Economic ways to get around Prague

Travel Around Prague:

Ok! I know YOU want to get to know Prague and you have 2 goals – YOU want to keep it inexpensive and explore it as locals do!

So here are all my tips how to get to know Prague as the locals do and keep it cheap as chips.

Prague Public Transport Information:

There is one Prague Transport Authority – Dopravni Podnik – DP Praha (DPP). This is like a giant spider who covers with his web the WHOLE city of Prague, incl. trams, buses and metro (subway). and funicular to Petrin Hill and to Prague’s Zoo. Which means YOU need only 1 ticket for everything! Just make sure, YOU buy it, stamp it in the orange machine located at the top of the escalators on the metro or inside a tram or bus and keep it to be able to show it to the ticket controller anytime! To find out more information about Public Transport click here.

Prague City Transport Fares – Public Transport Tickets

copyright: prahaeu.cz
copyright: prahaeu.cz
  • Single Ticket: 90 minutes travel 32czk
  • Short-term Single Ticket: 30 minutes travel 24czk
  • 1-Day Pass:  110czk
  • 3-Day Pass:  310czk
  • 1-Month Pass: 670czk and YOU need to have an OPENCARD

My recommendation: I would recommend to buy 24 hours pass. YOU can spend all day hopping on and off trams, buses and subway without worrying where to stamp your ticket and when your ticket expires.

tickets

YOU buy all tickets in each metro station or tram station or newsagents or in Public Transport Information Centres.

How to get from Prague Airport:

        1.  by TAXI:
  • Taxi AAA  – they are located directly at the airport, so they are great if YOU don’t want to wait for your ride. But they always charge around 800 czk, phone nu. +420222333222
  • Nejlevnejsi Taxi Praha – I am using those, always clean cars and drivers are polite. The last time I paid 450 czk *(about 25eur) for the ride from the Airport to the city centre.
  • Speed Cars   they are alright, reasonable prices, nu. +420224234234

The easiest way to travel into the city from Prague Airport is by taxi. I always take the taxi. But once you are in the city and checked into a hotel, it is simple to travel around Prague by public transport.

My recommendation – NEVER take a taxi on the street, always call them by phone or let the hotel organise the taxi for YOU. The reason is simple, because they love to overcharge your ride.

        2. public transport from the Airport: 

There isn’t a metro station at Prague Airport, so you will have to take bus and metro.
There are 2 routes which you can use. Make sure you have an hour for this trip.

  • Route 1: Bus 119 from all terminals at Prague Airport to Nádraží Veleslavín metro station (line A). There change metro to be able to get to your final destination.
  • Route 2: Bus 100 from all terminals at Prague Airport to Zlicin metro station (line B). Then again adjust the trip as you needed to your final destination.

Fare: 32czk if you buy a ticket at Public Transport Information desk at the airport or 40czk if you buy a ticket directly in a bus (exact change required). YOU can find more information about those routes by clicking hereor here 

copyright: dpp.cz
copyright: dpp.cz
  • 1. PRAGUE METRO

  • consists of 3 lines:
  • Green Line A  Nemocnice Motol – Depo Hostivař
  • Yellow line B  Zličín – Černý Most
  • Red Line C  Letňany ‑ Háje

Map of metro:

copyright: urbanrail.net *(R. Schwandl)
copyright: urbanrail.net *(R. Schwandl)
  • Line A is the best choice if YOU are a tourist who wants to be sighseeing all day long!
  • Because Line A will take YOU to Prague Castle *(Station – Malostranska), Wenceslas Square (*Stations Mustek – there you can change from Line A to Line B. And Muzeum Station – you can change from A to Line C)
  • The Another important station is called Florenc where you can change (from Line B to  Line C) but as a tourist you might not need this one.
  • Time schedule of metro: 5am – midnight, usually between a train departures you have to wait 3 mins, not bad, mmm?  
  • Metro is a way how to get around with an ease and fun!
copyright: mobilitylab.org
copyright: mobilitylab.org
  • 2. PRAGUE TRAMS

  • I love traveling on a tram, because I love to watch people and to enjoy looking at the beautiful architecture. Again the network of tram transport works so well. Most of them are operating till midnight but if you need a transport later then that, I would suggest to go to Wenceslas Square to Lazarska, where you can catch a late night tram as well. The 2 most important late night trams are: nu. 51 and 58, they cover all areas of the city centre.
  • I love travelling during the day with nu. 9, it takes you everywhere. From Wenceslav Square to Narodni Trida (*New Town) to Narodni Divadlo (National Theatre) then over the river to Mala Strana – the Lesser Town. This is a great location filled with coffee places.Then YOU can take a walk to the river Vltava and who knows, maybe you fancy a paddle boat adventure?
  • Another great tram is nu.22 takes you to the National Theatre again same route as nu. 9 but also going to Prague Castle. Again what a beautiful ride and then you jump out in Malostranska square and keep walking up to Prague Castle or to the Charles Bridge.
  • Prague Historic Tram – the nostalgic tram line no. 91: sightseeing rides through the centre. More information here.
copyright: hybrid.cz
copyright: hybrid.cz
  • 3.  PRAGUE FUNICULAR 

