Taxi Drivers, Prague

ONLY TAKE TAXIS FROM AAA! I took a taxi back from SaSaZu and asked the driver to take me to old Prague hostel. I asked him how much it would be and he said 400 czk. Immediately, the driver floored it in the opposite direction reaching speeds of about 120km/h driving completely senselessly. I repeatedly demanded that he pull over and let me out be he acted like he knew where he was going and said "don't worry old Prague hostel" while laughing hysterically. Eventually I got him to pull over at a random hotel and he asked me to pay 600 krowns. I told him that he knew the way and that he was screwing with me and he laughed. I had to pay 400 crowns (only because I convinced him that he had agreed on this). The meter was completely rigged and I did not reach my destination. Only take cabs with an AAA logo. And be careful because not all yellow cabs are AAA.

Right, I want to make this as clear as possible, when you are going to get a taxi from Hlavni Nadrazi Train Station DO NOT GET ANY OF THE TAXI'S WAITING OUTSIDE! They are touts who will charge you extortionate amounts for a cheap taxi fare. If you want a taxi, either go to the tourist information office inside the station and ask them to call a taxi for you, or if you know a reliable taxi firm call them.

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU TAKE A TAXI.

You can call to AAA taxi (222 333 222), they speak english and their prices are fair.

Taxi price from Air port to center is about 650 Kc but you can use Bus + Metro and reach to your destination very cheap(About 26 Kc).

10 Jan 09

My daughter, a girlfriend and guy were warned by their tourguide about Prague taxi drivers, and were told to insist that the driver "turn on the metre". They picked up a cab outside a bar, told the driver where their hotel was, and repeatedly asked the driver to turn on the metre. The driver drove a few blocks, stopped the car, ordered them out of the taxi, and grabbed the guy and slammed him against the car, spun him around, yelled at them (presumably in Czech), and drove off. That driver had originally told them the fare would be 400 crowns(?).

Sounds like a scam. Hit the driver and he files a charge, and you'll have to hang around Prague for a few days, or file a charge, and then you'll have to hang around Prague for a few days. The driver knows it's not worth your while, and who knows if he has a knife in the car?

My daughter eventually flagged down another cab who took them to their hotel for 150 crowns. Other friends they were travelling with got to the hotel, but their driver demanded 700 crowns!

Finally, remember to count your change.

On September 15, 2009 we arrived (about 6:30 p.m. local time) at Prague Ruzyne airport with arrangements from the hotel to have their taxi waiting for us. Due to part of our luggage not arriving on time (United) we had to fill out a form (along with several other passengers) stating what had not arrived and where we were staying. This process took about an hour and by the time we were ready to leave the hotel taxi was gone. The hotel taxi said it would be take about 20 -30 minutes and with us being tired and frustrated we decided to take one of the local taxi's. At this time there were mainly taxi cab drivers waiting outside along with less than a dozen people who appeared not to be associated with the taxi cab drivers. We approaced the taxi cab drivers and a person who appeared to be in charged asked us if we wanted a taxi and we said yes. He then directed us to a taxi cab. We were carring travel backpacks so I placed the camera bag down next to the passager side tire to take off the backpack. My wife wanted to take her backpack into the cab but the cab driver insisted we put it in the trunk so she placed next to the passager side tire and entered the cab. We desposited our luggage (one carry on, my backpacks, one camera bag (one Canon EOS-Rebel with extended lens and one Canon video recorder) near the passager side tire. The cab driver then took, one at a time the carry on and backpacks and placed them behind the cab trunk and since it our policy for both of us not to enter the cab until the trunk lid is closed I stepped around to the back of the trunk to watch the cab driver place our luggage into the trunk. I was not watching the camera back during this time (less than two minutes) and after the cab driver closed the trunk lid. The cab driver then directed me to enter the cab, I stepped back and looked at where the camera bag had been and did not see it and for some reason thought my wife had taken into the cab with her. It was not until we arrived at the hotel did we realized the camera bag was missing. The cab driver drove me back to the airport but no one there had seen the camera bag.

After looking around, I asked the cab driver to go over to the Police office located in the airport. The police officer could not speak English so I was completely dependant on the cab driver to interput. I tried for over 20 minutes to get a missing or stolen form to fill out and report the missing camera bag and contents. The police officer seemed confused about this, however, I did not know what the cab driver was saying to her. What the cab driver kept telling me implied I had misplaced the camera bag and the airport would look for it. The police officer did make a copy of my passport but did not give me a form to fill out. This was again frustrating. After about 30 minutes being at the airport Police office I left with the cab driver back to the hotel without a missing or stolen form much less the camera.

It becomes painfully obivous that when a missing or stolen form is not filled out then there is no paper trail and this incident does not become part of the airport problem statistics.

The rest of our travel in Europe was un-eventful as we used other countries airport and train system (six other eastern/central block countries) but used hotel taxies and not local taxies. Hotel taxies are a little more expensive but worth it as they are vested in ensuring your saftey and security.

Our advise is not to use the Prague airport local taxis use hotel provide taxi which is often times a personal car but they refer to it as the hotel taxi.

1. NEVER NEVER NEVER take the taxi standing at main tourist spots - train stations, Castle, Old City Sq., Wenceslas Sq. - you can be charged 10 times more than real price should be.

2. Don't think that meter will guarantee fair price - they have "turbo switch" installed - price on the meter will run like crazy. If you notice that - ask to stop, pay and get out. Do not refuse to pay - they can block the door and using radio get colleagues to come and "sort out" with you. Ask for the printed check (they obliged to give it) with marked start/end points. Using it you can complain later.

3. If possible do not catch taxi on the street. If you really need the taxi - hotel/restaurant should arrange for it - or call taxi operator - that will assure that driver will not cheat you because the trip is on record. Good idea is ask the operator about price for the trip.
"AAA taxi" is a most reliable company (tel. 14014), you can order them on Internet, via SMS as well.

4. If you want to agree on "flat rate" - be sure you know how much is the realistic price so you do not pay more than meter would show. Hotel reception should be able advise on that.

At some taxi stops there are posted listings with approximate prices to different main spots in the city.

I had heard that Prague taxis were dishonest but I had no idea it was that true !
We took a taxi at our arrival to the airport, because it was already late at night.
I show him the adress, he looked quite a long time at his book and then we take the direction of the city.

Once arrived in the center, he stops in a small street in front of a door that has nothing to do with an hotel... We insist that there is no hotel there, it's not the good number and not even the good street but he keeps saying "no problem" ! As we refused to get out the car, he came back and looked again at his book, suddenly he gets an idea and says " no problem" !

We start again and we see that we are going in a completly opposite direction, leaving the city center. We keep asking him where we are heading but he's not answering. Then we had to call the hotel on our cellphone so that they give him directions... but it took the longest time.
We finally arrived, it was late, raining and we were exhausted... and he tells us that we have to pay over 800 kc which is completly outrageous since it was his mistake ! We tried to reduce the price but he was menacing to call the police so finally we gave him 700 kc and he accepted.

I am seriously never taking a taxi in that city ANYMORE !
For the airport I suggest you take a shuttle instead (they are far safer and the price is fixed in advance) or book a private transfert before arriving.

Never get into taxi at train station.. If I had been told that in advance it would have saved me a lot of trouble! Also, if you do get into a situation where you think the fare is too high, pay it and as for the receipt.. As I discovered, taxi drivers are very agressive. I have since comlained to the regulators about it including the registration number, hoping something will be done... The police were of no help at all even though I tried to report an assault... No wonder there is such a problem with the taxi drivers in Prague!!!