Many of our Prague apartment rentals have internet access but if you’d prefer not to have to stay in to surf, there are a few more ways to get connected.
Free wifi around town
Unlike many western countries paid-for wifi networks never took off here so you won’t have to part with more hard-earned to get online in cafes, bars and restaurants, other than the cost of a drink. Most places offering free wifi will have a sign on the door or window making the fact abundantly clear. If you’re going to put down roots for an extended length of time in one of these places, play nice and order some food. Many places do have a password on their network, often displayed on the menu, or a chalkboard. Otherwise just ask. The Czech for “password for wifi” is “heslo pro wifi” (pronounced viffy). This site, in Czech but easy to navigate, maintains a fairly comprehensive list of hotspots around town.
If you’re going to be traveling around the country, perhaps to Karlovy Vary or Cesky Krumlov, you may need your access to be a bit more portable. Don’t worry, we’ve got the answers for that.
Get your smartphone online for cheap
If you’ve got an unlocked smartphone you can buy a pay-as-you-go SIM. All the major operators offer mobile internet but some are cheaper, faster and simpler to set up than others. Overall we recommend O2 at 40Kc a week, with enough bandwidth for casual email, web, Facebook and Foursquare use. Enabling it on the SIM can be done at an O2 store or just by sending an activation SMS. Full info here.
Stick it to ‘em
If you’re toting a laptop, you can pick up a pay-as-you-go USB stick from most of the operators. Again O2 has the best deal. They have a kit for around 1000Kc for an unlocked USB stick, SIM card and a month’s internet access. If you’ve got your own unlocked stick, you can just buy a SIM card and activate the service. O2 stores in the center should all have English speakers.
Going on vacation no longer means being out of touch. Take a moment to tell your friends and family back home how much you’re enjoying your Prague vacation or maybe post some pics on our Facebook page.
Image credit: Rubenerd via Creative Commons on Flickr
