Service
Prague – Travel
By Air
Most foreign visitors to Prague fly in and out
of Václav Havel Airport, which lies 20 km from the city centre.
The city centre can be reached:
By Bus
• 119Prague Airport - Dejvická (Metro line A) - 24 min
Buses for the centre start at 4:00 and end around 00:30. The first bus for the airport leaves Dejvická station around 5:00 and the last one runs shortly after midnight. Intervals are 5-10 minutes on weekdays, a little longer on weekends.
• 100 Airport Prague - Zličín (Metro line B) -18 min
Runs every 15 – 30 mins.
• 179 Prague Airport - Nové Butovice (Metro line B) - 45 min
• 510 (night line) Prague Airport - centre - 40 min.
This night bus starts every day just before midnight, there is a bus every 30 mins and the last bus runs just before 4:00, when the 119 bus starts.
• Airport Express - Prague Airport - Main Station (Metro line C) - 35 min
A special bus going to Main Station (Hlavní nádraží) – Masaryk’s Station (Masarykovo nádraží) – Náměstí Republiky – Dejvická – the airport and back. This is not part of public transport and the fee is CZK 60. Tickets can only be purchased from the driver. It runs from 5:30 to 22:30 every 30 minutes.
Tickets for the 119, 100, 179 and 510 buses can be bought at the public transport counters in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, (7:00 – 21:00), or from the machines at the stops or from the driver. The price for a 90 minute ticket for all transport means is CZK 32 and CZK 40 when bought from the driver.
More information and exact times can be found at www.dpp.cz (in English)
Taxi
There are two companies going from Prague Airport to the city centre, they both have taxi ranks directly in front of the arrivals hall FIX Taxi and AAA radiotaxi. They provide transport in both cars or in minibuses for up to 8 persons. Both companies have information stands in the arrivals hall, it is possible to borrow a child seat from 1.1.1. Radiocab. The maximum price per km is CZK 28 and the starting rate is CZK 40. A journey to the city centre is around CZK 500 - 600.
By Train
Long-distance trains stop at the Main Station (Hlavní nádraží), which is located in the city centre, right on Metro line C. In the station hall there is an information stand about public transport in Prague, here you can get maps showing the Metro, tram and bus stops. There are also ticket machines for public transport tickets.
By Car
When visiting the city by car it is necessary to bear in mind the difficulties with parking in the centre. Many of the hotels do not have sufficient capacity for parking and we recommend that you always check with the hotel about parking, they often provide places in multi-storey car parks at discounted rates.
The city centre has paid parking and multi-storey car parks. The main ones, and the largest, are listed here: The Main Station (Wilsonova Street), Florenc (Na Florenci street), Garáže Dejvice (Technická street 6), Václavské garáže (Václavská 18), Parking Národní divadlo (Ostrovní 1), Parking Kotva (ul. Králodvorská), Palladium, (Revoluční), Veřejné garáže (public garages) Slovan (U Divadla street) the price for parking is usually around 40-60 CZK/per hour. All-day parking is CZK 400 - 900. There is very limited parking directly on the street, it is usually only for local residents and there are not enough places. Parking is much easier outside the centre.
More about parking and prices at: www.bezpecneparkovani.cz
You can also use park and ride during a visit to Prague, these are mostly on the outskirts of Prague at Metro stops or where there is a greater concentration of bus lines. They open from 4:00 until 1:00. The price for parking for the entire period is CZK 20 + the public transport ticket. A fine of CZK 100 is charged for leaving a car overnight. At up to CZK 150 per day it is the cheapest parking at a guarded car park.
More information and the number of free parking spaces can be found at www.dpp.cz/parkoviste
TRAVELLING AROUND THE CITY
Public transport
Prague has a very good public transport network. It consists of three metro lines, a dense network of tram transport and outside of the centre there is a comprehensive bus system.
Metro
The Metro has three lines marked with letters and colour coded:
A - green line (Depo Hostivař -Dejvická)
B - yellow line (Černý Most - Zličín)
C - red line (Letňany - Háje)
Interchange stations:
Muzeum (lines A and C), Můstek (lines A and B), Florenc (lines B and C), all the interchange stations are in the city centre.
The Metro is open daily from 5:00 to 00:00 hours.
On a weekday during peak hours the trains run about every 2-3 minutes, during off-peak hours 4-10 minutes.
