Prague

Currency

Czechia uses the koruna, not the euro — paying in euros anywhere gives you a terrible rate. Never use the exchange booths in the Old Town: many advertise a rate that only applies above absurd amounts. eXchange on Kaprova is the well-known honest one.

ATMs & cards

Use ČSOB, Komerční banka or Česká spořitelna machines. Absolutely avoid Euronet ATMs — they are everywhere in the centre and take 10%+ through conversion. Always decline the ATM’s conversion offer.

Euronet is everywhere in the old town and is the single most expensive way to get korunas.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe for violent crime. The main threats are financial: rigged exchange booths, taxi overcharging (use Bolt or Uber), and inflated bar bills in the Old Town. Pickpockets work Charles Bridge and tram 22.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date
• Tick-borne encephalitis if you plan to walk in forests between spring and autumn

Getting treated

EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Avoid restaurants on Old Town Square entirely. A half litre of excellent Czech beer should cost 45-60 CZK in a normal pub, not 120. Try svíčková and goulash in a local hospoda.

Getting around

• Metro — 3 lines, fast and simple, 30-minute ticket is 30 CZK
• Tram — the best way to see the city, tram 22 passes the castle
• Walking — Old Town to Charles Bridge to Malá Strana is a 30-minute walk
• Night trams — run all night on the 90-series numbers
• Airport: bus 119 to Nádraží Veleslavín then metro A (35 min, 40 CZK)

Must-see

Things to do

• Cross Charles Bridge at sunrise before the crowds
• Tour Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral
• Drink in a proper Czech hospoda
• Walk up Petřín Hill for the view
• Visit the Jewish Quarter synagogues
• See the John Lennon Wall in Malá Strana

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Czech

• HelloDobrý denDOH-bree den
• PleaseProsímPRO-seem
• Thank youDěkujiDYEH-koo-yi
• Yes / NoAno / NeAH-no / neh
• Excuse mePromiňtePRO-min-teh
• How much is it?Kolik to stojí?KO-lik to STO-yee
• The bill, pleaseÚčet, prosímOO-chet
• Cheers!Na zdraví!na ZDRA-vee

Religion

No majority faith

Among the least religious countries in Europe. Churches are visited as architecture, and nobody will assume otherwise.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Say dobrý den on entering a shop and na shledanou on leaving
• Let the beer settle — a proper Czech pour has a thick head and is not short measure
• Wait to be seated, and expect to share a table when it is busy
• Carry small notes; some pubs still dislike large ones

Don't

• Do not clink glasses across other people’s arms, and make eye contact when you toast
• Do not start drinking before everyone has toasted
• Do not be loud on public transport; the register is quiet
• Do not confuse Czech with Russian, or bring up the Soviet period casually