Event Information
Law Society goes to Prague!
Thu 22 Nov 2018 - Sun 25 Nov 2018
The Law Society have been working closely with Give it a Go to organise an epic trip this November.
Check out the details below; we’d love to have you!
City of a Hundred Spires,the capital city of the Czech Republic is one of the most beautiful in the world. Known for its Old Town, Baroque buildings, gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, history is at the heart of Prague and we cant wait to take you there!
When are we going?
Thursday November 22nd 2018 until Sunday 25th November 2018, just in time for your lectures on monday!
We will be departing from the Students' Union by coach to London Stansted in the morning where we then fly over to Prague, arriving at approximately 8pm into Prague.
Where are we staying?
We will be staying for 3 nights in Sir Tobys Hostel, a beautiful historical art-nouveu accomodation with all-you-can-eat breakfast provided. A short tram ride to the centre and surrounded by Prague Markets thiriving with food and services, you will be in the perfect location to experience everything there is to do in the stunning city.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
- Free WiFi
- Breakfast
- Games Room
- 24-hour reception – NO curfew and NO lockout.
- Friendly and great atmosphere
- Self-Catering Facilities
- English speaking staff
- Security Lockers
- Luggage Storage
- Towels for hire
What is there to do in Prague?
Prague Castle: What would an ancient city be without a castle? Prague’s castle is actually a walled complex of churches, palaces and other buildings, one of the largest in the world. Its dominant feature is the impressive Gothic St Vitus Cathedral, nearly 600 years in the making.
Charles Bridge: This bridge over Prague’s Vltava river was long the only way of crossing the water, contributing to the city’s importance as an east-west trade route. It was commissioned by its namesake, King Charles IV, who allegedly used astrology to determine many aspects of its construction. With three bridge towers, it is line on both sides by statues, as well as by many street vendors.
Old Town Square: The natural centre of the old town, tiny twisty streets open up onto a huge square here, lined with some of Prague’s most impressive sites, including the majestic Týn Cathedral and St Nicholas Church. The square’s centrepiece however is the Old Town Hall, adorned with Prague’s Astronomical Clock. This fascinating piece of medieval machinery keeps time in a wide array of measurements and every hour presents a much-watched show of small moving statues. This square is also the city of many seasonal markets, concerts and other events.
Jewish Quarter: Prague long had a large Jewish community and Josefov was the city’s Jewish quarter. At the turn of the twentieth century the quarter was almost completed rebuilt to change old winding streets into modern thoroughfares modelled on other big European cities. The Nazis removed most of the remaining Jewish population and all that remains of the Jewish quarter today are six synagogues, the Old Jewish Town Hall, and the layered tombstones of the Old Jewish Cemetery.
Vysehrad Prague’s “other” castle is Vyšehrad, allegedly the place the mythical figure Libuše chose for the founding of Prague. Located on a rock overlooking the Vltava river, it holds a number of historical buildings and a large cemetery with some important Czech historical figures. This is where Prague started! Wander in joy and melancholy.
Wenceslas Square: In many ways the commercial centre of the city, this long square is more of a very wide boulevard, lined with bright lights and shops. It was one of the main sites of demonstrations during the Velvet Revolution. At the top of the square is the imposing National Museum and a statue of the Czech patron saint, Wenceslas. At the bottom is a pedestrian area that is frequently the site of various events and seasonal markets.
Prague Zoo: Ranked as #7 best in the world…so, do as the locals do, go to the zoo!
Botanical Gardens: Prague has two, a less exciting one near Karlovo námestí and a larger one in Troja, just next to the zoo. Huge greenhouses with butterflies, nature paths and outdoor exhibits.
Vitkov Hill: Home of the largest equestrian statue in the world…but focus on the breathtaking view. School children used to have to go look at the remains of Communist leaders in the building behind the statue but it is currently being turned into a museum.
Olšanské Hrbitovy: This old Jewish/Christian cemetery houses the real grave of Franz Kafka and is a superb place for wandering.
John Lennon Wall A constantly changing graffiti wall. First painted with texts and pictures inspired by John Lennon in the 1980s by students, it quickly became a symbol of resistance against the now fallen communist government.
And that's just a few! We will provide a full itinerary closer to the time that our team will be leading, so if you want a trip made easy - follow us!
Sounds amazing! Where do I sign up?
To secure your place on the trip, simply purchase a ticket from this page. The price of the trip is £249 and covers the 3 night stay with all-you-can-eat breakfast, transport to and from Prague including transfers to and from the airport on both sides and includes an itinerary made by us and led by our amazing team. We have two payment plans for this:
Pay the full amount of £249 straight up - bish. bash. bosh.
