[theths]

After extensive (EXTENSIVE!!) research, my boyfriend and I can't come to a decision about whether to go to Prague or Berlin for 5-7 days. The conclusions we have drawn are that Prague is beautiful and interesting with goood nightlife and cheap beer, Berlin is not so beautiful but modern and v. interesting with an amazing, grotty nightlife.

Has anyone been to either (preferably both?!) who can make comparisons between

Atmosphere
Nightlife
Sightseeing
General enjoyment

Thanks

[marsman13]

I can only give my verdict on Berlin as I went there in March. It is a lovely place to see and get a feel about the history that it has. There are some amazing places you can vist such as the berlin wall, jewish war memorial, sony centre. The nightlife is wonderful, I went to a club called Matrix and it was amazing HUGE rooms playing various music for different people. A luvlay trip. If you pick it you won't regret it!

[Vindobona]

I've been to Prague twice and Berlin twice as well.

This is a really tough question, because I love both cities and think that they are among the best in Europe. Berlin is generally nice and has laid-back and helpful, friendly people. It's also nice for shopping, has many stylish cafés and a good-quality nightlife. Prague is the nicest Eastern European city of all. It's cheaper than Berlin, and people are friendly as well but it's a bit more tourist-y. The city centre is great and I would describe Prague as more romantic than Berlin. Cheap beer and public transportation is guaranteed, as well as very good nightlife.

Overall I would go for Prague, but both cities are amazing in their own way.

[Fusion]

I love Berlin but thought Prague was a bit of a letdown.

[mrs_bellamy]

I am biased as I have only been to Prague, but I absolutely loved it! I spend a month there on an exchange, and still managed to run out of time to do everything I had planned to do. It is a really beautiful city, with loads of history and lots of really cheap music and theatre if you are interested in that kind of thing. There are a lot of nice museums and galleries too. The night life is great, there are lots of clubs, lots of locals and tourists going out, and a lot of beer. Czechs are the biggest beer drinkers in the world apparently. There is just so much to do in Prague, including just wandering around, it is fantastic.

[Cll_ws]

(Original post by marsman13)
The nightlife is wonderful, I went to a club called Matrix and it was amazing HUGE rooms playing various music for different people

I went to Matrix when I was in Berlin, it was awesome!


I can also only vouch for Berlin as I haven't been to Prague. But you're right about the nightlife, it's really good, and as you described "grotty" - in a good way! It's pretty cheap as well!
It's also quite cheap and easy to get around, you can buy an all day train ticket thing for something like 5 euros, and there's a station in pretty much every part of the city you'd want to go to.
We bought our tickets in the morning, used it to travel into the centre where the shops were, again to travel to a few different galleries, and then later that night to go on a night out!

Prague does look nice though, i'd like to go there someday.

[barnetlad]

I have been to Berlin and really enjoyed it. If one or both of you speak German you can enjoy it even more.

[TruetoMyself]

Ive been to both OP, I just came back from berlin (as part of my first solo trip) a couple weeks ago. I thought the place was awesome personally, but I didnt do enough research on the place (it was quite spontaneous), so feel I didnt get the abolsute best out of the place. In terms of the day, there is plenty to do, with some very very interesting places. As mentioned the nightlife can be seen as 'grotty', though this depends entirely where you go.
Prague I went last year with a group of friends. Yes more sights per say for sure than Berlin. And a couple of really awesome clubs.
Price wise I'd say both are similiar really, berlin really isnt that expensive as some people say.
I'd personally say berlin, especially if your going with your BF based on everything.

[bloomblaze]

(Original post by TruetoMyself)
Ive been to both OP, I just came back from berlin (as part of my first solo trip) a couple weeks ago. I thought the place was awesome personally, but I didnt do enough research on the place (it was quite spontaneous), so feel I didnt get the abolsute best out of the place. In terms of the day, there is plenty to do, with some very very interesting places. As mentioned the nightlife can be seen as 'grotty', though this depends entirely where you go.
Prague I went last year with a group of friends. Yes more sights per say for sure than Berlin. And a couple of really awesome clubs.
Price wise I'd say both are similiar really, berlin really isnt that expensive as some people say.
I'd personally say berlin, especially if your going with your BF based on everything.

