ELM

The metro(subway) is not safe for tourists. The criminals seem to target tourists with knapsacks and strollers. We were in Prague in August 1999 when my father was pinned against the train doors by six men, while one of the men tried to take my father's wallet from his front pants pocket. Also be aware that there are teams of criminals working on the platforms of the metro that is often frequented by tourists. Outside the metro stations there are also criminals waiting to take your valuables. On the Karluv Most (bridge), the ratio of criminals to tourists is about 1 criminal for every 1 tourist. However, when you are targeted, the ratio becomes 12 criminals to one tourist. I witnessed one team of criminals targeting a young woman with a knapsack. One old woman walking in front of her purposely slows down. Then two men move to each side of the old woman so that the intended victim can not manuever around her. Then four to six men will crowd the victim from behind. One of them will pick your pocket or outright open you knapsack or handbag, while the other men provide cover so that no one else can see what is happening. The best defense for a tourist is to avoid crowded situations and leave most of your valuables at the hotel safe. <BR>Tourists should avoid getting into cabs before negotiating a price. I used AAA Radio Cab and found them to be very reliable. They also have a car barn near the Hilton that within 5 minutes of calling, the cab is waiting for you infront of the hotel. <BR>It is not true that most of the criminals are Gypsies. The truth of the matter is that the unemployment rate in Prague is very low (lower than Germany or the U.S.). Therefore the ring leaders of the criminal teams are basically people who used to work as thugs for the old secret police and their minions are people who do not want honest work. It would be difficult for them to get an honest job if their skills are limited to victimizing innocent citizens. <BR>Other than the problems mentioned above, Prague is a very nice city, and the staff at the Hilton are great, efficient and trustworthy. <BR>

cp

Wow, sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience. We were there last month and we took the subway everywhere, but didn't see throngs of thieves anywhere. Lucky us, I guess. We did meet an American couple later on in our trip who said that several restaurants in Prague had tried to overcharge them. <BR> <BR>I guess the moral of the story is see the Charles Bridge early in the morning, wear a shoulder bag that goes across your body and check your restaurant bill very carefully.

turnip

Sorry but I have to disagree. We were there last May and rode the subway evrywhere, night and day. We visited the Charles Bridge at night as well. Never had a single sniff of a problem. Restaurants were friendly and honest. <BR> <BR>We loved Prague. Go and have a good time!

Anna

Sorry, to hear about your bad experience. We were in Prague in mid-August and had no such problems. We did not carry wallets however. All of our money and credit cards were in a money belt under our clothes (except for a little spending money). I would also not recommend wearing flashy clothes and jewelry that mark you as a rich tourist. I crossed the Charles Bridge many times and did not encounter any thiefs.

Jeanie

Prague makes me very uneasy. I am very grateful nothing happened to me or my family when we visited, but I know of many first hand accounts of being mugged, pulled over my corrupt police looking for bribes, etc. I never had any problems on the metro, but I have heard of instances described above. Be careful in Prague!

bo_jack

Since there seems to be some disagreement, I will clock in on the BE VERY CAREFUL in the Metro side. In August 1995, a group of 4-6 well dressed men in their 20's tried to block the door and keep me off a Metro train. I am a big guy -- 5'11", 250 lb, 50 yrs old at that time. They crowded between me & my wife, pushing her forward, and tried to prevent my boarding before the doors closed. Out traveling companion, also a large guy, was already on the train, reached his hand out to me and helped pull me through. The "muggers" seemed to come out of nowhere -- possibly the next car -- and surged upon us very quickly. We enjoyed Prague, but this was a very bad experience.

Valerie

I will be in Prague in a couple of weeks and was going to ride the subways (husband and myself) Now I am a bit concerned because this is a little different than the usual pickpockets (being surrounded by six men). Can either of you tell me if this trouble occurs in the subways late at night or evening? I am thinking that perhaps rush hour times would be safer? Any suggestions?

bo_jack

In the event which happened to me, it was probably about 9:00 PM -- going back to the hotel after having eaten dinner. Not the rush hour, but not deserted either. At the time of the event, I literally did not realize what was happening. Just that suddenly I was being crowded from all sides. Seemed like a lot more people than there actually were. My wife & friends told me it was several -- seemed like several dozen to me. I do not know if the point was to keep me off the train or to simply to take what they could in the confusion. However, I was grateful for my friend pulling me through the "crowd."

cp

Post Script- <BR>While I personally did not have troubles (as per above), I did read about this exact manuever in my Lonely Planet guide to E. Europe. So I assume it's common enough. Don't be afraid to yell and shout if this happens to you. <BR>My own solution was to make sure that we were close to the front of the line while waiting to board. The citizens of Prague had no qualms about shoving their way to the front of any line, so I suggest you do the same. <BR> <BR>Lastly, a word about rush hour. The drawback to being on a fully packed bus, metro or train is that when someone rudely presses up against you, you have no idea if <BR>a) they are frisking you for where your wallet is, yanking your wallet out of your purse, pocket, or backpack <BR>or b) they are just trying keep their own balance, or someone pushed them. <BR> <BR>I would stick to using the metro by day and early evening and carrying only as much money as you will need with you on that day.

