Do You Need Cash in Prague?

Mostly no. Prague runs on the Czech koruna (CZK, written Kč), not the euro, and Visa and Mastercard are accepted in the vast majority of shops, restaurants and hotels. Carry a small amount of koruna for markets, small cafés and tips, take it out of a bank-branded ATM, and treat the exchange booths in the tourist centre with suspicion.

The currency: koruna, not euros

The Czech Republic is in the EU but keeps its own currency. Banknotes come in 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 CZK and coins in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 CZK. Prices in menus and shops are in koruna, so get comfortable with the numbers: a coffee or a tram ticket will be a two- or three-digit figure.

Cards are the easy default

Prague City Tourism says the common international cards, especially Visa and Mastercard, are widely accepted. Contactless and phone payments are normal. For most of a three-day trip you can tap your way through museums, restaurants, supermarkets and public transport without touching a banknote. If a card machine asks whether to charge you in your home currency or in CZK, choose CZK. The "home currency" option is dynamic currency conversion, which applies the machine operator's own exchange rate and surcharge rather than your bank's.

Getting cash: pick the right ATM

• Use an ATM that displays a bank's logo (Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Komerční banka and similar). Prague City Tourism gives the same advice. Cash machines are plentiful in banks, large malls and Metro stations.
• Be wary of standalone non-bank ATMs in tourist streets. They tend to suggest large withdrawal amounts and push conversion in your own currency.
• When any ATM offers to convert the withdrawal into your home currency, decline and withdraw in CZK. Česká spořitelna's own explanation of this option notes that it carries a surcharge over the ECB exchange rate.
• Take out what you need for a few days in one go rather than many small withdrawals, since your home bank may charge per transaction.

Exchange offices: know your rights

If you do change cash, the Czech National Bank's rules are on your side, but only if you know them:

• Exchange offices may not charge commission; everything must be built into the rate shown. The rate list must show the least favourable rate, and advertised "VIP rates" are banned.
• You can cancel an exchange within three hours, at the same office, without giving a reason, for amounts up to the equivalent of €1,000. Always take the receipt; without it you cannot prove the time.
• Compare the buy and sell rates before handing over money. If the gap is several koruna, walk away. Never change money with anyone on the street.

Local reporting has found some central Prague booths still ignore these rules, so the safest options remain a bank branch or simply using an ATM.

Tipping

Tipping is customary, especially in restaurants. Prague City Tourism's guideline is about 10% of the bill when you were happy with the service. Tell the server the total you want to pay when the bill comes, or add the tip on the card machine if offered. A little koruna in your pocket makes this easier.

Planning your first trip?

The constantXplorer Prague 3-day guide plans the days around this: where to get your first koruna on arrival, which attractions take cards, and how much cash each day actually needs.