Job Discussion Forums

[MoiJill]

I decided to write this as there are so many things I WISH I had known before I came. So, for the next person/s who decide to come to teach and live in Prague , here's a checklist:

1) Try to arrive on a Thursday or Friday. Most apartments and open houses tend to be on the weekend. So if you come on a Monday, like I did, you end up spending 5-7 nights in a hotel.

2) Book a hotel/pension for 5-7 days. I found that on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, Prague hotels are FULL and the prices high. But, because I hadn't reserved a room for the weekend (I had assumed I'd find a place to live in 3-days time), I had to switch hotels twice. It was AWFUL!

3) Assuming you come with a teaching contract for either part- or full-time work, bring 3 months living expenses WITH YOU. Assume you'll pay 10,000-17,000czK ($403/roommate to $684) per month in rent. Most require frist and last month's, plus a broker's fee. Food is inexpensive -- usually 400k ($16) a day is plenty if you are eating modestly; Trams and Metro .56 each trip; Beers & Wine $1.50 each (at most). Internet $5-day if you are on for about an hour and a half; Do the math.

4) Taxi from the airport cost me 700czk -- If you are not Czech, it will just cost you more. I heard the rate should cost about 580czk

5) Get as much information from your school as possible. Like nearby buses, trams, metros; where do I go ... I got lost constantly and was often in tears.

6) Mornings are COLD. Once the sun comes up and the daybreak breathes in, it gets warmer. Anyway, I mention this so you dress accordingly. It has been cold enough to wear boots DAILY. I have had on a jacket but no gloves or hat, YET. (This is the first week in October.)

7) Learn Czech! Most speak English if you are in the areas of Prague 1,2,3. The farther you go OUTSIDE of the central area, folks speak English less and less .... I'd get a CD or something to familiarize yourself with the language prior to your arrival.

Websites for housing:
www.expatscz.com
www.praguerealestate.cz
http://www.prague-rentals.cz/default.aspx
http://prague.tv/czech/accommodation

[spiral78]

excellent advice!

[Hamett]

I agree with most of the advice but 400Kc a day on food???
Do you have expensive tastes or what
Another link which may help is:
http://www.spolubydlici.cz
Even in the center lots of restaurants have daily menus where you can get a soup and main meal for 65Kc
Some are smoke dives but others are where local office workers go for lunch and can be great places for affordable meals.

[parrothead]

Good advice, but 400kc/day for food is eating very well IMO.

Airport Bus 119 to green Metro line A connecting to city center is 20kc (+ 10kc if you have luggage).

Good luck in Prague, MoiJill!

[zewd]

10,000 to 17,000 is WAY too much for shared/single rent in Prague. I realize that it�s easy to get desperate and take what you can get, but if it�s at all possible, try to find some temporary housing for a month or two while you look for something cheaper. Ask around in expat cafes and bars and check English language newspapers. With the turnover rate of Prague teachers being what it is, you should be able to sublet a place from someone who is leaving the country or going on vacation (especially if you come in the summer.) If you know someone who speaks Czech, have them help you look through one of the Czech housing listings... but keep in mind that unfortunately a lot of landlords don�t want to rent to foreigners, especially Americans.

[parrothead]

[spiral78]

I don't think it's anti-Americanism.
In my experience,
it's anti-wearing-shoes-on-the-carpet-ism.

[weejay]

[Murasaki]

Thanks for this advice. Very helpful!

[zewd]

It happened to a couple different American friends of mine. Both of the places were actually owned by foreigners, one by a German and another by an Italian couple. I guess they divide their time between Prague and home and were looking to sublet for a year to anyone but Americans. I think the apartments were in Prague 3 and 4.

[MoiJill]

I think I had a difficult time finding a place to live due to my age!

Teaching is my 2nd career and I find Prague to be a YOUNG city. Most of the rentals are with "kids" in their early 20s. I am "mature" and wasn't willing to share a 1- bathroom place with 4 other girls.

If you are a "grown up" who wants to live in a furnished apartment on your own, the prices are WAY HIGH. If you are "fresh out of college" and willing to continue living "dorm style" or "sorority house style" then, yes you will find cheaper housing.

I also was spending at least $10 a day on food/drinks because I didn't have a kitchen in which to cook, make a cup of coffee or anything.

Oh yeah, I don't think my difficulty in finding a place had to do with Anti-Americanism ... I believe that in general renters want people who they believe are going to keep-up their property, live quietly, and not run out prior to the end of the lease agreement. I'm renting my place in NY and THAT is what I'd looked for.

[Fledermaus]

Zewd, what's with the dancing Spiderman avatar? Dev-o!

MoiJill, I think your list is a very good one. I would just add my two bits worth to say that you should research as much as you can before making the move. This forum is a great place to start, and the Expats.cz forum is great info source. I know I didn't research as much as I should have. I spent a month in a temporary flat in the center (very expensive, but due to my particular situation, I was able to write it off my taxes for that year), then moved into my first flat. Also, as I wrote some time ago in a previous thread, WATCH YOUR MONEY. Hunt for bargains, especially cheap eating establishments. They're everywhere in Prague, and food prices in the supermarkets are very modest overall.

Generally speaking, prices for flats tend to get lower the further you go out from the city center. I rent a fully furnished two-bedroom flat a very manageable 15 minutes by metro from the center and share it with one guy. I know many are not keen on the idea of sharing living space, but be aware that it GREATLY reduces your living costs when you can cut your rent in half. Since housing represents the lion's share of just about everyone's expenses, taking on a flatmate only makes sense. Of course, other cities and towns in the Czech Republic are not as expensive as Prague, so you may be able to find a great deal.

The very best advice is the same as that for going anywhere that is "terra incognita". Prepare yourself as much as possible for any contingencies. Housing will probably be your biggest challenge, but it's entirely survivable. Use the realty agencies with caution; they can charge up to four months rent total (first and last month, security, plus their fee), although I think three is the standard. It's a chunk of change, in any event. And bring a Czech friend with you if you don't know the language very well.

[Aussie Chick]

Interesting thread, worth bringing bttt.