A Budget Traveller's Guide To Prague

Following my Budget Traveller's Guide on Amsterdam, I am now going to share some travel tips on Prague. 

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, and located right in the heart of Europe.
Therefore it is within easy reach from most starting points in Europe. How to get there leaves you a couple of choices: plane, train and bus are all available. The cheapest possibility by far is to go by bus. From Munich, there are daily bus lines available. Expressbus, the one we took, takes you there via Regensburg and Pilsen. The ride takes approximately 5 hours, and on board you get free wifi, plugs, coffee and even a film to watch! Be aware that during the weekend the bus can be very crowded. At the full price, a one way ride is 33€, but if you book in advance it can cost as little as 19€.

Accommodation in Prague is fairly easy to find. There are lots of cheap hostels available, and you can use Hostelworld.com for your search. We stayed at the Chili Hostel, which is located perfectly central in Praha 1, so everything is in walking distance. In a 8 bed dorm you can sleep for 4-6€ (it's more expensive on the weekend) per night. Unfortunately, our beds were very squeaky and with thin mattresses. It wasn't too bad, but something to keep in mind if you need a good rest. The 2 bathrooms are not ensuite, but have to be shared with 3 other dorms. There is a kitchen at your disposal, as well as wifi, computers and lockers. The staff and atmosphere were alright, even though it could have been a little more personal. All in all, the value for the money is extremely good as it's so inexpensive.

Now, let's talk about what to see and do in Prague!

Prague's main attraction lies within its architecture. Both the Old Town District, and that of the castle have the most beautiful houses to see. Ranging from baroque to art nouveau, the houses all come in different styles and make it very hard to pick the prettiest. To take in this amazing part of the city, all you have to do is walk and look around - free and easy to do!

One special part of Prague's architecture is the Dancing House, or, as it's also called, Ginger & Fred. It was design by Frank O. Gehry and Milunic, and portrays a dancing couple, hence the nickname. Its deconstructivistic appearance makes for an interesting turn in the otherwise rather antique façades. Decide for yourself whether you find it fitting, but you can't deny it's something special!

One of Prague's most famous attractions is the Charles Bridge. It crosses the Vltava and connects the Old Town District with the Castle District. It is by far not the only bridge in Prague, but the prettiest and most famous. It is framed by huge sculptures on both sides that make it very nice and interesting to cross it. Also, you get a great view over the river and the historic town. Lots of people are always on the bridge, so try to go later at night when there aren't as many tourists.

The whole city is located on multiple hills. Prague also has lots of parks, and most of them are situated on said hills. That means you have a bit of climbing to do, but the great overviews you get from up there are well worth it. It really looks great when you can look down on it, so I highly recommend you pay some parks a visit.

The castle grounds and gardens are also free to visit. You can't go inside the castle without paying admission, but you can roam the area and have a look at everything nonetheless. And those castle grounds are really great to look at! They're very pretty, but somewhat classical and spacious. Keep in mind that the gardens aren't open until April, which was why we unfortunately couldn't see them.
If you want to go inside the castle, there are different combination tickets available. Their prices range from 10 to 13€, but if you're a student (or under 26), you can get in for half the price. And the tickets do not only include the castle itself, but two amazing churches on the property, and the Golden Lane, where the most famous little houses of Prague are located.

Museums are located all over the city, with typical ones like the national gallery, and more specific ones such as the Alfons Mucha Museum. Entrance fees at those places are relatively affordable and normally range from 7 to 12€.
A special aspect is the Jewish Museum. It's admission is quite high with 18€, but it includes the admission to all synagogues and the old Jewish cemetery. If you don't want to pay this fee, you can still have a look at all the synagogues from the outside, which is also what we did. And they are definitely worth a view! The Jewish Quarter is located in the heart of the old town.

