Trying to plan ahead so any know if card payments are common at hostels in Czech Republic or cash is king?
I traveled through Prague, Brno, and Ostrava and never had to use cash at check-in. Every hostel had a card terminal and some even encouraged card to cut down on coins. That said, in Cesky Krumlov my hostel strongly suggested cash to “avoid extra fees.” ATMs are everywhere, and Revolut/Monzo worked fine on Raiffeisenbank machines. For planning, you can expect card as the default in Czech Republic, but keep some banknotes for smaller towns or in case tech goes down.
Cards work almost everywhere in Czech Republic hostels. Even budget dorms near Wenceslas Square and Old Town took my card without question. The one exception was in Kutná Hora, where the owner clearly preferred cash, though he technically had a reader. It’s a good idea to carry some crowns since smaller family-run hostels may refuse card or add a surcharge. ATMs from Raiffeisenbank or Air Bank are common, so cash isn’t hard to get if you need it.
In Prague, I don’t think I ever pulled cash for hostels - Hostel One, Sir Toby’s, all swiped Mastercard just fine. But once you leave big cities, it’s not always the case. In Olomouc, one hostel wanted payment in cash only and pointed me to a Komerční banka ATM around the corner. If you’re planning ahead, assume cards are the norm in cities but carry backup crowns when traveling further out.
I stayed in Prague’s Zizkov neighborhood and the hostel there was card-only at check-in, no issues with my Visa. Same in Brno, most backpacker places had card terminals. The only time I needed cash was when a machine at a smaller hostel in Cesky Krumlov was “down,” so I ended up walking to a nearby Česká spořitelna ATM. Generally, Czech Republic is card-friendly, but it’s smart to keep a few hundred crowns on hand for smaller hostels or if terminals stop working.