Start with the right level of concern

I would not plan a Prague trip as if you are heading into a scam gauntlet. The useful mindset is much calmer: protect the moments where somebody else gets to choose the exchange rate, the taxi price or what appears on your bill.

That means paying in Czech koruna when you can, checking a restaurant bill before tapping your card, ordering taxis instead of negotiating on the kerb and keeping receipts when you exchange cash. Those habits do more than carrying a list of dramatic “tourist traps”.

Cash exchange: compare the rate, and know the three-hour rule

A “0% commission” sign tells you almost nothing about whether a cash exchange is good value. The margin can be buried in the buy/sell rate, so compare the offered rate with a current benchmark before handing over notes. I would also never exchange money with a stranger on the street; Czech tourism guidance explicitly warns visitors against it.

Czech law gives you a unusually useful safety net if you realise immediately that an exchange was terrible. The Office of the Financial Arbitrator says a customer can normally withdraw from a cash exchange transaction within three hours at the same branch, up to the equivalent of €1,000. The clock runs during that branch's public opening hours. Keep the receipt and return promptly rather than assuming a bad exchange is irreversible.

If cash is not essential, my simpler default is to withdraw a modest amount from a bank-operated ATM or pay by card, while still watching the conversion screen.

DCC: the expensive choice that looks helpful

Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) appears when a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency instead of CZK. It can look reassuring because you recognise the number, but the conversion is then performed by the merchant or ATM's DCC provider rather than your own card issuer.

The Czech National Bank notes that DCC is generally less favourable than the exchange offered by the card issuer and that providers must disclose the markup against the ECB reference rate. My rule is therefore simple: choose CZK unless you have a specific reason not to, and let your card provider do the conversion. At an ATM, read every screen rather than automatically accepting the highlighted option.

Taxis: remove the negotiation

Prague City Tourism recommends booking a taxi rather than hailing one because street-hailed prices are usually higher. For a conventional metered taxi, the city currently lists maximum rates of 60 CZK starting charge, 36 CZK per kilometre and 7 CZK per minute waiting for ordinary cars, with slightly higher electric-car caps. You should be able to see the meter and receive a receipt.

Apps such as Liftago, Bolt and Uber remove most of the ambiguity because the price or pricing basis is shown before the ride. At Václav Havel Airport, the official contracted taxi service is Uber Airport and can be ordered in the app, at self-service kiosks or at staffed counters. I would ignore unsolicited approaches in the arrivals hall and use the official ordering route instead.

Restaurant bills and tipping: correct the old 10% myth

One old piece of Prague advice needs killing off: there is not a universal Czech law that automatically puts a 10% service charge on every restaurant bill. VisitCzechia describes tips of up to around 10% as customary, and notes that some establishments may add a service amount directly — which is very different from saying every bill legally includes it.

Check the menu for any stated cover or service charge, check the bill for items you did not order, and decide your tip based on the service and what is already included. If bread, snacks or another item arrives without being requested and you are unsure whether it is complimentary, ask before eating it. The boring thirty-second bill check is far more useful than arguing after payment.

Pickpockets and distraction tactics

Dense tourist crowds create the same pickpocketing opportunity you find in most major European city centres. Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock crowd and busy public transport are places where I would keep a zipped bag in front of me and avoid leaving a phone loose in an outer pocket.

You do not need elaborate anti-theft gear. Keep your wallet and passport somewhere controlled, step away from the flow of pedestrians before checking directions, and be cautious when a stranger creates urgency, asks you to sign something or crowds your personal space while another person is close by.

If something goes wrong

  • Bad cash exchange: return to the same branch quickly with the receipt and use the statutory withdrawal right where it applies; exchange disputes can fall within the Financial Arbitrator's remit.
  • Taxi problem: keep the receipt or app record. Prague City Tourism says complaints about conventional taxis can be submitted to Prague City Hall.
  • Card/DCC problem: keep the terminal or ATM receipt and contact your card issuer promptly if the transaction is not what you authorised.
  • Restaurant dispute: raise the incorrect item before payment where possible and keep the itemised receipt if you need to follow it up.

The common thread is evidence. A receipt, screenshot or ride record turns “I think I was overcharged” into something you can actually challenge.

Official sources & my verdict

My verdict: Prague needs normal big-city judgement, not paranoia. Control the exchange rate, remove taxi negotiation, read the bill and keep your valuables zipped in crowds. That covers the problems most likely to spoil an otherwise easy visit.

Cheers, Carpe Diem & keep the koruna on your side! 🍻⏳💳
TATS Man
The small-print and taxi-meter editor