What is solo travel?(26) Czech Republic

(21) Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country located in Central Europe, surrounded by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the southeast, and Poland to the northeast. It is a member of the European Union and has a long history, tradition and culture, with its capital in Prague (Prague).

It is a place where you can feel the beautiful architecture and medieval atmosphere of a fairytale country. It is a city with quaint architecture and affordable prices, especially Prague, where you can taste beer and traditional food while visiting Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, and St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Surrounded by mountains, Bohemia is made up of three regions: Čechy (Bohemia) in the west, Morava (Moravia) in the east, and Slezsko (Silesia) in the northeast, along with the highest peak Sn ěžka.

Central European Time Zone (GMT+1) from November to February and Summer Time (GMT+2) from March to October, it has a continental climate that mixes maritime and cold humid climates, with an average temperature of -1.8°C in January and an average temperature of 19.1°C in July and an annual rainfall of 525 mm.

The official name of the Czech Republic is ‘Czech Republic (Česká republika [t͡ʃɛskaː rɛpʊblɪka]’, and the abbreviated name of the country is ‘Česko [t͡ʃɛskɔ], Česko)’. It is derived from the ancient Czech word Čechové, which means Czech tribe.

The difference between Slovak and Czech is about the same as the standard language and dialect, so you can communicate almost completely with each other in your native language. Due to the close geographical and cultural distance from Western Europe and the large proportion of tourism, the people generally speak English relatively well for the old communist bloc.

As a second language, older people often learn Russian, young people often learn German and French, there are a small number of Silesian speakers, and Rusyn is designated as a minority language in the Czech Republic.

It can be divided into primary education (ZS), secondary education (SS), and higher education (VS), with an illiteracy rate of less than 1%, the school year starts on September 1, primary school (Zakladni Skola) is divided into 9 years, high school (Stredni Skola) is 4 years, 4 years vocational school, etc.

Violent crime is low compared to other European countries, but there are many pickpockets and thieves like other European tourist destinations, so government authorities are trying to reduce crime against tourists by deploying police and patrolling frequently in popular tourist destinations to prevent pickpocketing.

Foreigners staying in the Czech Republic are required to carry their passports and travel insurance cards at all times according to the Alien Residence Act, and they are obliged to present these without the police explaining any reason at the time of inspection, and they must present their passports unconditionally, and in this case, student ID cards are also not valid under the rules.

If you are caught traveling without a passport and insurance card, you may be fined and even deported, so short-term travelers should also purchase travel insurance as much as possible and avoid paying fines for not having a passport or insurance card.

There are two foreign police stations in Prague, one in the west of Prague, and one in the east of Prague, which must be remembered before traveling or visiting. This is because when you commit a crime, you must immediately go to the foreign police station and report it.

Although the Czech Republic is an EU country, it does not accept euros, and general stores do not accept euros well except for foreign establishments such as hotels, so when you travel, you need to exchange it for koruna. Currently, you need to be careful because illegal street money changers are on the rise.

No matter how much you try to induce a good exchange rate, it is much safer and cheaper to never exchange money on the street, find an official exchange office or bank where you can get a receipt, or use an ATM.

The Czech Republic has the most advanced transport network in Central and Eastern Europe, serving as a junction between the West and the East, so it has a smooth advantage in inland transportation. However, if you take any taxi in the big cities of the Czech Republic, it is easy to use a bargain.

It is better to study and use taxis and call taxis with company names such as AAA, 257-257-257, and TICK-TACK, but there is a very high probability that you will be hit by a fare bomb that ignores them and just rides. Of course, you can also just call Uber.