Our first visit in Prague took place at the midst of October 2003. As for the weather, it was nor the best neither the worst timing. Our choice to visit Prague at October wasn’t due to a thorough comparison of weather patterns; this vacation was a birthday present to my mate who was born at the early fall. During our trip we found out, that October in Prague is quite rainy and relatively cool. But there’re also some advantages and you can find more information about them below. Czech Republic is located in central Europe, so the climate there is typically a continental one, characterized by extreme weather patterns and significant differences between the seasons.

1. As I’ve already mentioned, summers in Czech Republic are hot and rainy. The temperatures usually float around 86° F (30° C).

2. Winter in Prague is usually cold and intermittently snowing. The daily temperatures tend to hover above the freezing point. January and February are the coldest months. Low temperatures may drop to 1º F (-17º C) during February; however, this is a quite uncommon.

3. The spring in Prague is warm and fairly dry. May tends to be a sunniest month of the year and as for me, this is the best time to visit Prague, weather wise.

4. The autumn in Prague is cool and wet. However, I think you can benefit from visiting Prague at this period. First, you could enjoy the spectacular Prague’s fall, covering all the parks and gardens with amazing yellow, red and purple leaves. Secondly, if you stay in Prague till the end of November, you can usually experience the first snow. Lastly, the autumn is considered a low season in Prague (any relevance to my spouse’s birthday party?), so your journey is supposed to be cheaper. Conclusion: come to Prague at the forthcoming fall, and we’ll probably see each other in Malostranska kavarna, without even knowing it.

To plan, or not to plan – that is the question I was facing before each of my journeys. As a regular participant in a number of Internet travelers’ forums, I can easily distinguish between the two main traveler types:

1. The first kind: an uncompromising planner. The representative: an experienced traveler who begins his voyage from home as he starts collecting and sorting information regarding his next target just one day after coming back from his last vacation. “Next year I am planning on visiting the Netherlands. Enclosed the draft of my journey’s diary. Where should I go on the fifth day of my vacation to Haag?”

2. The second kind: the spontaneous traveler. The representative: usually a messy person, who is capable of making a decision about his or her next destination, three days before it actually takes place. “Tomorrow I’m going to Spain, I’m not sure about the exact target. What’s better – Madrid or Barcelona? What about Tangier? I’m not sure.”

As for me, I still don’t know which category I fit in. My planning attitude changes and is completely dependent on the target destination. As for my trip to Prague, I have a confession to make. On my first visit, I felt I was completely unprepared. After exploring Prague for four times, I have some tips to share with you:

1. A comprehensive planning of a short vacation in Prague is not obligatory. There are some important sites to visit; all of them can be reached easily from the center of the city. You can just buy a common tourist guide and plan your next day after dinner.

2. The “must-be-visited” sites of the city are as follows: Wenceslas Square (Václavské Náměstí); Old Town Square (Staroměstská náměstí) ;Josefov (the Jewish Quarter); Mala strana (Lesser Quarter); Charles Bridge (Karlův most); the Prague Castle (Pražský hrad); Vysehrad(Vyšehrad); and Petrin (Petřín) Hill.

3. Every site can be reached from another site in less than half an hour, using the underground. If you’re in a rush to see it all, you can visit all of these magnificent sites in an intensive three-day trip, or less intensive five-day trip.

4. Despite all of the above, my best advice would be to thoroughly plan your travel in Prague. Here’s why: first, every building in Prague is sort of a historical site. You can always savor on your spontaneity, and become disappointed when you return home only to realize, that you’ve been this close to the most significant historical or cultural point and missed it (If cultural and historical sites are obligatory part of your trip). The second reason is, that some paths in Prague cannot be properly explored without planning ahead (like the path of Kafka’s life spots). Lastly, some points in Prague which are less popular or prominent, can be very seductive to the senses, making you stay and skip the “must” ones. The best advice is to use a good tourist guide, or the most relevant Internet sites (or this blog, for instance) before setting foot in Prague.