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The peak tourist season runs roughly from April through to September with another pocket of high prices around New Year; check whether prices have been hiked up for a particular event before booking. Recently an accommodation company has started offering last-minute prices for numerous hotels; you can check their availability at www.accomgroup.com.

Exploring accommodation options outside the city centre can save you a considerable amount on your hotel bills. The neighbourhoods of Žižkov, Karlín, Smíchov and Holešovice, for example, all have good connections to the centre (see Old Town Square) and an increasing number of good quality hotels.

If you’re staying a bit longer than the average tourist and want to save money on long-term accommodation, check the daily classified advertisement publication Annonce . Almost all the ads are in Czech, but if you can find someone to translate, you’ll find extremely affordable rooms and apartments for rent, both on short-and long-term agreements. It is available from most newsagents.

If you recognize the name of your hotel (such as a chain hotel), you’ll recognize the quality of the services and amenities; otherwise, be prepared for surprises. Not all hotel rooms have en suite bathrooms, for example, or plush bath towels. If such items are important to you, enquire before you book.

If you’ve failed to book a room in advance, go directly to a local travel agent or hotel. Do not accept accommodation from touts at the airport, train station or bus depot. Even if they’re not out to rob you, you have no guarantee as to the quality of the rooms.

Smaller hotels may not have reserved parking spaces for guests. If so, ask the management about the safest places to park. Never leave valuables in your car and make sure you’re parked in a legal space; being towed or clamped can ruin precious holiday time.

Prague is a very pet-friendly city – good news for animal-owners and bad news for allergy sufferers. When you book, check whether you can bring pets; if you fear the fur, ask for assurances that your room hasn’t been doubling up as a kennel recently.

Whatever the destination, it almost goes without saying that tourists should use common sense when it comes to travelling with valuables – if possible, leave anything you wouldn’t want to lose at home. In the better hotels, keep items such as passports and jewel-lery in the hotel safe. Be aware that even the best hotels can be targets of streetside scams.

If you’re staying a week or longer, you may want to skip the hotels entirely and rent a small flat. The Prague Information Service, state travel agency Čedok and numerous other local agencies can help you find a short-term rental (see Sources of Information).

Many real estate companies offer sublets, long-term and month-to-month rentals. For a fee, usually the value of one month’s rent, they can find you a home and help you with the necessary paperwork. If you want to go it on your own, check bulletin boards at The Globe Bookstore and Coffeehouse.