Never fear — Prague is not dangerous. In fact, Czechia was recently rated the third safest country in the world. While you can safely walk the streets at night and wander into any neighborhood, you should still be careful of the following things as a visitor here:
Pickpockets
Prague appears twice on the list of top 10 locations where pockets are picked worldwide. Charles Bridge and Old Town Square are notorious, but be careful on the trams and other crowded places as well (I’ve witnessed a few attempts at theft myself on tram 22 to the castle).
Taxi Cabs
Prague taxi drivers are notorious for overcharging. With numerous ways to fool you into paying 10x more than you should, it’s best to avoid them altogether. Use Uber, Bolt, or Liftago ride-share apps for a reliable price and safe ride. Or you can use public transit, but make sure you have a valid ticket.
Money Exchanges
Scam exchange offices in Prague advertise “0% commission” but earn money through terrible rates. As of this month (October 2023), the rate of Euro to Czech Crown is roughly 1 = 24. I know of several exchanges which will sell you 1 = 16. Go there and it will cost you 35 Euros to change 100.
Use the trusted Exchange offices on my recommendations page, or at least check the price they’re ‘selling’ (not ‘buying’) crowns for before you purchase them.
Changing money on the Street
If anyone approaches you on the street offering to change money or break up your larger bills, walk away. These are scammers who deceive you into thinking the currency they’re giving you is Czech Crowns, but it is not. You are being robbed.
Euronet ATMs
The most common ATMs in Prague are from Euronet. This company pays good money to put their machines wherever a tourist might need money. Why? Because they make good money by tricking those tourists. The machine recognizes a foreign card, shows inflated prices for withdrawal (like 40,000 czk), and then does all it can to convince you to use their conversion rate. Once you fall for it, you’ll get hit with an absurd conversion rate plus a high fee, meaning it can cost you over 20 Euros to withdraw 100.
What to do? Visit one of the ATMs recommended on my recommendations page instead.
Better safe than sorry
With these things in mind, you can safely enjoy your time in this beautiful city. Whether you’re touring the center with me or enjoying one of the many vibrant neighborhoods, you’ll have a much better time when you know what to look out for.