Posted by If you read this article, you can save a lot of money in Prague. Prices in Prague are on average still much lower than in most other countries in Europe. This is especially true for services such as gastronomy, accommodation and public transport. The price nirveau in the very touristy areas of the old town is now too high. The room prices of hotels in Prague fluctuate strongly depending on the season.
Important note: With the Prague Card you can visit many sights without paying admission: More Information
Prices food and drink in Prague
You can go to Czech Republic after very cheap food. You just have to know where. As a rule of thumb it is cheap where Czechs go, expensive where tourists go.
Caution: A few months ago I paid for a pizza and a beer for about 600 crowns directly in the centre of the old town. That’s almost 25 Euro. If one walks one kilometre out of the oldtown, one gets the same for 5 euros. Often, in tourist regions, a beer costs more than a whole meal with a drink in another city district. There are hardly such gigantic price differences in any other city in Europe. In Prague, one should always be careful not to get ripped off. This is especially true in gastronomy.
For orientation: A classic roast pork with dumplings (or another normal main course) in the Czech Republic usually costs about 150 to 180 crowns with a drink (6 to 7 euros). If for a normal main course you have to pay 250 crowns or more (always look on a menu before ordering) we suggest to leave the restaurant before ordering.
A big beer for 37 Czech crowns, about 1,45 Euro. That’s ok. But there are also many pubs where a 0,5l beer costs only 28 crowns, so only 1,10 Euro. In tourist pubs, a beer can also cost over 5 euros. Our suggestion: Do not eat or drink anything in the extreme tourist areas such as Old Town Ring and surroundings. The price level is higher than in downtown Munich. Some streets of the Prague Lesser Town on the other side of the Vltava near the Charles Bridge are also expensive.
A simple Hotdog (see picture under Classic) for less than one Euro. A typical price for Prague, in most European countries such a snack costs at least twice as much.
Not everything in the old town is overpriced, but a lot. Example (picture below): All cocktails for less than 4 Euro, only a few meters south of the central street of the old town, that’s ok.
Fees money exchange in Prague (very important to know)
From our point of view, this is by far the biggest rip-off in Prague! You pay up to an unbelievable 30 percent fee when changing cash!
And this is not the case in a few exchange offices in the old town, but unfortunately also in other places with tourists. Among them are the airport and the main station. If you change 100 Euro, you pay 25 to 30 Euro fees. You should never do this! In between, there are always exchange offices (mostly with less advertising) that only charge 1-3 % fees. A Czech would never pay more!
You should always know the exchange rate. For years the exchange rate has been between 24 and 27 crowns for one euro (summer 2018). Of course we cannot guarantee that the exchange rate is still in this range when you read this article. So you should always inform yourself about the current exchange rate before travelling to the Czech Republic. 3 percent fees are already a lot, in no case pay more!
3 strategies of moneychangers you should know:
– Some exchange offices offer a great exchange rate on the billboards. However, in Czech (sometimes also in English) in small letters, for example: 26% fees.
– Some exchange offices advertise “0% fees”, but the exchange rate is very bad (for example 17 crowns for 1 euro instead of 25 crowns!).
– Another very popular “trick” is to show the exchange rate for crowns in euros. Many tourists then think that this is the exchange rate for changing from euros to crowns the other way round.
Anyone who thinks that cash withdrawals at ATMs in the Czech Republic can’t be done wrong is mistaken. Many ATMs suggest an extremely poor exchange rate. You can accept or reject it at the touch of a button. If you accept it, you usually get 10 to 15% less. The proposed course is often miserable.
Prices accomodation in Prague
There are hardly any people today who are looking for a hotel on the spot. Practically every visitor to Prague has booked in advance, mostly on the Internet. The website with the largest and best selection of hotels in Prague is Booking.com from our point of view.
On average, overnight prices in Prague and the Czech Republic are lower than in most cities in Europe. But the prices fluctuate enormously. Summer and other holiday periods such as Easter and New Year are expensive. Prague is also a weekend destination for many people. Therefore the prices in Prague in the accommodations are usually somewhat lower during the week.
In winter there are rooms starting from 20 Euro, in summer it can be hard to find something for 50 to 70 Euro.
No hotel in Prague yet?There are several thousand hotels in and around Prague. In our opinion the best overview is at Booking.com. Here you can sort the accommodations according to price or you can display only accommodations in certain parts of the city. The hotels can be booked quickly and easily on Booking.com, there are also holiday apartments and simple hostels. |
Prices public transport Prague
Pleasingly cheap with high quality. A single ticket is available for 30 minutes for less than one euro. A day ticket is available for 4 to 5 euros. All tickets are valid for bus, tram and metro.
There are 3 longer metro lines and many tram lines. The tram is the most important public transport in the capital of the Czech Republic.
Unfortunately, there are only ticket machines at the metro stations. Trams and buses do not sell tickets. You should buy some tickets in advance or buy a ticket for 24 hours or 72 hours. Tickets only become valid after they have been stamped.
Important note: With the Prague Card you can use the public transport free of charge and visit many sights without paying admission: More Information