If you haven't yet been there, you owe yourself a visit to Czech Republic!

Czech Republic | Jun 19 - Jun 23, 2024

This was our first trip to Czech Republic and we were very favorably impressed with the country and the amenities we saw. All of us left thinking we should have had more time in the country, but we didn't know that when we planned the trip because we knew so little about the country.

We were six: grandfather (me), two daughters and one son-in-law, and two sixteen year-old granddaughters. We left all the plannig to Kim-kim, who contracted it out to Grand Cuvée Tours, and they did a good job of selecting international connections, airport transfers, lodging, and tours.

International flights were on Ryan Air, a first on that carrier. We were not impressed with them: airport check-in was poorly organized in Rome (chaotic is a better description) and we would not fly with Ryan Air again if there were an alternative.

Connection from the airport to the hotel in Prague was easy and comfortable, and accommodations at the Hotel Cube were very good. We would recommend them for others going to Prague.

We had three tours while in Czech Republic:

1. a walking tour of Prague Castlle, old town, and Charles Bridge with Lenka while in Prague,

2. a road trip by van with guide and driver Pavel to Kutna Hora, where we saw the gothic cathedral and the bone church and learnend the importance of silver mining to the prosperity of the town, and

3. a road trip by van with guide and driver Pavel to the castle of Český Krumlov, where we walked through the gardens and the walkways of the castle. On the way back to Prague from Český Krumlov, we stopped to walk around Pisek, across the bridge, and to a restaurant where we enjoyed a light meal and local beer. This was an added stop for the day's tour, and a very worthwhile stop.

Both Lenka and Pavel were very good tour guides, with extensive knowledge of the history of the sites we were visiting and good English so they could explain what we were seeing and its significance to the history of the country. Both also had interesting insights on the long-term history of the Czech people and the place of the country in the wider history of Europe. My granddaughters (and all the adults) learned more about the pre-war and post-war of history Europe than they had learned in secondary school.

We also discovered over the course of four days that Prague has outstanding beer and dining facilities. We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at the hotel (a full breakfast, not just coffee and rolls), but we really enjoyed the lunches and dinners we found each day. The itinerary and guide for our tour said we would find good restaurants, and we truly did. Some were pricey, others were very reasonable, but all were good and we enjoyed menus that were new to us. An eating tour of Czech Republic would be a good plan!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Czech Republic and very much appreciated the program put together by Grand Cuvée Tours, contracted by Kim kim. Our big takeaway from this is that the Czech Republic is a real treasure for tourists looking for a new and special experience. We were delighted with the time we had and the people who worked with us on every aspect of the tour. We will say we were somewhat surprised by the cost of the visit to Prague -- it actually cost us more than our subsequent visit to Rome, which lasted two days longer than our Prague visit.

Our sincere thanks to Lenka, Pavel, Hotel Cube staff, Grand Cuvée Tours, Kim Kim and the hundreds of people we talked and interacted with during the time we were in Czech Republic. Top marks and thanks to the organizers and guides!