Prague Public Transport: A Complete Guide to Tickets, Metro, Trams

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Prague has one of the best public transport systems of any capital city in Europe — three metro lines, dense tram network, buses, ferries across the Vltava, and a funicular up Petřín Hill. Everything runs on one integrated ticket. This guide shows you how to buy, use, and get around like a local.

Quick answer

Buy the right ticket up front: 90-min single is 40 CZK; 24-hour pass is 120 CZK; 72-hour pass is 330 CZK.
Validate immediately when you board (yellow validation machine punches a timestamp).
Metro: 3 lines (A green, B yellow, C red). Runs 05:00-24:00. Line A serves Old Town, Prague Castle side, and airport-connecting Nádraží Veleslavín.
Trams: Best way to see the city and reach neighborhoods. Line 22 is the classic tourist tram (Castle to Vinohrady). Night trams 91-99 run 00:30-04:30.
App: “PID Lítačka” for planning, tickets, and route search. English-friendly.

Tickets — the full breakdown

Ticket	Price	Best for
30-min basic	30 CZK	Single one-way short trip
90-min transfer	40 CZK	Single trip with transfers, most common
24-hour pass	120 CZK	Full day of unlimited travel
72-hour pass	330 CZK	3-day trips (recommended for most tourists)
Monthly pass	550 CZK	Longer stays (>10 days)

All tickets are valid on metro, tram, bus, ferry, and funicular within the city zone. Extended zones (airport transfers via 119, some outer suburbs) may cost extra.

Where to buy tickets

Yellow ticket machines at every metro station and many tram stops. Accept coins, Czech notes, contactless card, Apple/Google Pay.
Contactless card tap — most trams and buses accept direct contactless payment (~40 CZK per 90 min). Tap once when boarding.
PID Lítačka app — buy digital tickets on your phone. Best for tourists.
DPP kiosks at Můstek and other major stations for multi-day passes.
Trafika newsagents — most sell single tickets.

Do not board without a valid ticket. Plainclothes inspectors are active especially at tourist metro stations; the fine is 1,500 CZK on the spot.

The metro — 3 lines, 61 stations

Line A (green) — East-west through the city center. Serves Old Town (Staroměstská, Můstek), Prague Castle side (Malostranská), Vinohrady (Náměstí Míru), airport-connector (Nádraží Veleslavín).
Line B (yellow) — Northeast-southwest. Serves Anděl (Smíchov), Karlovo náměstí, Náměstí Republiky (near Old Town), Florenc bus station.
Line C (red) — North-south. Serves Vyšehrad, Muzeum (top of Wenceslas Square), Florenc, main train station Hlavní nádraží.

Metros run every 2-3 minutes at rush hour, 4-10 minutes off-peak. Air-conditioned newer cars; older cars can be hot in summer.

Trams — the tourist’s best friend

Prague’s trams (tramvaj) reach places metros don’t. Classic tourist routes:

Line 22 — Prague Castle (Pražský hrad stop) → Malá Strana → Národní divadlo → Vinohrady → náměstí Míru. The single best tram in Prague for sightseeing.
Line 9 — through Vinohrady, past the National Museum, down Wenceslas Square area.
Line 17 — along the Vltava, past Náplavka.
Night trams (91-99) — 00:30-04:30, converge at Lazarská, follow star pattern outward.

Buses

Serve neighborhoods metro doesn’t reach — especially the airport (bus 119), the zoo (bus 112), and outer suburbs. Most touring visitors won’t need buses except for the airport.

Funicular to Petřín

Public transport ticket works. Runs every 15 min from Újezd stop in Malá Strana up Petřín Hill. Bring layers — even summer evenings are cool at the top.

Vltava ferries

Small ferry lines (labeled P1-P8) cross the river at several points. Included in the transport ticket. Fun for a short novelty ride between Kampa Island and the opposite bank.

Common mistakes

Forgetting to validate. Even a paid ticket without a validated timestamp is treated as no ticket.
Buying too many single tickets. If you’ll use transit 4+ times, the 24-hour pass is already cheaper.
Assuming ChatGPT-generated route directions. Use PID Lítačka or Mapy.cz — they have real-time delays and detours.
Taking a taxi from a metro-served location. The metro is faster in the city center.

Apps to install before you arrive

PID Lítačka — official Prague transport app; buy tickets, plan routes.
Mapy.cz — Czech-made maps with better public transport routing than Google Maps in Prague.
Bolt or Uber — for rideshare when transport doesn’t cover you.

Gear for a public-transport-heavy trip

Anker Prime 20,000mAh power bank — running apps + camera all day = dead phone by 15:00.
Zero Grid RFID wallet — cards + transit ticket in one pocket.
Merrell Moab 3 hiking shoes — you’ll walk more than you ride.