P
rague is said to have one of the best public transports in Europe.
It is well organized – you travel on foot or by tram in the city center. The outskirts are covered by metro and busses, which have transit stops in strategic places.
There is one ticket for everything, even boats, and funicular! It operates on a time basis – you can switch transportation as much as you want and get on and off as much as you want. You just need to be aware of the time and have your ticket validated.
The city offers useful apps like Litacka (the official one). There is also Jizdni Rady, Praha Timetable, and IDOS.
There are over 1,3 million people in the city! They use public transport daily. It is much better than trying to find a parking spot with your car.
The usual culprits are the metro and busses. But Prague has a wonderful tram network too – some of the vehicles are even vintage. You can also travel by boat, which is more of a local thing. And there is a funicular which takes passengers to the Petrin Tower (no need to climb the hill).
The prices are not that bad. By the way, 100 CZK (Czech Koruna) is worth about 18 PLN or 3,85 € (as for 2021).
Prague combined cards
As in any major city – Prague offers tourist combo tickets. They present a perfect business plan for the local vendors and quite a headache for a tourist.
Prague Card has all the major attractions and more, a river cruise, a dedicated sightseeing bus, discounts… but no public transportation included. A 2-day pass starts with 62€.
Prague Welcome Card includes public transport. But the main hiccup is the lack of the Castle entrance in the attraction bundle! A 3-day pass is a minimum, and the price sounds ok – 45€.
The MultiCard is a discount card – for shopping, dining, and attractions (buy in the city or with online partners). The public transport is included, and you have two options for the price of the card – 20€ for 2 days and 25€ for 3 days. This is the card where you have to calculate the most and you will be wandering around the places that are covered by the card.
Prague City Pass is a well-known type of “museum pass”. It only has the attractions – but they are the most important ones! The card has the cruise and the bus tour included. It is a 3-day pass for 54,90€.
The city is also covered by the Citysightseeing network, so you can check the offers of the hop-on-hop-off buses.
It requires a bit of planning, but the variety of options allows you to choose the best thing for you. Everything becomes reasonable if you have come to Prague for at least 2 days (it is better if these are 3 days). The visit becomes enjoyable, and there is less of a hurry.
But what if you are here only for a day, which is quite popular since Prague seems to be close to everywhere and on a way to somewhere…
Prague integrated transport tickets
Maybe a simple public transport ticket and your feet will suffice. There are a lot of free activities to do in Prague and the beauty of Prague is easily admired from the outside.
As it was said previously – the city has a great network and one ticket for all of it!
Where to get it?
Tickets can be bought in various places around the stops. The metro offers ticket offices and in the information center, they can even answer some of your questions. You can also try the tabaks/newsagent/kiosks. The worst-case scenario – with the driver (sometimes you can even pay with the credit card).
The most common way is the yellow/orange vending machine. They stick out and can usually be found close to the stops. Some are new and you can pay with a credit card, some are old and accept only coins. Be prepared.
There is also a possibility to buy a ticket with the SMS, but you would have to have a local SIM card.
After getting the ticket, remember to punch it before you get on the vehicle (or as soon as you do). Nope, no chips or scanning – the good all fashioned punching. Be advised to remember about it. You will get quite an unpleasant fine for not doing so.
Tickets are related to the time you travel, and you can hop on and off or switch lines as much as you want. Not to stress it even more – they are valid from the moment you’ve punched it until the time runs out.
Prices:
30 minutes – 24 KCZ
90 minutes – 32 KCZ
1 day – 110 KCZ
3 days – 310 KCZ
*50% Discount for seniors over 60 and children 6-15 years old. Younger children travel free.
Metro
It is one of the busiest in Europe. Although there are only 3 lines, they cover over 60 kilometers and will take you as far as the suburbs (no airport connection yet).
The stations are well organized, with information panels every few steps. You cannot get lost in there, and it is easy to follow the directions.
The only challenge is the Czech language, but you will get used to it after a while.
Metro is the fastest, and so it is good to take it if you have a bigger distance to cover. If it is a stop or two, don’t bother – it will be better to take the tram.
There are 3 lines:
- A (green) and B (yellow) run roughly from East to West. You are bound to use them.
- C (red) runs North to South. It is not that useful for tourists unless you have a specific point you need to get to
Stations of interest:
- Malostranská (A) – for the Castle and Mala Strana
- Můstek (A, B), Národní třída (B) – for Venceslas Square, Dancing House, south of Old Town
- Staroměstská (A) – for Old Town, the Vltava
- Museum (A, C), Hlavní nádraží (C) – for Venceslas Square, National Museum, Main train station
Metro has a break between midnight and 4:45. Then you will have to use trams or busses.
Trams
They are the next best thing after the metro. They cover both the Old Town, points of interest, and outer suburbs (view more on the map).
The ones that will be the most useful to you are number 9 (e.g., New Town Square) and 22 (e.g., to the Castle). There are also several of them going close to the Old Town (check the map). You can also try a historical tram 41 that runs in the tourist season (April – September) – but you need to buy a special ticket for 35 CZK.
During the day they run frequently, but between midnight and 5 AM they go every 30 minutes.
Busses, boats, and funicular
Busses should be the least of your worry. They are not convenient, and they are often stuck in traffic. What is more, they tend to take you away from the attractions, preferring suburbs. But they run every 30 minutes throughout the night, so they can come in handy.
Boats seem to be a bad idea, but then – they are fun! And they allow you to experience a boat tour without actually paying for a boat tour. They connect both banks of the Vltava river (in their southern parts). The ride is short and pleasant. There are no crowds, as the boats can take a maximum of a dozen people.
Try the P5 line (a bit far, closer to Vysehrad than the Old Town), which will allow you to see Hradcany and Vysehrad in their glory. Opt for the right time of the day, since the views are even better.
The funicular is probably something you may use. It takes you from the bottom of Petrinske Sady to the top. There, only a short walk separates you from the Petrin Tower and its magnificent views. If you think that the crowds are too much – the walk up there takes about 30 minutes.
Enjoy your sightseeing!