17 Insider tips for visiting Prague on budget (2026) by a local

ByMagdalena Marsden

Prague is a city of stunning architecture, amazing history, and great culture that attracts around 8 million of visitors every year. And because of it’s popularity as a popular tourist destination, prices have been rising and your trip to Prague can quickly become expensive if you’re not careful.

But, as a local, I know that it’s possible to travel to Prague on a budget without sacrificing your experience.

In this blog post, I wanted to share with you my favourite tips and tricks for travelling to Prague on a budget, including where to stay, what to eat, and how to get around without spending a fortune.

I’m definitely more of a budget traveller myself, so I’m always looking for the best deal or finding things to do that don’t necessarily cost of lot of money.

Whether you’re a backpacker on a shoestring budget or a traveller looking to save some money, these tips will help you make the most of your trip to Prague without breaking the bank.

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1. Visit Prague during the cheapest season (for you!)

Most travel guides tell you that the cheapest time to visit Prague is during the off-season (or low season during late autumn to early spring), but I don’t think that’s quite right.

It might be correct in terms of getting your flight, or train ticket as these seem to go up during the high season and stay reasonably low off-peak, but everything else, in my opinion, is more affordable or completely free in the summer than in the winter.

You also need less luggage with you (since you don’t need bulky winter clothes), so you can travel light and save on check-in luggage at the airport. I also find that in summer I save a lot on food because I’m happy to eat sandwiches for lunch or have a picnic in the park and when it’s really hot all you need is to eat ice cream all day!

In the winter I find myself craving hot and comfort food all day or it’s too cold to walk around, so I end up having a long lunch or dinner in the restaurant (which of course all adds up, money-wise).

You can also get better prices for staying during the week than at the weekend, regardless of whether it’s the busy tourist season or not. The prices for hotels can be 20-50% cheaper during the week, but hostels tend to keep their prices similar (as they are already really affordable).

If the accommodation cost is the most important factor to you, for example, you want to stay in a nice hotel, then the low tourist season (mid-October – end of November, or January – March or April) will be much cheaper than the middle of the summer.

December is also considered a high tourist season especially 1-2 weeks before Christmas and in between Christmas and New Year.

TIPS FOR VISITING PRAGUE ON A BUDGET

2. Visit during the the cheapest month of the year

The cheapest month to visit Prague is completely off-season, which is really just the last 3 weeks in January when the Christmas rush has finished and many tourist attractions, restaurants and some hotels are taking a little break.

While the idea of visiting Prague in January might be appealing because it it the cheapest month to stay in Prague, I’m really not sure that I’d recommend it as your first visit to Prague if you are on a budget. The weather in January is dark, cold and gloomy with very little sun. It might not snow, but it might rain and none of that is a good starting point for a good holiday.

If you are concerned about your budget, I’d suggest booking accommodation that’s slightly away from the centre and coming during the nicer months (still a little off the main tourist time, so that you can save on travel costs to Prague) – during the spring (March-May) or early autumn – September or October.

TIPS FOR VISITING PRAGUE ON A BUDGET

3. Make sure you have a Daily minimum budget of 1550 CZK ($73) for 2026

This budget is absolutely the bare minimum and you’ll need a higher budget if you want to enjoy eating out more, having a few drinks and seeing more attractions in one day. Most attractions tickets are around 200 – 350 CZK and even one cocktail can easily set you back 150 – 250 CZK depending on where you go.

I’d suggest adding another 300 CZK ($14) for drinks, desserts, snacks, toilet breaks (toilets in Prague are payable), souvenirs and any unexpected expenses. So this would bring my suggested budget for your Prague travel to 1850 CZK ($87) per day.

