Prague

Learn more about Prague and the conference venues! To make your stay as comfortable as possible, we prepared a couple of useful tips for you.

Photo by mendhak

General Information

Is Prague safe? Petty theft is a problem, especially in major tourist areas in Prague. Pickpocketing is common at busy places and on public transport. Except for that, Prague is extremely safe compared to other European capital cities. There are basically no shady areas and it’s usually completely okay to walk anywhere you like, even at night.

If anything goes wrong call the emergency number 112.

Is Prague friendly? It is, just remember that people might not be used to speaking foreign languages. Saying “nerozumeem” is the simplest way of telling them you don’t understand Czech.

How should I move around the town? Prague has an excellent system of public transport, which includes three lines of metro trains, trams, buses and ferries. If you're into biking, check local bikesharing Rekola or global ofo service. While Uber is available in Prague, the Liftago app provides a very similar experience.

With a Czech SIM card, you can use SMS tickets, otherwise you need to buy paper ones in yellow ticket machines. During the conference you should be okay with regular 30 min tickets for 24 CZK. Zone P includes everything you need, even the airport area.

At night, there is a different, limited system of public transport and metro is completely out of order. The last train leaves just after midnight. Trams and buses operate through the whole night. Depending on your route, it still might be okay to take public transport, but calling Uber or Liftago is usually less tiring.

Photo by Michael Levine-Clark

Venues

MeetFactory (main venue)

The main conference venue is MeetFactory, a cultural hub founded by a famous Czech sculptor David Černý. It’s a unique, industrial space squeezed between a motorway and an active railroad.

How to get there: From the city center, take trams 4, 5, 12 or 20 to Lihovar. Follow the sidewalk to the right, cross over the bridge, turn at the first right and keep walking straight. Seems complicated? Just follow our navigation from the tram stop.

Address: Ke Sklárně 3213/15, Praha 5

GPS: 50.0532481N, 14.4082011E

Around venue: If you’re into hiking, be sure to check out an excellent restaurant Na kopci ($$$) on the top of a nearby hill. Serbian restaurant Jelica ($$) is also highly recommendable.

MeetFactory MeetFactory
Photo by Radka Hlisnikovska

FIT ČVUT (workshops)

Workshops will be held at the Faculty of Information Technology of the Czech Technical University in Prague.

How to get there: take green metro A to Dejvická and then walk the Technická St. Another option is to arrive at Thákurova stop (many trams and buses) and walk the Thákurova St.

Address: Thákurova 9, Praha 6

GPS: 50.1050400N, 14.3896428E

Around venue: For food, pay a visit to AvantGarde ($$$) or to Bistro Santinka ($$). A rather short walk towards the Hradčanská metro stop can take you to a world of hip bistros and coffee places (Místo, Café Záhorský, a Table!).

FIT ČVUT outside
FIT ČVUT inside

Alternative activites

Prague is a very lively place, especially in June. During the conference days there will be multiple alternative activities you can attend:

Looking for something else? You can check a live list concerts, festivals, exhibitions and more on GoOut.net (English). Not all activities are listed on GoOut as it serves as a ticket seller, so for a more comprehensive list check Radio1 site for June 1st, June 2nd and June 3rd. (Unfortunately in Czech only; here are some words in Czech you might need to understand: Koncerty = Concerts, Tančírny = Dancehalls, Filmy = Movies, Galerie = Galleries, Divadla = Theatres, Festivaly = Festivals.)

Honest Guide to Prague

When it comes to mainstream tourism, Prague can be full of traps. Watching the Honest Guide is not only the easiest way for you to avoid them and to get the most useful tips about just anything, but it’s also fun to watch!

How to get to Prague?

Flight

Fly to PRG, Vaclav Havel Airport. To get to the city, use

Train

Bus

Car

Accommodat­ion tips

Both Airbnb and Booking.com are at your service in Prague. For adventurous minds, there’s always also CouchSurfing.

Look for accommodation around Anděl or Smíchovské nádraží to get the best connection with both the conference venue and the rest of the city. Both places have access to the yellow metro B as well as bus/tram connections to the venue.

Photo by Riccardo Romano

The Czech Republic

Never been to the Czech Republic? Here’s some practical info: