Czech Republic: Some Interesting Facts

Public Holidays

Most of the public holidays listed in calendars in the Czech Republic are Christian holidays. The main ones are listed below. If you’re travelling to the country around Easter or Christmas, it’s wise to make all your bookings- especially for transport and accommodation- well in advance, as most facilities can get quite crowded at these times.

Date 2005 Occasion
January 1 New Year's Day  
March 27 Easter
March 28 Easter Monday
May 1 May Day
May 8 Liberation Day (1945)
July 5 St Cyril & St Methodius
July 6  Jan Hus
September 28 Czech Statehood Day
October 28 Establishment of Independent Czechoslovakia (1918)
November 17 Struggle for Liberty and Democracy Day
December 24 Christmas Eve
December 25 Christmas Day  
December 26 2nd Day of Christmas

Weekend- Saturday, Sunday

Important Numbers

Police: 158
Fire Brigade: 150
Ambulance: 155
Foreigners’ Medical Clinic: 5292-2146 / 5292 2191

Weights & Measures

The Metric system is used through the country so you buy liquids in litres, solids in grams and kilos and measure distance in metres and kilometres.

Electricity

Power is supplied at 220 volts, 50 Hz. Appliances that are not compatible need an adaptor or converter in order to function.

Customs and Duties

Visitors entering the Czech Republic are allowed to bring in, free of customs duty, personal effects including 250 cigarettes (or their equivalent in tobacco), 2 litres of wine, a litre of spirits, 500 ml of eau de cologne, and other items- such as gifts- up to a value of 1000 koruna. While leaving the country, you may take out gifts up to the same value (1000 koruna); however, crystal bought at shops other than the government-approved `hard-currency’ (Tuzex) shops may be subject to a tax of up to 100% of their retail price.

Embassies and Consulates

The Czech Republic has diplomatic relations with a number of countries, including most nations of Western Europe. These have their embassies, consulates or diplomatic missions in the capital, Prague. Should you need to visit any of them, the telephone numbers and addresses are easily available in the local telephone directory of Prague.

Post & Communications

The Czech Republic’s postal system is quite reliable, and besides post offices, most hotels too provide basic postal services, like franking, selling stamps and mailing letters for you. The main post office in Prague is located off Wenceslas Square, on Jindrisska 14. It’s open 24 hours a day, and is very convenient for virtually any communication, postal or otherwise.

As far as telephones are concerned, there are a number of public phone booths scattered across cities and towns, in which coins or telephone cards can be used. Telephone cards can be purchased at newspaper stands, post offices and large shops, and are usually safer than using a coin- a number of public phones have the unpleasant habit of swallowing your coin even if your call doesn’t actually materialise. If you’re likely to be making a lot of phone calls, buy a card.

Other telecommunications facilities, like fax, telex and Internet, are usually available at large hotels, post offices and business centres.

Tipping

Although tipping isn’t exactly mandatory, a tip of about 10% of the bill is appreciated, especially in restaurants with table service, and if the service has been good. If you don’t want to leave as much as the standard 10%, just round off the bill as that generally suffices. In most restaurants, the practice is that the steward, when handing you your bill, mentions what is the amount it adds up to, and when you make the payment, you mention how much you’re leaving- in all.

English Language Media

Very few people in the Czech Republic speak English, and that’s the main reason why, even though the country has a number of publications, there are very few in English. Among the best, and the most reputed, is The Prague Post, but you may have some trouble laying hands on it outside the capital.

As with the press, so it is with the electronic media. If you want to listen to English programmes on radio, you’ll have to tune in to BBC or Voice of America broadcasts- there’s virtually nothing local in the English language.
Television too has no English programmes.