Accommodation – 500 CZK ($24) – Shared Dorm Room at Hostel

Breakfast – 120 CZK ($6) – Coffee & Pastry from a supermarket

Lunch – 180 CZK ($9) – one main course at self-service canteen or sandwiches

Dinner – 200 CZK ($10) – one main course at self-service canteen

Transport – 100 CZK ($5) – 2X 90 min tickets

Attractions – 450 CZK ($21) – one attraction admission (Prague Castle or Old Town Hall)

Drinks, Desserts, Snacks, Toilet Breaks, Souvenirs & Other expenses – 300 CZK ($14)

4. Never Fall for the Top Prague Money Scams

As much as I love my city, I have to be honest: there are a few bad apples who try to trick tourists, and it can cost you big money! These scams happen right in the busiest parts of town, so you need to be smart.

First: The Currency Scam. You will see exchange offices near the main squares that say “0% Commission” in huge letters. Sounds great, right? Wrong. They hide bad fees in the fine print or give you a really terrible exchange rate. Never use these.

Even worse, if a random person on the street offers to change money, they will give you fake money or worthless bills from a different country. The best way to get cash is to use an ATM from a real bank like Komerční banka (KB) or Fio Banka, and always choose to pay in CZK, never in your home currency!

Second: The Ham & Trdelník Traps. When you are walking in Old Town Square, you will see giant spits of delicious-smelling Prague Ham. It looks amazing, but it is a massive trap! They charge you by weight (per 100 grams), and they cut you a huge portion that costs five times what you expected—sometimes over 1000 CZK!

If you want a fun street snack, look for simple local bakeries instead, and skip the ham. Also, the chimney cake called Trdelník is not a real Czech traditional food, it’s just an expensive souvenir dessert created for tourists!

5. Get the best flights, trains or buses to visit Prague

When I’m travelling from London to Prague I always find cheaper tickets during the week than on Friday or the weekend. I’m sure that this must be the same travelling from other cities and countries, so do check in case you can save money by simply visiting from midweek to midweek rather than the traditional long weekend.

If you are already in Europe and want to travel to Prague from another city, international buses are much cheaper than trains. Regio Jet or Flix Bus are Czech bus companies that have routes all around Europe and are very budget-friendly.

For example, the bus from Brussels to Prague is 990 CZK (about 40 EURO) one way. Again travelling off-peak during weekdays seems to be cheaper than during weekends so also check their website often as they have regular promotions and price drops.

PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS

6. Find the best accommodation on A Budget

As accommodation is likely to be your largest expense (if you are staying for more than 2-3 days), summer (during July and August) is the time when you can find super affordable accommodation. This is because the local university accommodation is rented out during the students’ holiday.

Rooms start from 550 KCZ per person per night, which is about £20 or $25. The student accommodation is usually away from the centre, but for example ‘Na Vetrniku’ has easy access to the centre by Prague underground and tram.

The type of accommodation you can expect is fairly basic (think youth hostel style), but a lot of these rooms are nowadays single or double with their own bathroom. You can find all the details, list of accommodation and how to book on the Charles University Tourist Accommodation website.

There are also more hostels in Prague with low cost starting from 400-600 – CZK per person per night for a bed in a dormitory room. Most hostels also have smaller private rooms for couples or families and these are slightly more expensive (but still much cheaper than hotels)

  • Czech Inn – Francouzská 76, Vinohrady, 120 00 Praha 2, CZK 400 ($17 USD), private rooms from 1400 CZK
  • PLUS Prague – Privozni 1, Holešovice, 170 00 Prague 7, CZK 350 ($15 USD)
  • Hostel & Pension Downtown – Národní 19, 110 00 Nové Město, Prague 1, CZK 400 ($18 USD)
  • Hostel Fontána – Nerudova 104/13, Malá Strana, 118 00, CZK 400 ($18 USD)
  • Sophie’s Hostel – Melounova 3, 120 00 Prague 2, CZK 450 ($19 USD)
  • Hostel One Home – Újezd 33, 118 00 Prague 1, CZK 300 ($13 USD)
  • Hostel Centre – Sokolská 29, 120 00 Prague 2, CZK 400 ($18 USD)
  • Hostel Mango – Míšeňská 68/8, Malá Strana, 118 00 Prague 1, CZK 400 ($18 USD)
  • Clown and Bard Hostel – Borivojova 102, 130 00 Prague 3, CZK 400 ($18 USD) 

TOP TIP – Always book directly with your chosen accommodation as this way you get the best prices.

