Public Transport

Prague Integrated Transport Tariff
Prague Integrated Transport tariff is valid on all Metro, tram and bus routes as well as the funicular within the Prague Capital. There are time and zone tariffs, change and no-change ones. The validity period of a single, 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days and 15 days ticket commences at the moment the ticket has been stamped and expires after the elapse of the appropriate time interval. You are obliged to stamp the ticket immediately after entering the vehicle or the Metro area for the first time. When changing the routes the ticket is not to be stamped again. In case the validity period expires during the ride you are obliged to stamp another ticket. Paying is teased on the honor system, with periodic checks by plainclothes controllers. There’s a 800 Kč fine if you’re caught riding without a ticket.)

Tickets
There are single ticket and change tickets. Single ticket costs 14 CZK for each individual ride completed within 20 minutes. The change ticket costs 20 CZK and is valid 75 minutes during the working days and 90 minutes on weekends.

Buy single-ride tickets at newsstands, „DP” shops in the metro stations, or from the yellow ticket machines inside metro stations. Some booths at the top of metro escalators also sell tickets.

Metro
The metro is divided into three lines: A, B and C, which intersect at three main stations and run from 5 a.m. until midnight. In the metro, punch your ticket in the machines at the top of the subway escalators. Výstup means exit, and Přestup means connection.

Trams and Buses
Trams cover all major streets and intersect with metro lines. When reading a tram schedule, the stop that is underlined is where you are standing. All stops below the line are where the tram is heading. On the trams, insert your ticket into the top of machines attached to the poles, than pull the handle toward you. Do not punch a pass, simply keep it with you.

After midnight, you’ll need to take night trams, which are marked by the white numbers on the blue signs at every tram stop. Night trams run approximately every 40 minutes. Night buses also run approximately every 40 minutes. Bus tickets are punched the same way as tram tickets. City buses mostly serve the outskirts of town.

Taxi services
Proceed with caution. While there are some honest cabdrivers around, many revel in taking advantage of the innocent. There is now no law setting the price for one kilometer, so in the Prague center it costs about 80 Kč per km and at suburbs it can be 20 Kč.
The safest way is to order a taxi by the AAA-service, which seems to be the cheapest one in Prague, just dial 2 3311 3311 and ask for a cab. You can also ask for the price of the ride. But you also need to give the phone number you are calling from to the operator, so they can verify your request. The price of the AAA-service is about 17Kč/Km.

Beyond the City
Many train and bus tickets may be purchased much more easily than at the stations, and without the long queues (except on especially busy summer days), at the ČEDOK travel agency, Na Příkopě 18, Prague 1. Tel. 08001112112 or 22419 7777. (English is spoken). This company sells international travel tickets also.

Train Stations
The information about the train rides you will get at tel: 221111122, 224614004 or on the Internet: www.vlak-bus.cz (also in English).

HLAVNÍ NÁDRAŽÍ (THE MAIN STATION)
Tel1. 221111122 (general information), 224615298 or 224217948 (international tickets), 224217040 (reservations). Metro: Hlavní nádraží. Good luck getting through on the phone. This station serves most foreign destinations and many Czech cities and towns as well.

NÁDRAŽÍ HOLEŠOVICE (HOLEŠOVICE STATION)
Tel. 220800805 or 224615865 or 224614010. Metro: Nádraží Holešovice. Serves foreign destinations including Berlin, Vienna, Warsaw and Budapest.

SMÍCHOVSKÉ NÁDRAŽÍ (SMÍCHOV STATION)
Tel.: 224617686,257323764. Metro: Smíchovské nádraží. You´ll depart from this station to travel to the beautiful castle Karlštejn.

MASARYKOVO NÁDRAŽÍ (MASARYK STATION)
Tel.: 221111122 Metro: Náměstí republiky (exit platform toward „Masarykovo nádraží"}. A small station that serves many Czech towns and some Slovak destinations.

Bus Connections
To buy tickets, go to Florenc Bus Station Tel. 900149044 metro Florenc. ČEDOK travel agency, Na Příkopě 18, Prague 1. Tel. 800112112 or 224197777 also has information about long-distance buses. The private bus company Čebus (tel. 224811936), near Florenc metro station} travels to Brno. To London only, try Kingscourt Express (Havelská ul. Prague 1, tel .224234583, kexpress@pha.inecnet.cz, www.kce.cz).