I believe you’re heading to Prague soon, correct? Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us Czechs and certain differences between your customs and ours. There are a few things to know before coming to Prague about: dogs, water, tipping, beer or for example toilets. I will do my best to explain everything to you as clearly as possible. Thank you for your openness to these differences and your willingness to be a tolerant and respectful traveler when visiting my hometown, Prague.
Who wrote this article for you?
Hi there! My name is Dana, a Prague local and a passionate blogger. I am also running my tiny business called Prague Behind The Scenes – Small Group Tours and Experiences. I am guiding my clients aroung Prague in a respectful and less touristy way. In addition to guiding, I also write about my hometown, focusing on aspects that are often overlooked in standard guidebooks. For instance, today you will learn about our customs and daily practices…so, let´s go to check how it works here.
1. We pay for using public toilets
Yes, this is one of the first shocks for many visitors to Prague. It’s very common to pay 10 – 20 CZK for using public restrooms. Not in cafés or restaurants where you are a guest! But in the subway stations or in public areas.
Why do we pay? Oh well, in our public toilets there are so called toilet ladies (or gentlemen) who regularly clean the space, supply the toilet paper, and charge for the service. At Nádraží Holešovice metro station, I even saw a toilet lady cleaning the space with a toothbrush—so precise! Water is rather expensive as well, so we fully understand that for this service we should pay something. That’s why it’s practical to always keep some change with you.
They take euros or CZK. Some public toilets accept cards. And what if you don´t have change for the public toilets? Then go to a café, order a drink (or buy something) and use their facilities. It´s not common to just pop in and use the toilets.
2. Beer with thick high foam? This is not cheating!
This is how beer is traditionally served in the Czech Republic: with a thick, high foam. Rest assured, nobody is ripping you off! The generous foam layer helps to keep the beer fresh beneath it.
In the UK, USA, and Canada, it’s common to serve beer nearly to the brim of the glass without any foam. However, in the Czech Republic, we would send such a beer back. If you are served a beer without foam here, return it, as a lack of foam indicates that the beer is not fresh and has probably been sitting out for too long.
3. Tipping in Prague – sensitive topic…
I know that many of you come from countries where tipping isn’t common practice, as it’s already included in the final price. This can lead to confusion and discomfort when it comes to leaving tips at restaurants in Prague. I’ve heard this concern from several clients, including those from New Zealand, Italy, Australia…where they don´t tip.
Do we tip here? Yes, 10 % is a common practice but not mandatory. It´s your way of saying “thank you, I was satisfied.” Is it considered rude not to tip in cafés restaurants, bistros? Mmmm, I wouldn´t say rude but it´s a little bit odd 🙂 Especially when everything went well it´s nice to leave at least something, 5-10 % that goes to the server. Nevertheless, the staff realizes that you may not be accustomed to tipping, so they don’t take it personally if you don´t leave a tip.
4. Drinking water in the restaurants is not always free
I know that in many countries, it is quite common for water to be served automatically in a jar or glasses once you are seated. For free. Not in the Czech Republic / Prague.
If you’re at a restaurant and you order food, and for drink you say: “Just tap water, please,” doesn´t mean you will safe money on drinks! They may still charge you a small fee for it.
Why is that? Because as businesses they need to generate revenue. Water itself is not ulimited and is rather expensive, glasses need to be cleaned, sometimes they filter the water, somebody needs to serve it, etc…. A few years ago, there was a trend where cafés and businesses began offering free tap water (btw, tap water is 100% safe here) – in order to reduce the amount of bottles (glass, plastics). However, what was the result? Customers were enjoying the complimentary tap water for hours without purchasing any other beverages.
Many restaurants now provide water infused with fresh herbs or lemon slices for a small fee (50-80 CZK per 1 liter carafe). This is very common practice.
Another alternative is self-service drinking fountains. It can be found in numerous cafés and bistros, offering tap water completely free of charge. You just tap it in a small glasses that are prepared next to it. You don´t drink liters and liters, you just enjoy the amount you need without wasting too much and leave enough for other as well.
According to new EU regulations, starting in 2027, everyone should receive tap water at no cost in all restaurants. So, let´s see:-)
5. We love our public transport. It´s not awkward using it!
Public transport is an absolutely essential part of our lives. We have been developing and using it already 150 years!
Public transport here is not for poor people without cars. Most of us rely on it daily due to its reliability and effectiveness. It is clean, safe, and reaches every part of the city, even the most remote areas. The connections are well coordinated and you never wait too long. We are proud of it and it´s not humiliating to use public transport (no matter if you go on date, to theatre or to work). It´s normal for all of us to use it. And it´s also eco-conscious. I am even including public transportation in my tours.
Please feel free to use it as well. If you are 65+ you can even travel for free on Prague trasit. You just need ID with you – passport. To learn more about Prague public transport, please read my blog post about it.
6. Dogs are welcome almost everywhere
Once you come to Prague, you will immediately notice that Czechs love dogs. Czechs love having them, and we also enjoy talking to them in the streets (hahaha, yes, me too). We often greet other people’s dogs, smile at them, and pet them. Yes, dogs are communication icebreakers. Czechs typically wouldn’t initiate a chat with a stranger at a tram stop or subway station, but the presence of a dog makes the atmosphere so much more inviting.
Dogs are permitted to enter Prague Castle, can ride for free on public transportation, and are welcomed in numerous hotels, bars, cafés and bistros, in ZOO and some cinemas.
This doesn’t mean that we pamper dogs or treat them like some precious jewels; rather, it signifies that dogs are our dear friends and companions. Many of our dogs are former sheltered dogs and mixed breeds, which aren’t particularly flashy. They don’t have polished nails, costumes or fancy hairstyles! They are well behaved and can accompany us almost everywhere.
7. Sizes of drinks and sizes in general:-)
Everything here is much smaller. Apartments, roads, hotel rooms, cars, and even drinks! Particularly coffee. My clients are often surprised by the sizes of European coffee cups, and they’re right—ours are significantly smaller. Surprisingly, also in chains like Starbucks!
We typically don’t drink large takeaway drinks. It’s far more common for us to sit back and enjoy our coffee from a regular porcelain or glass cup, allowing us to enjoy it without any hurry.
You might also see us using various reusable cups for takeaway coffee to help reduce single-use waste. Some cafés don’t even provide lids with their takeaway drinks (or we often don´t even take them), which is another effective way to minimize waste.
And that’s it for today. I hope you learned something new with me. I also hope my blog came across as engaging and didn’t discourage you from visiting my hometown, Prague.
If you think my content is worthy, you can support my writings by buying me a virtual coffee. Thank you so much for you kind support!
Dana – blogger and guide for Prague Behind The Scenes | Small-Group Tours and Experiences.
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