7. Breakfast on a budget

First of all check if breakfast is provided in your hotel or your accommodation. Often this can be cheaper than going to eat at one of the Prague breakfast places and it will also save you time.

If the weather is nice, you can get a take-out coffee and buy pastries in one of my favourite artisan bakeries or a supermarket and sit in the park.

If you want to have a light breakfast on the budget, then you can pop in to ‘Liberske Lahudky’ in Vodickova Street (off Wenceslas Square) or Andel (Na Knizeci) or Na Porici (a little further from Bila Labut Department Store) where you can pick ‘smazenka’ (filled omelette on bread with vegetables – a typical traditional Czech breakfast perfect on the go), fresh bread, morning cakes, pastries or filled bread rolls.

They also have a lot of good lunch dishes such as salads and pre-made dishes that can be eaten cold or can be heated if you are in a self-catering apartment with a microwave. It’s all good homemade food and the prices are very good too as this is where the locals shop.

MY FAVOURITE FOOD PLACES IN PRAGUE

8. Lunch & Dinner on budget

In the summer (or late spring or early autumn) you can save money by buying sandwiches, salads and light snacks cheaply in the local supermarkets instead of going out to eat and have a picnic in many of the Prague parks and green spaces. I don’t know about you, but I find that I’m not as hungry on a hot day in the summer as I’m in the winter and that helps to keep the food budget down.

For lunch and early dinner, you can also visit the many traditional Czech food canteen style restaurants to keep your food budget down. The soups start from 50-80 CZK and mains from 120 -195 CZK depending on which one you go to.

From a budget point of view, I like these self-service canteens because you can often mix different side dishes with different main dishes (or just have it on its own) and you don’t need to have a drink with your meal if you don’t want to. What I also like is that you pay the price on the menu and tips are not expected.

If you want to eat out at a regular restaurant, budget at least 500 – 750 CZK per person for soup, main course and one drink. To keep your budget low, walk away from the main tourist areas in Old Town Square, Prague Castle, Lesser Town Square or Kampa.

Just a few streets away from any of these places, you’ll find regular restaurants where locals eat too. Do check the prices in advance (menus are usually displayed at the entrance) as some of these restaurants can be still upmarket and cost a lot more than your budget.

MORE TIPS ON BUDGET FRIENDLY FOOD

9. Shop at food supermarkets in the centre of Prague

All of the following supermarkets have fresh pastries, vegetables, fruit, deli section etc. plus other basics such as toiletries. The small ‘corner’ shops dotted around the centre can be useful if you are in a rush, but the prices there are much higher than in regular shops.

The prices in the supermarkets are comparable, no matter which one you go to, there will be a valued item and a premium item for all the different products you need.

There might be special offers or discounts available, but Czech supermarkets don’t really discount food that’s close to its sell-by date. Penny is probably the cheapest out of these supermarkets.

  • Quadrio – Narodni Trida – Billa (small) – lower ground floor
  • Palladium – Namesti Republiky (Peace Square) – Albert – lower ground floor
  • Kotva – Namesti Republiky (Peace Square) – Albert (large)
  • Celnice – Namesti Republiky (Peace Square) – Billa (large)
  • Revolucni Street – off Namesti Republiky (Peace Square) – Penny (large)

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10. Visit free or low cost attractions & events

From early summer to early autumn, you can find the most free or low-cost events organised for practically every weekend, including concerts, theatre, food festivals or free open government houses during the national public Czech holidays in early July, September, October and November.

Christmas time is also busy with various free events including the famous Christmas Markets, so you can make a visit to Prague in December still budget-friendly.

