Beware of pickpockets and scammers

Be aware of pickpockets, or in Czech: "Pozor na kapsáře". Also, make sure you don't get scammed.

The above terms are things you often hear when talking about the Czech city of Prague and the Czech Republic in general, but is this really the case?

Unfortunately, pickpocketing occurs all over the world and unfortunately it will never be possible to eradicate it completely because if the local police picks up a pickpocket, another person will take over 5 minutes later.

Of course, pickpocketing is more common in busy areas than in quiet environments, that's just the way it is, so if you are in the really busy places such as Old Town Square or Charles Bridge, you should be extra careful. Which helps in every city and therefore also in Prague and what I would like to give as a tip: don't walk too much with your stuff. Don't constantly walk around with your phone (taking a picture with it is of course allowed) and make sure you can put it away in a safe pocket, for example an inside pocket of a jacket that you can close with a zipper. In addition, do not walk with too large and eye-catching handbags. The more basic your appearance is, the faster you radiate there is not much to get and then they ignore you.

In Prague the police is really very strict and many times stricter than in the Netherlands and therefore pickpocketing is really limited to a minimum.

What you also often hear is that you are quickly scammed, for example when you order a taxi ride or when exchanging money in one of the many exchange offices. This is really not too bad in practice and you also have this completely in your own hands. If you would like to have cash Kroner in your pocket, you can of course order money in advance in the Netherlands at the GWK, which are located in almost every major city in the Netherlands. If you need the Kronen immediately, you can collect the Kronen directly from the GWK branch at Schiphol.

If you do decide to exchange the Crowns somewhere in Prague, first familiarize yourself with the exchange rate applicable at that time. Usually the rate is between 24 and 26, which means that for 1 euro you get at least 24 Crowns. If you get less than let me say 22 Crowns at a counter, then you know that it is far too little and then you just tell that counter that you do not want to change. Then you explain to them that you normally get at least 24 Crowns for a Euro. Often they go along and give 24 or else you just say no. They don't often enter into discussions because all those counters are terrified of the police because they are often dealt with immediately if you report it to the police.

I also often hear that people are scammed when taking a taxi. You are also there yourself and that is completely in your own hands. The tip I can give is to take a look with your smartphone to see how big the distance is and then agree on a price. Soon I will also put a blog online in which I explain which taxi companies in Prague are reliable. An even better tip is to use public transport. Hardly anywhere in the world is public transport as well organized as in the city of Prague. Even at night, a whole network of night trams runs through Prague, including to the far corners. You can also reach your hotel within an hour by public transport from the airport. A taxi takes just as long, if not longer!