Local info

Getting around

The city of Prague has a very good public transportation system composed of 3 metro lines (A, B and
C), number of tram lines and even greater number of bus lines. Almost all services are very frequent (usually 10-20 minutes, metro 2-10 minutes). Metro lines are most comfortable to use and they connect almost all important places (unfortunately not the airport, yet). Trains in Metro run from early morning (around 6am) until midnight. During night Prague is served by big number of night trams (numbers fifty-something) and night buses (numbers five hundred something and six hundred something). Night services usually run every half an hour.

Prague public transport webpage: http://www.dpp.cz/en/

There are basically two types of tickets. Standard ticket (26CZK = 1Euro=1.45$) is valid for 75 minutes after validation in all means of transportation and you can change any type within these 75 minutes. Tickets needs to be validated in machines inside trams and buses and at the entrance to the metro stations (small yellow boxes). You validate you ticket only once. I would recommend this type of tickets unless you know exactly where you want to go and how long it will take.

There is another cheaper ticket for 18 CZK (1$) which is valid only for 20 minutes on tram and buses, no changes allowed, and only for 30 minutes and/or 5 stations in the metro. You can change metro lines but be careful with number of stations you have traveled.

These tickets can be bought in machines at every metro station (you need coins) and at some counters in metro stations, which are however not opened all the time.

There are also 1 day (100 CZK), 3 day (330 CZK - don't ask) and 5 day (500 CZK) tickets which can be bought only in counters in metro stations (maybe except 1 day ticket which ca be bought in certain type of machines). Counter at the Dejvicka station (I do not know where there it is right now) is opened on working days from 6:00 till 20:00 and on Saturday from 7:00 (7 am) till 14:00 (2 pm).

Tickets can be also bought in a number of news stands and kiosk and so on, so try to ask. The fine for not having valid ticket is, I believe, 700 CZK, which is not so high, but there is often a lot of guys controlling tickets, especially in metro stations. And they like to stop and control tourists so if something happen with your tickets, do not look like tourists :-)

Time change

Do not forget that we will get back to the CET on this Saturday night. So, at night from Saturday, Oct 24 to Sunday, Oct 25 you need to change time on your clocks from 3:00 (3 am) to 2:00 (2 am), so we all got a one hour longer sleep.


Weather

We can expect during this weekend and following week rather good weather for the end of October, partially cloudy with only occasional showers, with day temperatures up to 13°C (55°F) and night around 5°C (41°F).


©P. Schwartz
Last modification: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:17:56 +0200