Where to stay in Prague
Prague's old center is small enough to cross on foot in half an hour, and trams and the metro cover the rest. For a first visit, stay in the Old Town for the sights, or in Malá Strana for quiet streets under the castle. Choose Vinohrady for a local neighborhood with good cafes and bars, Karlín or Holešovice for newer restaurants and lower prices, and the New Town if transport and value matter most. Wenceslas Square at night is the one to think twice about.
The short answer
- First trip
- The Old Town, or Malá Strana for quieter streets and the castle on your doorstep.
- Couples
- Malá Strana for lamplit lanes and gardens, or Vinohrady for wine bars.
- Families
- The New Town for trams and the metro at the door, or Vinohrady for parks and calmer nights.
- Tight budget
- Žižkov or Holešovice, a tram or metro ride from the center.
- Food and evenings
- Karlín and Vinohrady for restaurants, Žižkov for pubs.
How we judge an area of Prague: walking time to the sights, noise at night, transport, and price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Prague's neighborhoods, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Old Town Square | Prague Castle | Main station | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town (Staré Město) | A first, short visit | Busy; loud on the main streets | 5 min | 25 min | 15 min | On foot; metro A and B | €€€€ |
| Malá Strana | Couples, quiet nights | Quiet | 20 min | 5 min | 35 min | Tram 22; metro A at Malostranská | €€€€ |
| Hradčany and the castle | Views, peace | Very quiet | 30 min | 5 min | 45 min | Tram 22 or 25; on foot downhill | €€€ |
| New Town (Nové Město) | Transport, value | Quiet to busy, street by street | 20 min | 35 min | 20 min | Metro A, B, C; many trams | €€ |
| Wenceslas Square at night | Cheap, central, convenient | Loud and rough late | 15 min | 35 min | 10 min | Metro A and C at Muzeum | €€ |
| Vinohrady | A local base, food | Quiet to lively near the squares | 35 min | 55 min | 15 min | Metro A; trams | €€ |
| Žižkov | Budget, pubs | Lively; loud on pub streets | 40 min | over an hour | 25 min | Trams; metro A at Jiřího z Poděbrad | € |
| Karlín | Food, modern hotels | Quiet | 35 min | 60 min | 25 min | Metro B at Křižíkova; trams | €€ |
| Holešovice and Letná | Galleries, lower prices | Quiet | 30 min | 45 min | 35 min | Trams 12 and 17; metro C | € |
Walking times run from the middle of each area: the straight line plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes. The Old Town and New Town are flat, but Hradčany and the streets under the castle climb, and the river bends add distance. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until booking-site prices replace it.
Where the neighborhoods are
The Old Town, for a first short visit
The astronomical clock, the square and the Charles Bridge within ten minutes' walk, and the crowds to go with them.
The Old Town is the medieval core: Old Town Square with its astronomical clock, the lanes around it, the Jewish Quarter just to the north and the Charles Bridge to the west. Most of what first-time visitors come for is within ten minutes' walk, on flat cobbles, so for two or three nights nowhere saves you more time.
It is also the busiest and loudest part of the city. Day-trippers fill the square from mid-morning, stag and hen groups stay on the streets around it late into the night, and prices are the highest in Prague. Walk a couple of streets away from the square and the main route to the bridge, choose a room that faces a courtyard, and ask the hotel what is open below it until what hour.
Good for
- A first trip of two or three nights
- Walking everywhere on flat streets
- Seeing the square and the bridge early, before the crowds
Think twice if
- You want value: this is the most expensive part of Prague
- You sleep lightly and the room faces a bar street
- You want to feel you are somewhere local
Staying in Old Town (Staré Město): nearby sights, food and getting around
Malá Strana, for lamplit lanes under the castle
Baroque palaces, walled gardens and steep lanes on the west bank, ten minutes' walk over the bridge from the Old Town.