Pay a deposit of £99 by the 20th October followed by a second payment of £150 by 10th November, for all of you who like to space out your payments.
All deposits paid are strictly non-refundable. Please be absolutely sure you can commit to this trip before you pay.
Additional Extras
On top of all this, we have a good old fashioned crawl organised for you with Drunken monkey, one of the best pub crawls around. You're in for an incredible night filled with free drinks, friendly faces and a party spirit. You'll also get a special "Law society in Prague" T-shirt made just for you, for you to treasure alongside the memories of one of the best weekends of your student experience!
Tickets for the bar crawl will be on sale soon!
What are you waiting for?! Frequently Asked Questions
This trip is organised by the Students' Union on behalf of Law Society, equating to very low prices, great value and organisation you can trust!
1. Can people who are not CU students come on this trip?
Yes, but priority will be given to Law Society members. If tickets remain unsold and with the permission of Law Society non-CU students can come on this trip if accompanied by a Cardiff University Student. They will have to create a guest account on this website to book.
2. Is this trip suitable for children/families? Is there a reduced rate for children?
No - children are not permitted on this trip. Although the Students' Union are planning future trips with a set number of family rooms and exploring other options that would make our trips more inclusive for families and young children, this trip isn't suitable for them. Large numbers of mature students frequently sign up to Society trips, but the majority make up of the trip are students aged 18 - 25.
3. I'm having trouble signing up online. What do I do?
One possible reason for this is that the Students' Union finance system becomes much more strict for products exceeding £100. If your address, or any given details, don't exactly match the ones orginally given when you signed up for the card/account... the system will become very sassy with you. If you're having difficulties making payment through cardiffstudents.com please email SUFinance@cardiff.ac.uk and CC Giveitago@cardiff.ac.uk into the email. Ultimately it is possible to pay in person at the finance office of the Students' Union and there are no such difficulties with that payment method!
4. I don't know if I need a visa. Help!
If you are a UK/EU citizen, you do not require a visa to travel to Prague, but you do need a passport to prove that you are, in fact, a UK/EU citizen. If you are not a UK/EU citizen it is likely that you will require a visa and we advise you to read the advice in the next few titles down and engage with thorough independent research to make yourself aware of the process of applying.
5. What is the deadline for this trip?
For students who do not require a visa, there is no deadline for this trip. There are 40 places and when the tickets are gone, they're gone. Email giveitago@cardiff.ac.uk for an up-to-date figure of how many tickets are left. For international students who require a visa, the safe deadline to sign up to the trips allowing time to apply to the visa is NOW. Any sign ups made closer to the time, we will happily provide visa evidence for, but the risk of your visa not arriving in time becomes ever more real (it has happened in the past and students have lost money).
If you have any other enquiries please email Giveitago@cardiff.ac.uk and we'll get back to you within 1-2 working days!
(Photograph is St Vitus's Cathedral by Tony Hisgett)
Important Terms and Conditions
N.B. YOU MUST BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE DATA YOU ARE ENTERING AT THE TRIP CHECK-OUT IS ACCURATE DOWN TO THE LAST LETTER AND NUMBER. ANY DISCREPENCY BETWEEN YOUR PASSPORT AND BOARDING CARD WILL MEAN YOU INCUR HEAVY CHARGES OR WILL BE DENIED BOARDING ACCESS.
You should be aware of the following details:
Passports
- This trip requires you to undertake an international trip. You are required to have a valid and in-date passport for this trip. British citizens do not require a visa, but require a passport to prove that they are in fact a British citizen. Please ensure your passport is valid and in-date before you book onto this trip.
- It is certain that your passport will be checked on both departure and return from the UK.
Baggage Restrictions
- All passengers are restricted to one cabin bag per person. This bag must not exceed the maximum size of 56 x 45 x 25cm including handles and wheels. There is no weight restriction on the bag but you must be able to lift it into the overhead compartment. There are very strict restrictions on what can be taken onboard the aircraft.
Please look at the Easyjet guidelines for more information: http://www.easyjet.com/en/help/preparing-to-fly/baggage
Refunds
- This general trip ticket and all added extras are strictly non-refundable, so please be absolutely certain that you're free for the dates of the trip.
Transfers
- It is not possible to transfer tickets once purchased because we will have passed your details onto the airline.
Travel insurance and European Health Insurance Cards
- We would strongly advise you to take out personal travel insurance for this trip to cover your personal property, money, passports, medical expenses and repatriation if necessary. The Students' Union itself has public liability insurance, but that won't help you in the least unless your loss is directly attributable to our negligence. Applying for an EHIC if you don't already have one will be a good idea as well, but this will only cover the most basic of medical treatment.
