Don't change money in exchange offices in common places, such as in the main train station (hlavní nádraží) or at the airport. They may write "no comission", but they offer bad rates - you get far less CZK / KČ (the name of the local curreny is the Koruna Česká / pl. Korun Českých, abbreviated to KČ, with no sub-unit in cash money anymore) for your Euros.

You can, however, use the services of the private-run exchange offices around the streets Opletalova, Jeruzalémska and U půjčovny, in the center of the city, right next to the main train station. They offer better, acceptable rates than at the train station and don't differ from each other very much.

Another way to get cash is to use your EC card at an ATM (german: Geldautomat, in Praha mostly labeled als "bankomat"). Yes, the banks will charge you a fee, but that fee is a fixed rate which does not depend on how much money you're drawing from your account. So the best way is, if you're travelling in a group, to have ONE "cashier" in your group who uses his card and draws a comparatively huge sum from his account at once. Thus, the fee is kinda split over a huge sum, resulting in a very good overall effective exchange rate. If you, however, draw only a comparatively small sum (such as 1.000 or 2.000 KČ), that same fee goes over that sum, which will decrease your effective rat considerably. I, for myself, used to draw from 10.000 to 15.000 KČ at a time (which lasted for several years for me then; in a group, it's best if the account owner "sells" the money to his comrades) and got effective rates of 1:26,95 at least.

It's possible the ATM will offer you the choice between a "fixed rate" or something like that ("Festkurs" oder ähnliche Bezeichnung) and the "daily rate" ("Tageskurs"). Always choose the daily rate (Tageskurs)! The machine will try to get you to choose the fix rate "with no daily rate exchange risk". True, but this "fixed rate" is pretty poor! Accept the "exchange risk" of the daily rate - it is, in any case, better than the fixed rate! Don't let the computer irritate you - of course, the banks try to trick you into accepting a fix rate with a poor result - four you, not for them.

Never change cash in your hotel. Of course, the hotel receptions almost always offer exchange services, "free of comission" - but for very poor rates! You're lucky if you get 1:22,5 at your hotel, maybe even less.

Also, do not do your exchange at home in Germany. In Germany, almost all money exchange is done with the Reisebank. Even if your bank would organise you KČ (which isn't sure as many German banks don't have a cash counter anymore!), they obtain it from the Reisebank. The rates of Reisebank are pretty poor and the additional fees are very high, so your overall rate will be extremely poor!

Maybe you're travelling by car to Praha (in that case: good luck, dealing with the local police, especially outside of Praha, can be really tricky - and expensive) or have a stop nearby the border. Don't fall for the try to change money there - overall rates will also be extremely poor, and you're taking a great risk of getting at least some notes of counterfeit money or outdated and thus invalid KČ banknotes!

If someone tries to deal you 20 KČ or 50 KČ notes: refuse to take them and tell the dealer you might as well call the police since you are about to be criminally tricked. These notes have ceased to be legal tenders many years ago (the 20 KČ about a decade ago!) and been withdrawn from circulation, but some people might try to deal them to the unknowing tourist.

The best way to get moving around in Praha is by using the public transport.

You'll need a valid ticket before you enter public transport - there is no way to obtain tickets on board the buses, trams and trains! I highly recommend using 24 hour tickets. There are two types of them: tickets for 24 hours or for 72 hours. Depending on how long you're staying in Praha, you should choose your ticket. The price is a bit lower than mid-european standard, considering the really huge network you get for it. You may want to check http://www.dpp.cz for the actual fares. If you're arriving at the main train station (be it by train or by bus; buses stop at a bus station at Wilsonova which is right next to the train station), you'll find a ticket booth in the lower main hall of the train station, nearby the entrance to the Metro station. This booth is actually operated by real humans (not just computers or machines!), you can talk to them - the traffic enterprise (DP Praha) only puts employees there who speak several languages. Some of them do speak German, but in any case, you can talk to them in English. Same goes for the airport.

A ticket must be validated when first entering a vehicle or the Metro (or suburban train) platform. In buses or trams, you find the stamping devices inside the vehicles. When travelling with the Metro or the Esko trains (= suburban trains, bei uns in Deutschland entsprechen die Esko-Züge der S-Bahn), you must validate the ticket when entering the platform. Even just standing at a Metro platform requires a valid ticket! After validating, your ticket will be valid for the time printed on it, don't stamp it again.

