The public transport in Prague is one of the best in the world, frequent, punctual and cheap for students! Prague’s public transport system consists of the metro, trams, buses, ferries and the funicular to Petřín.
Fares
Fares pricelist for public transport in Prague: https://www.dpp.cz/en/fares/fare-pricelist#1-1
If you arrive before the Orientation days, you cannot buy coupons with student discounts, because you are not officially registered as a student at a Czech University. You can buy short-term tickets at ticket vending machines (inside all metro stations: https://www.dpp.cz/en/fares/list-of-points-of-sales , on surface transport stops) or in tobacconists or selected shops:
| 30 min | 30 CZK |
| 90 min | 40 CZK |
| 24 h | 120 CZK |
| 72 h | 330 CZK |
Please note that the ticket has to be validated (stamped by a machine) upon entering any means of transport (only the first time, no stamping on transfers needed). Keep the ticket until you exit the metro station since inspectors may check the tickets even after you have left the train! Tickets are valid for any means of transport (bus/tram/metro/train) in Prague for the selected time.
Every ticket or coupon is valid for a number of zones. The area of Prague is, for the purpose of the tariff and the fare, split into four tariff zones: P (has a double tariff value), 0, and B. All metro and tram stations are designated to the P zone. If you travel in zones P, 0 or B, you can use bus, tram, metro, trains without any concerns. If you travel to suburban areas (zones 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.), you have to pay attention to your ticket and to the zone the stop is in.
During your stay, it is the most favourable to buy coupons for long-term travel of students aged from 18 to 26. (If you are 26 or older, you are no longer entitled to a student discount in public transportation.)
| 30 days | 130 CZK |
| 90 days | 360 CZK |
| 365 days | 1280 CZK |
How can you buy a long-term coupon for students? Firstly, you need an ISIC card issued by Charles University to prove that you are a student of a Czech university. Secondly, you need an identifier, which is a carrier of an electronic ticket – it can be the Lítačka card, In Karta ČD or a contactless payment card or mobile application PID Lítačka (which you have to activate first) https://app.pidlitacka.cz/
You can receive Lítačka card immediately in Škodův palác, Jungmannova 35/29, Praha 1
(Mo and We 10 am – 6 pm; Tue, Thu and Fri 8 am – 4 pm). You will need an identification card (ID, passport). Or you can buy it online and request it’s sent by post. It usually lasts 14 days, max. 30 days. Third, you buy a long-term coupon in the mobile app or at any point of sale: https://www.dpp.cz/en/fares/list-of-points-of-sales , where you shall present the ISIC card and the Lítačka card.
Metro
The Prague metro system has 3 lines (green line A, yellow line B, red line C) with the transfer metro stations Muzeum (A–C), Můstek (A–B), and Florenc (B–C). The metro operates daily between 5:00 and 24:00. Trains leave stations every 2–4 minutes during rush hours on working days, otherwise every 4–10 minutes.
Trams
There are several tram lines in Prague. Trams are divided into day-operating ones (5:00 – 24:00) and night-operating ones (24:00 – 4:30). There are 9 night-operating tram lines (91–99) with an interval of 30 minutes. The most important night stop is Lazarská, where all the trams meet and you can easily change from one to another.
Buses
There are many bus lines in Prague. The interval between most buses is 5–15 min from Monday to Friday during rush hours. Night buses (901–916) operating 24:00 – 4:30 leave every 30 or 60 minutes depending on the line number.
Regional buses provide connection to the peripheral parts of Prague. Buses starting with the “X” letter are used in case of detours and emergencies.
Bus driver is not obliged to stop on every bus stop, some bus stops are request stops. If you wait on a request stop, you have to wave down the bus. If you are on the bus and you want to get off on a request stop, you have to press the red Stop button in the bus.
ARRIVAL: How to get from the Prague airport to your accommodation?
