Buying a good guidebook is the best investment you can make and if you want to enjoy your stay you should definitely get one. Why? Because there are a lot of things you need to know, sure there are also a lot of things you necessary don't need to know but they are like spice - they make your stay better and more fun. Don't believe me? All right. Imagine standing on the Charles Bridge. Nice bridge .. umm ..and the sculptures on the sides….nice…but after a while you might wonder, are the sculptures original? When was this bridge constructed?, why it is still standing etc..? Are you curious to know the answers? OK, I will tell you the answers: the sculptures are not original (the originals are in the museum), the construction of the bridge started in 1357 and the bridge is still standing because they used to put eggs in the foundations of it. Probably the best guide book you can buy is one from Lonely Planet (17.99$ or £11.99) This guidebook is available in several languages. The Lonely Planet guidebook is very well done and also includes map section so you don't need to buy extra maps.

About Lonely Planet Prague Guide - I studied in Prague for the last four months, and I took this book with me everywhere. It is the only guidebook that has the hours that everything is open and how to get there. All of the information in it is highly reliable. I highly recommend it if you plan on spending more than a few weeks in Prague, although I supplemented it with the Eyewitness Guide to Prague and the Rough Guide to Prague. However, it offered little advice on which the best places to eat and stay and visit are. It also has very few pictures, which is unfortunate, because out of the thousands of beautiful places to visit in Prague, it is helpful to be able to see which buildings appeal to oneself the most before choosing to visit them. If you plan to stay in Prague for longer than a week, this is an essential book to buy. However, for quick trips to Prague, I would suggest buying the Rough Guide to Prague (it offers good advice about where to go) and the Eyewitness Guide to Prague (it has tons of pictures). Also, if you plan on spending more than a few days in Prague, buy the Lonely Planet Guide to the Czech and Slovak Republic - there is so much more to the Czech Republic than Prague, and taking a day trip or two outside of the city is time well spent.