Malá Strana, the Lesser Town, sits between the river and the castle hill. Its streets are cobbled and quiet, its palaces now hold embassies and gardens, and the Charles Bridge brings you out at its edge. Tram 22 passes through, and Prague Castle is a steep walk uphill.
The price is a hotel bill among the highest in the city and a crowd on the main lane to the bridge, Mostecká, by day. After dark the side streets empty out. Wheeled bags on cobbles are hard work, and the lanes up toward the castle are steep. Many small hotels sit in old houses with narrow stairs, so check the floor and the lift before you book.
Good for
- Couples, and early starts at the castle
- Quiet streets once the day-trippers leave
- Petřín Hill and its gardens next door
Think twice if
- You want nightlife outside the door
- Cobbles and steep lanes are hard for you or your bags
- You want to spend less: prices match the Old Town
Staying in Malá Strana: nearby sights, food and getting around
Hradčany, for the castle on your doorstep
The hill above the river: very quiet at night, a long way up from everything else.
Hradčany is the castle district, with Prague Castle, St Vitus Cathedral and the Loreto and Strahov monasteries along the ridge. Once the castle closes the streets are almost empty, and you wake up with the city spread out below. There are a few small hotels and guesthouses and very few shops.
It is a steep climb from the river, though trams 22 and 25 stop close to the castle. Restaurants are fewer and pricier, and dinner often means walking down into Malá Strana. Pick it for the setting, not for convenience, and expect to plan your evenings.
Good for
- Mornings at the castle before the tour groups arrive
- Peace and views
- A short stay when getting out for dinner is not a chore
Think twice if
- You have trouble with hills or stairs
- You want a choice of places to eat nearby
- You plan to come back to the room several times a day
Staying in Hradčany and the castle: nearby sights, food and getting around
The New Town, for transport and value
Wide streets, trams and metro lines everywhere, and prices a step below the Old Town.
The New Town, laid out in the fourteenth century, wraps around the Old Town from the river at the south to the Vltava at Florenc. The streets are wider and plainer than the Old Town's, with offices and shops alongside apartment blocks. Charles Square, the Dancing House and the National Theatre are the best-known corners.
It works as a practical base. Metro lines A, B and C all cross it, many trams run along the river and the main streets, and a hotel here usually costs less than one in the Old Town. The Old Town Square is ten to fifteen minutes on foot. What it lacks is charm; the streets near Wenceslas Square in particular are commercial, so look toward Charles Square or the river.
Good for
- Value close to the center
- Metro and trams at the door
- The National Theatre, Dancing House and river on foot
Think twice if
- You want old streets and atmosphere outside the door
- You choose a street right on the busy main road
Staying in New Town (Nové Město): nearby sights, food and getting around
Wenceslas Square, the one to think twice about
Central and convenient by day. At night, one of the city's rougher stretches.
Wenceslas Square is a long boulevard running down from the National Museum, with chain hotels, shops and the busiest metro interchange in the New Town. It is only ten minutes' walk from the Old Town and the main station, and hotels here can be cheaper than anywhere in the Old Town.
After dark the lower end, and the streets running off it, fill with late-night clubs, casinos and sex-trade venues, drunk crowds and pickpockets. It is not unsafe in the sense of violent crime for most visitors, but it can feel seedy, and late-night noise carries. If you do stay, pick a hotel on a side street in the upper half, near the museum, and use official taxis or the metro rather than hailing a car from the curb.
Good for
- A cheap room very close to the metro and the station
- A short stay when you will be out until late
Think twice if
- You want a pleasant walk home after dinner
- You sleep lightly
- You are traveling alone and arriving after midnight
Staying in Wenceslas Square at night: nearby sights, food and getting around
Vinohrady, for a local base
Tree-lined streets, cafes, wine bars and parks, fifteen minutes by metro or tram from the Old Town.
