A good measure of a city is the way its people move around. While traffic jams are not a rare sight, especially during roush hours, general public uses public transport as their primary mode of transport. Personal vehicles are used primarily on the weekends for a getaway.
Prague has a robust system of Buses, Trams, small boats and a growing Metro. Using all three or four you can reach any place in Prague, even if you have to cross a river. This article is going to help you maximise the public transport in Prague.
Before we hop on we need to buy a ticket. Public administration has gone to great lengths to make tickets accessible for the general public. One ticket for the time it is valid can be used for all modes of transport. We would sincerely recommend visiting the official website for public transport. For detailed information on the kind of tickets and it's prices, please click here.F For information on where you can purchase tickets, please click here. Lastly, we would also recomend that you download an application for your phone to search for connections. You can also purchase tickets via the app. It's called Litačka. You can download the app here.
You need to get your ticket validated before you enter the Metro or step foot on a boat, or as soon as you enter the Tram or Bus. While you might feel that checking does not occur, common surpise checks during rush hour are a common sight. Checks can happen in any mode of transport.
A ticket getting validated
Before we travel further, lets have a look at the general timing of these modes of transport before looking at them in detail.
- Trams - 24 /7
- Metro - 5 am till midnight
- Buses - 5 am till midnight
Trams
Trams are the only mode of public transport to operate through the night and play a very important role in getting drunk people to places in Prague, especially at night.
Trams at night ply on the same route as they did during the day, the only change that happens is to their number. For example, number 9 becomes number 99/98 at night. The frequency also drops down a lot. During the day trams frequent every 3-7 minutes. This interval can increase to one tram every 30-45 minutes. This is where Litačkathe application can help you get information on the tram at night.
Within the Tram network, there are a few that deserve a special mention.
- Tram 22 - The historic route. Take this to get a glimpse of all things touristy.
- Funicular - Operates only at Petrin. This one is a super hit with kids. More information an be found here.
- T3 Coupe - A special coupe designed locally has won design awards. More details on it can be found here.
Metro
A man waiting for the Metro.
The backbone of Prague's public transport. Prague metro is punctual, clean and efficient. Currently it operates on three lines.
- Green Line Or A. Transfer from Green to Yellow at Mustek
- Yellow Line Or B. Transfer from Yellow to Red at Florenc
- Red Line Or C. Transfer from Red to Green at Meuzeum
In all, there are roughly 57 metro stations in Prague with three main transfer stations. There is another metro line currently being built. It will be called the Blue Line Or D. It is scheduled to be completed by 2027. Till that time comes, we would like to share a lttle information on some interesting Metro Stations and what you can find around them.
- Mustek - The largest amongst all of them, this one is situated at Wenceslas Square or locally known as Vaclavske Namesti. You will need a map of the station to not get lost. Commuters can change between the Green Line and the Yellow Line here.
- Namesti Miru - The deepest amongst all of them, this one is situated on the Green Line.
- Chodov - Third last stop on the red line, connects you to a huge mall.
- Zlicin - Last stop on the yellow line, connects you to a huge mall.
That's the list for now. We hope you liked it. Please click on the mail icon at the end of the page to share your feedback or visit our contact page to drop us a line.
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Photographs by Unsplash.