Preparing for Prague: What I’m Doing Before Going

02/06/2026|The WanderFull Spirit|

Prague has been sitting on my travel wish list for years (and yes—there is an Excel spreadsheet involved). After reading The Secret of Secrets: A Novel by Dan Brown (which is set in Prague), this magical city shot straight to the top of my travel list this year. So, it’s official—we’re finally going to Prague, and here’s how I’m preparing for our trip. ✨

~~~~~~

Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products, tours, and services that I personally use, trust, or believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for supporting my travel blog.

~~~~~~~

1. Deciding on travel dates.  At the start of each school year, I review my child’s academic calendar to block school holidays on our work calendars as early as possible. That way, when it’s time to plan a trip, we simply choose from dates that are already blocked on our work calendars. Doing this far in advance makes it much easier to plan around school breaks, avoid conflicts, and travel more intentionally. This strategy alone helped us visit 12 countries in 2024, and it remains one of my biggest travel-planning hacks. 


2. Booking the flight. I compared multiple airlines to find the most direct route—my personal preference whenever possible. Unfortunately, there are no nonstop flights to Prague from our closest airport, so the next best option was a one-stop itinerary with a comfortable layover.

When layovers are unavoidable, my rule of thumb is simple: book the flight with the least number of stops. While I consider layovers a poor use of precious vacation time, there’s a balance to strike. I typically aim for a 3–5 hour layover, which provides a buffer without feeling rushed—especially on return flights, when border control can be unpredictable. While delays and cancellations are always possible, padding in extra time helps significantly reduce stress.


3. Researching the location. When I travel, I always try to make trips educational, so I started by researching country facts. I looked at the country tourism website: CzechTourism which provides a 2026 Factsheet to get a general awareness of the country. According to this website, Czechia has 18 historical sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, over 200 castles/chateaux, and over 40 protected historical towns! I also looked at the Prague City Tourism website to get more insights on the history of this magical city. UNESCO.org > Czechia also had great insights that helped me select a couple of day trips to explore outside of Prague. 


4. Where I hope to stay (I haven’t booked lodging yet!).  I’ve narrowed down hotel options in my preferred central area based on availability, cost, photos, and overall guest reviews. My next step is to compare prices across two to three booking platforms to find the best value. Once I factor in availability, location, and price, I’ll make my final decision—I’ll share once it’s booked. 


5. What I plan to do. I did a deep dive of the CzechTourism website and made a list of things I want to do/see in Czechia. Below is a shortlist of Viator and GetYourGuide tours that align with what we want to experience (I haven’t booked anything yet). 


Prague: I looked at the Prague City Tourism website which offers a Prague Visitor Pass that allows entry to more than 70 experiences in Prague, including most of the landmarks I want to see. This website also has an app that includes a map of Prague with the list of experiences. This could be a great option to go on our own adventure if we decide not to do a tour. 

Here are some landmarks we would like to visit: 

Petrin Tower, Charles Bridge, St Vitus Cathedral, Old Town Square, Prague Castle, Prague Astronomical Clock, The Powder Tower, Old New Synagogue, Old Royal Palace, Dancing house, The Jewish Quarter, The Clementinum Astronomical Tower and Baroque Library, and Old Town Hall. 

I found the tours below that cover a majority of my list, but will deliberate between the tours and the Prague City Pass: 


Karlštejn Castle in Central Bohemia (Day Trip) – This castle is listed on UNESCO’s Tentative List for the World Heritage Convention and was built between 1348 and 1357. Located just outside Prague, it’s an ideal day trip—rich in history yet easy to explore without feeling rushed, making it a great fit for our itinerary. Also, the Google images make this place look absolutely incredible. Below are some tour options that look great for us:


Bohemian Paradise (UNESCO Geopark) (Day Trip) – this is a UNESCO Global Geopark. According to the website, it is Czechia’s first protected landscape area that promotes geo-education, conservation, and sustainable tourism. I found the tours below that could be a good fit for us given our short visit and the weather conditions: 


6. Where and what I plan to eat: 

  • Czech gingerbread
  • Goulash
  • Fried cheese (I love cheese!)
  • Traditional Czech food at restaurant U Pinkasů
  • Traditional Czech food and beer at restaurant Brewery House Benedict


7. Research the weather and buy anything I might need. Before any trip, I research historical weather patterns on Google. I also add the destination to my weather app so I can monitor conditions leading up to the trip. This helps me decide what clothing and gear to pack, but also identify anything I may need to purchase ahead of time—such as a raincoat or comfortable, water resistant or waterproof walking shoes. 

