Prague Public Transport
The Prague City Transport Authority (Dopravni Podnik – DP Praha) network covers the whole city of Prague and includes trams, city buses and metro (subway). This page deals with all things related to use of Prague public transport including trams, trains, metro, city buses and funicular.
The maximum duration ticket that a non-resident can buy is one month and this has to be bought from a DPP Office. If you are aged 60 or over then check the Over 60 Tips for free and discount options.
TIP: The Prague Apps post has two options for public transport services to help you with routes. One is called DPP and the other is PubTran. Both will require a data connection and location services enabled.
Litacka (formerly the Opencard)
This does not really affect tourists as it was designed to ease the burden on “long” and “medium” term passes and reduce the requirement for children to buy paper tickets. The result was that people wanting passes longer than 1 month now have to register to get a Litacka. Children up to the age of 10 now travel free if they can produce valid photographic ID showing their date of birth (i.e. a Litacka would be valid ID). If you want to know more about this then check the Litacka Card and Voucher Loading page.
The 30 Minute Decision
Before you launch into this page ask yourself if your journey will take longer than 30 minutes. If no then buy a CZK30 ticket. If yes then buy a CZK40 ticket.
CLEAR DESCRIPTION OF TERMS USED
NOTE: For the purposes of the DPP rules please understand the following definitions:
- Infant: person that has not yet had their 6th birthday.
- Child: person aged at least 6 years old but has not yet had their 15th birthday.
- Student: person aged 15 to 26, card carrying international student or student of a Czech high school or University.
- Adult: person aged between 15 and 69.
- Senior Citizen: Person who has had their 60th Birthday.
- Plnocena: Full price.
- Discounted: Age or time restricted.
Remember that the tickets below once validated are good for the time allowed so you can make multiple journeys on one ticket so long as you do not exceed the time.
Using a Touch Screen Ticket Machine
Travel Passes
Sometimes it’s nice to just buy a ticket and put it in your pocket knowing that you can just hop on and off the public transport system. They save time and often will save money (generally if you do more than 4 trips the ticket has paid for itself). These passes are available from ticket offices and the new touch-screen machines and even your hotel may sell them. There are two options i.e. the Day-Pass and the Three-Day-Pass. They are “continuous-time passes” i.e. in the case of the day pass, from the time it is validated you have exactly 24 hours to use the ticket and it’s valid on all trams, metros and buses in the central Prague area and you can use a pass on the Prague Funicular as well. People aged 60 or over should check my “Exploring Prague Over 60” post for exact details on how to get discounted or even FREE public transport.
Basic Adult Ticket CZK30
Allows travel on all public transport (tram/Bus/Metro). It is a 3 zone ticket designed to be used within the central tourist areas and only has a duration of 30 minutes when used in central Prague (or 60 minutes outside of Prague).
YOU NEED THIS TICKET IF YOU ARE:
An adult travelling less than 30 minutes on a metro, tram or bus day or night.
Extended Adult Ticket CZK40
Depending on how/where you buy the ticket it may look different. The important thing is the tariff i.e. CZK40 in this case is a 4 zone ticket. Ticket is valid for the fare zones “P”, “O” and “B” (central Prague with “P” counting as 2 zones and extending out 20km i.e. past the airport) and can be used in the centre of the city 60 minutes from validation but if you go into the B zone tickets can be used 90 minutes from validation. You may change between all types of transportation as long as you complete your journey or journeys within the valid time.
YOU NEED THIS TICKET IF YOU ARE:
An adult travelling on any combination metro, bus or day tram in central Prague for up to 60 minutes day or night.
CZK20 CHILD and also the LUGGAGE ticket
YOU NEED THIS TICKET IF YOU ARE:
A child 6 or older but, not yet 15 travelling on any combination metro, bus or tram duration longer than 30 minutes night or day.
An Adult requires one ticket for each item of large luggage.
CZK15 CHILD
YOU NEED THIS TICKET IF YOU ARE:
A child 6 or older but, not yet 15 travelling on any combination metro, bus or tram duration less than 30 minutes night or day.
LUGGAGE OPTIONS – FREE TO TRANSPORT
In general, each large piece of baggage i.e. suitcase requires a 20kc ticket. People with 1 or 3 day passes are entitled to one large item of travel free. People and items which can be transported without charge are below:
- A child not yet 15 with a Litacka.
- An infant not yet had their 6th birthday.
- A child between 6 and 14 if accompanying adult has 3 day travel pass.
- Citizens of the Czech Republic and foreigners aged 65 or over (who carry their passport).
- Czech disabled in a wheelchair, guide and dog.
- Prams with infant. (pram with no infant is treated like luggage i.e. 20kc ticket)
- Cats/dogs in bag. (dog not in bag is treated like an adult person i.e. 30/40kc ticket)
- Luggage sized up to 25 x 45 x 70 centimetres i.e. aiplane carry-on.
