Practical information
Dear Friend,
We are delighted to welcome you to Prague for the 30th edition of the Czech Dance Platform. We hope that the following information will help you to better orientate yourself at the festival.
Please pick up your registration and ticket reservations at the Meeting Point in PONEC – dance venue before the program starts. They will not be available at other theatre venues.
The itinerary with bus transportation can be found below.
Venues
How to move in Prague
You can easily take the Airport Express from the airport, which ends at Main Railway Station (Hlavní nádraží station), which is in the city center.
The Airport Express bus tickets may be purchased in the Visitors Centre at Arrival Hall or directly from the driver (100 CZK – approx. 4€).
From the Main Railway Station (Hlavní nádraží station) you can easily reach the tram n. 9, 15, 26, 5.
Prague has one of the most comprehensive transportation networks in the world.
Information about public transportation in Prague only (metro, tram, buses): https://pid.cz/en/
Information about public transport in Prague as well as train and bus connections in the Czech Republic is available at: www.idos.cz
METRO
The Prague Metro has three lines marked A (green), B (yellow), C (red).
Metro operation hours: Monday – Thursday 5:00 – 24:00 / Friday – Sunday 5:00 – 01:00
TRAM
Day lines (routes 1 – 26) operate from 4:30 – 24:00
Night lines (routes 91 – 99) operate from 24:00 – 4:30
FARES
Traveling by public transportation is only possible with a valid ticket. Passengers must obtain their tickets before boarding the vehicle or entering the metro system. The ticket is valid only if marked. Tickets can be bought at metro stations or at convenience stores, newsstands, hotels, etc. Single tickets can also be bought from machines located in metro stations or near some of the tram or bus stops or in the trams and buses themselves.
CZK 40 – 90 minutes
CZK 30 – 30 minutes
CZK 120 – 24 hours
CZK 330 – 72 hours
The programme of the Czech Dance Platform is demanding. To make sure you can comfortably catch all the performances and events at the festival, we have arranged a festival bus.
Here you will find detailed information on where, where and when the bus departs from.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER
The following emergency services have only three-digit phone numbers. You can also reach them by mobile phones without a SIM card and they are free.
Universal European emergency telephone number: 112
Police: 158
City police: 156
Firefighters: 150
Ambulance: 155
LANGUAGE
The official language is Czech. Most people have at least a basic knowledge of English.
WEATHER
The average temperature for the city in springtime begins at 7°C, with highs of 15 – 20°C during the daytime and lows of 7 – 11°C after dark.
TIME ZONE
CET / UTC + 1
ELECTRICITY
To connect to the power grid, Czechs use the Europlug (which is usually two-pronged) also typical for Poland, Greece, Germany and France. If you come from someplace else, get an adaptor (e.g. at the airport).
WATER
Tap water is perfectly fine and safe to drink. Most restaurants serve tap water for free, but some might charge for that.
SMOKING
Smoking is prohibited in public areas (bus and tram stops, train stations, on public transport, in cultural facilities, in healthcare facilities). Smoking is also prohibited in all dining establishments and in all closed spaces.
LGBTQ
The Czech Republic is considered one of the most liberal Central European countries with regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. In 2006 it legalized registered partnerships for same-sex couples. Checking in to a double hotel room should not be a problem.
CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE
The official currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (koruna), abbreviated as Kč, or internationally known as CZK. The approximate value of CZK 100 is currently EUR 4.
Do not exchange your money at the airport or the Main Railway Station.
TAXI
Don’t get into a taxi that is parked in front of the train station or at a tourist site, they would rip you off.
If you want to make sure you will pay a fair rate, it is always better to call a taxi, or the best is to use Uber, Bolt or a Czech alternative app like Liftago.
HEALTH SERVICE
Health care providers within the EU accept all patients with a European health insurance card. In case of acute illness or injury you will be treated by any hospitals. The most central hospital emergency ward is at Na Františku hospital on the ground floor. The hospital is located by the river at Na Františku 8, Prague 1.
Eating out
What is local food? It is hard to say, since most of Czech cuisine is a mix of Austro-Hungarian traditional cuisine with occasional German or Polish influences.
Safe bets includes
- Svíčková – a slow-cooked beef in a sweet creamy vegetable sauce.
- Fruit dumplings – a favourite sweet food; you can’t go wrong with these.
- Chlebíček – a small, delightfully arranged open-faced sandwich on white bread that Czechs often make or buy when they celebrate and want some easy finger food.
- Větrník – a pastry shop favourite made of puff pastry filled with white and caramel whipped cream and topped with a sweet caramel glaze.