The Czech currency is the Czech Koruna, or czk. One czk is approximately 0,03€, and 25czk make 1€. That's why their prices might sound extremely high, but really aren't. Paying 150czk for a dinner seems to be a lot, but it's just 6€. There are lots of ATMs at your disposal, which give you a great exchange rate wherever you're from. Also, euros are often accepted and converted at an sometimes even slightly better rate. It is advised, though, not to change at unofficial places.

When it comes to food, there are lots of places for you to try traditional Czech cuisine. Its traditional food consists of - not unlike to that of Bavaria - warm and somewhat heavy dishes such as goulash, pork or dumplings of all kinds. And to accompany the Czech food, beer is always a good choice!It might not be something for everyone, but it's definitely worth a try. The place we went to is called u medvíku. It is not only a restaurant, but a hotel and an old beer brewery. It has a very rustic interior, but also comfortable and the food was great. Prices are generally very low for a good meal, at around 5 to 8€. What is shown in the pictures is potato dumplings filled with pork cubes, served with red cabbage and sauerkraut. It was delicious.

Also important are the trdelníks. They're sweet pastry rolls that are rolled in sugar and cinnamon. You can get them pretty much everywhere all over the city, and they're very tasty!

Prague is also well-known for its great nightlife. From pubs to bars to clubs, everything is available. You can party in one of Europe's biggest clubs with 5 floors, or have a pint a bit off the touristic parts. Going out is especially popular because it's very inexpensive. You can already get a pint of beer for as a little as 1€!

As far as shopping is concerned, Prague offers the same chains other European countries also have. They are mixed with shops from all kinds of countries. You can shop at the British tesco, Costa or Marks&Spencer, the German dm or the Austrian Billa. Groceries are very cheap and therefore a simple meal costs close to nothing if you shop at supermarkets. All these different shops offer a huge variety, but at the same time mean that you're less likely to find typical Czech stores, at least along the main hotspots in the city. In contrast to the cheap supermarket prices, those at clothes chains and the likes are just the same as in any other country.

I can highly recommend to visit Prague. It's an amazing city that has lots to offer, and you can already enjoy it just from walking around. Prague is a very affordable city, which makes it great for all you budget travellers out there. What I would keep in mind is that Prague, or at least its city centre, isn't too big to require a very long stay. Especially if you're mainly looking for free stuff to do, you will run out of things to look at after a couple of days. But that also means that there's no need to hurry to see everything. You can take your time and enjoy your stay!

How do you guys like Prague?

xx, Misch

Kinsale: Ireland's Cutest Village

This is the next stop I would like to share with you from my road trip in the autumn. Kinsale was one of your first stops along the Irish coast line. 

It is located in the south of Ireland, not far off Cork. 

What makes Kinsale particularly special is how colourful the town is. All houses are painted in different, bright colours, and you won't find one boring one. Ones that have less colour on the façade are then decorated with lots of flowers or embellishments. This whole meticulous appearance leaves the impression of a very neat and well-kept town.

Paired with the numerous cobblestone walls, the colours in Kinsale really accentuate the town and make it a joy to walk through these streets.

Kinsale was literally one of the cutest places we visited. It is a small village, but built in a way that you can always turn around one corner and discover something totally new. Still, it is easy to walk everywhere, and it won't take you much time.

We passed so many special and individual stores: cafés, bookshop, a café in a bookshop, art supplies, kids' wear, jewellery, and anything else you can imagine. Looking at the windows of all these local shops made walking through the town centre even more interesting.

For lunch we then frequented one of the nice cafés we saw during our stroll through the centre. The Lemon Leaf Café made for a great experience, and that's why I'd love to point it out especially.

It is such a cute café, decorated nicely and the staff was incredibly friendly and hospitable. We felt really comfortable there, and had a lovely lunch.

Their sandwiches are really a great choice! With both wholegrain and white bread, you can have lots of different kinds of sandwiches. The one I had was wholegrain with avocado, lettuce, cheese, home-made mayo and ham. It was served with a side of sweet potato and beetroot crisps.

