Packing to Study Abroad in Prague: Things to Buy or Bring

When you go study abroad in Prague for three and a half months, there’s no way that you can pack everything that you need into one suitcase. Don’t forget the essentials like your passport, raincoat, and laptop. However, there are some items that are easier (and surprisingly cheaper) to bring than find here in Prague.

Things to Put in Your Suitcase

• Converter/Adapter: I’m glad I brought two universal converters. They only sell them at a few stores in Prague, and it’s easier to have them before you get to Prague, like when you want to charge your phone in the airport during your layover. I like to have two, so I can leave one in Prague and bring one with me when I travel.
• Hair conditioner: I don’t know if we are having trouble finding some conditioner because we can’t read Czech, but none of my friends nor I can find hair conditioner in any of the drug stores! If you swear by conditioner back home, definitely pack a bottle in your checked bag!
• Converter/Adapter: I’m glad I brought two universal converters. They only sell them at a few stores in Prague, and it’s easier to have them before you get to Prague, like when you want to charge your phone in the airport during your layover. I like to have two, so I can leave one in Prague and bring one with me when I travel.
• Hair conditioner: I don’t know if we are having trouble finding some conditioner because we can’t read Czech, but none of my friends nor I can find hair conditioner in any of the drug stores! If you swear by conditioner back home, definitely pack a bottle in your checked bag!
• Lanyard/Cardholder: I haven’t seen any lanyards or cardholders like this at all in Prague. I have a set of keys for my apartment and I know I would've lost them by now if I didn't have something to attach them to.  Keeping my student ID in this transparent plastic cardholder makes it easy for me to show the people who occasionally check metro passes.

Things to Buy in Prague

• Sweatshirts: Sweatshirts can take up a lot of room in your suitcase, so just bring one in your suitcase. You can find some cheap ones that you can get rid of at the end of the semester.
• Umbrella: These just take up room and add weight to your bag.  You will need one in Prague, as it starts raining immediately after summer ends, but they are cheap and you can find them in almost any little tourist shop or grocery store.
• School Supplies: Most classes don’t let you use laptops for class, but don’t fill your suitcase with notebooks; just buy them during the first week of class from Tesco. You definitely will need a backpack or book bag for school, but I found a good backpack at New Bags (close to Burger King in Wenceslas Square) for $16 that I use for school and traveling.
• Toiletries: Tesco carries towels and linens. Shampoo, body wash, lotion, and other toiletries can also be found at Tesco, as well as the little grocery stores and drug stores on every corner.
• Phone plan: Getting an international phone plan with your provider back home can be super expensive, although it may be a little easier than trying to communicate with the people at the Czech phone stores. The main carriers here are O2, Vodaphone, and T-Mobile, and you should definitely shop around and try to see what the different phone companies offer. You'll want to figure out how to get calling, texting, domestic data, and international data.