Your first 24 hours in Prague: a practical arrival checklist

The first day in a new city sets the mood for the trip. Do the boring things early and everything afterwards is easier. Skip them and you spend your first evening hunting for a charger, or standing at a ticket machine with a queue behind you, or finding that the shop you wanted closed an hour ago.

This is the order that works. It does not repeat the detail of our other guides; it tells you when to use them.

In the arrivals hall

Do two things before you leave the airport. Get online, either by activating an eSIM or by buying a SIM from the shops in arrivals (getting a Czech SIM or eSIM). Then install the transport and map apps (which apps), because the next ten minutes involve a decision.

That decision is how to reach the centre. Getting from the airport to the city centre lays out every option. If you take a taxi, use an app or the official rank and ignore anyone who approaches you in the hall (taxis and ride-hailing).

Money and tickets

The currency is the Czech crown, not the euro. Take a modest amount from a bank ATM rather than changing money at the airport, and if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in crowns. Paying in Prague and changing money have the detail.

Buy your public transport ticket before you board, or tap a card where that is offered. Tickets and zones are in the tickets guide, and if the network is new to you, the beginner's guide saves a wrong turn.

Check-in and the legal bit

If you are in a hotel, hostel or similar accommodation, the provider handles the paperwork for foreign guests. In a private flat, the rule depends on where you come from. A non-EU citizen reports their place of stay to the foreign police within three working days of arrival. An EU citizen staying more than 30 days reports within 30 days (as of 2026; check the Ministry of the Interior).

For anything longer than a holiday, or if you plan to work or study, go next to your first week in Prague. Residence permits are decided by the Ministry of the Interior, not the police, so use its pages for those questions.

More numbers are in emergency numbers and help in Prague.

The first meal

Do not eat at the first restaurant on the main square. Walk two streets, look for a short menu in Czech with a modest English translation and order something local. On weekdays many places run a lunch menu, often the best-value meal of the day (Czech lunch menus). Read how a Czech pub works before the first beer.

The first walk

Resist seeing everything. Take a short evening walk along the river or through the Old Town lanes and let the city settle in. Charles Bridge at night is atmospheric and packed, so keep a hand on your pockets (pickpockets in Prague). The embankment or a park is quieter. If it rains, a coffeehouse is the right answer (historic Prague cafés), and if you want to know how the city feels after dark, is Prague safe? is a calm read.

If you land late

A late arrival changes the plan, not the order. Get online, get a little cash and reach your bed. Eat something close by and leave the first walk for the morning. Public transport runs at night on a reduced network, but after a long flight a ride-hailing app is simpler. The Old Town looks as good at nine in the morning as at midnight.

The morning after

Wake early, drink water and decide how many days you have. For one day, use a realistic one-day plan; for two, the two-day plan; for three, the neighbourhood route. If you have not yet read the basics, 15 things to know before you go fits into a coffee break.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Czech crowns on arrival?

A small amount helps in small shops and public toilets, but cards are widely accepted. Use a bank ATM and avoid airport exchange desks.

Is it safe to take a taxi from the airport?

Use an official taxi rank or a ride-hailing app, check the price or the meter, and ignore touts in the hall.

Do I need to register my stay?

Hotels do it for you. In a private flat, non-EU citizens report within three working days and EU citizens within 30 days if they stay more than 30 days (as of 2026; check the Ministry of the Interior).

What is the emergency number?

112, the European emergency number.

Do the dull things first, then go and find a pub. Everything is easier with a charged phone and a full stomach.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.