Woodward

In August, I spent 2 weeks in Prague. I rode the metro, trams, etc. at all hours, and never had any problems at all. And I carried a backpack almost all the time. <BR> <BR>I felt completely safe at all times. <BR> <BR>I'm sure incidents do happen, but they are few and far between, IMO. <BR>

Helena

Prague is such a wonderful city, and I get so sad when I hear of all these pickpocketings and muggings. I've lived here for 6 years, can by no means consider myself an authority on Prague, but can offer some day-to-day observations. Yes, there is petty crime here. I have had my wallet stolen just once though, on a crowded bus on my way to work in the morning. It annoyed me to no end, mostly because I had that sick feeling that I knew it was happening but was essentially powerless -- tyring to keep my balance -- and my bag had a flap and a snap, and not a zipper. That was stupid. AND, the stupider thing was that I had my passport with me (had just returned the previous night from a trip and had not had time to clean out my wallet), and had about $300 in cash, US and Czech, in there too. That was really dumb. <BR> <BR>The US embassy, incidentally, replaced my passport within 2 hours. Getting access to cash was harder, and since I had everything in that one wallet (stupid, stupid), I was without access to cash for about a week. Learn from my mistake! <BR> <BR>On the other hand, please note that I've NEVER, ever felt at risk of physical harm, at any time of day or night, in any part of town where I've found myself (and yes, there are parts where I wouldn't go late at night by myself, and so I don't go there). It's like any big city, there are bad parts. In the tourist zones and most of downtown, you will not be at risk of violent crime. Use your judgement of where to go at night just as you would anywhere else. <BR> <BR>I rode the trams and metro to work (and everywhere else I wanted to go) every day for years, and have observed this: <BR> <BR>- daytime and rush hour: it's crowded, people do bump up against you, I've been told there are pickpockets out there, so I grip my bag, if I'm wearing a backpack I put it on my frontside, and I jostle myself the appropriate amount of space and don't feel threatened. <BR> <BR>- Off hours metro: (after 7 or 8pm): the crowd thins, I still feel safe, but I watch out for groups and I stay away from people. <BR> <BR>- Late night metro: a good number of people are still taking the metros/trams, but the crowd changes and so I tend not to take public transport late at night. There, if alone, I just don't feel comfortable. <BR> <BR>- Pickpocket scams: commotion getting on/off trams is very common on some lines, so watch your things when getting on and off and at the tram stops in particular. If you wait at a stop for more than 15 minutes (the one across from the National Theater is a good example) you will see the patterns emerge: <BR> <BR>- One or two people on the sidewalk, "spotting." <BR> <BR>- One or two more on the island (tram stops are generally an island in the street) weaving through the people waiting and seeing what they might spot. <BR> <BR>- Person spotted with nice handbag or loaded backpack on their back, looking at a map or not so aware of the risks. <BR> <BR>- Signal from the sidewalk crowd as tram pulls in. <BR> <BR>- Commotion, victim gets on the tram minus some items. Doors close, two theives slide off just in time, join up with sidewalk crew, regroup and start over. <BR> <BR>I've seen it happen lots of times. I'm not sure if I've ever seen it work. For one thing, the victims are often unaware. Also, they often fail. Most people seem to notice unwarranted attention to their belongings. The rest of the times, when they succeed, is still substantial. Once, because I shouted over (in Czech and English) for the victim to watch out, that they're about to lose something, I stopped it from happening. <BR> <BR>What's my assessment overall? As a single woman in Prague over the last 6 years, I've noticed that there is overt pickpocketing happening, bystanders will usually intervene if alerted, and the awareness of the problem has grown tremendously, including, happily, the response from police. <BR> <BR>I feel MUCH safer in Prague than I did living in Boston, and I can't stress that enough. <BR> <BR>What can you do? All the tips listed above, as well as being confident enough to look people in the eye if you think they're about to try something -- often times, this awareness will make them think twice, especially if it's accompanied by a deliberate move to reinforce your grip on your things. <BR> <BR>If you're waiting for a tram or metro and a group forms around you, out of habit move to the next door -- even if you're sure the people are not theives. Make a habit of keeping space around you. <BR> <BR>Overall, I still have to say that I feel MUCH SAFER here than I did living in a rather nice part of Boston. Definitely. <BR> <BR>So, how do you get home late at night? Take a cab. They're cheap, they're reliable, and they're easy to find -- NOT on the street, and NOT at a cab stand, NOT on Old Town Square or Wenceslas Square, and NOT by hailing one on the street. Get a phone card at the airport, and when you want a cab just find a phone booth and call either 1080 (AAA Dispatching) or 1087 (Central Dispatching). They'll tell you exactly how long and exactly what make/model/color car will come. If you do this, the most you will pay is 17Kc per km and 25Kc to get in (meter starts at 25Kc). If you go across town, it'll cost $8. Small price to pay to avoid any threats you might find on the trams/metros. <BR> <BR>So, please enjoy the city, it's such a wonderful place. Take precautions, be confident, and don't let a few bad apples dissuade you from visiting (I sound like the tourist board, sorry!). <BR> <BR>

