Prague

Work

Unemployment in Prague is low - around 2.5% - and although there are job opportunities for foreigners in English teaching, IT, finance, real estate and management firms, competition for jobs is fierce and finding one is increasingly difficult.

EU citizens do not need a work permit to work in the Czech Republic; non-EU citizens do. You can find short- or long-term employment teaching English (or other languages) at the numerous language schools in Prague - language teachers were in great demand in 2006. Alternatively, you might find employment in the city's many expat-run restaurants, hostels and bars. Possibilities also exist in foreign-owned businesses. Investment banking, real estate, IT and management firms need experienced staff and often employ non-Czech speakers, but the odds of getting such a job are better if you apply from home rather than waiting until you are in Prague.

You can research the employment market on websites such as www.jobs.cz, www.expats.cz and www.prague.tv, and look for jobs in the classified-ad section of the Prague Post (www.praguepost.cz).

Business hours

Shops tend to open from 8.30am to 5pm or 6pm Monday to Friday, and 8.30am till noon or 1pm on Saturday. Department stores close at 8pm Monday to Friday, at 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Touristy shops in central Prague are open later at night and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Banks generally open 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. The city's main post office opens 7am to 8pm every day, while other post offices open 8am to 6pm or 7pm Monday to Friday and until noon on Saturday. Restaurants tend to open between 10am and 11pm (cafés generally open around 8am), while bars usually open 11am till midnight (though some in the city centre stay open till 3am or 4am).

Most museums and galleries open from 9am or 10am to 5pm or 6pm year-round. Many are closed on Monday, and on the first working day after a holiday. Some of Prague's bigger churches are open similar hours.

Castles, chateaux and other historical monuments outside the city are open May to September, from 8am or 9am to 5pm or 6pm, except for a lunch break, daily except Monday and the first working day after a holiday. Most shut down from November to March, with some limited to weekends in October and April. If you plan to take a guided tour, remember that ticket offices close an hour or so before the official closing time, depending on the length of the tour.