Well now Jack, you were in Manhattan. You got to pay the piper for that kind of privilege. On the other hand, the autobahn gas station we stopped at on the way here had 6 packs of 18 ounce cans of Pilsner Urquell for just over $10. I was tempted, but figured it might not be fresh and that I could probably do better at a local store (here in Prague).
Even in Prague I would strongly suggest you check the dates. One of my favorite Bohemian Pilsners is Golden Pheasant (Zlatý Bažant) which is brewed in neighboring Slovakia and I used to be able to buy this beer in Pennsylvania (e.g., Shangys) but this beer was discontinued as an import. I saw a bottle of Zlatý Bažant at the Tesco supermarket near out hotel and I gleefully bought it. I drank it later at the hotel and it was OK but very much tired/stale. Just like in the US the fact you buy beers locally does not guarantee freshness. A lot of my Pilsner Urquell drinking was at Tankovna (tank) pubs and while those beers were super fresh that had more diacetyl (butter) than I prefer. Na Zdravi
@JackHorzempa @John_M Part of why we booked was the low cost. Cheaper than California for sure! And the lower abv beers that are amazing was the reason I even checked the rates. Your input is making us even more excited!
@REVZEB So my wife and I are finishing up our stay in Prague, heading out to Krakow tomorrow. For the most part, we had a great time here. However, I thought it wouldn't hurt to pass along a few observations and suggestions. Currency exchange. Most places will take credit cards, but not every spot is particularly happy about it. For example, after finishing our meal at U Fleku tonight (very good food at a very reasonable price; their dark lager was excellent), our waiter felt very strongly that we should pay cash for it. He was very dissatisfied when I told him we didn't have any Krunar or euros left, and announced on the spot that he would need to assess a 10% additional charge for table service. Not a big deal... service was very good and the meal very reasonable, but I was a bit taken aback by the experience. I suspect that locals don't have to put up with this sort of behavior. Also, I'm sure you know this already, but if you're given an option to pay for a meal, beer or gift in USD or local currency (at the cash register), always pay in local currency (Krunars). And yes, the folks at U Fleku felt very strongly that we needed to order shots of the Becherovka. We remained adamant that we didn't want or need any. Otherwise, we just used local currency for tour guide tips, public toilets and beers at Hostomicka Nalevarna (they are a cash only place). That being said, I think it's generally a good idea to carry some walking around change. I exchanged $60 the two days I was in Prague, which turned out to be plenty. Normally, I'd use my debit card to obtain local currency at a bank ATM, but after talking to our tour guide and reading various online stories, I decided against it. Turns out my bank (Chase) charges a $5 international, foreign transaction fee, and the local bank ATM owner does the same. If you're foolish enough to get your currency from Euro exchange, or any of the other non bank affiliated ATMs you can find on every corner, there's no telling what sort of transaction fee you'll be assessed (though there are plenty of online horror stories if you're truly interested). Sure, you'll get a much better exchange rate thru an ATM, but you'll have to purchase a considerable amount of Krunar to make up for the transaction fees. So after talking to our tour guide, we exchanged $60 at the Palladium exchange, located in the Palladium shopping center. I was able to get just over 20 Krunars on the dollar, which I felt was acceptable (though certainly not a great rate). Like the non affiliated ATMs, there are currency exchange stores located on practically every street, all promising that they have the best exchange rate in town and don't charge a commission. So be careful! If a place's offer seems too good to be true, it probably is (too good to be true). But otherwise we had a great time. I'm sure you will too.
We've had no problems exchanging money in our few European excursions (last 10 years to France, Italy, Ukraine). Our credit union debit cards didn't have onerous fees, and we weren't ever charged an exorbitant exchange rate or fee. We tripped up in Ukraine, though. ATMs were ubiquitous there, and fees low or non-existent for $. In order to exchange back from Hrunia to $, we needed a receipt from the initial purchase to show the attendant.
I haven't had any problem in France either. In fact, excessive fees really haven't been a problem any place we've traveled. Maybe it's because the Czech Republic isn't on the euro system? I was all set to use my debit card at a Prague ATM, until our tour guide suggested that might be a bad idea. Even then I was skeptical, until I did some research online. After that I decided to use an exchange shop.
Without doubt Hostomicka Nalevarna. Good beer, local vibe, friendly service and great prices. @thebeers We also liked the Staropramen outpost as well. It was a much larger facility, much more commercial, but the beer and service there were good and the prices reasonable. It's in a large, airy, well lit spot (that we all liked). For some reason they were trying to encourage customers to use euros. They would give you a 26 to one exchange rate if you paid with euros.
