Need cash in Prague?

In many places on the internet, such as forums and groups on Facebook, we often read the question whether you need cash in Prague. We as real locals are shocked by the answers and do not agree with the answers.

People often say that you can pay everywhere with a card, but is this really true? More and more businesses in the city of Prague accept card payments, but does that also mean you don't need cash?

Certainly not, because real locals know and have experience that they actually pay more with cash than with a card.

Of course you need some coins, for example to use public toilets. Because honestly, if you're wandering around a city for 12 hours one day, you probably need to go to the toilet at some point, right? In Prague this is not a problem because in no other city are there as many public toilets as in the city of Prague. Unfortunately, the public toilets often cost some money, often 10 to  20 Czech Koruna. In return, you will receive one of the cleanest public toilets in all of Europe.

Do I also need cash to visit a bar or restaurant, for example? Bars and restaurants in the old town often accept card payments. In tourist areas you can often pay with your card, but if you inform yourself about the nicest and best restaurants and bars via our website or during one of our tours, you will really need cash. The real local places where almost only locals come and few tourists, the places where you also pay half the price for much better quality often do not have an ATM.

Our advice is to always withdraw some money. You don't have to pay a lot of money because at the places we recommend you can eat well for little money. For 25 euros, approximately 600 to 700 Czech Krona (reference date 05-02-2024) you can enjoy an extensive three-course dinner including a few drinks. So do the math!

Can I also exchange money? We do not recommend exchanging money, even though you will find an exchange office on every street corner and at the airport. The exchange offices often charge a very unfavorable rate. For yourself you can always calculate with an exchange rate that 25 Czech Koruna is worth approximately 1 euro. The value of the Krone is always approximately between 24 and 26.

Where is the best place to pay by card? Throughout the city of Prague you will find ATMs everywhere, often even on the facades of buildings. However, we do not recommend withdrawing money from these machines. These machines from Euronet, among others, often charge very unfavorable rates. We always recommend withdrawing money from a real bank.

Below is an overview of Czech banks:

• Air Bank (PPF Group, Czech)
• Ceska Sporitelna (Erste Group, Austria)
• CSOB (KBC Group, Belgium)
• Fio banka (Czech bank)
• Komercni Banka (Société Générale, France)
• Moneta Money Bank (GE Money)
• Raiffeisen Bank (Austrian)
• UniCredit (Italian)
• Sberbank (Russian)