In addition to the great sandwiches, the selection of cakes is also worth a try. Me and my friends all opted for different ones, and weren't able to decide which one was the best. In the picture shown is a walnut coffee cake, but I can also really recommend the carrot cake, banoffee pie and cheesecake.

I have to say that I can definitely recommend you go check out Kinsale should you ever find yourselves in the area. It's not big, but it makes for such a pleasant afternoon stay that you can't miss it!

Has anyone of you ever been there?
xx, Misch

A Budget Traveller's Guide to Amsterdam

Today's post is first of all my excuse for being so inactive recently. I went on a city trip to Amsterdam, and now I would like to share some travel tips with you guys.

Travelling on a budget isn't always easy, because there's so many factors that need to be paid for: accommodation, transport, activities, food, and the likes. But with a bit of research and the willingness to accept somewhat low standards, it's definitely possible.
Let me say straight ahead that when I travel, I don't have high expectations as I mostly go for the cheapest versions. That's a compromise I'm willing to make, because especially when you're young, it's well worth the money you're saving and therefore able to spend on something else. Just be warned that the level of comfort might be below what you usually go for.

Now, let's talk about Amsterdam!

First of all, how do you get there? You (pretty much) have 4 possibilities: with your own car, via bus, via train or via plane. What to choose depends on where you're coming from. Living overseas doesn't give you much of a choice, but when you're travelling within Europe, I can highly recommend going by bus, as it's the cheapest alternative. The one we took was from megabus.com, and it went all the way from Munich to Amsterdam, with stops in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Cologne, Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Downside: many stops equals a long driving time, 16 hours in our case. Upside: incredibly cheap with 20€ to get there, and 25€ for the ride back, as it was on the weekend. Plus, it was surprisingly comfortable for the price, and we were able to get some sleep.

Amsterdam has plenty of hostels to stay at. Hostelworld.com helps you find them, and we picked the Central Station Hostel. Located perfectly within the city centre, everything is in walking distance. The rooms are fine with bunk beds and a bathroom ensuite. You have lockers and free wifi, and very helpful staff. We paid 9,99€ per night for a 10 bed mixed dorm, a price you really can't complain about. Be aware that weekend and holiday rates are quite a bit more pricey, so go during the week if you can!
One thing you need to know about this hostel is that they have very steep stairs that you have to climb to get inside, they're almost as steep as a ladder.

When thinking about what to do in Amsterdam, we first of all decided on which major tourists sights to see and what activities to do. Unfortunately, most of them are quite expensive. Also, since lots of people want to see these places, it's worth going rather early during the day. Here's what we saw and did. and how we liked it:

Van Gogh Museum: a must if you're a fan of the painter. It's a very nice museum, very well-structured and not overwhelming. Admission: 15€ if you're 18 or older. I liked it a lot and think it was worth spending the money, but you definitely have to be a fan of Van Gogh's work to enjoy it thoroughly.

Rijksmuseum: it's the national museum, and quite a big one. Contains various types of artwork, but not too much of modern things. Great exhibitions on the Dutch golden age in the 17th century. Lots of Rembrandt, Rubens and Vermeer. Admission is 17,50€ for adults, but if you're still 18, you can enter for free. That's why we did it, but I don't think I would pay the full price. If you like to have a look at the stunning interior, though, you can simply go in and look around without buying a ticket. There's also a café.

Anne Frank House: this is something you really shouldn't miss. Shows Anne Frank's hiding situation and lots of background information in the actual house they hid in. It's not made in a depressing way, but wholly honouring and thought-provoking. Admission: 9€ for 18 and older.

Coster Diamonds: Amsterdam is well-known for its diamond factories. Coster Diamonds is the oldest, and you can take a free tour through the building to see diamond cutting and learn different facts. The biggest part of the building is the shop where you can buy anything you wish for. The tour wasn't exactly long and somewhat rushed, but it was interesting nonetheless. And free!

