Getting Around

The public transport system in Prague is really excellent. It has to be, the different means carry over one million passengers each a day. The basic 8 KC ticket allows you to travel on only one means of transport for up to 15 minutes. The 12 KC ticket gives you 90 minutes and you can change your means of transport within the three services. These tickets can be bought either from the amazingly complicated machines in the stations, from Tobacco-Shops (where you ask 'yizdenky, prosim'), or often from the little stalls selling cheap books within the metro station areas.

After you buy a ticket you have to validate it by putting it into a slot on the top of a yellow column at the head of the escalators. On a tram or bus you have to slide the ticket into a contraption attached to various columns in the bus or tram. You then pull the black lever on top towards you. This punches holes in the ticket.

There are no regular ticket inspectors, but they do have spot checks quite often and they are entitled to fine you up to 500 Kc on the spot. (As with other fines, you don't actually have to pay on the spot even if it seems like it. He is able to give you a ticket explaining where and when you have to pay.

For information (in various languages) on the bus system please call Prague 24 21 10 60. The main bus station is at FLORENC on Metro lines 'B' and 'C'. Metro trains are very efficient and can usually be relied upon to arrive every 3 or 4 minutes. The last one leaves its end of the line station, heading for home, at midnight.

The normal bus and tram services operate from 04.30 to 23.30. After this time a special night service takes over. For information on the whole Prague public transport system (in English or German) call: 294 682.

 Various passes are available from the large metro stations (e.g. Mustek) and they provide excellent value if you mean to make use of the transport. They are valid for buses, trams, metro and the funicular. Some price examples are: 24 hours. 70 Kc 3 day 200 Kc 7 day 250 Kc 15 day 280 Kc. There are longer term passes for those staying much longer. Prices above here were corrected on 10/25/04

Three particularly useful trams are the 22/23 which go to the castle and the Strahov Monastery and the 17 which stays beside the river for much of its length.

The main Railway station is 'Hlavni Nadrazi' on Metro line 'C'. For information on train services call: 24 22 42 00. (They also speak English and German). It is possible to buy special rail-cards that give reasonable reductions on the cost of rail travel. For example: Z Card: A yearly pass giving 20% reduction on Czech rail travel.

The cost is 590 Kc. Anyone is eligible. Photo and ID required.

R Card: A yearly pass giving reductions for groups of 2 to 6 persons. Children under 15 have 60% reduction, under 26 a 50% reduction. The cost is 890 Kc.

Junior Pass: For all under 26 years there is a 50% reduction. The cost is 690 Kc for 1 year, or 390 Kc for 6 months.

Network Card: A yearly pass for the entire Czech railway network. The cost is 14,580 Kc (The holders of a Z card get a further 10% reduction and children under 15 get a 50% reduction. For one week this card costs 540 Kc.

Prague's airport is about 10km away from the city centre.  The cheapest way to get to the city centre is taking the bus and then connecting to the metro.  Tickets are sold in the arrivals hall and will cost 12Kc.  Either take Bus 119 to Dejvicka which is a terminus of Line A on the metro or Bus 100 to Zlicin which is a terminus of Line B.  From there, take the metro to the city centre.  A little more expensive is the Cedaz airport shuttle.  90Kc will get you from the the airport to Namesti Republicky which is on Line B.  480Kc will take 1-4 persons to any address in the city centre.  Taxis are available but overcharging is common place.