Is It Safe to Drink Tap Water in Prague, Czech Republic
Are you planning a trip to Prague and wondering if it's safe to drink tap water in hotels, restaurants, or in general, everywhere in the Czech Republic? Our guide will help you to stay hydrated, save money, and reduce plastic waste.
Staying hydrated while traveling is essential for the body and for a healthier lifestyle. Drinking tap water is healthy (especially when we compare it with pop or other sugar-loaded drinks), economical, ecological, and it's perfectly safe in many European countries including the Czech Republic.
When planning a trip to Prague, you might ask yourself how to reduce plastic footprint during your visit to Czechia? How to save money and stay healthy? We have a perfect answer for you, drink tap water!
Every time we travel abroad, one of the first things we research about the country we want to visit is the quality of the water, and if it's safe to drink tap water.
It's so convenient not to worry about the water when you travel that this is really an essential thing to know when visiting a new country you've never been to before.
We drank tap water in New Zealand, Canada, Patagonia, or even Costa Rica.
We also traveled around countries like Peru or Malaysia where tap water increases the health risk and is not suitable for drinking, and where it often becomes annoying all the time to look for a store where to buy bottled water.
But how is the tap water in the Czech Republic? Is it something to be worried about, or you can enjoy water from the tap?
IS TAP WATER SAFE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC?
Is it safe to drink tap water in hotels, restaurants, apartments, and other places in Prague, or do you need to pay for bottled water?
Yes, tap water is safe to drink in Prague, and generally in Czechia. Tap water is regulated by the Czech Republic government officials several times a day, and they monitor the quality of water very thoroughly.
Funny thing is that tap water is often more controlled than bottled water, as officials are very serious about this, therefore standards are high.
We believe we don't have to point out why you should drink tap water when traveling (when it's safe, of course) in this blog post, but we can quickly summarize all the pros.
It's environment-friendly, healthy, cheap, and you reduce plastic waste.
So basically, you travel more sustainably while reducing the cost of travel, which is great, especially if you travel long term.
If you are worried about your first visit to Prague and water quality, we can tell you this. We drink tap water every day at home in the Czech Republic, and never buy bottled water.
We do not even remember if we've ever bought plain water in plastic. Simply, there was never a reason to do so.
Yes, the water in the Czech Republic has such a high quality that you don't need to buy bottled water at all.
Also, did you know that cheap bottled-water is often actually tap water?
Another completely viable reason to drink tap water is to save money while traveling.
The price for a 1.5L water bottle is between 5-20 CZK in a large grocery stores in Prague however, the small shops in the historical center near Prague Castle or Old Town Square will sell you a smaller bottle (0.5L) for about 40-70 CZK (about 2 Euros).
You know what? Tap water is free.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
TAP WATER IN PRAGUE RESTAURANTS
Also when you go to a restaurant, you can actually ask for a glass of tap water, though the owners don't like it, as there is no profit in it, and will usually charge you for this.
It is always better to ask in advance whether water is free or not.
Long gone are the days when beer was cheaper than water in the Czech Republic in restaurants, and now there has to be at least one non-alcoholic beverage on the menu cheaper than an alcoholic drink.
In all seriousness, you will have a hard time to find a restaurant in the city center serving free tap water, but you can give it a try.
To order tap water in the restaurant, ask for 'voda z kohoutku' or 'kohoutkova voda'.
Buying Mineral Water
The only reason why would you want to try bottled water in Prague is because of the mineral water, which some people like to drink.
The Czech Republic is a home to famous spa towns such as Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne, or Frantiskovy Lazne, meaning that you can buy mineral water (it's technically mineral spring containing minerals) in every grocery store in the country.
Mattoni, Podebradka, Korunni, Ondrasovka or Hanacka Kyselka are the top brands, but as usual, go to the large grocery store (we call the stores supermarket or hypermarket in Czechia).
WATER FOUNTAINS IN PRAGUE
While wandering around the city, you might find some water fountains with potable water scattered around popular tourist places in Prague.
They are fully functional during the high season, which is usually from May to October. You should check out this guide when it is the best time to visit Prague by the way.
You can find some of the drinking water fountains in very convenient locations such as Vodickova Street, Jilska, Hellichova, Slovansky Ostrov (Zofin), or Loretanske Square near Prague's top attractions.
TSK monitors these water fountains frequently, the water is high quality, and should be safe to drink.
Also, there should be a sign 'Pitna voda', indicating potable water, which unfortunately gets 'lost' often, so it might be a little bit confusing to know, from which water fountain it is safe to drink.
Some water fountains have signs of 'Nepitna voda' which means the water is not suitable for drinking.
WHAT TO PACK
Lucie and I always pack reusable water bottles when traveling. It's really convenient to bring bottles you can fill up more than once on your trip.
We love our Nalgene Water Bottle, and if you don't have one already, you should get one ASAP.
We have ours for almost ten years, and they are practically indestructible and withstand any damage or abuse.
When visiting Prague in winter, sometimes it gets really cold.
In this case, consider bringing a thermos bottle, as it keeps batch of tea or coffee hot for several hours.
If you are still not convinced that tap water is that safe, and you want to have yourself covered, try SteriPen, which has a UV light, that destroys germs and bacteria.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Get Around: Buses and trains are an affordable way to get around the Czech Republic. Regiojet offers clean and modern buses and trains with all the amenities.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