  • The funicular runs from Mala Strana (* the Lesser Town) up to the top of Petrin Hill. And YOU can enjoy these places:
  • Petrin Observation Tower
  • a mirror maze
  • an observatory 
  • you can enjoy a lazy day in the park 
  • The funicular also stops half way for passengers that wish to dine at Nebozizek Restaurant.
photo credit: prague-guide.co.uk
photo credit: prague-guide.co.uk
  • 4. PRAGUE BUSES

While I am in Prague, I don’t travel with buses much because they are useful only for exploring the outlying areas so not so useful for tourists, nor for me. But good to share with you.

For YOU the most important bus – is nu. 119, which will take YOU from the Airport to Nadrazi Veleslavin metro station. (on metro A Line). Or YOU can continue the ride on metro till Dejvicka station and there take a tram nu. 18, 20, 26 directly to the centre.

And bus nu. 100 will take YOU from the Airport to the metro Station Zlicin ( which is Line B).

The Airport Express Bus will take YOU to the metro station Hlavni Nadrazi – (*The Main Train Station) which is on  (* Line C)

Find your EXACT bus connection by here:

copyright: prahaeu.cz
copyright: prahaeu.cz

 Most useful stations in Prague:

Ujezd

  • Savoy
  • Petrin Hill – funicular

Narodni Divadlo

  • Slavia – a great coffee place – one of the oldest with river view
  • Narodni Kavarna – beautiful little place for a coffee and cake

Vodickova

  • Vaclavske Namesti – (*Wenceslav Square) –  Hajek sweet shop
  • Kino Svetozor – Cinema Svetozor
  • Lucerna – disco
  • Duplex – club and restaurant with a view on all Wenceslas Square

Jindrisska

  • Thai food restaurant- Modry Zub

Husinecká

  • climb up the hill to the Riegrovy Garden (don’t worry, there’s a cold beer at the top) –  Prague’s wonderful beer gardens
  • Žižkov’s bar scene
  • Zizkov Television Tower – a great view accompanied with a great food
  • Palac Akropolis –  art deco meets a bar scene, a restaurant, club venues and concert spaces.
  • Bukowski’s Bar and  Malkovich Bar both near by

Staromestka – Old Town Square

  • Rudolfinum
  • Charles bridge
  • U Prince restaurant
  • Astronomical Clock

Malostranská

  • Prague Castle  (metro A, hill climbing necessary)
  • Lesser town (*Mala Strana)
  • Kampa
  • Charles bridge
  • St. Nicolas church
  • Malostranské Square

Vyšehrad

  • Vyšehrad Castle

Náměstí republiky:

  • Municipal House
  • “Na Příkopě”  – a shopping street
  • Powder Tower
  • Palladium Mall

Národní třída:

  • National theatre – Národní divadlo  (5 min walk)
  • Tesco Shopping Mall

Museum – State opera

I wrote about most of those places already in my previous post, click here

Prague

Mapa_Objevovani

  • 5. PRAGUE TRAINS

Czech Railways or České dráhy or (CD or ČD) is the main railway operator of the Czech Republic.

International train services to the Czech Republic run from most points in Europe, with direct connections from Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary.
A Selection of Categories of Czech trains from slow to fast:
 (Os)  or  (Sp)– local train – slow trains, stop usually everywhere
(R) – regional train, stops in major towns, commonly used for longer distances

(Ex) – faster regional train 

Intercity, Eurocity (IC, EC) – pretty modern, longer distance train
Supercity (Pendolino) – fastest option, I really enjoy traveling with Pendolino to Viena or Germany. Especially the bar with Czech champagne “Bohemia Sekt” isn’t bad and prices are alright. 

The most important train stations are:

  • Hlavní nádrazí (Main Station – metro Line C)
  • Nádrazí Holesovice (Holesovice Station). Here usually are leaving trains to Berlin or to the other destinations to the north. (metro line C)
  • Hlavni Nadrazi  The Main Train Station in Prague, near by is a Wenceslas Square  (metro map Line C)

For more information click here.

This blog was really hard to put together, to be sure that I would share with YOU all the most useful information.
If YOU have any other questions about public transport, write me a comment bellow and I will be happy to help you out.
Hope your upcoming Prague vacation is going to be fabulous, please do share with me your story!

With all my LOVE,

Zuzi

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