Most places will take euros, but usually with a very poor rate of exchange. Generally, I got the impression merchants felt they were doing you a favor if they accepted euros instead of Koruna. That's why I was so surprised by what I saw at Staropramen.
Did you take the tour? An extract from my article: “Staropramen Brewery One of the tag lines that Staropramen Brewery uses is that it is the largest brewery in Prague. And it just so happens the hotel we were staying at was on the same block as the brewery and looking from our window we could be the distribution portion of the brewery: loading dock with lots of kegs stacked up. My wife and I took a tour of the Staropramen Brewery (it was a 3 minute walk from our hotel). Before the tour my wife asked: Are you going to ask a bunch (of annoying) questions during the tour? She didn’t actually say the words “annoying” but via the tone I got the ‘message’. My response to her question was: absolutely!! The tour was ‘interesting’ in that it was a multimedia tour vs. an actual tour of the brewery with a tour guide. I almost felt like the folks who took a ‘tour’ of Jurassic Park in the beginning of the movie where that tour was movies with narration. Needless to say it was a disappointment for me since I couldn’t ask my (‘annoying’) brewing questions. An option with the tour was a beer tasting after the tour and of course we chose to do this. There is a very nice pub in the basement of the Staropramen Visitor Center of the brewery…” https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Czech_Beers Na Zdravi P.S. I look forward to reading your thought about Polish beer once you arrive to Krakow.
Didn't have time unfortunately. Also, I've been a bit under the weather since leaving the riverboat, which has slowed me down some. The day we went to Staropramen, I'd already been to Hostomicka Nalevarna for a couple pints, and we were on our way to U Fleku. Doing a brewery tour on top of everything else was just too much (unfortunately).
I hope you recover quickly for the remaining portion of your European excursion (e.g., Poland). Na Zdrowie!
I take back what I said earlier about France. I just looked at my bank statement, and saw I got popped for a $10.17 foreign exchange transaction fee for my recent withdrawal in Paris. I don’t recall ever getting hit with that kind of fee in the past, so it may be that there's been some recent policy change at Chase. I know you get a better exchange rate withdrawing from an ATM, but I'd really have to purchase a considerable amount of euro to make up for that kind of fee. Currency exchanges in France aren't that greedy (ok, some are, but they're easy to avoid).
Last day in Poland, sitting outside the Warsaw café with a glass of Ksiazece lager. My impression is that there are plenty of places to find good beer in cities like Warsaw and Krakow, but outside the larger cities I suspect that's not the case. If I can use the Czech Republic as a reference point, if you go to a pub, cafe or restaurant and the menu is limited, the default beer option is typically Pilsner Urquel or Staropramen. Here in Poland the default position is the big three (zywiec, okochim and tyskie). There is simply no comparison between those swill producers and the Czech stuff. That being said, the lager I'm currently enjoying is quite good (tastes like a solidly made helles), and the dark lager I had at CK Browars was very good. It was similar to a good Czech dark lager, but was a bit lighter and softer on the palate. Time was limited here in Poland, but there did seem to be a considerable number of craft outposts. Would guess that a significant percentage of the population are as thrilled as I am at the prospect of drinking insipid swill from the big three. It's always nice to have options and alternatives.
To be fair, even as a self-proclaimed High Life (bottles) drinker, I'd probably rather drink their top 3 insipid swills than our top 3.
I am confident that John (@John_M) will be happy to read that you used the words "insipid swill" in your post. Na Zdrowie!
@REVZEB - did this already happen...Dva Kohouti should be a consideration, which is run by Lukaš Tomsa - --- + Radim Zvánovec just released a short list that you might want to consider [Includes Dva Kohouti] – --- …Radim is currently touring & promoting Czech culture in the US
I’m in Prague now. So far have hit Pivovar Strahov, Prague Beer Museum, PULT and U Fleku. PULT is far and away this best beer geek spot. Six light lagers on tap that stay on a full year, plus a few tap specials and cans and bottles. I read you needed Czech there, but as soon as I started in they graciously switched the convo to English and explained everything. Fresh and expertly poured. 84 Crowns for a half liter. Less for a smaller pour. Great vibe. Beer Museum was friendly and all, but not a beer nerd spot. Fast, friendly, but just trying to churn out product. Strahov was serious about the beer and had good food. U Fleku is a tourist trap, but if you’re a tourist, should be a must stop.