Canal Cruise: a canal cruise is a great way to get an overview of the city's main places and sights, and be told some interesting facts by the guides. Also it makes for a different perspective to see everything from the water. At the Rederij Plas we paid 9€ for a cruise, and it was about 55 minutes long. With different places, prices can range between 9 and 16€.

Flower Market at the Singel: a great flower market that is partly built over the water of the canals. Lots of beautiful flowers to see, though at this time of the year they mainly had tulip bulbs there. Still, worth a visit, and it takes place every day.

Bicycle touring: Just like the whole of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is a great place for cycling. You can rent bikes at lots of places, and prices are something around 6€ for 3 hours and 9€ for a full day. Rent-a-bike is located directly next to the hostel I mentioned above, and the bikes are also equipped with 2 locks. There are bicycle paths throughout the whole city, but at the road management can be a little hard to understand at first. Don't go to fast and always check for pedestrians and cars to be save! Something that is also great fun is cycling in Vondelpark.

This concludes the main activities we did during our time in Amsterdam. Other than that, I can really recommend just to go out and walk around. You can see so many interesting things, and the houses along the Grachten are the best things. They always look great, whether it's day or night. What's especially great at night is that you can see inside many buildings because of the huge illuminated windows. Lots of fun, I promise! And you can always discover new spots, it doesn't get boring fast.

Next, let's talk about food.
The main Dutch supermarket chain is called Albert Heijn, and you can find some stores downtown. They have a great selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods and snacks. Something I can highly recommend is their selection of freshly squeezed juices, called Versgeperst, as well as the smoothies. Had some every day because they were so good! And also not too expensive, around 2€ for 500ml. Generally, food is not too expensive.

If you want to eat out, there are many cute cafés to choose from. We didn't go to any actual restaurant but rather did late lunches in those cafés.

The first one I'd like to recommend is called Toastable, and it's located in the souterrain at the Singel. A very cute place, very cosy and with lovely staff. To eat, they mainly have sandwiches and soup to choose from. Prices range from 5 to 8€. Warm drinks are about 2-3€. What you can see in the picture is a wholegrain sandwich with brie, tomatoes, bacon and a honey-mustard-mayonnaise.

Next up I have Vegabond to introduce to you guys. which is located at the Leliegracht. Totally vegan, and not only a café but also a place to buy all kinds of vegan groceries. Their wraps and sandwiches cost between 5 and 6€, and warm drinks are around 2-3€. What I had was a wrap filled with apple, cucumber, dates, spinach, tempeh and vegan mayonnaise.

The last café I have to show you is called Ree7, and located at number 7, Reestraat. Its selection of meals is a bit bigger, including not only sandwiches but also different salads and other small meals. Their prices are a bit higher, at 7-9€ for a sandwich, and 4-5€ for cakes and pies. It's at the upper limit, but we still enjoyed our lunch there. The interior is very cute. I had wholegrain sandwich (which was more of a roll) with avocado, rocket, tomatoes, parmesan, chicken and onions, as well as an apple pie.

Generally, the selection of cute and more alternative cafés is huge, and you can find many lovely places a bit off the main tourist areas. In those, you can find any type of fast food and take away place you can imagine, and also not too over-priced. Amsterdam is also famous for its fries, which you can order with many special dressings.

If you're looking for another obvious fact to go to Amsterdam, it's the fact that marijuana is legally sold here. I didn't try it, but you can smell it at every corner of the city, at any time of the day. It's not hard to come by and, should you be interested, easy to try in the various coffee shops.

I can highly recommend for you to travel to Amsterdam. It is a lovely city with many great things to see. The Dutch are incredibly friendly and helpful, and you're sure to have a good time. It's not hard to enjoy yourself even when travelling on a budget, because the possibilities are endless. It might not be your cheapest city trip ever, but it's more than affordable. And so worth it! I loved it there, and will most certainly go back.

Has anyone of you ever been to Amsterdam? And how do you manage to travel on a budget? Let me know!
xx, Misch