Trams
The daily lines nos. 1 - 36
these run from 4:30 to 0:15, Friday and Saturday from 4:30 to 1:30
night lines nos. 51 - 59
they have 30-minute intervals, the central interchange station for the night lines is Lazarská
Bus
day: 4:30 to 0:15, Friday and Saturday from 4:30 to 1:30
night: from 0:30 to 4:30, Friday and Saturday from 1:30 to 4:30
Note: Night buses may not always stop at the same places as, for instance,
tram stops, even if they have the same name. They may be up to 15 metres further away. Some of the stops only work during the night, for example the stop Muzeum, so it is easy to overlook them during the day.
The funicular
The funicular connects the stop Újezd (lower station) to the stop Petřín. It is primarily used to visit the Petřín Observation Tower and the surrounding orchards and parks, or the Strahov Monastery.
It runs all-year-round, at intervals of every 10 - 15 minutes. The normal public transport fare is valid.
Public transport ticket sales
Ticket machines are installed at all the Metro stations and at certain surface transport stops. Tickets can also be purchased at newsagents, newsstands and in the information centres of Prague Public Transport.
Tickets can also be purchased by SMS (only if you have a Czech mobile operator), by sending a SMS to the number 902 06, with the text message: DPT32 (90 min for CZK 32), DPT24 (30 min for CZK 24), DPT110 (24 hours for CZK 110), DPT310 (72 hours for CZK 310)
Fares
The basic transfer ticket for all transport means (90 minutes) is CZK 32, a short-term non-transfer ticket (30 minutes) is CZK 24
seniors 65 - 70 years - basic CZK 16, short-term CZK 12, children 10 - 15 years - basic CZK 16, short-term CZK 12
ticket for 24 hours CZK 110, children 10 - 15 years CZK 55, for 72 hours (3 days) CZK 310
The ticket is valid from the time it is stamped. The penalty for travelling without a ticket is an on-the-spot fine of CZK 800
Taxi
Taxis in Prague don’t have the best reputation and in order to circumvent amazement at the fare being asked it is best to follow a few simple rules. Order a taxi at the taxi ranks, preferably those with yellow signs with the words TAXI and an orange hand with a thumbs up with the words FAIR PLACE, or order through telephone dispatching, but always ask for the price in advance. Hailing a taxi on the street is not recommended in the city centre.
The price for a TAXI is regulated in Prague and it is up to a maximum of CZK 28 per kilometre and CZK 40 for the starting rate.
You can, for instance, use the following taxi companies
AAA radiotaxi, tel: 140 14, 222 333 222, www.aaataxi.cz / City taxi, tel: 257 257 257, www.citytaxi.cz
Halotaxi, tel: 244 114 411, www.halotaxi.cz / Profesional taxi, tel: 140 15, 844 700 800 www.profitaxi.cz
If you need someone to drive you and your car back home, you can use the services of Blue Angel (Modrý anděl), tel: 737 222 333 www.modryandel.cz
In the evening, you may encounter other taxis that charge a price according to the zone, so, for example, if you want to travel around the centre of Prague 1, the journey will cost CZK 100. STREET CARS PRAHA offer such a service, tel: 774 404 440, www.streetcarspraha.cz and they run from 21:00 to 6:00
Foreign exchange offices Foreign exchange offices and banks
If you need to exchange money, you can do so at any bank, exchange office or hotel reception. Private exchange offices offer the best rates. If you’re going to exchange money, you should be particularly cautious. Carefully study the exchange rates and walk around several exchange offices in the vicinity. It may well be that the rates will be very different. In Prague there are about 800 exchange offices, with their greatest density naturally being in the centre. To prevent problems or misunderstandings keep to this advice:
Take careful note of the exchange rates. The most common problem is that some foreign exchange offices tempt you with an offer that at first glance looks a bargain, but in fact the exchange rate offered is only if you change a large sum, e.g. 1000 euros. You will often learn of this ‘detail’ only by reading the bottom of the exchange rate board. Find out about the fee for exchanging money, most offices advertise a 0 % fee, but some of them may neglect to tell you that it concerns the foreign-exchange and not cash.
Always ask them to write out the amount you will receive (on a calculator, paper). If the exchange office employee isn’t willing to do so, go somewhere else.
You should always be cautious and don’t rely on word of mouth alone. An important rule for a successful exchange is not to hand over the money until they’ve told you all the information you need and clearly state the rate and fees. This is the exchange office’s duty.
And some advice to conclude with: Never buy money from people on the street!