When a ride is going to depart, keep one thing in mind: NEVER try to stall or delay it. In some areas in Germany, it sadly has become quite common for passengers to willingly block the doors from closing "so the train can wait for the others who come trotting over there". DO NOT try this in Praha - or you'll be faster off the vehicle or the Metro system than the blink of an eye. Also, the doors have no light barriers (Lichtschranken) - not even at the newest vehicles. Doors are always closed all at once by the driver. The closing of the doors will be announced: at trams and buses, you hear a beeping or humming sound and see an orange light at the door. This signal means: stop entering or leaving, the doors are about to close and the ride is about to depart. At the Metro, you'll hear a typical announcement (only played inside the train, but when the doors are open, you'll hear it outside, too): "Ukončete, prosím, výstup a nástup, dveře se zavírají!" It means: "Stop leaving and entering [the train], the doors are closing!" / "Beenden Sie das Aus- und Einsteigen, die Türen schließen!" Immidiately after this announcement finishes, the doors do as announced - they close, whether you try to block it or not. And they won't reverse - and being caught between the single doors can hurt!

Please keep in mind: people and especially the employees of DP Praha aren't unfriendly - but they are for sure one thing: they are consequent. What was said, was meant exactly that way - and when it was said that the doors of the Metro will be closing, they will close, no discussion. For Germans, this might be unusal at first sight, but once you get used to it, you'll find it improves the effectiveness of public transport a lot.

For the smokers: smoking is strictly prohibited at the whole Metro system. Don't be a fool and ignore that! Nearly every Metro station has security staff, and if you're trying to smoke down there, they'll get into action really fast - and you're expelled from the Metro system really quickly or will pay a hefty fee at least. As for the security staff, it's pretty simple: just use common sense, don't give them a reason to step into action, and you'll have no issue with them; in fact, you most likely won't even notice they're even there. Same goes not only for smoking but also for littering the platforms or the tracks. - At tram and bus stops, smoking is officially prohibited, too; there are the everywhere signs that say "Kouření zakázáno" which means "no smoking". At less frequented stops, it's tolerated inofficially, but at crowded stops, again use some common sense - and don't cover up the other passengers in a smoke cloud.

When using trams or buses, you'll hear announcements for the stops. There are always two stops mentioned, don't let that confuse you: first, it's the name of the stop you're approaching (or already standing at) just now, second is the name of the next stop. It sounds this way: "(jingle) Trojská. Příští zastávka: Nad Trojou." So it means: you're right at the stop Trojská, and the next stop after Trojská will be Nad Trojou. Unusual for Germans, but you'll get used to it fairly quickly. - Sometimes, there might be an additional announcment: "(soft ding) Příští zastávka je na znamení." This means: the next stop is a stop on demand only and won't be served if no one signals the driver to want a stop and if no one is present at the stop itself. If you want to exit at such a stop, be sure to press the signal button at the doors (labeled "Znamení k řidiči") as soon as you hear the announcement that your stop will only be served on demand.

Other announcements you may hear at trams or buses: "... Přestup na Metro / Přestup na linky S a další vlakové spoje". This means: You can change to the Metro / to the Esko and other trains. - At a final stop, you'll hear: "Konečná zastávka - prosíme vystupte!", but that is also repeated in English anyways ("Final stop, please leave the tram!").

If you're using the Esko trains, there are, depending on which kind of train is running, less to sometimes even no announcements at all, so maybe this is for the somewhat more advanced visitors only

Public transport vehicles are often pretty crowded - which, of course, attracts pickpockets (Taschendiebe). So don't carry around your wallet or smartphone in your plot pocket of your jeans - or it will be gone after you have been in a crowded spot or vehicle. Aside from pickpockets (who won't make any prey if you don't offer them something), Praha is fairly safe. Sometimes, beggars may mor or less obtrusively ask you for money, especially once they realise you're a tourist. Whether you choose to give them some bucks or refuse is up to you. In any case, they're just an annoyance but not really a security issue. In all the years I traveled to Praha, no one has ever tried to rob me.