 5 nights in Budapest -- you can do it in 4.

Prague:
Metro and tram very easy to use. A lot of places are walkable. I stayed at Charles Bridge Residence which was a great hotel, great price compared to others in the area and located right off of the nice walking bridge. You can walk to most major sites from this hotel.

Cesky Krumlov - small town that you can walk through in 40 minutes or less. But so pretty with the cobblestone streets and castle views. I stayed at Pension Amadeus, which is right on the edge of town, a ten minute walk into the heart of town and very reasonably priced.

Vienna - Metro is extremely easy, lots of places within walking distance if you stay central. I highly, highly recommend Pension Suzanne. It has a great central location, right across the street from the Opera House and major metro station, great service and the best price hotel I could find in the center of all of the action.

Budapest - Metro and walking gets you everywhere. I stayed at Danube Guest House - great price and location, on the same street as the Great Synagogue. The guy who runs the hotel gives you a map and circles all of the sites when you get there.

I was very pleased with all of the hotels. Free Wi-Fi at all and friendly service with lots of privacy. With the hotels I had my own key to the front door and my room and came and went as I pleases. Loved it. I was there in October/November so hot weather was not an issue. Most places do not have air conditioning.

I navigated each town fairly easily on my own. For guide books I used Rick Steve's. You can get free maps and have your questions answered at the Tourist Info centers in each town -- so use that resource! You do not need much more than that. Do not waste your money paying for a tour. With a fair amount of research and advice from others you can do all of this by yourself. Don't use taxis unless absolutely necessary.

Tell us more about your experiences in China. Are the people genuinely friendly, or do they just want to practice their English? What are rents like? Are there a lot of other US/UK people working there?

Re: Alex Johnston: Are the people genuinely friendly, or do they just want to practice their English?
The people in china you can break them down into a few categories

Friendliness
The Chinese are generally friendly and have good stereotypes about westerners. When I first arrived in Beijing I sat down in a restaurant and within five minutes I was invited to a families table for food and drinks. I thought are they going to rip me off why do they want me to sit with them. After the meal they wouldn’t let me pay dime. I thought wow I got lucky I came to realize every restaurant was like that. You are never alone in Beijing you can only choose to be alone.

Language of choice
In general Chinese people will communicate in English only if they have to. I have been here a little over 4 months and speak English only while I am teaching. A lot of my Chinese friends refuse to speak English even though they speak quit well. They say “Your in china you must learn Chinese”.
I cant complain I love to learn. Here is some useful vocabulary when learning Chinese.
Zhi shi shenme - what is this
Ni jiao shenme mingzi – what is your name
Wo zai Beijing wo yin gai qu nar – What to I have to see while I’m in Beijing
Ni hao – Hello
Zai jian – good bye
Ni chi le ma- how’s it going literal translation did you eat yet

Bring a lonely planet mandarin phrase book when you come it will save you a lot of time and headaches.


Acceptance of other cultures..
In Beijing you can find every kind of food and culture imaginable. You can find Chinese food unlimited in variety. Hunan, Sichuan, and Xin Jiang are my personal favorites. While Hunan and sichaun tends to be on the spicy side Xin Jiang is heavy on the meat. But Beijing still has all the western favorites pizza, beer and restaurants galore in san li tun. My favorite place to eat pizza is Krows by Peking university. 5 yuan for a draft and I giant pizza for 4 people is about 10 bucks with the works. I also love Schillers it’s a German restaurant in san li tun where the food is Czech caliber.
That’s saying a lot czech food is great.

A good barometer of how accepting people are is interracial marriage and dating. I currently have a Chinese girl friend and I was amazed at the response by the people. I read stories in Korea about people getting spit at. In china however it’s completely different. The Chinese in general see this as a good thing. My girl friends Father said “well your baby will be smarter, better looking and have the ability to speak English and Chinese at L1 level.” Even if this is not true it’s a great insight on how the Chinese think. Essentially the best of both worlds concept. A concept we are still struggling to figure out in the west.

Your experience in another country is a direct reflection of your peer group. I have never been to a country I did not like. There are liars, cheaters and thieves everywhere. So choose your peers wisely.

Re: Are there a lot of other US/UK people working there?

Beijing is full of Expats from almost every country on the planet. I have good buddies already from Nigeria, America, England, Ireland, Canada, Denmark, Italy and Kenya to name a few. There is no reason that anyone should have trouble making friends in china.

I think its important to point out that in china teaching English is a gateway to become part of the action. You can use the free time and flexibility to your advantage. Learning mandarin and becoming chummy with students and employers will no doubt lead to a good future outside of English.


Re:What are rents like?
In Beijing like any other international city its all about location.
I am currently living in Fu Li Cheng. It is about a ten minute walk from the china world trade center. I pay about 250$ a month for a shared apartment. This is one of the best places in Beijing both for living and salary.

My friend lives of the subway station li shui qiao. This is about a 45 minute subway ride to guo mao. He lives in a brand new apartment his rent is 112$ a month for a two bedroom shared.

I will look for more examples I hope this was helpful. I type quickly sorry about any errors.

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