All international flights arrive at Václav Havel Airport Prague. You can take:
a) Public transport
The Honest guide video can be helpful:
Find your transport connection before your arrival using the app IDOS:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.mafra.jizdnirady&hl;=en_US≷=US
Go to Connections, select ‘Praha + PID’, either use ‘My location’ or Airport (Terminál 1) or Airport (Terminál 2); and as your destination check for the nearest bus/tram/metro stop to your accommodation.
There are bus stops Terminál 1 and Terminál 2 located just in front of the Arrivals building. First after your arrival, you need to buy tickets in the yellow machines (press full price: 30 min / 30 CZK or 90 min / 40 CZK or 24 h / 120 CZK). Then, after you get on a bus, you need to validate the tickets. Tickets are valid for any means of transport (bus/tram/metro/train) in Prague for the selected time. Your ticket has to be validated, otherwise, the ticket is invalid and the passenger is treated as if he had no ticket.
From Prague airport to Hostivař Dormitory:
This route is about 60 min, therefore a ticket for 90 min is recommended. Take a bus no. 119 from Terminál 2 to the bus station Nádraží Veleslavín. Transfer to the metro A station Nádraží Veleslavín. Travel by the metro line A to the station Skalka. Go to the Skalka bus station and take the bus no. 125 to the bus station Nádraží Hostivař. Nearby station the Hostivař dormitory is located.
From Prague airport to Hvězda or Větrník Dormitory – There are 2 options:
Option 1 (about 25 min): Take a direct bus no. 191 from Terminál 2 to bus station Nad Markékou (! Request stop, you need to press a red button to inform the driver !) just in front of the Hvězda dormitory, the Větrník dormitory is located nearby.
Option 2 (more frequent bus for about 35 min): Take the bus no. 119 from Terminál 2 to the bus station Nádraží Veleslavín. Transfer to the metro A station Nádraží Veleslavín to the station Petřiny. Go to the Petřiny bus station and take the bus no. 168 to the bus station Nad Markékou. Nearby dormitories are located.
From Prague airport to Trója (17. listopadu) Dormitory:
This route is about for 60 min, therefore a ticket for 90 min is recommended. Take the bus no. 119 from Terminál 2 to the bus station Nádraží Veleslavín. Transfer to the metro A station Nádraží Veleslavín. Travel by the metro line A to the transfer station Muzeum. Transfer to the metro station Muzeum on the red line C. Travel by the metro line C to the metro station Nádraží Holešovice. Go to the Nádraží Holešovice bus station and take a bus no. 187 to the bus station Pelc Tyrolka. Nearby the Trója dormitory is located.
IMPORTANT: For those arriving to the Florenc bus terminal.
Because of construction work starting on 6 th June 2022 until approx. November 2023, the entrance to the Florenc metro C station near the Praha – Florenc bus terminal, including the connected pedestrian underpass, will be closed. Entrance to metro C is possible only in the direction of Sokolovská Street. Therefore, the Florenc metro C station will not have barrier-free access for the duration of the construction work.
Detailed info: https://www.dpp.cz/en/restrictions-and-emergencies/detail/13556
b) Taxi
This is a very comfortable way of travel, but also the most expensive one. Prices for a taxi ride from the airport into your accommodation range from 400 to 1200 CZK, depending on your destination. Airport taxi services: https://www.prg.aero/en/taxi
Better options than taxi can be Uber or Bolt.
USEFUL LINKS:
IDOS - plan your transport (bus, train, tram etc.) in the whole Czech Republic! The app also displayes current delay.
Czech railways – find your train connection and buy your ticket online!
Mapy.cz – very popular and useful portal when searching for the nearest stop or planning a hiking trip (mapy.cz displays colourful Czech hiking markers)!
Sources:
https://www.natur.cuni.cz/eng/study/erasmus/arrival-orientation/city-plan
https://www.natur.cuni.cz/eng/study/erasmus/arrival-orientation/info/#1