Trasporti a Praga
Prague has one of the best public transportation systems in Europe. The metro, trams and buses are used by two-thirds of Prague's population and cover the majority of the city and outskirts. Especially the metro makes getting around town a breeze since it enables you to cover long distances in a matter of minutes. If you can't continue to your destination on foot, you'll be able to catch a tram or bus from near the subway station.
If you are flying into Prague, your first concern probably is how to get to your destination from the airport.
To move around town, we recommend using public transport over driving or taking a taxi. The traffic situation in the city center has become pretty bad in the past decade and not many good things can be said about Prague taxi drivers either.
If you're going to be staying in Prague for a few days, you may want to buy a tourist pass that will enable you to use any type of mass transit as many times as you want within the time period for which your pass is valid. A complete list of passes and other ticket information is provided in Tickets, Fares, Schedules.
Prague Metro (Subway)
The Prague metro carries around 400 million passengers a year. It is fast, efficient, clean, and easy to use. Its three lines consist of about 50 km of tracks (running mostly underground) and some 50 stations.
The lines currently are:
Line A (Green) - running east to west from Skalka to Dejvická
Line B (Yellow) - running east to west from Cerný most to Zlicín
Line C (Red) - running north to south from Ládví to Háje
There are three transfer stations in the city center where two lines intersect:
Mustek (lower end of Wenceslas Square) - lines A and B
Muzeum (upper end of Wenceslas Square) - lines A and C
Florenc (main bus station) - lines B and C
These are transfer points from one line to another. Each transfer route is clearly marked and takes some 3-5 minutes.
Trains run from 5 a.m. till midnight in 2-3 min. intervals during peak hours and in 4-10 min. intervals in the off hours. The time elapsed from the moment when the previous train left the station can be seen on the clock at the head of the tracks. All stations are equipped with escalators, some allow access for the disabled.
Once on the train, the following announcements can be heard:
1. Name of the station where the train is currently stopped, e.g. "Mustek"
2. Warning: "Ukoncete prosím výstup a nástup, dvere se zavírají." (Please finish exiting and boarding the train, the doors are closing.)
3. Name of the following station (e.g. Muzeum): "Príští stanice: Muzeum" (Next station: Muzeum), followed, if applicable, by "Prestup na linku A/B/C." (Transfer to line A/B/C)
The Prague metro is only about 30 years old and is mostly Russian-built. By 2008, all cars are to be replaced by new ones built by Siemens. An extension by new stations and two new lines (D and E) is planned for the future.
Prague metro map
Download a large printable map of the Prague subway system from the Prague Public Transit Co. website (PDF, 546 KB). You will need Adobe Reader.
Prague City Buses
Buses (autobusy) mostly cover the outskirts of Prague. Daytime buses run from 4:30 a.m. till midnight in 6-8 min. intervals in peak hours, 10-20 min. intervals in the off hours, and 15-30 min. intervals on weekends. Night buses (numbers 501-512) run from 00:30 a.m. till 4:30 a.m. at 40 min. intervals.
Bus 119 and 100
Bus 119 connects the Ruzyne airport with the Dejvická metro station and bus 100 connects the aiport with the Zlicín station. They are both a convenient and cheap way to get to and from the airport.
Funicular & Chairlift
Funicular Railway to Petrín
The funicular to the top of Petrín hill starts at the Újezd tram stop (trams 6, 9, 12, 20, 22, or 23) in Malá Strana and runs daily from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (11:20 p.m. from November to March) in 10-15 min. intervals. To take the funicular, use the transfer public transit ticket for 20 K (see Tickets, Fares, Schedules).
Prague ZOO Chairlift
The chairlift at the Prague ZOO runs from April to October, every day except Mondays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It costs 15 K (children under 6 ride free).
Public Transportation Tickets, Fares and Schedules
Tickets
The Prague public transport system uses two types of tickets:
Single ticket (for one use/short ride)
Adults: 14 K, children 6-15 years: 7 K, children under 6: free
This ticket can only be used one time on one type of transportation. It is valid for 20 minutes from validation on trams and buses or 5 stations on the subway, allowing transfers between subway stations (e.g. from line A to line B) for up to 30 min. of total time of use. This ticket is not valid on night trams and buses and on the Petrín funicular.
Transfer ticket (for multiple uses/long ride)
Adults: 20 K;, children 6-15 years: 10 K;, children under 6: free
This ticket can be used on any type of public transportation and allows transfers between lines (subway to subway, tram to tram, etc.) and types of transport (subway to tram, tram to bus, etc.) for up to 75 min. from validation (90 min. on weekends/holidays and from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays).
Single and transfer tickets are sold through yellow ticket vending machines (also in English, coins only), at ticket offices located at some metro stations, at a Tabák/Trafika, at some newsstands, and at tourist information centers.
A ticket must be punched at the entrance to the metro station and on the tram/bus to mark the start of the validation period.
Passes
There are several short-term and long-term passes available:
Short-term (tourist) passes:
24-hour pass: 80 K;
3-day pass: 220 K;
7-day pass: 280 K;
15-day pass: 320 K;
Long-term passes (issued with a photo-ID):
Monthly: 460 K;
Quarterly: 1,260 K;
Annual: 4,150 K;
Passes can be used on any type of Prague public transportation for the duration of the period for which the pass is valid. Children under 6 ride free.
Short-term (tourist) passes are sold at ticket offices located at some metro stations and at tourist information centers. Long-term passes are sold at ticket offices at some metro stations.
Ticket offices are located at some metro stations and are usually open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., some closed for lunch.
Taking a Taxi in Prague
Unfortunately for Prague, its taxi drivers have become a scar on its reputation. Fortunately for you, getting around Prague by public transportation is so easy and convenient that you may be able to simply forget about the existence of taxis. Taking a taxi is a good choice when: you are traveling with a lot of luggage, it is freezing cold, you need to get to a distant part of Prague, or you need to travel at night when the metro isn't running and the trams and buses run less frequently.
Although the situation is getting better (and the City of Prague is working on it), many Prague taxi drivers are still as rude and dishonest as ever and will try to rip you off if you're a foreigner and "don't know the ropes". Luckily, there are more and more reputable taxi companies that you can rely on for good service and fair rates.
Here are some tips that might save you nightmares and a few hundred crowns:
Don't get into a taxi that is parked in front of the train station or at a tourist site. These are waiting for unsuspecting tourists and are known to charge rates several times higher than they should be.
If you need to catch a taxi on the street, make sure it is a real, registered taxi. The yellow roof lamp must be permanently installed and must say TAXI in black letters on both sides. The company name, license number and rates should be printed on both front doors.
Try to find out beforehand how much your ride should cost. If you're stopping a taxi on the street, you can ask the driver before getting in and even pay in advance if the amount sounds reasonable. If you're ordering a taxi by phone (always a good idea), you can get a price estimate from the dispatcher.
Once in the car, make sure that the rate on the taximeter corresponds to the price list posted in the car. If it doesn't, bring it to the driver's attention or have him stop the car and get off.
You have the right to request a printed receipt from the driver. If he refuses to give it to you, you can refuse to pay the fare.
Be smart and order a taxi by phone from one of these reliable and courteous taxi companies:
AAA Radiotaxi - tel. 140 14 or 222 333 222, www.aaa-taxi.cz
Profi Taxi - tel. 140 35 or 2 61 31 41 51
City Taxi - tel. 257 257 257, www.citytaxi.cz
Halotaxi - tel. 244 114 411, www.halotaxi.cz
Radiotaxi - tel. 272 731 848
Sedop - tel. 777 666 333, www.sedop.cz