This post provides information about the public transportation system in Prague, including trams, metro, and buses as well as ticket options.
As local tour guides, we are regular users of the Metro, trams, and buses in Prague. We even join our guests on the tram to the start of our Prague Castle Tour.
We also use our local expertise to answer questions in our very popular Prague Travel Tips Facebook group.
Some of the top questions are how to use public transport and how to get around Prague, and we used some of these tips to help write this article.
Our group is made up of roughly 30k locals, veteran travelers, and newbies to Prague.
You don't need to be a member to read the posts, comments, and recommendations, so check out the group once you've finished reading this post.
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Prague has one of the best public transportation systems in all of Europe and includes four main services: metro, trams, buses, and funiculars.
Tickets and passes are valid on all four services, which means you don’t need to purchase separate ones for each!
Vintage Prague Trams Are Still in Use
The metro, like trams, focuses on the city-centre but offers fewer stops.
Trams are a great way to reach many popular sites and landmarks in the city-centre
Buses are used mainly for travel around the outskirts of Prague.
The funiculars in Prague are exclusively for climbing Petrin Hill to reach the top and see all of the sites in that area.
It’s worth noting that while the metro and funiculars do not provide service after midnight, buses and trams both offer night service which you can use to get around the city after 12 am.
Although it’s not part of the public transportation system, there is also a traditional train service in Prague which will connect you with many other cities in the Czech Republic.
As you can see, the Prague Public Transport System gets you where you need to go, whether it be in the city itself or to surrounding cities.
Is the Metro in Prague Free?
Not for adults, but there are some exceptions made for children.
Is public transportation the easiest way to get around Prague?
Both locals and travelers tend to find that the Prague metro system is one of the easiest ways to get around the city. No matter which landmarks or attractions you're interested in seeing, chances are the metro can get you there!
Ticket Pricing
As mentioned above, all tickets and passes can be used for metro, trams, buses, and funiculars.
A ticket is valid for only a certain length of time, so it helps to consider how often and for how many days you might be using it.
Here are the ticket prices you can expect to pay (updated June 2023).
30-Minute Ticket
- 30 CZK Adults/Junior Students (age 15-26)
- 15 CZK Seniors
- Perfect for one-way travel.
90-Minute Ticket
- 40 CZK Adults/Junior Students (age 15-26)
- 20 CZK Seniors
- Great for short-round trips within the city.
24-hour Ticket
- 120 CZK Adult/Junior Students (age 15-26)
- 60 CZK Seniors
- Avoid the guesswork and simply pay for a full day’s service
72-hour Ticket
- 330 CZK Adults/Junior Students (age 15-26)
- N/A Seniors
- Excellent choice for visitors who plan to be in Prague for two or three days
- Included with at least one major Prague tourist pass
Monthly Pass
- 550 CZK Adults
- 130 Junior Students
- 130 Seniors
- Best for people who are staying in Prague for a week or more and plan to use public transportation at least once a day
Note that you can also get a 3-Day Pass by using one of the most popular tourist attraction discount passes in the city.
Although tickets and passes are reasonably priced, you can actually save some money on public transportation in Prague by using a tourist attraction discount pass. We’ll cover this service in greater detail under our discounts section.
Children and Young-Adult Fares
Note that children under the age of 15 travel for free, and free travel is given only when certain circumstances are met.
To receive free transport for kids younger than age 3, an id card or passport must be shown that lists the birthdate.
The requirements for free fare for children under age 6, ages 6-10, and ages 10-15 can be found here.
The Junior Student category doesn't give short-term fare discounts but does give them for monthly/quarterly/annual fares.
Purchasing Tickets
You’ll find ticket machines at every metro station, tram, and bus stop, as well as some newsagents and Public Transport Information Centres.
Ticket machines are usually easy to spot, as they are orange/yellow and stand out from everything else.
You can also purchase your tickets by SMS. Before entering one of the forms of transport, you can send a text message using a specific code and will receive a ticket confirmation in just a minute or two. The codes can be found here.
You’ll find Public Transport Information Centres at Prague Airport, Wenceslas Square, and the Praha hlavní nádraží train station.
These locations also provide maps to help you figure out how to reach your destination.
PRAGUE METRO
Like most big cities, Prague has a metro system that you can use to get around the city quickly. It covers most of the city centre in addition to some suburban areas.
This service runs from 5 am - 12 am each day, providing service every 2-3 minutes during peak hours and roughly once every 5-10 minutes during off-peak hours.
Below you'll find the 3 subway lines that provide transportation throughout Prague.
Line A | The Green Line
This line goes from East-West and includes stops like Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square, and Old Town Square (Staroměstská).
The main interchange point for visitors coming in from their airport is at Nádraží Neleslavín metro station
Line B | The Yellow Line
This line also runs from East-West, crossing with both the A and C metro trains near the city centre and making stops at sites such as Republic Square (Náměstí Republiky), Charles Square, and more.
