Public Transport Tickets: Where What and How

Public transport ticket in Prague for tram and metro tiare easy to buy once you know where and how and what ticket you need. Tickets are valid on tram, metro and bus with unlimited transfers between modes of transport, within the city boundaries. Your ticket is also valid on night buses and trams, the Petrin funicular and ferries. Tickets are NOT valid on the Airport Express Bus. You can choose from a 30-minute, 90-minute ticket or a 24 and 72-hour pass. Travel is free for under 6 and over 70.

Public Transport Tickets Validation

All public transport tickets have to be validated on entering the metro station or boarding the tram or bus. Once validated, tickets and passes not need to be re-validated when transferring to another tram or metro within the period of validation. Validate your ticket with a stamp from the yellow machine. You will find them in metro stations just before the escalators and in trams and buses near the doors.
You travel on trust meaning that you have a valid ticket. Ticket inspectors regularly check passengers in the metro and the tram. If caught, you get a fine that you will have to pay on the spot. No clemency for foreigners.

Where to Buy Public Transport Tickets

Public transport tickets are valid on all trams, metros and buses in Prague no matter where you buy them.

1. Information centres and selling points in all metro station in the centre of Prague and in most metro stations in the suburbs.
2. Yellow ticket vending machines at metro stations.
3. Trafika, newspaper shops, which you will find in all districts of Prague.
4. Mobile application PID Litacka (paid by credit or debit card, need to be activated before you travel)
5. Contactless credit or debit machine inside every tram and at many tram stops.
6. Inside the bus from the driver. These tickets are slightly more expensive because you pay a surcharge.

Remember that your ticket must ALWAYS be validated even the one you buy from the bus driver.

Public Transport Vending Machines: how do they work?

Vending machines at tram stops and in metro station
1. Choose your ticket.
2. Press the button repeatedly if you want more than one ticket.
3. Press ‘discounted’ BEFORE making a selection for luggage or a dog.
4. Insert the correct amount of money. There are several types of machines some take coins and banknotes only. Newer ones also take bank passes and credit cards.
5. Take your ticket(s) and change.

Contactless payment on tram and bus and at tram stops
Every tram and bus offers the option of contactless payment. The vending machine is in the middle of the tram, so board at the middle door. Instructions are in Czech and English. You can buy three types of tickets from this machine: 30 minutes, 90 minutes and a day ticket (24 hours). This ticket is already validated. Do not validate it again as this makes the ticket invalid and you may be fined during inspection.

Types of Tickets
Choose from the following tickets
30-minute ticket: 24 CZK
90-minute ticket: 32 CZ
1-day pass (24 hours): 110 CZK
3-day Pass (72 hours): 310 CZK
1-month Pass: 670 CZK
(prices valid at the time of writing)

Mobile Application PID Litacka
Download the app PID Lítačka from Google Play and Apple Store. It offers all tickets for Prague Public Transport. The app also helps you find your connection and suggests the most suitable ticket for you. You pay for the ticket by using your credit or debit card. Activate your ticket in advance because the validity of the ticket starts two minutes after your purchase.

NOTE: If you buy tickets on the app, you need to activate the ticket 2 mins before you get on a tram or enter the Metro. The reason being, that if it is still ‘activating’ if an inspector checks then you will be fined.

Dogs, Bicycles and Prams

Dogs must wear muzzles and must be on a leash, in a portable cage or in a carrying bag. They travel at half fare.
Bicycles are allowed on the metro in the first or last carriage at half fare.
Push chairs and prams WITH a child are free, without a child it is considered as luggage
Hand luggage (same dimensions as for airlines) is free, larger items are half fare.

Bus and Tram Stops

Buses do not stop automatically at every stop on the route because some are ‘na znameni’ request stops. When waiting for the bus, you must stand at a place where the driver can see you. If you want to get off at a request stop, you press the button before arriving at the stop.
If you want to get off a tram, push the stop button. Before exiting the tram push the door button to open the doors. Some older trams have no buttons and will halt at all stops and open all doors (even if no one wants to get of).

If you want to board a tram with a push chair or pram, give a sign to the driver so that he leaves the doors open longer. Get in at the rear for older trams and in the middle for newer trams. If you want to exit the tram, punch the black button, under the window in the back of the tram to notify the driver. He will keep the door open longer.

Tram Timetables at Tram Stops

All tram stops display a tram timetable table. Find your tram number. You will see a list of all the stops on that route. The current stop is in bold and underlined. Beneath the current stop is a list of the remaining stops. If your destination is above the current stop, you are travelling in the wrong direction.

The timetable shows the departure times for weekdays (pracovni den), for Saturday (sobota) and for Sundays (nedele).
The digital screen in the tram shows the next stops. When the tram approaches a stop, there are two announcements, first you will hear the current stop and then the second is the next stop.

Night Trams and Buses

Night trams lines 91-99 and night buses lines 901-915 run between 00.00 and 05.00. Their routes are different from the day service. They run at 30-minute intervals and at weekend 20-minute intervals. Their routes are different from day trams and buses and much broader. It may take some time before you get to your destination.

Buses in Prague

In central Prague there are not many buses but you will find many in the suburbs. Your Prague public transport ticket is valid on buses 100-499, they stay within the city boundary. Numbers 301-499 go beyond the city boundaries and your Prague ticket is not valid. You board the 301 – 499 numbered buses at the front. The driver sells tickets.

Ferries in Prague

Ferries in Prague are shortcuts across the Vltava River. Ferries P1 and P2 run all year the others only from April to October. Ferries that are interesting for tourists are:
P5 Cisarska louka – Vyton
P7 Prazska trnice – ostrov Stvanice – Rohasky ostrov
P8 Cisarsky ostrov – Troja

Funicular to Petrin Hill

Your Prague public transport ticket is valid on the funicular. It is a popular tourist attraction. The funicular operates all year with the exception of three weeks in spring and autumn for maintenance of the cable car and track.

Be sure to validate the ticket you bought from the vending machine at the bottom station. At the top station inspectors ask  you to show your ticket. If not stamped , you will be fined.

Public Transport tickets: Free travel for 65+

If you are 65+ you travel for free on showing your passport. If you are 60 to 65 years, you get a discount all you need is a valid ID card with a photo and showing .name, and date of birth.

* Go to a DPP information centre or sales point.
* Bring your passport and a recent passport photo.
* Pay CZK 30 (€1,30) and you will get a DPP discount card which you can travel in Prague at a discount or for free.

There are many DDP sales points in Prague. The following are open all week: Andel, Mustek and Hlavni nadrazi (Central Station) metro stations and at Vaclav Havel Airport in arrivals halls 1 and 2.

Tram, Bus and Metro Etiquettes

Always give up your seat to the elderly and disabled as well as to pregnant women. Young children, up to four or five, always get a seat and need not give it to older people. The mother or father can take the child on their lap, but it quite usual to see a toddler sitting in a seat and the parent standing next to the child.
Not giving up your seat is considered very rude and the locals will let you know with angry looks and sometimes verbal comments.
Fellow passengers always give a helping hand, especially in the older trams, when mothers with prams or elderly people want to get on or off the tram.

This is the announcement you hear in the metro
Příští stanice: Next stop
Přestup na linku A/B/C: Transfer to line A, B or C
Ukončete prosím výstup a nástup, dveře se zavírají: Please finish exiting and boarding the train, the doors are closing

If you want to listen to it click here.

Photos Marianne Crone