Prague Culture Shock - Taxis

Taxi drivers can smell a foreigner a mile away. Assuming that you have access to a phone, you can try to avoid getting screwed when you order a cab.



Do not approach a taxi on the street, especially in the center. The driver will surely overcharge you (i.e., by not using the meter and making up a price on the spot). Also, look at the price list, which, by law, should be displayed on the the driver's door. The average price to get in is 34 CZK and 25 CZK per kilometer. Some cabs charge triple this amount, as stated on their door, if you don’t pay attention. I can recommend the following companies through extensive use of their services:




City Taxi

Phone: (+420) 257 257 257

SMS: (+420) 777 257 257



If you have a mobile phone, text them using this format: "Johnny Hugebig, Parizska 5, Prague 1, 22:45" (Name, Street Name & House Number, Prague District (if you know it), Time)



City Taxi will usually text you back within a minute, in Czech. Just look for the make of car (i.e, "Skoda Octavia"), its color ("cerna" (black)), and the number on the door. When the taxi arrives, tell the driver your name. In my opinion, this is the easiest and best way to hire a taxi. City Taxi are trustworthy and you're sometimes picked up in a really funky car.




AAA Radiotaxi

Phone: (+420) 222 333 222



This is the biggest taxi company in the city. They sometimes keep you on hold for a few minutes, which is annoying and expensive. Let me put it simply: I stopped using them when I discovered City Taxi's SMS service. However, they are reliable, clean and have never ripped me off.