Valerie

Thanks so much for all the info Helena. This has made me feel better. I walk around NYC all the time and always use normal precaution and really never take public transport at night, though my husband does. I appreciate the woman's perspective on all this. The precautions you mentioned are apart of my normal daily life anyway, I guess I was concerned that I was to have no way out if approached by several thieves just taking my bag/backpack in a struggle. I am assuming this is the same in Budapest? Thanks again.

lm

We just got back from Prague. We had a great time, loved walking around, etc. However, we did get targeted by a gang of pickpockets on the metro (early eve., not particularly crowded)and it was a frightening experience. Nothing was taken -- we knew immediately what was going on and started yelling. However, in trying to get away from them and off the train, one of them socked my husband in the jaw. He was knocked down and hit his head. Fortunately, he wasn't badly hurt, although his jaw was very swollen for several days. I started to scream and several people came over. They seemed kind, but I pushed them away because I was afraid they were part of the gang. <BR> <BR>We didn't bother with the police. If they cared, they'd have a presence in the subways, which they don't. It was very scary.

Helena

Valerie -- You might want to read a message I posted a little while after I added my tidbits to this thread. The Fodor's search engine doesn't seem to be working for me just now, but the title is something to the effect of "Partial Retraction ... Prague" -- I don't remember the exact wording. <BR> <BR>I guess I'm more on the "be very very careful side" now, although I do still love the city. I guess when you have the misfortune of witnessing or being victim of a crime, the reality hits home. Lots of people here make their living off others' incomes. So, you're absolutely right to use what you know from NYC and be aware of what's going on around you. <BR> <BR>Having said all that, I do not feel physically threatened when walking around in Prague. My wallet might be at risk, but I'm not. So, for everyone else, come to Prague but (!) actively make sure you're not a target! <BR> <BR>My crusade for putting the pickpockets out of business by eliminating targets continues...

Graziella

Hi Helena, than k you for your information. <BR>We were in Prague in the Spring of 98 and had no problem, I am pleased to find out that we did the right thing, most of the time we either walked or take a taxi. We did call the taxis as you mentioned as we did in Budapest. No problem and they are so terribly reasonable that they cost more or less what a bus in the US, so why bother to take trams/ subway and be exposed? <BR>Thank you.... we plan to come back soon and by then if possible I shall ask again from you for some more good advise. <BR>God luck, YES Prague is BEAUTIFUL.

Mary Ann

We were in Praha for 3 nights in September and am happy to report we had a fantastic trip with no problems. Having read the post before we left about the metro, we did not use it. We were staying in Stare Mesto so we basically walked to Wenselas Square, old town, the jewish quarter, Charles Bridge, St. Vitas etc. Our legs got a good work out since due to a friend we actually went over to St. Vitas 3 times including twice at night. We did ride the tram once during the day to get over to Vitas. The only unusual event was a man who wanted to verify that we had our ticket and that it had been processed and did not speak alot of English. We assumed it was a con. Fortunately (there were 2 couples) we had processed it and after showing it, he was friendly and congratulated us. Later we learned this was common. We all wore money belts but did have a back pack type bag for books, maps, cameras, etc. Our 3 star hotel did have a locked courtyard for parking the car. All in All I felt safer than walking in Detroit!!! And in reality, we all used caution regarding our personal belongings and each other. Just the other day, my husband said he could easily see going back there!!!

Valerie

We just got back from Prague a week ago. I was thinking about Helena and her advice and was using my own normal caution. We fortunately had no trouble. We really didn't need to take the subway anywhere since Prague is a compact city and walkable everywhere. We did use it during the day a couple of times and it was a bit frightening so we decided to walk everywhere. I couldn't believe how filthy and creepy the subway was after it was only recently built. We liked Prague above ground more. Thanks Helena for your information. I am curious to know what brings you and keeps you in Prague for the past six years. By the way I really liked the food in Prague.

NB

After living in Prague from 9/96 - 1/98, I would say I fully agree with everything Helena said. I travelled many times on the metro in Prague by myself. I would not travel by myself late at night (after 9pm or so), but I never felt unsafe any other times. <BR> <BR>You just have to be cautious and always aware of what is going on around you. Most times I wore my purse under my coat, which made it easier to control and less of a risk for those looking to take it. I hope you all enjoy it as much as my husband and I did!! It is one of the best cities in Europe!

Joe

I just got back from 10 days in Prague and had no problems with crime. I did not even see any. We stayed in the Old Town so we only used the metro once. I found the hardest thing was operating the ticket machines. <BR>I found the people were friendly and never felt like I was being taken advantage of. I learned a few of the friendly greetings, so that might have made a better impression on merchants and waiters. <BR>As long as you don't act like an obnoxious American Tourist and pay attention to what is going on around you, you'll probably do fine.

Dennis

There is an interesting article in the Prague Post today concerning what is the latest with the pickpockets in Prague. The article is "Tis the season for Prague's pickpockets" and can be read at www.praguepost.cz/news052400g.htm <BR>If you plan a trip to Prague, you need to read this article.