Can't remember when was the last time I posted a review on the JY Forum, but here I am! Flight to Prague was delayed by just over an hour due to delayed flight from Prague. Heathrow Terminal 5 was very hot and uncomfortable. Not sure why Airports have to have the heating on so high , when they can save money on heating bills. Prague had heavy snowfall just before our trip but it had all gone by the time we arrived but it was raining. We were a group of 30 people - too big for my personal liking. A few others too mentioned the size of the group, but it did not cause any problems as this trip was unlike others whereby you have toilet stops whilst going on excursions!
The coach could not drive all the way up a hill to the hotel so we had to take our own suitcases to the hotel reception in rain but there were no complaints from anyone. We went straight to dinner as we were quite late. I personally could not sleep the first night as found the room to be very hot. I tried turning the heating down but without success. The next morning I found that most of the people had found the rooms to be too hot and some had opened the windows - opening the windows turned the heating off.
The hotel was lovely and within walking distance of the centre. On Christmas Eve we had a walking tour to Prague's Castle District. We were able to visit the inside of the Cathedral, which was truly beautiful. We also witnessed the changing of the guards. The afternoon was free for us to explore further. I joined 3 other ladies and we must have walked miles. The Christmas market was lovely. Two of us walked back to the hotel whilst the others took the tram. Walking for 7 hours was exhausting but the aches went away after a hot shower. On Christmas day we explored a bit more of Prague on foot and admired beautiful architecture. We saw Wenceslas Square, Old Town Square, Jewish Quarter and 14th Century Charles Bridge. We then had a lunch cruise on the river. I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and lunch too was delicious. We had free time after disembarking and this was spent shopping! In the evening we went to a traditional restaurant for dinner where there was some folk dancing. Some liked it and some did not. Food was okay. On Boxing day there was an optional excursion to Melnik Castle which included wine testing in the Castle's cellars - a big of a dungeon but lovely. Tour of the inside of the Castle was lovely with a local guide sharing the history. Melnik, itself was very quiet with hardly anyone around and the day was a bit wet and cloudy but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Highlight of the trip was Cesky Krumlov in Southern Bohemia. The Castle was closed but we were able to view all the courtyards and even saw one of the three resident bear. After touring the courtyards we saw the Old Town, the Church and had a wander around the Christmas market before having included lunch in a lovely restaurant with a roaring wood fire. In the evening we went for dinner at one of the beer breweries before heading back to the hotel. We were delayed a bit for dinner as had to wait for a few people who did not get back to the coach stop in time. Coaches only had a short window to drop off and pick passengers.
Breakfasts in the hotel were very good with plenty of choice. Dinners were okay - I always found something for a vegetarian and the chef was also obliging. The best dinner was on Boxing Day - I had to try the salmon which was truly delicious! Weather remained good despite a little rain now and then but not enough to stop us. Heavy rain was mostly during the night. Prague is a beautiful City with lots to see. It was very busy and the Bridge was always overcrowded with people. Comfy flat shoes are a must as most streets and pavements are cobbled. You definitely have to leave your stilletos at home! Return flight was on time and we had no delays at the airport due to the strike by the Border staff. Despite the strike and several flights arriving around the same time, there were no long queues or chaos at passport control. Army personnel were manning the passport control desks but most of us had electronic passports so did not have to queue. Bags took a bit longer to arrive.
All in all a lovely trip.
Best wishes
Jaya