Vinohrady is the residential district east of the New Town, built in the nineteenth century as a wine-growing suburb and now one of the most popular places to live. Its grand apartment blocks line streets named for kings, and Náměstí Míru and Riegrovy sady, a hilltop park with a beer garden and a view over the city, are its centers.
It is quieter at night than the center, with plenty of cafes, restaurants and wine bars within a few streets. Hotels are fewer, and many rooms are in apartments; a bed here is cheaper than in the Old Town. The Old Town Square is about fifteen minutes by metro A from Náměstí Míru, and the streets are flat, so day and evening walks are pleasant.
Good for
- A local feel, cafes and wine bars
- Parks and quieter nights
- Longer stays and second visits
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the main sights
- You want a big choice of hotels with a front desk
Staying in Vinohrady: nearby sights, food and getting around
Žižkov, for pubs and a lower bill
Prague's pub district, under a television tower, with the lowest prices of these areas.
Žižkov climbs the hill east of the main station, with its landmark: the television tower, with its crawling bronze babies. It has had a name as a rough working-class district for a century and still has more pubs per street than anywhere in Prague, with cheaper beer, music venues and a mix of locals and students.
That makes it a good place to spend less and go out, and a poor one for a quiet night. Some streets are plain and a little tired, and the lower end toward the station is not the one to walk through late. Most visitors find the Old Town about twenty-five minutes away on foot, or a short ride on a tram.
Good for
- A tight budget
- Pubs, music and a night out without the tourist prices
- Being close to the main station
Think twice if
- You want a pretty street outside the door
- You walk home late alone through quiet side streets
Karlín, for restaurants and a newer feel
A rebuilt neighborhood of offices, design hotels and restaurants, one stop on the metro from the Old Town edge.
Karlín lies on the east bank of the Vltava, beyond the main station. It flooded badly in 2002 and was largely rebuilt after, with new offices, converted warehouses, design hotels and a long list of restaurants and cafes. It feels modern and tidy rather than old.
It is a short ride from the center on metro B, from Křižíkova or Florenc, and Old Town Square is about twenty-five minutes on foot. It is quiet in the evenings outside the restaurants and can feel empty on Sundays. Come here for food and for hotels that cost a little less than the center, not for sights.
Good for
- Good restaurants and cafes
- Modern hotels at lower prices than the center
- Quieter nights close to the metro
Think twice if
- You want old streets and atmosphere
- You want the sights within a short walk
Holešovice and Letná, for galleries and a lower bill
Converted factories, galleries, a big park with a view, and a tram ride to the center.
North of the river, Holešovice is a former industrial district now full of galleries, cafes and small bars, with the DOX center and the National Gallery's modern art collection. Letná, on the hill beside it, is a residential neighborhood with a park, a beer garden and a view across the river to the Old Town.
Hotels are fewer and cheaper than in the center, and the streets are quiet at night. The Old Town is about forty minutes on foot, so you will take the tram or metro C for most trips. Parts of Holešovice are plain, with traffic and a rough edge near the railway; pick a spot near Letná or the market, not near the main road.
Good for
- Lower prices
- Galleries, cafes and Letná Park
- A neighborhood where locals outnumber visitors
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the sights
- You stay on the busy roads around the station
Staying in Holešovice and Letná: nearby sights, food and getting around
Where not to stay in Prague, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Prague. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A room above a bar on the streets around Old Town Square
Cheap rooms here are cheap for a reason: music and crowds until 3am. Ask for a courtyard room, or stay two streets away.
- The lower end of Wenceslas Square, if you will be out late
Clubs, casinos and pickpockets after dark. Choose the upper end by the museum, or stay in the New Town near Charles Square.
- A 'Prague' hotel out by the ring road or the airport, for a city break
The rate looks good until you add the daily bus and metro. Prague is small: stay in it.
- A cheap room in a flat you cannot reach after the front desk shuts
Many central rooms are in apartment buildings with no reception. Check how you collect the key and whether there is a lift.
