Car hire Avis car rentals (Tel: 221 851 2256. Email: avis@avis.cz).

Office rental Chronos Business Centre (Tel: 296 348 111, Email: chronos@terminal.cz).

Secretarial services Chronos Business Centre (as above). Many three- and four-star hotels offer secretarial services on request.

LOCAL PRESS

The English-language weekly newspaper of choice is The Prague Post, which is indispensable due to its Night and Day insert, where you’ll find anything that’s going on in terms of film, restaurants, art exhibits and music events. The reviews are often quite brilliant.

The Czech Business Weekly is still new to the scene. It’s following in the footsteps of its forerunner, the now defunct Prague Business Journal, and is a good place to monitor the heartbeat of the area’s economy and trends.

The expatriate bible www.Prague.tv sets the social calendar for most living in this city. An exhaustive website for events, it also features a bulletin board for those looking for specifics: a flat, a date, a job. You know, just in case you decide to stay in Prague and get lonely on those long cold winter nights.

INTERNET

Internet cafés are as ubiquitous as cobblestones in this city. If you need one, you’ll find one.

Eat, drink coffee and surf at the centrally located Bohemia Bagel in Old Town (Masna 2, Prague 1, 224 812 560). Rates aren’t the best in the city, but they certainly aren’t going to break you.

A bit outside the city centre, Pl@neta Internet Cafecafe (Vinohradska 102, Prague 3, Tel: 267 311 182) is the place to go if you need to use the internet for an extended period of time, as the rates are the cheapest around: under 1 Kc per minute. It’s also good for work purposes if you’re in need of a computer with Microsoft Word and Excel.

Free wi-fi access can be found in a few of the city’s most generous restaurants and cafés. Try Jáma (V Jame 7, Prague 1), Káva Káva Káva (Narodni 37, Prague 1 or Lidicka 42, Prague 5), Café Café (Rytirska 10, Prague 1) and Tynska Bar and Books (Tynska 19, Prague 1).

MONEY

Since 8th February 1993, the koruna (which means 'crown’ and is abbreviated as Kc) has been the country’s currency, replacing the old Czechoslovak crown. Czech banknotes are distributed in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 Kc, although you will probably find it quite difficult to get restaurants and small shops to break anything larger that a 2,000 Kc note (and sometimes 1,000 Kc is too much). Try to get small notes when you’re exchanging your cash.

Slowly but surely credit cards are starting to be recognised in Prague. But just because shop or restaurant staff know what they are, it doesn’t mean they’ll accept them. Always ask before sitting down to a meal or drinks—it’s hit or miss when it comes to charging things in this city.

Do all your banking during weekday business hours 9am-5pm, and make sure you have enough money for the weekend.

Bargaining in markets can sometimes work, but more often than not it won’t. Czechs are a proud people—after Communism, they don’t like the idea of foreigners calling the shots.

TIPPING ETIQUETTE

Upon entry into the European Union, those in the service industry—from waitresses to cabbies—tend to be more hopeful that you will tip rather than expecting you to. It’s possible that rumours of tipping have made their way through Prague’s establishments, because service has improved. The rule of thumb is to tip 10%, although Czechs typically round up in Koruna to the next five or 10.

VISA/VACCINATION

Visas are required for all visitors except for UK, Australian, USA, Canadian, Japanese and EU nationals. Vaccinations are not necessary.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

1st January—New Year’s Day
16th April (2006)—Easter
17th April (2006)—Easter Monday
1st May—Labour Day
8th May—Liberation Day
5th July—Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius Day
6th July—Jan Hus Day
28th September—Czech Statehood Day
28th October—National Day
17th November—Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day
24th December—Christmas Eve
25th December—Christmas Day
26th December—Boxing Day

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

You will find typical central European weather here, so expect Prague to be cool during the summers, with some short runs of hot days and teeth-chattering cold during the winter. A good rule of thumb, however, is to always pack your umbrella, as Prague has a way of throwing down rain at the most inopportune times. The wettest months are May-August, when there is about 59-63 mm of rainfall. The coldest month is January when you can expect the temperature to be an average of 1C.

SUGGESTED READING

A Brief History of the Czech Lands to 2000, by Petr Cornej and Jiri Pokorny, is a good start for those in a hurry.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera, is reccomended for those curious about the Czech people and even those who just enjoy first rate literature.

The Haunted Land: Facing Europe’s Ghosts After Communism, by Tina Rosenberg, gives a useful account of the region’s Communist past.

The Good Soldier Svejk, by Jaroslav Hasek, is a renowned Czeck classic— and a rollicking good read.

GETTING INTO TOWN

Airport The Prague-Ruzyne is a manageable airport, complete with some nice duty free shopping. And the manageability of it extends beyond the airport—it’s located just 20kms outside Prague, so it is quickly accessible by taxi or public transportation.

Car hire Open 24 hours a day, Advantage Rent-A-Car is quite convenient (Revolucni 25, Prague 1, Tel: 224 826 260, http:// advantage.arac.com/google/international/ czech.htm. A search engine of car rental companies called 5TH Gear (www.car-rental-hire.co.uk/car-hire-prague.htm) is an easy way to scan the car lots from your chair.

Buses The no 100 bus, which is stationed in front of the main terminal, is the express service to the Zlicin Metro stop on the B (yellow) subway line. Bus 119 heads to Dejvicka, where you will find the A (green) subway line. Separate tickets, costing Kc 25 apiece, are required. Minibus A more convenient way to get to the city is via Cedaz, a private minibus service. Cedaz has a counter in the airport, and there are usually drivers waiting at the curb outside the main terminal. A trip for one to four people from the airport into the city costs about Kc 360.

Taxis There is no dearth of cabs outside the airport, however, they will charge you a bit extra. If you have time, call AAA Taxi (Tel: 222 333 222) and save a few crowns. A trip into the city centre should not cost you more than Kc 360.