Prague has good public transportation and the system is so easy and convenient that you may simply forget about the existence of taxis and won’t use them. However in some cases you may really need to use taxi, it is a good choice if you travel at night when the metro isn’t running and the trams and buses run less frequently, or it is freezing cold, or you are traveling with a lot of luggage, or you may need to get to a distant part of Prague hotels.
Not so good news is that honest taxi drivers are the exception in Prague and Prague taxi drivers have become a scar on its reputation. Many Prague taxi drivers are rude and dishonest and will try to take advantage of you if you are a foreigner and don’t know the rules, prices and tourist traps.
However in this article we put together some tips to minimize your chances of getting ripped off in Prague taxis. If you are informed then taxis remain the most comfortable way to travel and if you negotiate your journey in advance and take in mind the night extra charges you don’t have to worry about anything.
Very often taxi drivers cheat tourists by extra charging. We advise you not to get into a taxi cab parked in front of tourist site or the train station. Street taxi drivers will usually charge you more and be more argumentative so instead of taking a taxi on the street, use the marked taxi stations or order taxis via a non-stop dispatching centre where they can gain information about the fare in advance. Also you can send an SMS stating your name and pick up place as many operators of Prague taxis allow you to do it.
The biggest Prague taxis are AAA with 1200 cars (25CZK then 21,90CZK/km) and a little bit smaller but cheaper City Taxi with 300 cars (25CZK then 20,90/km). If you don’t know a number or don’t have mobile, many bars, restaurants, Prague hotels and other places can call a taxi cab for you.
Here are some of the reputable companies:
140 14 – AAA
257 257 257 – City Taxi
257 216 479 – Taxi Praha
Each taxi service vehicle must be equipped with a permanently installed roof lamp with the TAXI sign and marked on both front doors with name of the company and country, the registration number, price list for the basic rate, price per kilometre and amount per minute for waiting. These prices must correspond with the prices on the taximeters in the taxi that driver has. We advise you to write down the registration number and the number on the door of the taxi.
To know the price, see here Prague taxi maximum prices:
• ride in the capital city 28 CKZ/km
• Boarding fee (one-off entry fee) 40 CZK
• waiting 6 CZK per min
Check whether the taximeter is working and if it shows zero when you get in. When the trip is finished, the driver is obliged to give you orderly and fully filled receipt for the payment. Check the receipt and make sure that the driver charged you the standard tariff as it’s written on the door. The receipt must be printed by the taximeter printer. It must contain personal details of the driver. If the taxi driver refuses to give you the receipt, write down the registration number and the number on the door of the taxi cab.
Knowing all this tips will save your money and will keep away from having bad experience with Prague taxis.