A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages (contea, contado, comtat, condado, Grafschaft, Gau, etc.) denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count (cf. conte, comte, conde, Graf). When the Normans conquered England, they brought the term with them. But the Vikings had already introduced the term earl (from Old Norse, jarl) to the British Isles. Thus, "earl" and "earldom" were taken as equivalent to the continental use of "count" and "county". So, the later-imported term became a synonym for the native English word scir ([?ir]) or, in Modern English, shire Since a shire was an administrative division of the kingdom, the term "county" evolved to designate an administrative division of national government in most modern uses. A county may be further subdivided into townships or other administrative jurisdictions under the county's control. The boundaries of a county usually, but not always, contain cities, villages, towns, or other municipal corporations. Depending on the particular nation, municipalities might or might not be subject to direct or indirect county control. In the United Kingdom, many county names derive from the name of the county town with the word "shire" added on: for example, Gloucester, in Gloucestershire; Worcester, in Worcestershire; etc. [1] Outside the Anglophone community of nations, the term "county" is often used to describe sub-national jurisdictions that are structurally equivalent to counties in the relationship they have with their national government; but which may or may not be operationally equivalent to the county as that entity is known in predominantly English-speaking countries.
Prague has a wealth of accommodation options, many of them within walking distance of the town centre. Peak season generally runs from April to October and a major influx of visitors can be expected during New Year as well. Prices for accommodation like Prague hotels or apartments can be up to twice as high in the peak season and reservations are advised. Otherwise, the main train station, Hlavní nádraží, has an accommodation booking service for hotels and hostels upstairs. Normally, tax and breakfast are included in the room rate.
Even during peak season, dorm rooms in apartments in Prague and Prague apartments for rent close to the city center can be had for around 1000Kč per person per night. Prague has its share of rough and ready apartments with a party vibe, but there are many with a more relaxed atmosphere and some housed in beautifully restored buildings as fancy as any hotel. Many hotels also offer private rooms, with or without shared bathrooms, for much cheaper than a pension or hotel room. Many of the hotels in Prague now are very nice.