Prague train station taxis really all crooks?

If you are not unduly burdened down (as in, are you using some kind of back-pack) it is a little over a mile of interesting and safe walking.

The owner of the hotel that I am staying at in May also said to beware of the taxis in Prague but suggests that we use either AAA Taxi or Profi Taxi if we need one during our stay.

Paul, isn't your hotel a couple of blocks from the Tram #22 line? From the main train station take the subway south to the I.P. Pavlova stop, go upstairs and get on Tram #22. It's the same way I am going to my hotel, except my hotel is in the opposite direction on the #22 line.

Thank you all. I'll check out the Metro and Tram options more closely....I've been to Europe a few times and always use public transportation or some cabs. I appreciate the help as I've never been to Prague and got a little confused by Rick's book.

Hey Paul, I have found that google maps does a good job of labeling the subway and tram stations. If you click on the tram station it will show you which lines it services and shows a diagram of the lines. The hotel owner suggested that instead of trying to understand the language, just count the stops.

Paul, IMO, the Taxis based at the Prague rail station are "no neck thugs" (as Rick labels them). They will get you to your Hotel, but you'll pay FAR more than you should. As I recall, the Guidebook recommends walking across the street from the station and using one of the AAA Taxis (bright yellow?). Happy travels!

Adjacent to this we have a couple rules about taxis. We have taken very, very few. First, if the taxis are in a line front to back, front to back, front to back we go to the first one and ask how much the fare is to our destination. If the taxis are parked side by side we give them all a pass. Long line is legitimate, side by side is illigitimate. Additionally, have the hotel call a cab. In Scotland the hotels in cities can call a private hire which is usually about one quarter less expensive than a regular cab. We got overcharged once, reported it to the hotel, and everything got fixed. We requested an English speaking cab operator once in Romania and the hotel reserved one in less than five minutes.

Paul, An interesting side note to this question. I'm currently reading This Book, and it's VERY interesting so far. He mentions the Taxi Drivers at the Prague Rail station, and his experiences are the same as Rick mentions.