Prague Transport Guide: Metro, Trams & Funicular

Wondering how to get around Prague? Although Prague is a very walkable city, if you do need to use public transport, the city has an efficient and easy to use system of metros, trams and buses. On my trip, I used the metro, tram and the Petrin Funicular with my 24-hour transport pass. In this post, I'll be showing you how public transport works in Prague, which ticket you should get and how to navigate the different modes of transport available in the city.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Prague has so many fantastic tourist attractions to visit, from the grand Charles Bridge to the ornate Astronomical Clock.

But how do you get from place to another?

In this post, I'll be sharing some key information to help you navigate Prague's public transport system.

Do you need to use public transport?

First things first, do you even need to use public transport?

Prague is a fairly walkable city. If you're staying near the Old Town, you will have easy access to the Tyn Church, Astronomical Clock, Jewish Quarter and Charles Bridge all within 10 minutes walk.

Attractions over the other side of the river such as Prague Castle are a 20-30-minute walk away, although some of the walk includes crossing over the Charles Bridge, which is something you definitely want to experience anyway. 

However, Prague Castle and particularly Petrin Tower are up a hill, so you will have a steep climb ahead of you if you don't use any transport to get there.

So, all that is to say, if you have several days to explore and don't mind a 30-minute walk, you can probably get away with visiting most if not all of the attractions on foot.

I would still recommend using transport to get to Prague Castle and Petrin though, purely because they are on a steep hill.

Related: Top 10 Attractions to Visit in Prague

Prague Public Transport Tickets

Prague's public transport system is one of the simplest systems I have ever used in terms of ticketing.

All transport types (I'm talking buses, trams, metros) are included on the same transport ticket, which you buy according to the amount of time you want it to be valid.

The following timed tickets are available:

• 30 minutes = 30 CZK
• 90 minutes = 40 CZK
• 24 hours = 120 CZK
• 72 hours = 330 CZK

In addition to the bus, tram and metro, the 24-hour and 72-hour tickets include access to the Petrin funicular, taking you up to the Petrin Tower.

If you're in Prague over the weekend, I would recommend buying at least the 24-hour pass so that you can visit Petrin, as this was one of my favourite places to see in the city.

You can purchase these transport tickets at the yellow machines in any of the metro stations. I had read that some of the machines don't take card, but I never had an issue with this and was able to use my card.

Once you've bought your ticket, you need to validate it in one of the ticket punching machines in the metro station. You only need to validate your ticket the first time you use it, and then you're good to go.

Prague Metro

Prague's metro system has three lines: the red, yellow and green lines. But, to be honest, they aren't that useful for getting to the tourist attractions.

The only time I used the metro was to get from the Old Town to the New Town, where you can find the Dancing House, Wenceslas Square and the Head of Franz Kafka Statue. The yellow line will take you to the Dancing House and the Franz Kafka Statue and the green or red line down to Wenceslas Square.

The few times I did use the metro in Prague, I was impressed by the easy-to-follow signage and the design and cleanliness of the stations.

There are clear signs on the walls as you enter the station and in the corridors leading to the platforms showing you which direction each train is travelling. There are even maps in the station to show you the best exit to use to get you to your destination.

So, as long as you know which station you want to get off at, you should have no problems using the metro in Prague.

Prague Trams

Tram lines are plentiful in Prague and they run past most of the city's most popular tourist attractions.

I used the trams to get from my hotel to the Petrin Funicular station. For this route, I used Tram 15, which left from the Náměstí Republiky square (a 5-minute walk from the Old Town Square) and dropped me off right outside the Funicular Station.

The trams are quite fast and the loading and unloading process is very smooth, so make sure you're ready to get on as it doesn't stop for long.

There are some seats, but most of the space is reserved for standing room, so be prepared to stand up, especially at peak times.

I found the trams to be a great mode of transport in Prague, getting you to your destination quickly.

Related: Hotel Salvator Review Prague

Petrin Funicular

The Petrin Funicular serves as both a transportation system and a tourist attraction, since it is all part of the experience of visiting the Petrin Tower and park area.

As I mentioned before, if you buy a 24-hour or 72-hour transport ticket, then riding the funicular is free. If you want to just pay for a ticket individually, this costs 60 CZK and can be bought from the machines just outside the station.

The funicular can get very busy, so you'll probably be squashed into the carriages, but it is still a nice ride up to the top.

And speaking of going up to the top, don't make the same mistake as I did: there is a station halfway up the hill in the middle of nowhere and I nearly ended up stranded there.

Now, I am being dramatic as I'm sure I could have gotten back on the next funicular to arrive at the station, but with the carriages being so packed, you never know. All that to say, make sure you stay on board to the top.

While I would recommend taking the funicular up the hill, I wouldn't recommend taking it back down. After you've visited the tower, there's a woodland walking path which takes you all the way back down to the city.

This path has some beautiful views over the rest of the city and is a relaxing way to spend a few hours in Prague. It was actually one of my favourites things in Prague.

So, my advice is: get the funicular up, and walk back down.

Overall Thoughts on Prague Public Transport

I was very impressed by public transport in Prague.

I love that all the different transportation modes are covered by one ticket and the simplicity of the system working on a timed basis. Plus, only having to worry about validating your ticket once is great.

Both the metro and the tram were clean and efficient. The metro in particular had great signposting and was very easy to use.

So, while you probably won't need to use much public transport on your visit to Prague, you can rest assured that, if you need to, the system works really well and is simple to understand for tourists.