What happens: You arrive at Prague Airport or walk through Old Town and see a cash machine. It is bright yellow or orange, branded Euronet. You insert your card and withdraw CZK 2,000. Before you have left the machine, you have paid CZK 99–199 (roughly €4–8) in Euronet’s transaction fee — on top of whatever your home bank charges for international withdrawals. Then the machine asks if you want to convert to your home currency. If you say yes, you lose another 8–15% to their exchange rate.

Why it happens: Euronet machines are not affiliated with any Czech bank. They are independent ATMs that charge their own fees on top of the interbank rate. They are placed specifically in high-traffic tourist locations because that is where their customers are.

How much you lose: On a single withdrawal of CZK 3,000 (€120), the combination of Euronet transaction fee + bad exchange rate + your bank’s foreign withdrawal fee can cost you €15–30. Tourists who use Euronet machines throughout a trip routinely lose €50–80 to fees.

What happens: You see a sign in large letters: 0% COMMISSION. You go in and hand over €200. You get back far fewer Czech crowns than you expected. The “0% commission” is technically true — they charge no commission. The scam is in the exchange rate itself. While the real rate is approximately 25 CZK per euro, they might offer you 20 or 21. On €200, you have just lost CZK 800–1,000 (€32–40) with no commission charged.

Always check: The rate board shows both “We Buy” (what they pay you for euros) and “We Sell” (what they charge you for crowns). The tourist-relevant rate is “We Buy”. If it is more than 2–3% below the rate on Google, walk away.

What happens: You pay by card at a restaurant or hotel. The terminal asks: “Would you like to pay CZK 450 or £16.20?” The pounds option looks convenient — you can see how much you are spending. But the conversion rate the terminal uses is typically 8–15% worse than your bank’s rate. On a €50 restaurant bill, you lose €4–7 by choosing your home currency. Multiply that over a week.

The same happens at ATMs: the machine asks if you want to withdraw in CZK or be charged in your home currency. Always choose CZK.

What happens: The restaurants directly on Old Town Square and along the tourist corridor to Charles Bridge charge prices that are roughly double the local rate — sometimes more. A large beer that costs CZK 55–70 (€2.20–2.80) in a neighbourhood pub costs CZK 180–220 (€7–9) in these establishments. A main course that is CZK 180–250 locally is CZK 400–600 on the square. The food is often not better — you are paying for the location and the view of the Astronomical Clock.

Warning signs: menu only in English or with photos of every dish; no prices displayed outside; a person standing at the door inviting you in; music fee or cover charge added to the bill; no Czech customers.

What happens: You are thirsty, it is 10pm, and you see a small shop open with drinks in the window. You grab a can of beer or a bottle of water. At the register: CZK 150–200 (€6–8) for a 0.5L beer. The same beer costs CZK 25–35 in a supermarket. You have paid more for a can from a shop than you would for a draft beer in a proper pub two streets away.

Why it is worse than a restaurant: At least a restaurant shows you a menu with prices before you order. These shops often have no price tags on individual items — or prices in small print you do not notice until you are at the register with the drink already in your hand. The business model relies precisely on this: by the time you see the price, you have already decided you want the drink.

The numbers:

The key point: there are no large supermarkets on or immediately around Old Town Square. The closest Albert or Billa are at Náměstí Republiky or Wenceslas Square — about 10 minutes on foot. The minimarkets around Old Town fill that gap and price accordingly.

What happens: The aroma is genuine — Prague ham (Pražská šunka) roasting on the bone over a wood fire, with bread and mustard. You approach a kiosk, point at the ham and receive a plate. Then you see the price: CZK 350–600 (€14–24). The ham is sold by weight (per gram), which is normal in Czech shops. What is not normal is that the vendor cuts you a portion that would comfortably feed three people, hands you the plate, and then tells you the price after it is in your hands.

The ham itself is actually good — genuine Pražská šunka is a real and traditional product. The trap is not the product but the portion manipulation.

What it is: A sweet dough rolled around a metal spit, baked over heat, rolled in sugar and cinnamon, sometimes filled with ice cream or Nutella. It smells wonderful. It is also not Czech. Its origins are in Transylvania and it is traditionally associated with Hungary and Slovakia. It appeared in Prague tourism relatively recently, purely as a tourist product.

The price: CZK 150–200 (€6–8) for a tube of sweet dough. Most people take two bites for the photo and throw the rest away — the vendors near Old Town Square are positioned next to bins that fill with discarded trdelníky every morning.

Is it a scam? Not exactly — you get what you paid for. It is just significantly overpriced for what it is, presented as traditional when it is not, and eaten primarily for Instagram.

What happens: You exit Prague Airport arrivals and a man approaches you: “Taxi? Good price, city centre.” You agree. The fare from the airport to the centre is CZK 2,500–4,000 (€100–160). The correct price is CZK 650–900 (€26–36) with a reputable operator.

Street taxis hailed without checking the meter or agreeing on a price upfront are still a problem in the Old Town and Wenceslas Square area at night. The vehicles look like regular taxis. The driver does not start the meter. You arrive and the price is whatever they decide.

The vintage car rides: The fake old-timer cars parked near popular sights charge CZK 2,000–4,000 (€80–160) for a 30-minute ride. The cars are not genuinely vintage. The price is for the tourist photo opportunity, not the vehicle.