Easter is also great time to visit Prague as all the Easter Markets in Prague are free to visit and there are lots of free activities for children and entertainment to watch.

Another reason, why the main tourist season can be budget-friendly is that I also find that in the summer more attractions are open to the public for free and I find myself exploring Prague without actually wanting to visit the museum for half a day, as the days are so sunny and it’s so lovely to just wander around.

All my favourite free things to do in Prague are much more fun to do in the summer than they are in the winter when it’s cold and dark very early in the day.

The other great thing is that lot of attractions can be visited from the outside for free. For example you can visit the Prague castle complex for free and walk around. The opening hours for Prague Castle are very visitor’s friendly because they are open from 6 am til 10 pm each day.

11. Leave the centre & find Prague’s Hidden Gems

To really save money and feel like a local, you need to step off the King’s Route and visit Prague’s amazing parks and places away from the centre. The best part? The main areas of these spots are completely free to walk around and you get some amazing views of Prague from different angles.

You can start by visiting Vysehrad, which is an old fortress, that sits on a huge rock above the Vltava River and is completely free to enter. You can wander the beautiful grounds, see the famous cemetery where many Czech legends are buried (Slavín), and get incredible, uncrowded views of the river and the city’s south side.

For one of the best views of Prague Castle, head to Petřín Hill, where you can also enjoy pretty rose gardens, apple and almond blooms in spring or visit the Petrin Tower, which offers 50% off the ticket price in the first hour after opening each day.

If you want to experience a true local atmosphere, you should check out the Žižkov district in Prague 3. This area is famous for having the most pubs per person in Prague! You can see the controversial, giant TV Zizkov Tower (it has a viewing deck, but just looking at it is free!) and grab a cheap beer in a real Czech pub away from the tourists.

MORE PRAGUE HIDDEN GEMS AWAY FROM THE CENTRE

12. Entertainment in Prague on a budget

Some of my very favourite theatres in Prague, such as the National Theatre, the Estates Theatre or Opera sell their tickets at different prices, depending on how close to the stage the seats are. The best-priced tickets are however the ‘standing tickets’, which are only about 150 – 290 CZK (depending on the type of performance and theatre).

Not only that these tickets are the cheapest, but the view is also a lot better than from the cheapest seats at the top or the back of the theatre. This is because the standing booths are on the side (National Theatre) and right at the back (Estates Theatre) on the first or second floor. The only downside, of course, is that you will be standing up, but you can usually lean onto the balcony.

When I was a student I used to see all the theatre productions like this, because I would go 2-3 times a week in the theatre season. Back then the tickets were the standing tickets were 5 CZK, which was a lot cheaper than the cinema!

The ticket booking office for the main theatres is at the Narodni Divadlo stop – National Theatre close to the Vltava River and you can buy any tickets directly there or online. It’s worth checking which performance has English subtitles as a lot of plays do, but some still don’t.

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13. Getting around Prague on a budget

Prague is a walkable city, especially in the Old Town, Charles Bridge and the lower part of Lesser Town, which means that you don’t need to worry about transportation expenses if you are staying in the centre of Prague (providing that you are happy to walk everywhere).

Saying that, if you want to use public transport to get to the outer parts of Prague, the cost is very affordable and super easy to navigate.

You can either buy tickets for 30 or 90 minutes (40 or 50 CZK). The 90 minute ticket will take you anywhere in Prague comfortably and you can use trams, buses and underground.

If you know that you are going to do a lot of travelling around, you can buy the 24-hour pass for 140 CZK (around €6) or 3 day (72-hour pass) for 350 CZK (around €14). The PID Lítačka app is the easiest way to purchase tickets, as it allows you to buy and store tickets directly on your smartphone. You can also buy a ticket on any tram, bus or underground and use either cash or a card to pay.