Travel Insurance Policy +£5 - £20 (depending on circumstances)
We advise you to take out our in house recommended low cost travel insurance policy. This will protect you against the possibility that something goes wrong and you miss the coach home or lose or damage something valuable. You can look at and apply for that travel insurance here. It is your responsibilty to sort this out , and it is not provided in the price of the trip.
EasyJet Terms and Conditions
- Both we and you are bound by the terms and conditions of our flights carrier Easyjet. You can find those terms and conditions here.
Students' Union and Hotel Terms and Conditions
- This is a Students' Union trip, organised directly by the Give it a Go Team. In terms of rules and expected conduct, whilst on this trip you are in effect inside the Students' Union Building and subject to University Regulations. By signing up to this trip you are agreeing to both the Students' Union code of conduct and the house rules for the Hotel. Any infringement of which may provoke academic consequences for you.Students' Union Code of Conduct
Deposit Option
There are only a certain number of tickets available for this trip. You have the option of paying a £99 deposit to secure your place. The remaining £150 being due no later than 10th November 2018.
All deposits paid are strictly non-refundable. Please be absolutely sure you can commit to this trip before you pay.
(Photograph is Prague by Roman Boed)
International Students and Visas
Students should be advised that this trip obviously requires them to be able to travel outside the UK. It is the responsibility of individual students to seek appropriate advice, visas and passport documentation for this purpose.
The Students’ Union and its staff are not insured to advise students with regard to visas or the visa process. The Students’ Union will not check that you have the appropriate documentation and assumes no responsibility for the consequences of failing to make arrangements.
It is the student’s responsibility to ascertain whether they require a visa or passport documentation. In the event that they do, they should be advised that visas can take extended periods of time to process and usually require a not-insignificant charge (a Schengen visa for example is priced at £40 - £60).
In addition, individuals should be made aware that once booked, this trip is strictly non-refundable.
Final Year International Students who are in the UK on a study visa and who have less than 6 months on their study visa at the time of this trip, should be advised that some embassies, e.g. TLS, the French Consulate, will refuse to process a visa application for them.
We have been instructed by the International Student Support Office of Cardiff University to direct students who require visa advice to their online information. The International Student Support Office of Cardiff University may be contacted themselves for general information, but have said that they cannot assist students with the process and like the Students' Union, will not provide specific advice.
Students' Union Visa Guidance
The general approach when applying for a Schengen visa is to to apply to the embassy of the 'main country of destination' which for this trip in isolation will be the Czech Republic Embassy.
As of 1 March 2015 all visa applications can only be made by an 'in-person' appointment at the VF Services in London and Edinburgh. I.e. you will not be able to make a visa application to the consulate in Cardiff, you will have to go to the nearest office (London) in person after making an appointment with the VFS office.
More information is available following this link.
You can make an appointment with VFS following this link.
You can apply for a Schengen visa within three months of the intended date of travel. Assuming there are no problems, the application itself can take up to 15 working days to process - but longer if you supply incompete documents or the embasy has a query with your application.
The application itself generally has a fee attached to it of between £40 - £60 but this does not include the costs you will incur travelling to London.
Visa Documents the Students' Union can provide
The application will require you to supply a number of documents, some of which the Students' Union can supply for you. You should research this thoroughly yourself before you travel to London to make the application to avoid wasted time and money. Click here for more information on short-stay document requirements.
Documents you will need to supply for VFS:
- Valid signed passport, valid for 3 months after intended return from Schengen.
- Completed and signed visa application form (two signatures and signature same as in passport)
- One photograph (meeting all photo requirements)
- Original and copy of valid UK residence permit (valid for 3 months after intended return)
- Copy of applicant’s passport (holder page, signature page and copies of all used visas in the last 2 years)
- If employed: original and recent (less than 3 months old) employment letter on company letter head/covering letter from company house or accountant on letter head (if self-employed)
- If student: original and recent (less than 3 months old) student letter stating attendance and start and finish date of studies
- Salary slips (last 3 months)
- UK current account bank statements (last 3 months), including name and address of account holder
- Valid travel insurance, policy minimum EUR 30,000, with full details of applicant and cover dates.
N.B. You will have to contact your University registry for proof of student status - the Students' Union cannot provide this for you.
Documents we can provide to you if requested:
- Confirmed travel ticket, showing names of persons travelling.
- Confirmed hostel reservation.
- Travel itinerary with all transport and accommodation details, signed by the Trip Leader and the Students' Union President.
If you require the above set of documents please email Connor on Giveitago@Cardiff.ac.uk and allow at least 5 working days for the Students' Union to draft them for you. The documents will have to be picked up in person from the Give it a Go desk on the third floor of the Students' Union.