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5 out of 5
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As a New Yorker, Time Out has established itself into my lexicon as a straightforward (don't expect them to dance around topics that may make a Frommer blush) guide that treats the reader as a native rather than a tourist. And for a city like Prague, that's the only way to travel. With the added bonus of being written by people who are actually from Prague, the latest edition of this Time Out proves to be the traveler's bible, whether your stay is for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months. I find Time Out to be the pentultimate source on a City, at once informative yet never dry, and reading the guides as you're about to board your plane makes for a great deal of fun, excitement, and anticipation.
All areas are covered, even some outside of the city (for those days where the Castle Steps and Pilsner Urquells are all too much), which means that even if you're staying somewhere further afield (such as Zizkov, just to take an example from personal experience), there will still be a handful of things mentioned that are worth doing/eating/drinking in the area. The listing of hotels is pretty broad and is broken down into the convenient categorizations of price and location, and even if you're already booked, it's nice to look up your hotel in this section beforehand to see what the real dirt is on it.
What is most beneficial in this guide is the overview of the metro and tram systems (including a metro map and an invaluable note on the night trams), which allow you to travel the city not only quickly, but with the confidence of a native (and in a city such as Prague which is still rife with petty crime, confidence and an "I'm-not-a-victim" attitude are the best safeguards). They incorporate their promotion of the public transportation systems in their guides by also referencing in site descriptions which metros and trams stop nearby. Moreover, many little gems that wouldn't be found in more commercial guidebooks (I still thank Will Tizard for introducing me to La Creperie, which exponentially lived up to its description). The key highlights are here, too, including a great section devoted entirely to the palace grounds.
Two of my other favourite features of the Time Out guides are especially helpful in Prague; the annual calendar details events throughout the year which, even if you can't travel around a certain set of dates, can still find something going on during your period of stay there. True to its magazine form, Time Out also features a lot of local advertisements for clubs, museums, theatre companies, and restaurants. There are great and thorough sections devoted to theatre, cinema, music (from jazz to rock to classical), nightclubs, museums, and gay & lesbian venues. In short, whatever it is that you came to Prague to do, Time Out can steer you in the right direction.
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