Safety Tips

Cars

Prague has a good security camera system in the city centre, so car theft or theft from cars is not so common, but it's always better to be careful.

The best advice is to park your car in a supervised carpark or in hotel facilities and use public transport to travel around the historical centre – it's quicker, cheaper and safer.

If you do have to drive into the city centre, always make sure your parked car is properly locked and that no items are left visible inside e.g. wallet, phone, laptop or important documents.

If you become the victim of a crime call the police on 158.

Also consider the fact that parking in Prague can be a problem – in the centre (Prague 1, Prague 2, Prague 3, Prague 7) most parking places are reserved for residents. This is recognisable by a blue line marking the place on the road. If you don't find your car where you parked it, it may not have been stolen, but towed away by the police.

In this case, or if your car has been wheel-clamped, call the City Police on 156.

Pickpockets

Like any international metropolis, Prague attracts tourists, but also petty crime. You don't need to worry that you will automatically be robbed in Prague, but it's better to be take precautions in advance.

Pickpockets most commonly operate in the historical centre, especially on Královská cesta (Royal Way) from Prague Castle to Old Town Square, the vicinity of Národní třída, near the main railway station and Florenc bus station. Pickpockets often target crowds of tourists, selecting individual victims to rob. They also make use of crowded trams and metro trains. You should therefore take care of your belongings on public transport in the city centre.

If you become the victim of a crime, call the police on 158.

How to avoid being robbed in the street:

Always keep your belongings in a safe place, in an inside pocket of clothing or in closed baggage.

When going on trips, don't carry a lot of cash, leave important documents and jewellery in your hotel safe.

Don't leave a purse/wallet or personal baggage unattended in the street, in shops or restaurants. Don't put mobile phones down anywhere.

Don't take out your purse/wallet unnecessarily: refuse street offers to change money, provide drugs or any other goods.

Police

Two types of police force operate in the Capital City – the national police wear blue uniforms and drive grey vehicles marked POLICIE, while units of the city police wear black uniforms and drive cars marked MĚSTSKÁ POLICIE.

Their authority differs, but you can always ask any police officer for advice or assistance.

If a problem arises there are two emergency numbers you can use.

112 – the universal emergency number which will connect you to police, fire and ambulance services. This number can even be called from a mobile phone without credit or a SIM card. The operator, who can give advice in foreign languages, will be able to determine your present location.

158 – the emergency number for Police (Czech Republic) which should be used to report situations requiring immediate response in the case of danger to life, health or property, to report public disorder or give information in connection with a crime, a missing or wanted person, a car theft, accident, explosion, natural calamity, road accident or a vehicle towed away.

In the centre of Prague there are several police stations which operate 24 hours a day:

Staré Město (Old Town)     – Bartolomějská 14, Prague 1

Malá Strana (Lesser Town) – Vlašská 3, Prague 1

Nové Město (New Town)    – Benediktská 1, Prague 1

Nové Město (New Town)    – Krakovská 2, Prague 1

Nové Město (New Town)    – Hybernská 2, Prague 1

Vinohrady                         – Šafaříkova 12, Prague 2

Taking a taxi

Prague is constantly striving to improve its image, unfortunately the battle against dishonest taxi drivers seems never-ending. Therefore, when using taxi services, be careful and take the following advice.

Remember that the law states a maximum price of:

40 CZK boarding fee
28 CZK per kilometre
6 CZK per minute waiting

Official taxis must have (among other things):

• A yellow roof-light with the word TAXI in black lettering on both sides.
• Black and white chequered stripes on the sides of the vehicle.
• An identification number, price list and business name (name and surname or company name) on both front doors.
• Inside the taxi there must be a taxi-meter and the driver's permit must be visible on the dashboard. The permit is yellow and bears the driver's photo and name and the name of the taxi service operator.
• Inside the taxi there must be a detailed price list outlining all rates of fare used.

It is not advisable to stop a taxi in the street, it is safer to call a taxi through a dispatcher. The dispatcher will also give you an orientational price for your journey. The list of authorised operators is constantly increasing – you will find a  list and 24 hour service here. The staff of your hotel or a tourist information centre will be able to help you choose a taxi service.

Another safe option is to use Fair Place taxi ranks, where the taxis are approved by City Hall and abide by the rules.

Immediately after a passenger boards a taxi the driver must switch on the taxi-meter and at the end of the journey must present a receipt. Insist on the issue of a receipt, especially if you are unhappy with the service or price.

A journey within the historical centre of Prague should not exceed 300 CZK. Other orientational prices are: