Headstart Prague pre-travel kit
The Prague pre-travel kit will help prepare you for the layout of the city, essential phrases, cuisine, public transport and possibly difficult situations. It is designed to be used when you arrive here so allow enough time for me to send it to you. It can be delivered locally in Prague (if you give me the address and reservation details) but, you will not get the full benefits of the help cards, Prague map and transport tickets etc if you have to wait until you get to the hotel to get the kit.
If you are already a PayPal account holder then just add the kit to the PayPal cart on the button below. The kit costs 13 Euros and you can add a voluntary donation if you wish. Price includes air-mail postage and packing. Postage time in Europe is 5-7 days, US and Asia takes 7-10 days.
If you are not a PayPal account holder and you don't know anybody who can use their account instead, you will have to register a personal account at www.paypal.com. After registration you can pay for goods from any website that uses the service. See the Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions on this page as well.
Contents of the Headstart Kit
1 x Introduction, information and vocabulary sheet. The sheet thanks you personally for your support and describes the contents below. The reverse side has the "vocabulary guide" containing more than 40 popular words that you might need to understand or to speak (in English, Czech and a phonetic pronunciation guide).
1 x city map of Prague showing the most popular tourist attractions. Not just the crappy tourist Prague city map normally given out with Italian, German and French translation as well as English and Czech. This Prague map is the panoramic view type on a 1:5000 scale which not only gives all the street names etc but, gives an overhead view of the Old Town and Mala Strana with all buildings artistically drawn and coloured. Entirely in English so, much more room for info about the top Prague attractions (it even lists the names and locations of the statues on Charles Bridge). Perfect to keep as a souvenir after you've finished using it. If you have told me the name of your Pension or Hotel (and it is on the map) I will have already marked it's location. The map has no "key" but, there are only two symbols. The first is a number of "Anchors" along the river which indicate fixed points for river tour boat docks which run all year. The coloured "upside down triangles" are the metro stations with the colour indicating the line (two colours indicates a junction) and the name of the station is next to it. Click the map to see the front page actual size.
4 x 32kc 4 zone Prague Integrated Transport (PIT) Tickets. These are the standard adult transferable tickets that you would have read about on the "Public Transport" page of the website. If you are not using a taxi from the airport or train station then you would go straight to the bus and transfer to the metro without having to queue for tickets at a booth or ticket machine. Backpackers will note that I advise you to stamp a 16kc ticket for your bag as well. Even if you use a taxi to get into the centrum, you will undoubtedly want to try public transport at some stage. Keep the tickets with you and use them at your convenience using the validation method described on the "Public Transport" page. Use the "metro/tram" help card to buy more tickets at any outlet (now updated for 24Kc and 32Kc tickets).
1 x Czech Menu Guide front page shown left to familiarise yourself with Czech cuisine. Each meal is written in Czech but, translated with an English description, that way you only have to recognise a meal on the restaurant menu to see what it is and how it may be presented. If all else fails, point to the desired meal on the Czech menu guide. Any waiter will understand what you want and as it covers the most popular meals, almost every restaurant will have them. It is made for people who want to go into a "Czech Language only" situation i.e. off the tourist path and be able to order without the need of an English menu. The first of four pages is shown left.
1 x Pack of 10 Help Cards. Nine of the help cards have English text on one side and an exact Czech translation on the other. The tenth help card contains a useful set of numbers for you to use if necessary (you can add your embassy and passport numbers as well). Use the cards individually or in a combination to get help and assistance or just to get where you are going. They are designed to help you communicate with somebody who does not speak English or help you find somebody who can help you and does speak English. Some of the cards are ready made and require no extra info to make them useful i.e. the "emergency" cards do not require you to add personal info. Other cards in the set require info like your name, hotel name, hotel telephone number, flight number etc in order to communicate your problem correctly and seek prompt assistance. The card shown left helps you buy more 26kc transport tickets if you need them. All the cards are credit card size and can be carried in your wallet or purse.
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The Ten most Frequently Asked Questions About This Kit
Q1. I don't have a PayPal or Google account.
A1. Both the Paypal website (www.paypal.com) and Google Wallet (google.com/wallet) have an easy walk through guide to setting up personal accounts to send money. Once set up you can use your account for anybody who accepts PayPal and/or Google Checkout/wallet. I no longer accept payment by cheque.
Q2. I've noticed that the Prague pre-travel kit price sometimes varies. Why is this?
A2. The cost to produce the kit and post it, is calculated in Euros which is fixed. I convert this figure to show people how much the equivalent rate would be in English Pounds and U$ dollars. These are the figures that change depending on the exchange rate. I use www.xe.com for a rough guide and the conversion price is recalculated every few months.
Q3. I have a U$ or Sterling PayPal account but not Euros, how can I pay in Euros?
A3. Click the appropriate Paypal button on the site and the value in the currency of you account will be shown. I can accept payment in all three currencies if necessary. I pay the exchange charge from PayPal.
Q4. How long does the kit take to reach me?
A4. Experience has shown me that in regular days i.e. not Christmas etc, that postage within Europe is 5-7 days and postage outside of Europe is 7-10 days.
Q5. Is there a money back guarantee?
A5. I ask people to allow enough time for me to send them a kit. There have been two occurances of the kit arriving after the buyer has departed for Prague. In this case I ask that the unopened kit be posted back to me in Prague and the buyer receives a full refund including extra postage. The delivery address is the one accepted unless an alternative address is clearly written in the comments so in the case that the kit has been sent to the wrong address there is no refund.
Q6. I'm arriving by train, will your "help" cards help me?
A6. The only card that you will not be able to use is the one about lost luggage which identifies the flight number and carousel supposed to have been used in the baggage collection hall at the airport. All other help cards are valid for you.
Q7. I leave for Prague next week and there's not enough time to get it posted. What can I do?
A7. Providing I get the name and postal address of the accommodation, the name of the person for whom the booking has been made and the date of arrival, I can post it direct within Prague or drop the kit off personally if I am in town. NOTE: deliveries to hotels and apartments with a reception have a much better success rate that those delivered to private addresses.
Q8. What if I can't translate the Czech menu using your guide?
A8. The Czech menu guide is based on more than 10 years of eating in hundreds of Czech restaurants in and around Prague. All the most popular meals are there but, Czech grammatical use can alter the endings of words. The guide has been written in a "point and order" format. I've tested this loads of times and with the exception of really specific local specialities it works every time.
Q9. How detailed is the map of Prague?
A9. A Prague city map at 1:5000 is extremely detailed. Prague has many small streets and passages in the Old Town and Mala Strana. All are marked on the city map. The map covers approximately a 2km square area which contains all the main attractions for tourists. If you are driving in Prague you'll be buying a 1:20000 standard Prague road map (so my map is 4 times as detailed as a standard road map). As mentioned before, the rear of the map contains information about the main tourist attractions only in English.
Q10. Can I buy what is in your kit when I get to Prague?
A10. Sure you can. I make no secret of the fact that the transport tickets can be bought here and also the Prague city map. I actually give you a help card to buy more transport tickets if you need them. The vocabulary guide, menu guide and help cards are my own work. The idea of the kit is that you hit the ground running and don't waste any time at the airport or train station working out how and where to go next. If you've done any home work or emailed me for advice then you'll know exactly where to go and how to use your tickets. The Prague city map will have already given you an insight into the geography of the city and I hope that you've learned a few words.
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