Is there Uber in Prague?
Yes, Uber provide services in Prague. Unfortunately, their cover area is not available anywhere else. In the past Uber was available also in Brno, but that service was later terminated.
Is Uber available at Prague Airport?
Yes, you can order Uber from the airport. Unfortunately, there is not a pre-booking option, which means you might wait five to 15 minutes on average before your booked car arrives. Sometimes chasing drivers on the parking lot is also a bit of struggle. Apart from that, they offer competitive pricing and are safe to use.
To get from Prague Airport to the city centre, we recommend using Prague Airport Transfers which offers far better quality and reliability than Uber. For the same price as a regular taxi or Uber, you will get a private driver with excellent English and knowledge of Prague. They also offer extra bonuses like a free walking tour, which is an excellent introduction to Prague for first-time visitors.
Does Uber offer larger vehicles for more than four passengers?
No, Uber in Prague doesn’t offer an option for XL cars. The same applies for other taxi applications like Bolt or Hopin. For large vehicles, try to contact a local taxi company or use Prague Airport Transfers as they offer minibuses.
Does Uber show the final price upfront?
Yes, Uber shows the final price upfront before making a booking. However, the price may still change if an unexpected traffic situation occurs during the journey. Of course, the price will also change if you change your destination as a passenger, or if you decide to stop earlier.
Is Uber cheap?
Yes, UberX, along with other applications like Bolt, is generally cheaper than ordinary taxi services. With UberX the minimum fare is only 55 CZK. Uber is ideal for smaller city transfers. However, for longer trips such as outside of Prague, we recommend the application Liftago, or Prague Airport Transfers, where drivers do not charge per minute.
Do Uber drivers in Prague accept customers without child seats?
Generally, no (but it depends on whether the driver will accept the risks). Due to the road regulations, most drivers won’t accept you without your own child seat. According to the Czech traffic and transport law, children under eight years old must travel in child seats unless they are in a public taxi or on the bus. Uber is still operating partly illegally although a change in law to make them legal will come into effect soon. For that reason, Uber is not considered as a legal taxi service, so drivers could be fined up to 5000 CZK if thery transport a child without proper car seats.
What are the major Uber disadvantages and risks?
Uber is generally a very safe service, but there are occasions when their service is unpredictable and very unreliable. All their drivers are monitored via a customer rating system, which is good, as drivers know that if their rating gets below a certain threshold, Uber will terminate cooperation with them. That motivates drivers to provide good customer-related service. Despite that, occasionally you might get drivers who are not familiar with your location, or even take a wrong turn in the navigation, and a 15-minute journey could turn out to be a 20-minute trip.
But the greatest risk is if you are booking a taxi during peak times outside of the city centre and you get a very long arrival estimate due to the lack of drivers in that area. For example, you might get a 20-minute arrival time estimate. You think that’s OK and then, a few minutes before the estimated arrival time your driver cancels your booking, and Uber searches for another car. And it is not unusual that it can happen two or three more times as for some reason the drivers cancel the jobs, due to, for example, underestimating traffic and you end up waiting for a car for one hour. Because Uber is a fully automated system, you are totally in the hands of each individual drivers. For situations where you need a car on time and to be sure it will be there, UBER is not a very reliable service as there are too many factors which influence your car’s arrival time.
Other situations when UBER is not a good choice are when you need a specific car, a specific driver, etc. Most taxi companies do allow you to order child seats or ask for a driver with knowledge of a certain language, or to request a specific vehicle.
How to start using Uber in Prague
Simply download the app onto your Android or iPhone, enter your credit/debit card details (later you can choose to pay in cash) and book your own driver. Once you register, just enter your starting and final address. Then you must select service type UberX, Select or Black and you will get a final price estimate. Then you just see an arrival time estimate for your driver.
What are the differences between UberX, Select and Black?
UberX is the cheapest option and gives you a random car of any class, but mostly you will get an older and smaller compact car, although you might get assigned a car in the class type of Select or Black if their drivers’ preference is to accept such bookings. UberX is officially a ride-sharing service and drivers are not allowed to make a profit, only share the ride, and cars can be as much as up to 20yrs old. Uber accept all types of models and vehicles which are suitable for four persons. Other notable differences between UberX and Black are the drivers themselves. With UberBlack you will get a professional driver with a more luxurious car, while for UberX anyone with a driving licence can be your driver. Prices are mostly lower than all official taxi fares (except when booking a car in rush hour and there is high demand).
Uber Select is somewhere between UberX and Black. Uber assign for this service only better rated drivers with selected cars and models (no more than 10 yrs old). Often you will get a more comfortable car like a Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Passat or Ford Mondeo which are just a few years old. Fares are much like the official taxi fares.
Uber Black is their most professional service with better cars. In general, you won’t get a car more than sevenr years old and mostly in the colour black. Typically, you will get a Mercedes E-Class, Skoda Superb or Audi A6 with leather seating. Each car in this category must be registered in the taxi register. The most noticeable difference from Uber Black is in pricing. You can expect fares up to three times higher compared to UberX, and often much higher than an official taxi fare.
Uber surcharge during rush hour. How does it work in Prague?
As in every other city where Uber operates, there are rush hours when the demand is high and Uber pricing is dynamically increasing. It is usually 1.5 to three times higher than the regular price. So, if you are paying 10 CZK per kilometre and 3 CZK per minute as a standard price, and surge 2x applies, you will be paying 20 CZK per kilometre and 6 CZK per minute. In this case you will be paying more than an average taxi rate. You won’t always be notified about the increased price, but you will see upfront the price you are paying and how the fare is calculated. Rush hours for Uber are mostly Monday to Friday from 7am to 9am and late evenings and very early mornings, when everyone is going to/from the pubs and clubs.
What are Uber alternatives in Prague?
Another popular application is Bolt (Taxify) which has the exact same concept as Uber and can even be slightly cheaper and have more cars available. If you wish to order a classic taxi, then the Liftago app is something like a Czech Uber with a different concept. You will get price offers from drivers based on your destination. You can select driver by price, car model, arrival time and rating. Then there are many private taxi and private airport pickup companies to choose from. The major ones are TickTack, Taxi Praha, Modry Andel and for airport pickups, Prague Airport Transfers.
Can Uber take me from another city to Prague?
Hello. Unfortunately, Uber can take you only from Prague to anywhere Czech. However, you can get a private driver or local taxi company which will take you to Prague.
Can you pay Uber with cash?
You can also pay with cash, but drivers accept only CZK – Czech Crowns. Just make sure you select the appropriate payment method before you book the ride. By default, the application will use the card you have loaded into the app.
We are four persons and have many pieces of luggage. What kind of Uber will you suggest?
Based on the car type, you might need to order two vehicles or contact a taxi company which provides XL cars or minivans.
Can I pre-arrange an Uber driver from Prague airport?
No, Uber in Prague doesn’t allow pre-booking their services in advance.
Is Uber in Prague illegal?
Despite all the negotiations with the Ministry of Transportation, Uber is illegal. The main problem is that Uber drivers do not have taximeters, which are required in all cars to be compliant with the law. But new legislation is on the way which will set new rules and will allow Uber drivers to operate legally. It is necessary to say that Uber in Prague has made significant progress and will be prepared to operate legally soon.
Should I tip the Uber driver?
Yes, tips in Prague for drivers are much anticipated. You can give a driver a tip after you finish your journey. Simply choose either one of the preselected options of 10, 20 or 40 CZK, or enter your own amount. Generally, a tip of 5 to 10% is appreciated.
