Repubblica Ceca

Stay healthy

Grocery stores do not sell over-the-counter drugs, such as aspirin. You will need to go to a pharmacy (lékárna), which is usually open M-F 08:00-19:00. There are 24-hour pharmacies in the bigger cities, and you should find an address for the closest one to you listed in the window of the nearest pharmacy to you. If you are in Prague, the most central 24-hour one is in Prague 2 - on the corner of Belgická and Rumunská streets - they dispense both prescription and non-prescription drugs from a small window on Rumunská out of hours - ring the bell if there is no-one there.

Tap water is safe to drink. It's especially good in Prague although in small towns, the amount of chlorine added can be quite strong. Of course, mineral water from Karlovy Vary tastes great!

A reputable hospital in Prague is Nemocnice na Homolce, Address: Roentgenova 37/2, Prague 5 (tel 257 272 350). There is a foreigners' clinic (Cizinecké oddělení) there with English-speaking receptionists who can make appointments for you. Most doctors speak some English, and the level of care is of a very high standard.

Central Europe and parts of the Czech Republic have ticks (Ixodes ricinus) which can carry Encephalitis or Lyme Borreliosis. Ticks hide in tall grass and bushes, so try to stay on trails and inspect exposed areas of skin after a hike. Vaccination against Encephalitis is available and recommended. If you want to bushwhack, make sure you have the vaccination and wear long trousers. A good insect repellent …

Respect

The Czech Republic, along with its neighbours Slovakia, Austria, Poland and Hungary, is part of Central Europe. Often in Western Europe and North America it is incorrectly referred to as an "Eastern European" country, and most Czechs are very sensitive about this- many will even pre-empt the ignorance of some foreigners by asking "What part of Europe would you say the Czech Republic is in?" Get on their good side by answering "Central Europe", not Eastern!

Czechs don't appreciate when foreigners incorrectly assume that their country was part of the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire – both definitely false – although it was part of the Soviet Bloc and, until 1918, an Austro-Hungarian territory. Commenting about how "everything is quite cheap here" comes across as condescending about the country's economic status.

The Czechoslovakian communist regime following the Second World War is still a sensitive issue for many; it is easy to upset people in discussions on the subject. In particular, many locals still harbour some degree of animosity towards Russia due to decades of Soviet domination, including an invasion by the Soviet Union in 1968 to suppress political liberalisation and reform. Even if you're the most ardent Russophile in the world, avoid being overly enthusiastic about Russia. On the other hand, the "velvet divorce" with Slovakia was largely an amicable one with no animosity whatsoever, and the countries continue to maintain close ties with each other.

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Connect

The international calling code for the Czech Republic is +420.

Czech phones operate on the GSM standard, which covers practically all of the country. Mobile network operators use the 900 and 1800MHz GSM frequency bands, which might not be compatible with some US phones operating on 1900MHz.

Cellular network coverage of the three major networks (T-Mobile, Vodafone, and O2) is mostly excellent throughout the country. 4G (LTE) is available in the huge majority of the country, including the countryside, with much 5G coverage primarily in urban areas and corridors.

If you find using roaming with your own operator too expensive or you want to have a Czech phone number, you can buy an anonymous prepaid card from any of the three main operators. However, the pricing schemes are usually quite complicated and some investigation may be necessary to find the ideal solution (even with the prepaid cards, operators offer various schemes including various additional 'packages').

There are still some telephone boxes available, but they are gradually vanishing since the advent of mobile phones. Some still accept coins, but most of them require a special prepaid telephone card.

You can call emergency numbers from any phone for free (even without a card). The universal emergency number 112 is functional and you can use it, however you will only reach a telephone operator who will need to contact the real emergency service for you. To save precious time, it is best to directly call the servi…