I have found a trick that allows you to exchange your Euros (EUR) for Czech crowns (CZK) without paying any fees. But you have to be in the Czech Republic to do this.
Here it goes:
There are chains of shops in the Czech Republic that originally come from Germany or Austria. There you can pay in EUR and get the change paid out in CZK! This is official, and some shops inform customers of this with a sign.
These include (and I have already tried this successfully):
- DM (drugstore)
- Billa (Austrian supermarket)
- Penny (German supermarket)
- Albert (division of the company Albert Heijn from the Netherlands)
Where it might also work, but haven’t tried it:
- Kaufland
- Lidl
There are no fees, and the exchange rate is good.
Important:
You have to pay with Euro bills, they do not accept Euro coins!
They are more inclined to accept small euro notes (10, 20 euros) than larger ones. So I always try to buy just one small item and pay with a 20 euro note.
Good to know:
The “trick” works in 95% of the cases. Sometimes the staff just don’t know how to enter it into their system, in which case they usually have to call their colleagues. But then they always do it! I have only once experienced a cashier saying that it is not possible.
Where it also works:
- At the central station of Prague (Prague Hlavni Nadrazi) in the “Bio point” shop