Common Tourist Scams in Prague (and How to Avoid Them)
How the Prague taxi scam actually works
- Rigged meter: the driver's meter has a hidden switch (often under the dashboard, sometimes operated by the gear-stick) that multiplies the per-kilometre rate. Legal Prague tariff in 2026 is 40 CZK/km maximum, 60 CZK base fare, 7 CZK per minute of waiting. Scam meters charge 90-200 CZK/km.
- "Fixed price" before you get in: tout quotes 800 CZK from Old Town Square to a hotel 1.5 km away. The Bolt equivalent is 120-180 CZK.
- Cash-only insistence: real Prague taxis have a card terminal by law; tout cars claim it's "broken". This is the single fastest red flag.
- No yellow roof-light brand: legal Prague taxis are marked with a yellow roof-light displaying "TAXI", a company name and licence number on the doors, and a yellow price-list sticker in the rear passenger window. Tout-cars are usually unmarked Mercedes or BMWs.
- Rip-off receipts: if you ask for a receipt the tout produces a hand-written slip with no licence number — useless for a refund claim. Legal taxis print thermal receipts from the meter with the licence and tariff displayed.
- Hlavní nádraží station rank: cars at the rank directly outside the main station are usually legitimate-looking but include known scam operators. Walk 200m to the metro and take Line C, or order Bolt to the Bolívarova pickup point.
FAQ
- What are the Prague taxi scams in 2026?
- The classic two: rigged meters that charge 5-10x the legal tariff, and 'fixed-price' tout-cars that quote 800-1,500 CZK for rides that should cost 200-400 CZK. Both are concentrated at Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, Charles Bridge approaches, and outside Hlavní nádraží. Avoid by using Bolt, Uber, or Liftago instead of hailing on the street.
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