- Unmarked taxis at the station and on Wenceslas Square
Overcharging is common. Use the metro and trams, or a taxi app, and agree the price before you get in.
Which neighborhood suits you
First time in Prague
The Old Town for two or three nights; Malá Strana if you want quieter streets.
Couples
Malá Strana for lamplit lanes, or Vinohrady for wine bars and parks.
Families with children
The New Town or Vinohrady, with metro and parks close.
A tight budget
Žižkov or Holešovice, a tram ride from the center.
Food
Karlín and Vinohrady for restaurants, the Old Town for classic Czech cooking.
Nightlife
Žižkov for pubs, the Old Town for clubs and bars (and the noise that goes with them).
Peace and quiet
Hradčany or the side streets of Malá Strana.
Galleries and design
Holešovice and Karlín.
Transport
The New Town, where metro lines A, B and C all cross.
Before you book a room in Prague
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Prague makes a good stay.
- The city taxPrague charges a local accommodation fee of 50 Kč per person per night for the first 60 days, paid at the hotel and often not in the price the booking sites show. Children under 18 are exempt. Prague 1 and the city have proposed raising it, so ask the hotel what it will charge at check-in.
- From Prague airport: the airport bus and the metroThe airport bus runs to Nádraží Veleslavín, where you change to metro A for the Old Town, about forty minutes door to door. It uses a normal public transport ticket; check the current fare on the DPP site.
- From Prague airport: the Airport ExpressThe AE bus runs without changing to the main station, Praha hlavní nádraží, in about forty minutes, every day, round the clock. It has its own fare, which you pay at the airport or to the driver; ordinary public transport tickets do not work on it.
- TaxisA taxi from the airport costs more, and overcharging is common. Use a taxi app or the airport's official rank, and agree the price first.
- Cobbles and hillsOld Town and Malá Strana streets are cobbled and Hradčany is steep. If you carry heavy bags, choose a hotel near a tram or metro stop.
- Lifts and stairsMany central hotels are in old houses with small lifts or none. If stairs are hard for you, check the floor and the lift before you book, not when you arrive.
Where to stay in Prague: questions people ask
What's the best area to stay in Prague for a first visit?
The Old Town, for a short trip: Old Town Square, the astronomical clock and the Charles Bridge are all within ten minutes' walk on flat streets. Malá Strana is the quieter choice, with the castle behind it and the bridge in front.
Is it better to stay in the Old Town or Malá Strana?
The Old Town if you want to walk to everything and eat out late. Malá Strana if you would rather have quiet lanes and gardens, and don't mind steep streets and a walk across the bridge to the main sights. Both are the most expensive parts of the city.
Is Wenceslas Square a good place to stay?
It is convenient and often cheaper than the Old Town, but the lower end and the streets off it can be loud and seedy at night. The upper half near the National Museum is calmer. For most travelers we would choose the New Town near Charles Square or Vinohrady instead.
Is Prague safe to stay in?
Yes, for the most part. Violent crime against visitors is rare. Pickpockets work Old Town Square, the Charles Bridge, tram 22 and the metro, and taxis can overcharge. Look after your bag and use official taxis.
Can you walk everywhere in Prague?
In the old center, yes. Old Town Square to the Charles Bridge is ten minutes and to the castle about half an hour, uphill at the end. Vinohrady, Žižkov, Karlín and Holešovice are better with a tram or the metro.
Which area is best for nightlife?
Žižkov for pubs and cheaper beer, and the Old Town for bars and clubs, where it is also the loudest. Vinohrady has wine bars and quieter evenings.
Which area is the best base for day trips?
The New Town or Karlín, close to the main station and Florenc bus station, where the trains and coaches to Kutná Hora, Karlštejn and Český Krumlov leave.
How much is the city tax in Prague?
50 Kč per person per night for the first 60 days, paid at the hotel, usually on top of the price shown online. Children under 18 do not pay. A rise has been proposed, so check at booking.
