Episode 01 - The Europe Summer Series
Prague
Cobblestones, castles, and a very stubborn five-year-old who refused to cross the Charles Bridge.
The Story
Prague
Prague was supposed to be a three-day warm-up before the real trip began. It turned into five days and the city that set the tone for everything that followed. Medieval, walkable, impossibly photogenic — and genuinely one of the most family-friendly cities we've ever visited.
Gallery
Prague in Frame
Day by Day
Prague Itinerary
Day 1 - Old Town & the Charles Bridge at Dawn
We woke up at 6am to beat the crowds to Charles Bridge. It worked. For forty minutes we had one of Europe's most famous landmarks almost entirely to ourselves. By 9am it was shoulder-to-shoulder — so the early alarm was 100% worth it.
Day 2 - Prague Castle & Malá Strana
The castle complex is enormous — budget the full morning. We did the basic circuit with kids — St. Vitus Cathedral, the Golden Lane, and the Old Royal Palace. Then lunch in Malá Strana before the meltdown that didn't make the final cut.
Day 3 - Žižkov & the TV Tower
The TV Tower is either hideous or brilliant depending on your taste — the babies crawling up the outside sealed it as brilliant for us. Žižkov is Prague's most lived-in neighborhood and where we found the best food of the trip.
Day 4 - Day trip to Kutná Hora
The Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church) is genuinely one of the strangest places we've ever taken our kids — and they absolutely loved it. The cathedral of St. Barbara is stunning. Day trip from Prague takes about an hour each way.
Day 5 - Slow morning, afternoon markets
Farmer's market on Náměstí Míru, chimney cakes on the square, and the world's most relaxed final afternoon. We didn't plan anything and it was perfect.
Family Tips
What We Learned
Book Prague Castle tickets online — the queues are genuinely brutal without them
The tram system is excellent and kids under 6 ride free
Trdelník (chimney cake) is a tourist trap but your kids won't care — just buy one
Stay west of the river in Malá Strana or Hradčany for a quieter base
The astronomical clock show is anticlimactic — watch it once, move on
What It Cost
Budget Breakdown
5 nights accommodation (apartment)
$620 - $124 per day
Food & drink (family of 4)
$380 - $76 per day
Attractions & entry fees
$90 - $18 per day
Transport (trams + day trip)
$85 - $17 per day
Total
$1,175 - $235 per day
Chaos Moment
The Part We Almost Cut
On day two, our five-year-old decided halfway up the castle hill that she would not take another step. We had a full audience. A kind Czech grandmother appeared from nowhere, handed her a biscuit, said something we couldn't understand, and the crisis was over. The grandmother disappeared before we could thank her. We think about her often.