Czech

The US State Department provides Country Specific Information sheets for every country in the world as well as Travel Alerts and Warnings. For this information, call 888 407 4747 or 202 501 4444 or see www.travel.state.gov.

• Plan to visit your doctor or local travel clinic at least 4-6 weeks before departure to allow time for any vaccinations to take effect or to fill any prescriptions.
• We strongly suggest purchasing appropriate trip insurance covering medical, baggage, and trip cancellation as needed.
• Before traveling to Europe or any other destination, we recommend consulting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for up-to-date information on required and recommended vaccines and medications. Visit cdc.gov/travel or call 800 232 4636 for more information.
• For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO), which contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information.
• If you received any vaccinations in preparation for your journey, pack your vaccination certificates in your personal carry-on baggage in case you are asked to show them on l.
• Make sure that any medications you require, as well as copies of your prescriptions, are packed in your carry-on luggage and not in your checked baggage.
• Special meals and allergies: If you require special meals for health or dietary reasons, please let your J2 operator know at least 60 days prior to your departure.
  
  

We strongly recommend that you purchase your own travel insurance. Please discuss land, air, and health insurance options with your insurance provider or contact Travel Insured at 1-800-344-6226, ext. 257. Some insurance programs provide more comprehensive coverage when the policy is purchased in close proximity to the initial trip deposit. We therefore recommend that you secure insurance within 14 days of your initial deposit payment date.

• The currency of the Czech Re is the Ceská (Czech) Koruna (CZK) or Czech Crown. The Crown is subdivided into 100 Haler, but all sub-Crown coinage is no longer in use. Czech coinage consists of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 Crown pieces. Banknotes come in 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 (CZK 50 note is not valid since spring 2011 but can be exchanged in a bank), increasing in size with value and varying in color and graphic designs.
• Click here to obtain the most current exchange rates.
• Price tags in stores frequently have odd amounts such as Kr. 34,70 or Kr, 9,60 (note European decimalization). These prices are rounded up or down at the register to the nearest crown. This oddity will disappear when the country merges its currency operations with the European Union’s Euro Zone, expected to occur in 2020.
• Buying currency in the Czech Republic will get you a better rate than in the US but usually only in the banks, not exchange offices. It is still however advisable to get your cash from cashpoints (ATMs) using a debit card. It is, however, a good idea to check with your bank for the fees applicable.
• We recommend that you contact your bank in advance of departing on your journey to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them to be “suspicious” charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of the front and back sides of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost, or stolen.
• For more information about money in the Czech Republic, click here.

• In the Czech Republic the power plugs and sockets are of type E. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
• For more information about this, visit worldstandards.eu.
• Electric shavers, traveling irons, phone rechargers, and other small appliances may require adaptors and/or converters, which you can purchase prior to your departure or at the airport.

Central European Time is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, US. To determine current time in major cities around the world, visit timeanddate.com.

Tips to avoid international roaming charges:

• Use your existing plan – contact your local carrier to find out plans and prices for data roaming.
• Rent a device – Rent a phone, download your information, and use the borrowed device as if it were your own.
• Get a local SIM card – Make sure your phone is “unlocked” before purchasing a local SIM card in your destination and using your phone on the local network.
• Wi-Fi only – Turn off your cellular data, switch your phone to airplane mode, and enable a Wi-Fi connection to access Internet hotspots in your destination.

A call to the United States or Canada would begin 00-1, followed by the US or Canadian area code and number.

Here’s a recommended restaurant list to help you decide which of Prague’s many restaurants might suit you best. These are all popular places so we suggest that you plan ahead and make reservations in advance.

• Travel through Europe for people with special needs is doable/manageable but with few limitations.
• Airports and many tourist sites are wheelchair-friendly and most hotels have special rooms designed for disabled travelers.
• When making independent dinner plans, check with your hotel as to which recommended restaurants can best accommodate your needs.
• Many of the streets in the old cities and towns are still paved with cobblestones making free exploration very limited, and possibly almost impassable, for wheelchairs. Many places and sites have stairs only and don’t offer wheelchair access.
• The decision to participate in one of these tours is at the sole discretion of each participant.
• Should you require handicapped facilities please contact our office.

