How to use public transportation in Prague

Are you going on a trip to Prague? Then you will surely be pleased to know that the capital of the Czech Republic has an excellent public transport network that you can rely on. Travel around historic Prague and peripheral districts safely and cheaply. In this article, you will find all the important information you need to know before arriving in the heart of Europe.

Get to know the Prague public transportation map

If you want to travel only to Prague and will not go to other nearby cities, you will only be interested in zone P. In zone P, i.e. in the whole of Prague, you can use the metro, trams, buses, boats, or trains.

You can find the Prague public transportation map of all lines in one place – on the website of the Dopravní podnik hlavního města Prahy, abbreviated as DPP. Particularly you can be interested in:

  • Metro (orientation plan)
  • Metro and trams (stops)
  • Metro and buses (metro stops)
  • Night service (stops)
  • Service to Airport (daytime)

Here you will also find a schedule of night departures from the most frequent interchanges or a fare zone map.

Map of Prague tram and metro lines.
Map of Prague bus, trolleybus and metro lines.

Use Google Maps for a quick orientation

Instead of studying maps, we recommend using Google Maps. Google Maps shows you all the lines, real-time departures, delays and can also be used for trip planning.

Czech Public Transport – IDOS

The second option is downloading a public transportation app – Czech Public Transport IDOS (iOS, Android), which will search for specific connections from selected stops or the place where you are currently located. The application will also show you current departures, and information about delays or changes. If you have a Czech phone number, you can also buy SMS tickets for Prague public transport in the application.

Before we look at specific means of transport, we have two more tips for you:

  • In case you lose something while traveling in Prague, write down the phone number 296 19 18 17, which you can contact.
  • In our next article, read what to watch out for in Prague, not only in public transport.

The Prague metro is easy to use

In Prague, you won’t find subway or underground signs, because trains running in underground tunnels are called metro here. The metro is in operation from 5 a.m. until approximately midnight. Trains usually run at intervals of 2-5 minutes, you will rarely wait more than 10 minutes for the metro.

The metro has a total of 3 lines in Prague:

  • Green line A from Nemocnice Motol to Depo Hostivař
  • Yellow line B from Zličín to Černý Most
  • Red line C from Letňany to Háje

Transfer stations are:

  • A–B – Můstek
  • A–C – Muzeum
  • B–C – Florenc

An interesting fact is that the mobile signal started working in the Prague metro in 2021.

How to use a tram in Prague?

There are a total of 32 tram lines in Prague, namely lines 1–27, 30, 31, 34, 41 and 42. During peak hours, trams run at intervals of 8–10 minutes, but the busiest lines have shorter intervals.

Good to know: At pedestrian crossings in Prague, watch out not only for cars but also for trams. Trams have priority in most cases!

Use bus not only for traveling from the airport

As tourists, you will probably use bus transport to get from airport to the city centre, which we will get to in the next part of the article. However, in Prague sometimes you can get from point A to point B by bus faster than the metro, so don’t forget to check the available bus connections too. Prague city bus routes number 100-250 run every 10-30 minutes.

Is there night public transport in Prague?

Are you going to Prague for evening fun? Then you will be interested in how to get back to your accommodation at night.

Night lines run from midnight to 4:30 a.m. Only trams and buses run around Prague at night. You would needlessly wait for the metro.

At night, you can use 9 tram lines number 91-99, which run every 30 minutes. On the night from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday, it runs every 20 minutes. The trams connect at the central transfer stop in Lazarská.

Night bus lines number 901–915 run at intervals of 30–60 minutes. All types of tickets are valid on night trams and buses.

How to get from Prague Airport to the city Centre?

From Václav Havel Airport in Prague, you can get to the city center by:

  • Bus
  • Trolleybus
  • Taxi

See which lines will take you to the center of Prague and read more about other options for airport transport.

Everything you need to know about Prague public transportation tickets and passes

Tickets are divided according to time in Prague. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about how many times you will change (whether from one line to another or from the metro to the tram, etc.), the fare is limited only by time.

If you buy a paper ticket, you must always mark it in the machine before boarding the tram, bus, ferry, or in the transport area of ​​the metro or funicular. Otherwise, you risk a fine. If you change to another line or another means of transport, do not mark the ticket again. A ticket marked more than once is invalid. If you have an electronic ticket, there is no need to scan it anywhere. Keep the ticket for the entire duration of the journey for possible inspection by the inspector.

How much are buses, trams, and metro in Prague?

Here you can see ticket and pass prices in Prague in 2024:

Ticket validity periodPriceDiscounted tariff
30 minutes30 CZK15 CZK
90 minutes40 CZK20 CZK
24 hours120 CZK60 CZK
72 hours330 CZK

The basic ticket price applies to everyone under 60 years of age. Seniors over the age of 60 have discounted admission, but they must prove their age with an ID card or passport. Children under the age of 6 can travel for free, as can dogs, but they must be muzzled.

Tickets for 30 minutes and 90 minutes are valid for all means of transport except for the cable car to the Petřín tower. The remaining tickets are valid for all means of transport, including the cable car.

Where to buy tickets in Prague?

You can buy tickets in Prague using an application (we recommend downloading the PID Lítačka app (iOS, Android)), at points of sale, or using payment terminals

Payment ticket terminals (validators) can be found in all trams, city buses, and metro stations. You can buy single and short-term tickets and only pay cashless by card. You are required to purchase a ticket immediately after boarding the vehicle. The ticket issued by the terminal is transferable and valid from the moment of issue. The ticket shall not be further validated, the necessary data (zone, time, date) are marked on it. If the transaction is denied or there is another problem, you are obliged to obtain a valid ticket immediately in another way.

Buying a DPP Prague ticket using an SMS message

If you buy a SIM card from one of the Czech operators, you can also buy tickets via SMS messages. To buy an SMS ticket for Prague public transport, send an SMS to the phone number: 902 06 in the format DPT “price of the selected ticket”:

SMS messageTariffPrice
DPT4190 minutes42 CZK
DPT3130 minutes31 CZK
DPT12024 hours120 CZK
DPT33072 hours330 CZK

You should receive an SMS message within two minutes. Attention, you may not board the means of transport if your SMS ticket has not yet arrived.

What is the fine for no ticket in Prague?

We strongly do not recommend driving without a valid ticket, as it only brings problems. Are you asking if they check tickets in Prague? The answer is yes. You will meet auditors on the metro, buses, and trams almost every day and the fine for illegal driving is CZK 1,500. If you pay the fine at the place of inspection or within 15 days from the day of the inspection at the cash desk or online, the amount will be reduced to CZK 1,000.

You can pay the fine to the auditor immediately by cash or card. Alternatively, at the post-paid cash desk at Na Bojišti 5, Prague 2. The nearest metro station is I. P. Pavlova. It is also possible to pay the fine online.

A few last points about Prague’s public transport

The funicular to the Petřín tower is part of Prague’s public transport. The funicular runs daily from 8:00 a.m. it’s 11 p.m. in 15 minutes. The ticket costs CZK 60 and you can buy it at vending machines at funicular stops.

You can use a boat to transport from one bank of the Vltava River to the other. Ferries are a good way to make your stay in Prague even more fun. There are 6 lines, with lines P1 and P2 operating year-round. The regular tickets that we mentioned above are valid for the ferries.

Day trips from Prague to Bohemian Switzerland

In addition to Prague, visit other beauties that the Czech Republic offers. Come with us to the national park of Bohemian Switzerland, where you will see breathtaking natural beauty.

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