Moving around Prague by Taxi:

The best way to move around Prague is by Taxi.

Unless you enjoy public transport, and Prague has one of the best systems in Europe, and at least until you begin to find your way about - use the taxis.

But since there are Taxis and taxis.......and some taxis can be pleasant and cheap, others nerve-wrecking and pretty costly...

TAXI - Solution A:

Use AAA taxi ALL the time.

How to call an AAA taxi car.
If phoning from your international mobile:
00420 - 2-33113311 or
00420 - 602-331133

If using a public phone or normal line from hotel when you are in Prague:
14 0 14 or
2-33113311 or
602-331133

Once you dial their number you'll hear a recorded message saying 'You are 4th in the queue', or similar so wait till the operator answers. They speak english.

Once you hear a human voice all you have to do is tell the operator where you are, your name and phone number.

They will want a name of a street and it's number.
Use the blue house numbers for street address reference NOT the red ones.
The red numbers are catastal numbers - numbering the actual building and not it's street number.

If you need a nicer - more comfortable car or one with air conditioning just ask - it doesn't cost extra.
The operator will also want to know your name and your phone number - but if you are phoning from a public phone just tell her that.
She'll put you on hold to find an available car and then you'll get an automatic message saying 'in 5 minutes a White Opel nr 'xxx' will come to pick you up'.
That's it and now just wait for the car to turn up.

AAA Taxi are honest*, cheap, punctual and most of the time their drivers are pleasant chaps.

They don't cheat, they keep their meter running and have very fair rates - 24 hours a day - 365 days a year.

Most other taxi services, especially those you find parked everywhere in Prague, will cheat you, drive you around in circles and treat you like a cow to be milked.
Take our word for it.

TAXI - Solution B:
Find two or three free-lance taxi drivers and make a deal with each one of them to take you around Prague for the duration of your stay at reasonable prices.

Three, because if one is busy you can call on the other two.

Most taxi drivers will agree to this and once you understand the rates from A to B it shouldn't be too hard to come to some sort of agreement.

How do you understand the rates ?
Start by taking an AAA Taxi from point A to point B.
What you pay for this distance is the fair rate of Prague.
Anything much above from other taxi drivers is robbery.

Do remember to tip your 'honest' taxi drivers.
If you do, you'll find that Prague taxi drivers, once the ice is broken, can be a good resource for insider information and once they give you their visiting card - you know you have a dependable transport service in town at your mobile phone's fingertips.

czech-escorts.com - TIP
In the summer, when it can get very sticky and hot - if you ask, AAA Taxi will send you an air conditioned car* and it doesn't cost more.

The same goes for nice cars all year round.
If you're going to some nice chic restaurant for dinner, to a business appointment or have a date, you don't want to turn up in a beaten-up skoda.
Ask AAA Taxi for a nice car - they'll send you one (Audi-Mercedes-BMW etc) at no extra cost.

* Recently it has come to our attention that if you order an air-conditioned car from AAA Taxi - sometimes a car arrives without air conditioning - the driver claiming that it broke down 5 minutes ago.

This is a minority of AAA taxi drivers being clever and telling their central operator that they have air conditioning when they don't. The operator is not to blame for this.

The solution is to be very specific on the phone with the operator stressing that if a taxi without air-conditioning turns up - you will not get in.
She then specifies this to the drivers and the false ones know that they will be wasting their time.

Believe us - sitting at a Prague traffic light in a non air-conditioned taxi in the summertime with the inside car temperature soaring over 50°C is no joke.
Air-conditioned cars do not cost extra.