- Rod-like luggage up to the length of 150 centimetres and 20 centimeters in diameter.
- Plate-like luggage sized up to 100x100x5 centimetres.
- 1 pair of skis.
- Bicycle (in Metro only and off-peak hours).
SMS Option
SMS Option only if you have a Czech SIM card – DPP offers an sms ticket service i.e. 40Kc plus cost of the sms. The procedure uses 2 sms messages and works as follows:
Send the message DPT42 to 90206 (no country code required).
After two minutes you receive an sms with your authorisation with confirmation code plus the validity time of the e-ticket you now have 60 minutes to complete your journey in central Prague or 90 minutes if outside the central zones (it covers central Prague “P” area i.e. as far out as the airport). Note: this is valid for one person. TIP: check the battery-life on your phone first. This also works for other options like the short duration 30Kc ticket (DPT31).
Ticket Machines
NOTE: I’ve now created to separate pages for machines. Most of the mechanical ticket machines have now been replaced by the new touch-screen machines so take a look at How to Use a Touch-Screen Prague Public Transport Ticket Machine.
If you manage to find an old mechanical machine somewhere you’ll need to check my How to Use a Mechanical Prague Public Transport Ticket Machine.
Validating a Prague Transport ticket or Pass
This works for single tickets, the 24 Hour Pass and the 72 Hour Pass in all metro stations, buses and trams you’ll find a little yellow box. In a metro station you will find it shortly before you use the escalator or stairs to the platforms. In a bus or tram it will be close to the entry/exits at chest level. Put your ticket face up with the white space in the machine. You’ll feel it punch and a little bell sounds. Check that has left a visible impression on the ticket. If not, try another box.
Pre-Validated Tickets: Check the post at How to Use a Touch-Screen Prague Public Transport Ticket Machine for more detail on this type of ticket.
You do not have to show your ticket or travel pass to the driver. If someone identifies himself as an inspector and you are on DP property you must present a valid Prague transport DPP ticket for both yourself and any luggage to the inspector if you are asked to do so.
The inspectors operate in groups and mainly target metro stations like Florenc, Mustek and Museum which are line junctions and the stop at Hlavni Nadrazi (main train station). They can fine you up to 1500Kc if you do not have any pass or validated ticket but, if you pay on the spot this is reduced to 800kc. The fine for not having a ticket for your luggage will also be halved for immediate payment. Czech residents can defer payment. Tourists cannot. You MUST be able to identify yourself even as a tourist. If you cannot then the inspector is authorised (with police assistance if necessary) to hold you at a place of their choosing until your identity has been confirmed and the appropriate fine issued.
General Information
The Prague Metro network is safe, reliable and clean. There are three lines (A-green, B-yellow, C-red). It runs from 5 am to midnight daily every 3-10 minutes.
The Bus, Trolleybus and Tram network covers the whole of Prague. Most of them run from 4:30 am to 11:30 pm daily every 5-25 minutes. There is a limited night bus and tram service on certain lines from midnight to 5 am every 40 minutes (see the link to DP Praha at the top of the page for the Night Timetables, it’s under “Routes” on the DPP page).
Some metro stations in Prague are “loop points” i.e. in case of maintenance works, it is possible to terminate the train at this point even though it is not the end of the line. A popular example of this is Kačerov (pronounced catcherov) or Ladvi. You’ll be on the metro and the sign will announce “vlak konci” or metro terminates here. Simply get off the metro and wait for the next one which will identify the final station on the line.
Specifically for a bus or tram is “priority seating”. On Buses you’ll find the seats close to the exit have a sticker on the adjacent window indicating this is priority seating. In trams, the seats either side of the front of the tram carriage are priority seating. This means that you should give up your seat to somebody who needs it more. By law you must give up the seat if challenged by somebody carrying priority documentation. This is usually somebody old, recuperating from injury or pregnant. From a comfort perspective, a bus generally has seating in pairs and it will be a fabric covered seat. Older trams have a single line of hard plastic seats running down both sides.
Train transport
The Czech Republic has an extensive railway transport network which is operated by state railway company Ceske Drahy (CD). With some exceptions, domestic train travel is slower than bus travel. There is no need to book domestic rail travel before you get here. You can buy the ticket from the ticket office at the railway station or from the conductor on the train.
Most domestic trains depart from Prague Masarykovo Nadrazi, Prague Hlavni Nadrazi (Main Station) or from Praha Smichov. A few leave from Praha Holesovice. All these stations have metro stops (except Masarykovo which is a 5 minute walk from the Namesti Republiky metro station) and are easily accessible. Here’s what to expect at the Prague Main Train Station.
Serious researchers should pay a visit to the www.dpp.cz download page where you will find lots of transport route map and timetable info but, you can save direct to your PC. You can find all the DPP transport rules and regulations as well as Park and Ride, night service timetable and much more info at www.dpp.cz (select English flag) from the choice of languages.
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