How to Get to Prague and Get Around

Prague has one of the better public transport systems in Europe. One ticket covers trams, metro, buses and some river ferries, day passes also cover the Petřín funicular, and the network reaches the airport. You will not need a taxi unless you arrive late at night with heavy bags.

From Václav Havel Airport

• Trolleybus 59 and metro A: the main route for most visitors. Trolleybus 59 replaced the old bus 119 and runs frequently from both terminals to Nádraží Veleslavín, where you change to metro line A for Malostranská (castle side), Staroměstská (Old Town) or Můstek (Wenceslas Square). Allow around 45 minutes door to door. A standard 90-minute ticket covers the whole trip.
• Bus 100: runs to Zličín at the end of metro line B, handy if you are staying in Smíchov, Anděl or the New Town along line B.
• Airport Express (AE): a direct bus to the main train station, Praha hlavní nádraží. It needs its own ticket, sold on board, and is useful if you are catching a train straight away.
• Taxis and ride apps: use the official taxi desks in arrivals or book Uber, Bolt or Liftago. Do not accept offers from drivers in the hall.

Arriving by train or coach

Most international trains use Praha hlavní nádraží, a short walk from Wenceslas Square and on metro line C. There are direct trains from Berlin and Dresden along the Elbe valley, from Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava, and from Kraków, plus night trains on some routes. Long-distance coaches stop at Florenc, also on metro lines B and C.

Tickets and how to use them

Tickets are time-based rather than per journey: 30 minutes, 90 minutes, 24 hours or 72 hours, with unlimited transfers. There are three ways to buy:

• The PID Lítačka app: buy and activate on your phone before you board or enter the metro. Activation takes a short moment to become valid, so do it on the platform rather than as an inspector approaches.
• On board trams and buses: contactless terminals sell single tickets by card. They print a paper ticket; keep it until you get off.
• Machines and newsagents: paper tickets must be stamped in the small yellow validators on trams and buses or at the metro entrance before the barriers.

There are no gates. Plain-clothes inspectors check tickets and fine on the spot, so make sure yours is valid. Large luggage travels free.

Trams to know

Tram 22 is the sightseeing line, climbing from the National Theatre through Malá Strana to the Pražský hrad stop beside Prague Castle and on to Pohořelec near Strahov Monastery. It is also the busiest line for pickpockets. Night trams run after midnight from the central Lazarská hub. For the routes we suggest walking instead, see our three-day plan.