【Aikido × Travel】Enjoying an Aikido Seminar and Dojo Visits in Prague, Czech Republic – 04
When we arrived at the station in Prague, a wave of people poured out of the train all at once.
The moment I finally stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air, I felt an unexpected sense of relief. We waited on the platform for the crowd to settle before moving on.
All that was left was to head to our hotel—but first, we had an important mission: getting our hands on some Czech koruna.
We had a bit of euro with us, but paying in koruna is much more cost effective in this country. Having cash is essential.
By now, using AI chat tools has become second nature to us, so we immediately asked ChatGPT for advice.
It recommended Komerční banka as a safe, fee free ATM. However, the ATM we found inside the station belonged to a different company.
So we asked for the address of Komerční banka and, with our heavy luggage in tow, went up and down stairs searching for it… only to find nothing.
When we finally asked at the information center, we learned that the ATM we wanted was right across from it—and just a few steps from the ticket gates.
When we checked with ChatGPT again, we realized it had given us the station’s address, not the ATM’s address. At the time, we had no idea that these small mismatches would later lead to several unexpected troubles.
Using the ATM was nerve racking at first, but it turned out to be perfect—no fees, and it even gave us a mix of small bills.
If you need cash in the Czech Republic, Komerční banka is truly reliable.
With cash secured, our next step was buying metro tickets.
The ticket machine only accepted coins, which we didn’t have yet—but thankfully, it also accepted credit cards, so we managed to buy our tickets without trouble.
The only issue was figuring out which platform to use. The one we first headed toward turned out to be the wrong direction.
Once you know which platform you need, Prague’s metro is incredibly convenient—we ended up using it many times during our stay.
There’s a route map inside the train, so taking a photo of it is very helpful.
As is common in many parts of Europe, you’re rarely asked to show your ticket at the gates or inside the train.
It really shows how much trust they place in passengers.
When we got off at Hloubětín Station, we found a lively market right outside, which instantly lifted our spirits.
Following Google Maps for about seven minutes, we arrived at HOTEL DIANA , where we would stay for the next five nights. We accidentally reached the back entrance first, but a kind local pointed us toward the main entrance.
The hotel was clean, spacious, and very comfortable.
However, although our reservation stated “pay on arrival,” the payment had been charged to our credit card a few days earlier without any notice. At that moment, our account held USD, euros, and yen—so the layered currency conversion fees hit us hard.
This led to a small argument with the host and created an awkward atmosphere. Without that issue, it would have been a hotel I’d happily recommend.
⇒ Search Prague hotels on Trip.com
After traveling since morning, we were exhausted. We headed to a small shopping mall we found while walking around to pick up dinner.
There was a supermarket, plus kebab, pizza, and Chinese food shops. Eating out sounded nice, but that night we just wanted to relax in our room.
We bought fruit for the next morning and a “good job today” beer at the supermarket. Mike wanted pizza afterward, but the shop had already closed, so we went to the Chinese restaurant next door instead.
Perhaps because we were in the Czech Republic, the staff spoke almost no English.
We managed to order by pointing at the photos—teamwork at its finest. Back in our room, the seafood fried rice was perfectly fine, but the pork dish Mike had been looking forward to was completely different from the picture.
It was a day full of that familiar mix of excitement and tension that comes with being in a country for the first time.
Reservations made through the links on this site help support Aikido Travel.