Getting Around Prague: The No-Sweat Guide

Is Prague Safe to Roam?

Welcome to Prague. Scenic and beautiful. A place you can wander for hours. Not only is it spectacular, it is incredibly safe. The police are present but not intrusive, and they can be very helpful if you are lost or have questions. Remember that they don’t all speak English, but many do.

I have known women walking home alone in the residential neighborhoods very late at night. I might not suggest it in the tourist area, most people are great, but have a bit of care. Overall, the threat of physical violence is crazy low.

Walking + Cobblestones = Shoe Math

Prague is a very walkable city. If you are staying in the areas known as Old Town and New Town, you must walk most places. This city was built in the Middle Ages, and the roads were not made for autos. Most areas are pedestrian-only.

To add, most of the streets and walkways are made from cobblestone. Not really designed for fancy footwear. I have seen many women get a heel stuck between the stones, and they just step out of the shoe. If you are visiting Prague, you will be walking to many places. With this in mind, make sure you have good walking shoes.

If you are going to an opera, play, or a formal night on the town, I will give you the advice a Czech woman gave when I asked how she gets around in heels on cobblestone. “I always walk in a hurry so the heels hardly touch the ground.” I’m not sure if this works; I haven’t tried it.

Public Transportation: Metro, Trams & Buses

Ticket Types & Prices

Public transportation is fantastic here. The metro, trams, and buses can get you everywhere in the city, and they are almost always right on schedule. How to utilize the system can be a bit confusing at first glance, but we have you covered.

First, you buy a ticket based on time. The lowest price ticket (30 Kč, about 1.2 EUR) gives you 30 minutes. This is usually more than enough time to get you where you need to go. This goes for all
forms of transportation, metro, trams, and buses. If you’re going further or planning on using the transport several times, here are all the types of tickets you might want to consider:

• 30 minutes – 30 Kč
• 90 minutes – 40 Kč
• 24 hours – 120 Kč
• 72 hours – 330 Kč

No matter the ticket type, all must be stamped once. Very important. Even if you have you have a 3-day ticket, you must only punch it once, which marks the 72-hour point. Again, this is for all forms of public
transportation. Same ticket, same rules: One punch only; punch it twice and it turns into a sad bookmark.

Where to Buy (and Stamp)

You can buy the tickets at the following spots:

• Yellow vending machines at most tram stops and metro entrances
• Tobacco shops and convenience stores near public transport
• On board: orange contactless machines that spit out a ready-stamped ticket if you have a chipped card
• PID Lítačka app for phone-happy folks (works in English)
• SMS ticket—text “DPT31, DPT42, DPT120 or DPT310” to 902 06 if you have a Czech SIM card.

When you have purchased a ticket (the paper kind), you will see that there is an arrow on the top. On the other side, there are instructions. What you need to do is have the ticket stamped once you board your transportation. There are yellow boxes with a slit in it. You insert your ticket, arrow side up, and have the machine stamp the ticket. In the metro, the yellow boxes are at the top of the escalator. You must punch your ticket there. This marks the time.

If you buy your ticket onboard, with the app, or via an sms, you don’t need to have it stamped, it is already time-marked.

Ticket Inspectors: The Not-So-Fun Police

When you get on public transportation, there will, at times, be a couple of plain-clothed men who will move through the vehicle, showing a badge and wanting to see your ticket. If you have followed everything I mentioned, you will be fine. Show them your ticket and they move on.

However, if you did not punch your ticket, have stayed too long or double punched your ticket, they will ask you to get off at the next stop, and you will be fined, then given a ticket to finish your trip. If you live here, they will send a bill, but if you are a tourist, you must pay cash or a credit card on the spot. It costs 1000 Kč (about 40 EUR). I have seen some tourists argue about it. My suggestion, just to pay. If you argue, they will simply call the police, and now the situation gets to a new level of fun. Please, you don’t want that level of fun.

Important information: you must have your ID with you. Not a photocopy of your passport, but your actual passport. Much like a photocopy of your driver’s license is not accepted if you encounter the police.

I will quickly add that the police don’t randomly check anyone. Most people will never need to show their passport, and I have seen police ask for one due to an incident, and when told the person didn’t have it with them, they mentioned they should have it and let the situation go. If you are just enjoying the city, I doubt there will be a problem. If you are going out and plan to party, maybe it is a good idea to have it. I am not a lawyer, there is no legal advice here.

Taxis & Apps

Old-school street taxis still play “guess the fare,” so do your sanity a favor and open an app. Liftago, Bolt, and Uber flash the fare before you hop in, drivers live (or die) on ratings, and you can pay by card in the back seat. Expect about 120 – 250 Kč (5 – 10 EUR) for most inner-city hops, traffic willing.

Prefer a classic cab? Stick to the black-and-yellow ranks marked “Official Taxi.” Rates are fixed on a big board (no surprises) and city rules cap meters at 60 Kč flag-fall + 36 Kč per km.

Quick tips:

• Snap a photo of the cab’s roof-light number before you ride—handy if you leave a phone behind.
• Night surcharge? Nope. Same meter 24/7; only heavy traffic nudges the price.
• Round up or add 5-10 % for good karma—drivers appreciate it, but they won’t chase you down for coins.

Quick Bits Before You Go

To finish up, here are some random bits of information:

Cross the street at the crosswalks. There, you have the right of way if there is no crosswalk light. Except for trams, they are big and hard to stop. They have the right of way. This can ruin an otherwise great day. Jaywalking is very uncommon, so use the crosswalk.

If you are going to use an ATM to get some cash, use one with a bank affiliation. There are a number of them around that just have “ATM” but no bank is mentioned. They tend to be designed to have you withdraw large sums of money so they can get more back on the exchange rate. If you are very careful, you should be fine but I say, go for a bank ATM.

And finally, there is no longer a Czechoslovakia, it ended in 1992. It is good to remember the correct name of the country you are in, fewer sideways looks.

So, there is a bit of info that should help you get around the city like a pro. Need more insider tips? Our local guides share their favorite tram-side cafés and no-fee ATMs on every Prague City Adventures tour. Feel free to ask us anything!