Several tour operators offer escorted and independent tours to Prague and the Czech Republic and are described below. However, by using this book you can put together your own itinerary for about one-third of the cost.
Most airlines listed here offer both escorted tours and on-your-own packages -- for example, combining airfare and hotel packages departing from major U.S. cities. If you can find round-trip airfare from New York/Newark for $850 or less, you won't be saving any money on package tours. Likewise, the half-dozen add-ons, including walking tours, river cruises, and airport transfers, can all be easily purchased individually for less money, once you arrive in Prague.
The largest Czech agency, Cedok, has closed its only U.S. office in New York, but English-speaking staff can be contacted through its London or Prague offices or through the Internet. In the United Kingdom, the address is 314-322 Regent St., London W1B 3BG (tel. 020/7580-3778). The Prague main office offers advance bookings at Na Príkope 18, Praha 1 (tel. 224-197-632). The Cedok English-language link on its website is www.cedok.co.uk or www.cedok.cz.
Isram World of Travel, 233 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10003 (tel. 800/223-7460; www.isramworld.com), offers packages to your choice of many Eastern European cities. The company will arrange hotels, sightseeing tours, and airport/train station transfers. Its Prague package starts at $350 per person, based on double occupancy.
