Originally Posted by
fastwalker
We are two older couples travelling to Prague in late March 2015 and we will have five full days there. Is this too long to be there? Would anyone recommend any day trips outside of Prague? We are travelling to Amsterdam after Prague and have the same amount of time there. We have not been to either of these cities. Our flights are booked.
Thank you.
Debbie
Make sure you bring warm clothes unless you get very lucky as both these cities are usually still in the grip of winter in March
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Regarding your question about time spent and day trips. Unless you are a person who likes to spend a whole day lingering around a single museum (or even half day), you only realistically need one or two days to see all the major sites in Prague as they are all connected. From the Castle/Male Strana to Old Town Square to Vaclavske Namesti and the National Museum, you could do the whole (very brisk) walk in an hour. Obviously as a tourist you would do it in a day, or two. Stretch it to three to do it VERY leisurely and linger in museums.
Day trips from Prague:
Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO world heritage site. Very small and more than two hours from Prague, but very beautiful. Best route is Student Agency bus.
Plzen, if you very interested in beer. Again student agency bus.
If you play golf there is a beautiful, challenging course at Karlstejn as well as 1000+ year old castle there to see. Rental car required for golf, train for castle.
Karlovy Vary is sometimes recommended as a day trip/spa destination. The spas are not the western idea of a spa, they are hot water springs which supposedly have medicinal benefits. Also it's become a Russian enclave over the past 15 years and has many mafia types. AYOR.
Other possibilities are Kutna Hora, an old mining town and some nearby castles. The problem is the time of year. If you were there in spring or summer you could spend a day in a typical small village, but in the dark cold of March that wouldn't be any fun.
Amsterdam, similar to Prague, the highlights can all be seen in day or two, unless you like to linger long in museums. Or you could stretch it to three by taking long leisurely walks along the canals, doing boat trips and what not.
Not really an expert on day trips from Amsterdam but one suggestion I would absolutely recommend is a day trip to Bruges in Belgium. I've been to every corner of Europe and think Bruges is the most beautiful, a must see. A day trip to Brussels would also not be a bad idea I'd think.
Other than that the website viator.com shows some things available. I wouldn't book with them, but it gives you an idea.
Have a great time
!!!