Since I first visited Prague in 2018, I’ve been desperate to return. The capital of Czechia just completely captivated me like no other city has. Like many other Eastern European cities, the architecture in Prague is breathtaking. Everywhere you turn, there’s colourful, ornate buildings and the cobbled streets just add to the fairy tale.
Why choose a Jet2 city break?
Apart from my trip to Florida in 2016, I’ve never been on a package holiday before. My usual method of booking starts with searching for the cheapest flight from the UK to anywhere. I then book accommodation separately. This method has worked well for me, but it is often a lot of faff. I liked that by booking a trip to Prague with Jet2Holidays everything was booked all together. You know that the hotels are going to be great, as they’re recommended by Jet2. You don’t have to worry about adding on any extras such a breakfast, as that is included. The only thing I had to pay for at the hotel was the city tax. In Prague there is a mandatory city tax of 50kč (approx £2) per person, per night. This was paid at the end of my stay as I was checking out of the hotel and is something that I was already aware of.
What luggage can you take on a Jet2 city break?
Usually, I don’t pay any extra for baggage when I am booking flights. I have to pack really light and squeeze everything into a backpack. This is fine, I’ve perfected it now but I have found myself caught short a couple of times. There’s nothing worse than spilling coffee down yourself when you’re away and not having anything to change into due to packing light! That will explain where my collection of tacky tourist tshirts have come from..
With Jet2, you get 22kg hold luggage, 10kg cabin luggage and a personal bag (such as a handbag) as standard. This was great as I didn’t have to worry about packing light. I was able to take my toiletries without restricting them or decanting them into smaller pots. My suitcase ended up being only 11 kg. I had enough outfits for the 3 nights/4 days plus extra tshirts/underwear/socks. It meant that I didn’t have to worry about having to buy anything in a panic.
Choosing a hotel in Prague
There were a lot of different options for hotels in Prague. I took a while looking through them all and deciding which one was right for me. The main things I wanted was to be near the Old Town and walking distance from the main attractions, near a tram stop and I wanted my hotel to have a gym. That’s definitely not too much to ask for, especially as most of the hotels on offer were near the Old Town.
After comparing all of the hotels on offer, I decided to go for the Cosmopolitan Hotel Prague recommended by Jet2holidays. Although located in the New Town, this hotel was just a 10 minute walk from the Old Town Square and Astronomical Clock. It was near the tram stop Masarykovo nádraží and the metro station Námêstí Republiky. It also had a gym and looked gorgeous from the photos.
Checking in for my flight
After the booking had been made, I downloaded the Jet2 app onto my phone. This was where I could see all the details of my booking and I could add any extras. I also liked that there was a countdown to my holiday too.
A month before, I was able to check in for both of my flights and choose seats. Being able to check in so early was ideal – I’ve forgotten to check in for a flight on a budget airline before and had to pay £60 at the airport. With a month’s window to check in, this was one less thing to worry about.
Upon arriving at Manchester Airport Terminal 2, it was really easy to spot the Jet2 desks. Checking in my luggage was so simple and I used the self check in kiosks. All I had to do was scan my boarding pass (which I had in my Apple Wallet thanks to the Jet2 app) and then confirm there were no banned items inside and the suitcase was packed by myself. A sticky label was then printed which I affixed to my suitcase before placing it on the conveyor belt.
It wasn’t very busy at the airport when I was there (10am on a Friday), so I whizzed through security in under 3 minutes. It helped that all of my liquids were in my checked luggage, so I didn’t have to sort them out. The only items I had in my hand luggage were my passport, purse, laptop, kindle and chargers.
Flying with Jet2
When you’re going on a city break, you want to get there as quickly as possible so you can make the most of your trip. Flights to Prague with Jet2 from Manchester only take 2 hours and 5 minutes. On my trip, there were no delays. We took off on time, landed on time and the flight was as smooth as it could be. We were offered food and drink onboard which we were also able to preorder in the app. There also the option to purchase items from their duty free selection too.
Once we landed at Prague airport, we disembarked the aircraft quickly and went straight to passport control. After queuing for passport control for around 15 minutes, we headed to baggage reclaim and found that our baggage was already on the carousel. I thought that this was great, I’ve had to wait two hour for my baggage from other airlines before. All this meant that I was out of the airport and waiting for a bus to the city within 40 minutes of landing.
Flying with Jet2 was so simple and it was definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had with an airline. There were no hidden fees, check in was simple for both legs of the journey and the staff were all so helpful. I’ll definitely be looking at another Jet2 city break for next year.