Czech is the official language of Czech Republic. Czech is closely related to Slovak, to the point of mutual intelligibility to a very high degree. Younger Czechs are more likely to speak English whereas many older Czechs (especially those living outside Prague) speak Russian or German as second and third languages. Basic English is widely spoken in most hotels and restaurants. Still, it is always worthwhile to speak a little of the local lingo so we recommend you click here for some useful Czech words and phrases.

Prague’s climate is humid continental, characterized by cold winters and mild or pleasantly warm summers. Snow can be common between mid-November and late March. Precipitation in Prague is fairly low, but late spring and summer can bring heavy rain.

Use a website such as weather.com to find average temperatures and rainfall during your travel times.

• June, July, August have the most rain.
• January, February, and March are the driest months.
• June, July, and August are the hottest months.
• December, January, and February are the coldest months.

Confirm baggage limitations with your international carrier before packing. Remember that airlines can change their baggage restrictions at any time.

• Be sure to reconfirm your international flights with your airline 24 hours prior to your departure.
• Passengers must check in for international flights from the US/Canada at least three hours prior to departure time.

Security checks are carried out routinely for your protection and safety. Expect to be asked about the contents of your luggage, who packed it, whether anyone asked you to t items for them, and whether your luggage remained with you before you arrived at the airport. Do not take any mail, packages, or unknown items from anyone either before or after arriving at the airport.

• If your package includes arrival and departure transfers, this will be detailed in your travel documents which will be e-mailed to you up to one week prior to your trip.
• If you deviate from the arrival and/or departure dates and time as specified in your travel documents, you will need to arrange your own transfers. Alternatively, you may request a transfer service up to three working days prior to your arrival and the cost of the transfer service will be added to your invoice.
• When requesting a transfer service, please provide us with your flight information. Your arrival transfer is guaranteed for up to one hour from your scheduled arrival time in order to compensate for minor delays.
• J2 Adventures or the transfer company will not be responsible for delays, for any reason, beyond one hour from your originally scheduled arrival time. In case of a delay, it will be your responsibility to contact us directly and/or to make other transfer arrangements, such as by taxi.
• Transfer costs are not refundable and any additional expenses will be your responsibility.

• Prague has an efficient public transport system – the Prague Public Transport Company – which is composed of buses, trams, and a subway.
• For more information, visit http://www.dpp.cz/en/transport-around-prague/ or call (only local call): 296 19 18 17.
• Taxi: Average fare in city is 40 crowns for boarding, then around 26 crown per km, plus 6 crown a minute waiting time in traffic jams etc. You can hail taxis in the street, but it is preferable and less expensive to order an “AAA” taxi by telephone.

If you arrive at your hotel before the customary 3:00 p.m. check-in time, your room may not be available. Store your luggage with the concierge and take the time to walk around and get a feel for your new city.

• Hotel safes are usually provided and can be used to protect valuables such as passports, medications, jewelry, money, and electronics. If you must carry valuables, keep them on your person at all times, be mindful of your surroundings, and take extra caution in crowds.
• We recommend photocopying the personal information pages of your passport and leaving one copy with a family member or friend and packing another in a place separate from the passport itself. You can also scan your passport and email a copy to yourself for easy online access. This will help you to secure a replacement quickly should the need arise.

Where and whether to shop while traveling with us is a personal choice and shopping is never compulsory. If at any point during your journey you feel pressured to shop or make purchases, please immediately discuss the matter with your tour educator.

We recommend the following for tipping (amounts in US dollars):

• Groups of 20 participants or more:
  J2 educator/escort $12, local guide $10, and driver $5 per participant per day
• Recommended restaurant tipping when lunch or dinner is on your own:
  10%-15% depending on your satisfaction.
• Porter:
  Included in your package.