Arrival and departure
We recommend you arrive on Sunday, November 6th, and depart on Thursday, November 10th. This way you will be able to take part in the social activities before and after the conference.
Visas and immigration
The Czech Republic is in the Schengen space, please check with your country’s government on how to obtain a visa if you need one to enter. If you are not able to obtain a visa for direct entry, you may be able to enter via a different Schengen country.
Your passport or identity card is checked upon arrival in an EU port or airport to make sure you are permitted to enter the country. Please make sure your passport is still valid. If your passport has expired, we recommend you renew immediately, as it may take a few weeks to process.
When you are asked about the purpose of your travel, make sure you mention it is a business conference. More importantly, you are not travelling “for work”.
Getting from the airport to the event location
The Vaclav Havel Airport is located northwest of Prague and connected to the city centre by public transportation. Flights from non-Schengen countries arrive at Terminal 1, while flights from Schengen countries arrive at Terminal 2. Both terminals are connected.
- Public transportation - take bus 119 which connects the airport with the subway station Nádraží Veleslavín on the green line, where it stops. From there take the green line to the Muzeum station (direction Nádraží Hostivař), and change to the red line to arrive at the Florenc station (direction Letňany). From there, it takes about 5 minutes to walk to the hotel. You will need 90 minutes—40 CZK (€1.60)—public transportation ticket for this journey. Make sure to stamp it before getting on the bus.
- Taxi - there are two official taxi service providers at the airport. You can either book online in advance, or catch one waiting by each terminal building. The price is about 729 CZK (€30), booking online is a bit cheaper.
- Uber/Bolt - you can also use Uber or Bolt at the airport. The pickup location is usually, but not exclusively, in front of the Terminal 2 building by Departures (1st floor).
Arriving by train
If you arrive at the main train station (Hlavní nádraží), take the red line to arrive at the Florenc station (direction Letňany). From there, it takes about 5 minutes to walk to the hotel. You will need 30 minutes - 30 CZK (€1.20) - public transportation ticket for this journey. Make sure to stamp it before entering the subway area.
Avoid taking a walk to the hotel from the train station. It is not a very straightforward walk and you may end up having to cross major streets a few times.
Exploring the city
Prague is a city where you can pay by card in very many places. You may get by the whole week without needing cash at all.
Getting around in Prague
When exploring the city, we recommend you take public transportation, as Prague has an extensive bus, tram, and metro network. Tickets are based on how long you travel: 30 minutes, 90 minutes, 24 hours, or 72 hours. For more information please visit dpp.cz
Tickets can be purchased in information centres at most metro stations, the yellow ticket vending machines, and in newspaper shops. There is also an app available for your smartphone.
The paper tickets need to be validated/stamped before you get on the first bus or tram, or before you enter the subway area. You only need to validate/stamp your ticket once on a multi-leg journey. If you use the mobile app to buy a ticket, beware that the ticket only becomes valid 2 minutes after you activate it. Until it becomes valid, you must not get on a bus or a tram, or in the subway area, otherwise you risk being fined as if you did not have any ticket at all.
Tourist attractions
We’ve compiled a few links that will help you get around in case you are spending a few extra days in Prague:
- prague.eu — The official tourist information website is well maintained and has weekly picks for your leisure. Check out events in the week of the Summit!
- In case you’d like something to print out, check out the Prague Pocket Guide or the Prague Tourist Map.
The most notable attractions are the Prague Castle, the Prague Astronomical Clock, and the iconic Charles Bridge, but there are many other interesting areas to visit.