If you are coming from the Prague Vaclav Havel Airport to the centre, the cheapest option is by bus and underground (50 CZK for 90 min ticket). You will easily save enough for a whole dinner by not getting a taxi as Prague taxis or car services like Uber or Bolt would cost about 400 -800 CZK depending on where you need to go in Prague.

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14. Buy local souvenirs & treats on budget

Whilst there are plenty of souvenir shops on the King’s Route and Old Town Square, they are not always budget-friendly, unless you are looking for a fridge magnet!

I usually buy traditional Czech spa wafers, biscuits or traditional sweets as these taste really great, don’t cost a lot of money and people seem to prefer them more than something they will have to dust! You can buy the sweets and biscuits on my photo above in any large supermarket.

If you want to buy something a bit different, you can support the local artists and craftsmen by buying their handmade creations from a shop that’s called ‘Cvrk’. This shop has several branches, one is for example in the shopping passage U Styblu (also accessible from Svetozor passage just off the Wenceslas Square).

15. Visiting Prague with children on a budget

If you are traveling to Prague with children, it’s worth knowing that all paid attractions offer cheaper tickets for children (usually 50% discount) and the public transport is 50% cheaper too than the adult ticket.

Many attractions also offer free entry to children that are less than 3 years old. Also if you have a child under 3 years, one adult can travel free on public transport with them. You don’t need to purchase any ticket, but it’s worth having your passport or your child passport with you to proof age if asked by a ticket inspector.

If you are travelling with teenagers that are close to 15 years old, it might be worth taking with your ID with a photograph (either an official student card or passport) to prove their age to receive their discount.

Students between 15-26 years old also get discounts, usually anything between 30% – 50% off the adult price.

Most restaurants will also have children portions, which tend to be slightly cheaper than regular meals.

16. Visiting Prague for the over 60s

If you are over 60s (some places over 65) years old, it’s always worth looking at whether there is a concession for the tourist attraction you’d like to visit. Most places offer 30-50% reduction in admission fee, but might ask for proof of age if you look particularly youthful!

Another good news is that the public transport in Prague is also 50% off for 60-65 year olds and completely free for over 65-year-olds.

If you are over 65 years old you don’t need to purchase any ticket and you can use the Prague public transport within the greater Prague area. This means that you can use any trams, apart from the special historic tram no.42 and 44, where everyone needs to buy a separate ticket. The wider Prague area is also within all the underground stations and buses that have numbers from 100.

Please make sure that you have an official ID card with you, which in most cases will be your passport that you will need to show a ticket inspector to avoid any fines.

17. Affordable Clothes shopping

If you happen to forget something, the weather changes suddenly or you just need more clothes, the cheapest way (and the most environmentally friendly way) is to buy them in second-hand shops.

The largest chain of second-hand shops is called Textile House and the closest branch to the centre is in Charvátova 11, Prague 1.

The prices here are much cheaper than in regular budget shops (like Tesco’s or Primark), but the best thing is that about once a month, the shop does a clearout, when everything is 50 or 80 CZK.

You’ll see big display notices in the windows to advertise when that happens. Normally the prices are 150-250 CZK for tops and can be anything up to 250-450 CZK for trousers, dresses or coats.

My other favourite second-hand shop is at Jindřišská 941/24, 110 00 New Town (side street from Wenceslas Square) and it’s called Genesis Clothes. Here they sell everything for 149 CZK, which makes it really good value, especially if you are looking for something like a winter jumper, coat, trousers or a long dress.

This blog post was originally written on 29 October 2023 and last updated on 8 November 2025

My name is Magdalena Marsden (nee Jandakova) and I'm a native Czech living in Prague. I started 'View from Prague' blog in January 2019 to share my love for this beautiful city and for traveling and hiking around Czech Republic. I want to show you that you can enjoy Prague in an easy-going, non-touristy kind of way. I've put together practical travel guides, places to visit and plenty of tips for making the most of your time in Prague. Whether you're planning your first trip or you're a seasoned traveller, I hope you'll find something here to inspire you.

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