Based on my research, Prague temperatures are expected to range between 30–50°F, with a 20–30% chance of snow and/or light rain. With this in mind, I plan to pack warm, easy-to-layer clothing, along with water-resistant or waterproof gear. I may also pack a pair of snow pants for added warmth and flexibility, depending on daily conditions leading up to the trip. For footwear, I’ll bring my versatile North Face boots—they’re waterproof, suitable for hiking, and easy to dress up or down. Being prepared for the weather makes travel significantly less stressful and far more enjoyable. Which brings me to my next point.


8. Check my must-have travel products. As a frequent traveler, I have a list of items I must always have with me. Before each trip, I review my must-have essentials to make sure everything is stocked and ready to go. This helps me avoid last-minute scrambling and ensures I’m not caught without something important while traveling. *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*  

Here are my travel essentials: 

  • Travel packs of Lysol or Clorox wipes.
  • Hand sanitizer; we like Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer Gel.
  • Kleenex 16 Pocket Packs easy to throw a pack or two in our backpacks. 
  • Mini Portable Disposable Travel Paper Soap Sheets easy and small enough for a backpack.
  • Earplugs – airlines generally provide these upon request, but I always carry at least one pair just in case. I don’t have any favorite brand of earplugs, but I’ve used these from Amazon: Flents Protechs Foam Ear Plugs. You never know when you need them at the hotel because traffic is so loud (NYC, I see you!). 
  • Lip Balm – chapped lips are no fun. My personal favorite is LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask: Nourish, Hydrate, Vitamin C, Murumuru & Shea Butter, Antioxidants, Flaky, Dry Lips I use this all day long despite being a “sleeping mask”. 
  • Small Travel Containers. Instead of packing full size products, these help save precious luggage space and reduce weight (for you overpackers, you’re welcome). 
  • Packing cubes. Over the years, we have collected a number of different packing cubes. The type of packing cubes we use depends on the clothes we need for our trip. For trips that require bulky coats, snow gear, etc. (like our trip to the Arctic Circle), we use vacuum storage bags. While you can’t compress snow boots, you will need all the space you can get in your luggage. For trips that do not require bulky clothing, such as beach trips, we use compression packing cubes. 
  • Rain gear. When I see low chance of rain in the forecast, I pack one travel umbrella. When the chance for rain is high (over 50% daily), I pack our our raincoats. We love this kid rain poncho/raincoat, it is easy to compress in our backpacks, lightweight, and is effective. We get a lot of compliments when our kid wears it, so an added bonus. 🙂 
  • Cold weather gear. When cooler temps are in the forecast, we focus on layers instead of bulky pieces. Lightweight base layers, a packable jacket, and accessories like hats and gloves keep us warm without overpacking. For kids especially, layers are key—they’re easy to add or remove as we begin to move through our journey. We loved these waterproof fleece lined snow and rain pants when we were in Tromso, Norway. It kept our kid warm, dry, and happy. I plan to pack one pair for Prague given the rain/snow forecast. 
  •  Organization pouches. These pouches help keep things organized in our backpacks instead of having rain ponchos, beanies, gloves, and other essentials floating around. I use them for two main reasons: 1) to compress clothing and save space, and 2) to keep clothing organized and separate from snacks—because snacks will pop open and cause chaos if given the chance. 
  • Comfortable travel clothing. For travel days, comfort is non-negotiable. We choose soft, breathable layers that work for long, cold travel days. We normally wear joggers pants, t-shirts, an light jacket. Here are some options for girl fleece joggers and women jogger pants. 
  • First aid essentials. I carry a small first aid pouch that has the basics, so I check if anything needs to be replaced (due to expiration or use). Here is what I carry: Children’s Tylenol, Kid’s Pepto, Ibuprofen, bandages, insect repellent, antibiotic ointment, alcohol pads, and Dramamine. 

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*  

 ~~~~


Preparing for a trip is part of the journey itself. Thoughtful planning gives me the clarity and confidence to travel with intention—so once we arrive at our destination, we can stay present, curious, and open to the experience. With the planning underway, I’m looking forward to soaking in Prague and letting the trip unfold the way it’s meant to. I’ll be sharing what we learn along the way, in true WanderFull Spirit fashion. 

  

Thanks for reading and I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions or need help planning, please contact me at wander@thewanderfullspirit.com. Also, if you have any suggestions, reach out, I am always looking for insights from experienced travelers to collaborate. 


Wishing you a WanderFull adventure!✨