Things to know before visiting Czech Republic

Exchange offices advertising 'zero commission' or 'best rates' near Old Town Square and tourist areas routinely give terrible rates. Multiple creators specifically warn these are among the most common ways tourists lose money in Prague.

Not all ATMs in Prague are equal. Honest Guide specifically calls out certain ATMs in tourist zones that offer a currency conversion trick (dynamic currency conversion) to skim extra fees from unsuspecting tourists.

Eating or drinking directly on Old Town Square can cost dramatically more than equivalent venues a few streets away. Honest Guide found one tourist-trap spot more expensive than a five-star hotel meal.

Small convenience stores and minimarkets in the tourist core of Prague charge tourists multiples of what locals pay at normal shops. Honest Guide demonstrated locals paying under a dollar for items that cost tourists five dollars.

The Czech Republic is not in the eurozone. Paying in euros at restaurants or shops that accept them often triggers a terrible conversion rate built in by the vendor. Always pay in koruna.

Honest Guide exposed the Dancing House as a tourist trap in terms of its paid interior experience, while other creators still recommend the rooftop bar for views. The building is worth seeing from outside for free.

As of 2026, Honest Guide tested and found that booked taxis from Prague airport can undercut the Airport Express bus in price, flipping the usual wisdom about airport transport.

Prague has an excellent public transport network of trams, metro, and buses. Multiple creators recommend using the city's official app (PID Lítačka) or Google Maps to plan routes and buy tickets, rather than buying paper tickets from machines which can confuse newcomers.

Prague operates a proof-of-payment system on public transport, and inspectors do check. Resty Neha Vlogs documented getting fined on their very first day in Prague for not properly validating a ticket.

Honest Guide has filmed and documented street scams where strangers approach tourists with a found gold ring or ask for gas money. These are coordinated cons targeting visitors in central Prague.

Organized groups approach tourists with clipboards asking them to sign petitions or donate to fake charities — Honest Guide has filmed these operations and even caught them working in front of police.

Honest Guide investigated and exposed an organized scam operation — originally documented in Poland — that has expanded its territory and uses trained operatives with scripted pitches to extract money from tourists via fake petitions or collections.

Honest Guide investigated fraudulent online ads targeting tourists searching for Prague hotels and services, finding that scam operators pose as legitimate businesses to take bookings and money without delivering anything.

The most crowded tourist spots in Prague are prime pickpocketing territory. Honest Guide flags pickpockets as one of the live dangers in central Prague, especially in crowds around the Astronomical Clock and on Charles Bridge.

Multiple creators note that trdelník, the spiral pastry sold everywhere in tourist Prague, is heavily marketed as Czech but is not an authentic traditional dish. It's worth knowing you're buying a tourist-area snack, not local heritage food.

Visitors gather in large numbers every hour to watch the Astronomical Clock's mechanical show, but multiple creators suggest the actual animated sequence is brief and the real value is the clock's architecture and the surrounding Old Town Square atmosphere.

Staying in neighborhoods like Vinohrady, Žižkov, or Malá Strana gives visitors access to local cafés, restaurants, and bars at a fraction of Old Town prices. Multiple creators recommend choosing accommodation outside the tourist core.

Before You Go covers Karlovy Vary's famous colonnades where thermal mineral springs flow freely. The local tradition involves sipping the mineral water from a special spouted cup (porcelain lázeňský pohár) sold in town — don't try to drink it straight from the fountain spout like a water fountain.

Free walking tours operate in Prague's Old Town and are widely recommended as a practical and affordable way to get oriented and pick up local knowledge on arrival, though they run on tips.

Across multiple creators, the consistent advice is to hit Charles Bridge very early in the morning to experience it without crowds. By mid-morning it becomes one of the most congested spots in the city.

Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle complex in the world and draws massive crowds. Creators who cover practical tips consistently recommend pre-booking timed entry rather than showing up and queuing.

The route up to Prague Castle and through Malá Strana involves significant cobblestone streets and steep inclines. Creators who walk these routes on camera consistently note that footwear matters.