Line C | The Red Line
Running from North-South, this line intersects with both the A and B metro trains at Wenceslas Square, and it includes stops at Vyšehrad, Strossmayer Square, I.P. Pavlov Square, and more.
PRAGUE TRAMS
The trams focus more on all the areas that neither other services cover very well.
Trams will take you even further out than metro lines. The tram network includes more stops in the city centre and is great to reach Old Town and Prague Castle.
If you really want to explore the city and see some of the sites that aren’t along the main metro lines, this is an excellent way to do it.
Daytime service runs from 4:30 am - 12 am, with trams stopping every 4-10 minutes.
Nighttime service is from 12 am - 4:30 am, with stops every 30 minutes.
Modern Trams in Prague
There are far too many trams to list here, but if you’re looking for the most useful lines, keep in mind that line 9 will take you from Wenceslas Square to the National Theatre.
You can also take tram lines 22/23 from the National Theatre to Prague Castle!
Visit the official website for more details.
PRAGUE BUSSES
If you need help reaching locations on the outskirts of the city centre, the public bus service is going to be one of your best bets.
Bus service in Prague focuses on the areas that the metro and trams cannot reach.
Most buses stop at metro stations, so if you need to travel outside of the city centre, chances are you’ll find a bus waiting to take you there at one of these locations.
Daytime bus services run from 4:30 am - 12 am and you can expect stops every 6-8 minutes during peak times and every 10-20 minutes for off-peak hours.
Nighttime bus service is from 12 am - 4:30 am with stops every 30-60 minutes.
Airport - Public Bus
The AE bus (Airport Express bus), number 119, picks up in front of Terminal 1 before heading to Prague Main Train Station subway stop, Nádraží Veleslavín.
The bus picks up every 10-20 minutes, depending on the hour of the day, and the trip into the city takes about 20 minutes.
That bus ride is not covered by regular public transport tickets so tickets must be purchased in Visitors Centre at Arrival Hall or directly from the driver.
If you're traveling to the airport from Prague, tickets can be purchased in the Information Centre of the Prague Public Transit Company, at the Czech Railways counter, or from the driver.
More information can be found here.
Airport - Shuttle
If you'd like to go from Prague Airport to the main bus terminal, Praha ÚAN Florenc, the main bus station, you can do that too.
These buses are operated by RegioJet, and as with the public bus, do not accept the tickets from Prague public transport.
They depart every hour from 6:30 - 21:45. The trip takes around 45 minutes.
You can buy tickets online, with one-way fare costing about €2.60, or on board the bus.
NOTE: you can also take the subway, a train, a taxi (many folks use Liftago), an Uber, or hired town car to Prague as well.
PRAGUE FUNICULAR
The Prague funiculars are essentially cable cars, and they will take you from Lesser Town (near Prague Castle) to the top of Petrin Hill.
This is one of the more famous landmarks in Prague, so it’s definitely worth taking the funicular!
And again, as this service is part of the public transportation network, the same ticket you use for the metro, trams, and buses will also be valid for the funiculars.
This service runs from 9 am - 11:30 pm each day, every 10 minutes in the summer and every 15 minutes in winter, with funiculars departing from both the top and bottom of the hill at the same time.
There is also a stop halfway up the hill at the Nebozizek Restaurant if you want to step off and grab something to eat or drink.
PRAGUE TRAINS
The traditional train lines in Prague are not tied to the public transportation service, as they are intended to take you out of the city.
These trains are perfect for day trips, but if you plan to stay in the city centre, you probably won’t need them.
That all said, it’s worth noting that you can reach both the Praha hlavní nádraží train station (the main station in Prague) and the Nádraží Praha-Holešovice train station using the metro line C (RED LINE).
These trains will take you to many other cities and municipalities in the Czech Republic, including locations like Brno, České Budějovice, and Přerov.
DISCOUNTS AND PASSES
There is at least one great way to save money on public transportation tickets, especially if you’re planning to visit more than a few attractions while you’re exploring the city.
Prague Tourist Passes
There is currently just one tourist attraction discount pass in this city which includes access to public transportation, and it’s the Prague CoolPass (which used to be called the Prague Card).
This service includes a 1-day all the way up to a 6-day public transport pass at no additional cost, and it also provides admission to dozens of popular attractions and activities such as the following:
- Vyšehrad
- Troja Chateau
- New Town Hall
- The Franz Kafka Museum
- Astronomical Clock Tower
- The Aeronautical Museum
- Basilica of St. Peter & St. Paul
- The Museum of Decorative Arts
- And more!
Depending on how you use the pass, you should be able to save at least 50% on general admission prices for all the activities you choose to enjoy, including both audio and walking tours.
At about €38 per day for the shortest option, you’ll only need to visit 3-4 attractions each day to take advantage of this tourist pass.
However, if you get the best deal with the longest pass at €23.50 per day, you can still save a lot of money visiting just 2-3 locations each day.
For more information, please read our post covering Prague tourist passes.
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