Ive been considering visiting Berlin this summer on a solo trip. How was it travelling alone?

Did you stay in a hotel?

[Malkmus]

I've been to both and I would recommend both. In terms of deciding between them, I would probably plump for Prague just as it is slightly cheaper (not as though I found Berlin especially pricey) and I think the nightlife there is more of a departure from the UK than Berlin (from what I've seen). When I was in Prague I went to this crazy warehouse-type club where you pay to get in and then it's a free bar (girls get in free), got caught up in the middle of an ensuing rap battle, was casually groped by some Asian girl who didn't speak a word of English whilst actually dancing with my girlfriend at the time and we drank far too much from the limited selection of drinks they had on offer (martini, whisky and vodka) and mixers which they eventually ran out of. Having said that, there are loads of cool bars and clubs in Berlin as well (Madame Claude is a good one in Kreuzberg - lots of furniture is bolted-on on upside down on the ceiling of the bar) and Germans party ridiculously hard with clubs generally open way later than most are in the UK.

Culturally, I found Berlin more interesting to walk around (lots of cool graffiti, interesting back streets etc.) but Prague is more conventionally pretty and romantic. I also preferred eating out whilst I was in Prague. To be honest, I would just toss a coin and go with whichever, they are both cities you definitely should visit.

[bloomblaze]

(Original post by Malkmus)
I've been to both and I would recommend both. In terms of deciding between them, I would probably plump for Prague just as it is slightly cheaper (not as though I found Berlin especially pricey) and I think the nightlife there is more of a departure from the UK than Berlin (from what I've seen). When I was in Prague I went to this crazy warehouse-type club where you pay to get in and then it's a free bar (girls get in free), got caught up in the middle of an ensuing rap battle, was casually groped by some Asian girl who didn't speak a word of English whilst actually dancing with my girlfriend at the time and we drank far too much from the limited selection of drinks they had on offer (martini, whisky and vodka) and mixers which they eventually ran out of. Having said that, there are loads of cool bars and clubs in Berlin as well (Madame Claude is a good one in Kreuzberg - lots of furniture is bolted-on on upside down on the ceiling of the bar) and Germans party ridiculously hard with clubs generally open way later than most are in the UK.

Culturally, I found Berlin more interesting to walk around (lots of cool graffiti, interesting back streets etc.) but Prague is more conventionally pretty and romantic. I also preferred eating out whilst I was in Prague. To be honest, I would just toss a coin and go with whichever, they are both cities you definitely should visit.

Do you speak the Czech language?

I dont speak it, that would be my concern about visiting Prague.

[Malkmus]

(Original post by bloomblaze)
Do you speak the Czech language?

I dont speak it, that would be my concern about visiting Prague.

No, I don't speak Czech but it isn't a requirement to have an enjoyable time there. I learn the basics of hello, goodbye, thanks, how to ask for directions etc. as personally I think it is only polite to do so. (One of my pet hates is people who go abroad and expect everyone they encounter to speak English.) A lot of young people and those involved in businesses aimed at tourists, do speak good English though so you wouldn't have any problems.

Speaking or not speaking the language shouldn't be a factor that weighs on where to go on holiday anyway. I've spent time abroad in places where very few people speak English and always managed to get by OK.

[TruetoMyself]

(Original post by bloomblaze)
Ive been considering visiting Berlin this summer on a solo trip. How was it travelling alone?

Did you stay in a hotel?

Sorry for late reply. I stayed in Wombats Hostel there. I personally wouldnt recommend it if im honest (im in the minority I know, because it is so highly rated on places like hostelworld). Yes the room quality for a hostel is top notch, but I felt there could have been more of a social atmosphere. Some social atmosphere for sure, but my social appetite is greater than most peoples I guess And it is huge!! If im more accurate Berlin was a random stop from eastern europe, where I stayed in a really social hostel, more my cup of tea.
Travelling alone is amongst the best things I ever did! And after I got back, I booked my next solo trip (the baltic capitals) only just got back today and had another blast