Currency and Exchange Rates
The official currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech Crown = Česká koruna (CZK = Kč). Exchange of foreign currency is available at the airport and principal railway stations (ATM machines and exchange offices) and at most hotels, banks and exchange offices throughout the city. ATMs with 24-hour access are available also in most Metro stations (the nearest to the Faculty are Staroměstská and Můstek) and many streets (the nearest to the Faculty are Kaprova, Na Příkopech, Rytířská).
Exchange rates available in exchange offices are very often valid for exchanging CZK for EUR, not the other way round. Exchanging EUR for CZK tends to be less advantageous for the buyer. Before you give your money to the exchange office staff, it is always advisable to ask how much are you going to get.
International credit cards are accepted as payment in hotels, restaurants and shops. Payment in cash in EUR is also possible at most restaurants and shops, please ask for details on-site.
You can find the official exchange rates on the website of the Czech National Bank at www.cnb.cz.
Transport
Prague has a well-developed public transport network, consisting of the metro, tram lines, buses and trains. The metro (subway) is the quickest way to travel long distances across the city. It has three lines: A (green), B (yellow) and C (red). It closes down for the night shortly after midnight and reopens at 5:00. Trams and buses connect the metro system to outlying areas, and are also a handy way to make short journeys in the city centre. The most efficient form of night transport is the network of night trams that runs from about midnight until the metro reopens. Night trams run very precisely with a 30-minute interval, and rendezvous with each other at selected stations to facilitate passenger transfers (the central changing point is Lazarská tram stop). The night trams are No. 51–59. Nos. 57 and 59 go to Nádraží Hostivař (Hostivař dormitory). For further information on public transport in Prague (fares, list of routes and timetables), visit Prague Public Transit Co. Inc, where you will find comprehensive information in English.
The CZK 32 tickets are valid for 90 minutes of unlimited travel. You may change between trams, buses, the metro and trains (in area of Prague) as you wish. You do not need to have a new ticket, regardless of how many times you change, until the time period runs out. Use a CZ K 32 ticket to get from the airport to the dormitory or intercity tram/bus station. More on Prague Public Transit Co. Inc.
After boarding a bus, tram, or upon entering the metro, tickets must be date-stamped in order to make them valid. Your ticket is not valid without the time and date or without a specific code. All tickets, no matter whether you buy them in the underground or in a tobacco shop, have to be validated. Ticket inspectors may fine you if you are caught travelling without a stamped/marked ticket. Please use the yellow stamping machines. NOTE: the locals very often have a long-term travel pass and they do not have to validate it, so they often pass by the stamping machines. Do not be discouraged and use them, or ask the locals for assistance.
Ticket officers (often accompanied by policemen) travel widely around the transport system and frequently ask passengers to show their tickets or passes. Passengers who are travelling without a valid pass or ticket are subject to a fine, which must be paid on the spot (especially in the case of foreigners). All officers carry both a metal badge and a photo-ID card (průkaz), which are numbered. The number on the two forms of ID should be identical. Always insist on getting a receipt. This may help you if you want to receive part of the money back (e.g. due to having a valid travel pass you have forgotten at home).
Using Taxis
Unfortunately, taxi drivers have quite a bad reputation in Prague. There is no standard price for taxi services, but drivers are required to display their prices, usually on the door. A reasonable price is around CZK 28 per km, but it is a good idea to agree on a price before you commit to a ride, and be sure that the meter is running while you are in the taxi. Three usually reliable companies whose dispatchers speak English are AAA RadioTaxi (Tel. +420 222 333 222; 14014), ProfiTaxi (Tel. +420 844 700 800, 14015), Halo Taxi (Tel. +420 244 114 411).
Watch this useful short video guide how to get from the Prague airport to the city centre quickly and for a reasonable price.