Got stuck in Prague with no cash and the ATMs were down

I was in Prague last fall and the entire city's ATM network crashed for a whole afternoon, right when I needed to pay for a train ticket. I ended up asking at my hostel and the owner let me pay for the ticket online through their booking system if I gave them the exact euros I had left in my pocket. Has anyone else had a backup plan for when card systems fail in a foreign city?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_sullivan612mo ago

Actually, the post mentioned ATMs being down, not card machines.

fisher.mason1mo ago

27 euro is what a friend of mine kept taped inside his shoe on that exact trip, and it saved him when the card networks all went dark. I gotta disagree with @nina_sullivan61 though, the post said ATMs were down but honestly if the whole system craps out, card machines often follow since they rely on the same backbone. My backup plan is usually a prepaid travel card loaded with a separate currency, but mileage varies on whether that works when the power's out.

paige5142mo ago

That whole "backup plan" idea sounds good in theory... but honestly, if every ATM and card machine in a city goes down, your backup plan is probably toast too. I just try to always have a mix of cash and cards on me from the moment I land. Relying on one system, even with a backup, feels like asking for trouble.