On our last full day in Prague we switched hotels to put us closer to the airport. We’ve found that this makes it easier on our last day, so we are not stressed trying to make it to the airport. Prague has a couple of hotels near the airport and being the Marriott whores that we are we chose the Courtyard.
Honest Guide Wins Again
I’m writing this on the plane ride back and I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this, but a lot of our planning was influenced by the YouTube channel The Honest Guide. In our opinion they are the ultimate authority on all things Prague and the Czech Republic. Prolific would be an understatement but I can’t find another suitable adjective.
If you are going to Prague or want to watch an awesome YouTube series check out the Honest Guide. I wish every city/country had a channel like this. We’ve used so many of their tips but on our last day in Prague we used one more to eat at the airport.
Eating at the Airport
Devin and I travel for work often and if you asked us if you should eat at an airport, we would probably look at you like you were crazy. (Unless it was Nuts on Clark obviously) However in the Cheapest places to eat in Prague, Janick and Hansa recommend eating at the airport. Specifically, upstairs in Terminal 1 there is a buffet/cafeteria style restaurant that is cheap and good.
After checking into our hotel, we headed over to Terminal 1 and headed upstairs. As described in the video we saw Airport security and other airport staff head for the restaurant. We got in line and got some food. I picked up beef in wine sauce and dumplings and Devin who wasn’t feeling so good got potatoes and what she assumed was chicken. I also grabbed a Czech Budweiser and Devin went for a slice of cake.
Forms of Payment
The Czech Republic’s border country Germany does not like credit cards. They are the reason there are some obscenely large Euro notes. The Czech Republic is not like this and most places take plastic, but they prefer contactless payment like Google Pay or Apple Pay. They have cards that are contactless but, in the US, we use our cellphones coupled with near-field communication (NFC) to complete the transaction.
The Honest Guide’s videos always let us know if the place takes cards or is cash only and this place is open 24/7 and takes plastic. Perfect!
Eating at an airport can be cheap and good
The food was great, and the meal cost us less than $17. We never figured out what Devin’s food was but it wasn’t chicken. More like a fried burger or schnitzel. This is unreal at an airport for two people and a beer. The entire meal was spent marveling at the food and then looking at the receipt to make sure we weren’t dreaming.
Take the Hill
George, our guide from the food tour had sent us some places to watch the New Year’s Day fireworks where we wouldn’t be with all the tourists. He sent us three and we selected one that was close to our former hotel and the ugliest tower in the world. Prague was shutting down buses and trams in the Old City during the fireworks, but the Metro would be running.
We arrived at the hill 30 minutes before the start of the show and George came through because the crowd was full of other Czech families. Unfortunately, the weather was a bit damp and cold but we didn’t allow it to affect our spirits.
Countdown
Starting 30 minutes before the show there were small fireworks ignited to provide a countdown. This continued 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, and 2 minutes before the show started. I’ve never seen anything like it.
The show began and they set it to music. I only know this because someone had a stereo and the local radio station was playing the music for the display.
Unifying Explosions
While we may come from different places, have different values, and speak different languages, fireworks seemed to evoke the same emotional reactions from all of us. We all oohed and ahhhed at the same times while the children pointed to the sky in awe. It was truly an unspoken magical moment that sums up why we travel.
