What Every Tourist Should Know BEFORE They Visit The Czech Republic

Know Before You Go: Differences Between the US and the Czech Republic

Greetings from Prague in the Czech Republic or Czechia! I’m here in front of the Charles Bridge and Castle Hill, plus other fabulous sites here. In the US, we don’t really learn much about the Czech Republic, so I wanted to share some things about Czech Republic culture that you should know before you visit the Czech Republic.

Language in the Czech Republic

The language in the Czech Republic is Czech, which is nothing like German, English or Spanish. Czech isn’t a language that’s taught in U.S. schools, so it’s unlikely you’ll know how to speak or even read the language in the Czech Republic. You can learn a few words online before you come, for example pivo means beer. Most young people in the Czech Republic learn English and often German, so you can probably get by OK, especially in the heavily touristy areas.

Money in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic currency is the Czech Korun. You’ll get approximately 20 Korun to 1 US Dollar, or 27 Korun to 1 Euro. The Czech Republic is generally a little bit cheaper than Germany, but it’s not Eastern Europe, it’s Central Europe, so you’re not going to find Eastern Europe prices in the Czech Republic. Prices are about 20% less than what you would pay in the U.S. For example, a half-liter of beer in the Czech Republic will be about $2, vs $3 to $5 in the U.S. This is the tourist price, though. You can get beer a lot cheaper than that in the Czech Republic.

You’ll see exchange houses all over the place, but I don’t recommend them. I suggest going to a real bank or for the best exchange rate, go directly to an ATM machine. One thing to note about ATM’s, though, is that you will typically get large denomination bills. Because of this, try to take out small withdrawals to get smaller bills. In most places, you can use a credit card, but like everywhere in Europe, cash is king!

Czech Republic Food

Lunch in the Czech Republic is around the same time as in the US, around 12:00 or 1:00. Dinner tends to be a little bit later, around 7:00. Restaurants are busiest between 6:00 and 8:00. Czech cuisine has a lot of pork, dumplings, duck. There’s a lot of great food in the Czech Republic. If you find you don’t like the Czech cuisine, many restaurants will have Italian or American food.

Toilets in the Czech Republic

Toilets in the Czech Republic work the same way as in the U.S. Most toilets you can flush your TP right down the drain, but in some smaller villages you might see a little trash can next to the toilet for your TP as the sewer system might not be able to handle paper. This is becoming less and less common, but it’s something to be aware of.

Tipping in the Czech Republic

Tipping in Prague, and the rest of the Czech Republic is 10%. If you have bad service, a tip isn’t necessary, but generally plan to tip around 10%. In the US, tipping is between 15% and 20%.

Shopping in the Czech Republic

When can you go shopping in the Czech Republic? 9:00 am until 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday, are the general shopping hours in the Czech Republic. In the tourist areas, stores will have longer hours for you to shop.

Electrical Outlets in the Czech Republic

The outlets in the Czech Republic are similar to the rest of Europe, with two circle prongs. Don’t worry if the wall outlet has an extra metal piece, it will still work with your EU adapter.

Additional Resources

I hope these tips prepare you for your first trip to the Czech Republic. For more Czech Republic travel resources check out some of our other videos!