PRAGA UPDATE
June 4, 1998

Jaroslav J. Verner

It is good to report that 27 American collectors had their exhibits accepted for PRAGA 98. Of these eleven were members of the Society for Czechoslovak Philately (Fischer, Fishmeister, Hahn, Koschalk, Riccio, Sandrick, Stupell, Svoboda, Unwin, Verner, and Vondra), several exhibiting internationally for the first time. Even though PRAGA 98 is not a full fledged FIP show, at their meeting during MOSCOW 97 the FIP directors agreed to the request of the Union of Czech Philatelists that the medals awarded at PRAGA would be recognized as qualifying medals for future FIP shows. This decision makes exhibiting at PRAGA 98 a very wise move on the part of aspiring international exhibitors.

The program is still tentative in some of the details and will probably remain so until just before the show begins. However, there are enough fixed events and activities to convince anyone that there will be plenty to do for our members attending the show. In addition to the events listed below there will be meetings with designers and engravers of Czech stamps, mail carrying balloon flights, activities for young philatelists, and daily meetings of philatelic organizations. Right now the schedule looks like this:

Auctions

In addition to the above, activities the holdings of the Postal Museum may be viewed as well as the participating in the first public showing of the National Museum’s collection of Austrian revenue stamps. For the philatelists interested in enhancing their collections, the will be auctions by Profil on September 12 and by Majer & Thraumb on the 13th. Dealers will have booths in the Exhibition Palace and the there will be a bourse a couple of blocks from the Exhibition.

Tours 

For those not drawn to exhibits, booths and bourses, the Cedok travel agency is offering tours in and outside of Prague at very reasonable prices.

Money         

Perhaps the first time traveler might find a few suggestions I have found useful when traveling to Prague. Credit cards are in general use and give about the best exchange rate. Use them especially in hotels, restaurants, and shops that cater to tourists, of which there are many. American Express has a bank on Võclavskü Nõmesti which will exchange American Express Travelers Checks into Krouns at the going daily bank rate without charging the usual exchange fee. Beware of this exchange fee at the ubiquitous exchange booths you will find around town. It can run to several per cent of the amount you exchange.

General Tips

Make sure that you bring at least one pair of well broken in walking shoes. You will be doing quite a bit of walking and much of it will be on cobblestone sidewalks and streets that are death to anything but flat bottomed shoes.

Avoid taxis when possible. There was a real problem last year with terrible over charging of foreigners -- and worse. Some recommendations here would be to have the hotel or restaurant order the taxi for you, agree to a fare before you get into the cab, always make sure that the taxi has a working meter, never catch a cab at other than a taxi stand, and never take a taxi unless it looks like a professional one not a private one. If you have not made arrangements to be met at the airport, take the airport vans to your hotel, not a taxi. The vans have a fixed rate and have been reported to work well.

The underground metro and the streetcar systems are inexpensive and run frequently. These -- plus the buses to the suburbs -- will allow you to reach virtually anywhere in the city. However, to use them you need to buy a ticket and have it with you while you ride. No one collects tickets, but there are spot checks, and if you don't have a current ticket you can be fined 1,000Kc ($30) -- payable on the spot. You can get tickets at metro stations, news stands or tabak (tobacco) shops. But the 12 kroun ticket which will allow you to transfer up to an hour after your initial ride. When you get on the metro or the streetcar look for a small box, slide the ticket in the slot, and an
expiration time will be stamped on it. Hotels have maps of the city which include public transportation routes. All stops have placards with time and routes listed. When setting off to a new destination, ask at your hotel for the best connections.

Finally, I strongly recommend you buy one of the several good, current guide books for Prague. You can get these in any good book store here in the United States. Many of the same books are also available in Prague, but a little reading ahead of time will prove to be a good investment. I rather like the Baedecker Czech/Slovak Republics, but there are several other good ones.

Given there will be to do during PRAGA 98, both philatelic and touristic, we can already hear the plaintive cry: “Where do I start!”