Prague

[Basher]

Off to Prague tomorrow, I know it’s a little late to ask about the transport system. Has any fellow members any tips/advice on using the transport system there? Thanks

 

[70014IronDuke]

Off to Prague tomorrow, I know it’s a little late to ask about the transport system. Has any fellow members any tips/advice on using the transport system there? Thanks

"I know it’s a little late to ask" You don't say? He he he .... I can see you are a man who says it as he sees it

There have been a number of threads on Prague/Czech Republic in the past 2-3 years. I suggest the best bet would be to do a search in here fast ..... rather than expect a bunch of detailed new responses in 18 hours or so.

 

[30907]

Quickly - trams, especially the "traditional" route 23(?), Prague Semmering from Hlavni to Zlicin, a bit of diesel haulage on the line through Veleslavin.

 

[Groningen]

Short-term (tourist) passes Prague:
24-hour pass: 110 CZK
3-day pass (72 hours): 310 CZK

I cannot garantuee the prices!

 

[Mutant Lemming]

if arriving by plane you can buy the day pass from a desk in the airport (to the right as you exit into main arrivals hall).
There are two ways into town bus 119 to Nádraží Veleslavín metro then green line of the metro
or
bus 100 to Zličín metro and yellow line into town.
both the buses operate around every 15 mins

 

[Basher]

Thanks Guys, for the tips. I’m back from my few days at Prague and here are a couple of observations:-

1 Prices were correct.

2 It looked like we were the only people to pay. Only saw one other person validate their ticket, nobody checked any tickets.

3 The tram service is excellent.

4 Went to both mainline stations for a short time, the main station architecture is very good.

5 They still have carriages with compartments.

6 Metro, again people just appeared to not pay.

 

[ooo]

It looked like we were the only people to pay. Only saw one other person validate their ticket, nobody checked any tickets

This is probably because most they have some sort of pass

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Thanks Guys, for the tips. I’m back from my few days at Prague and here are a couple of observations:-

1 Prices were correct.

2 It looked like we were the only people to pay. Only saw one other person validate their ticket, nobody checked any tickets.

3 The tram service is excellent.

4 Went to both mainline stations for a short time, the main station architecture is very good.

5 They still have carriages with compartments.

6 Metro, again people just appeared to not pay.

With the CZK110 day ticket I just validated on the first bus and that was that - never showed it again. So many people may have a ticket but the onus is on the revenue squads to check tickets and not bus or tram drivers.

 

[Belperpete]

Prague Semmering from Hlavni to Zlicin

Closed for 3 months for rebuilding and resignalling. But well worth a trip, and the metro passes are valid on it as far as Zlicin.

 

[Belperpete]

2 It looked like we were the only people to pay. Only saw one other person validate their ticket, nobody checked any tickets.
6 Metro, again people just appeared to not pay.

The passes are such good value compared to one trip tickets that very, very few people buy a "one trip" ticket. So, it will only be the tourists making their first trip on a ticket who need to validate it, which will be a very small minority of those travelling.
And they are VERY hot on ticket inspection. Two "civilians" get on, sometimes even carrying shopping bags, then once the doors have closed, they pull out their arm-bands and start checking tickets. I go to Prague quite often, and every time I have been I have had my ticket checked at least once.

 

[33056]

And they are VERY hot on ticket inspection. Two "civilians" get on, sometimes even carrying shopping bags, then once the doors have closed, they pull out their arm-bands and start checking tickets. I go to Prague quite often, and every time I have been I have had my ticket checked at least once.

I'm in CZ now and have made several visits in the last 18 months but never had my ticket checked on the tram / bus in any city.

Have to admit that most of my journeys in Prague have been between hlavní nádraží and IP Pavlova (two stops) in one direction only so maybe that cuts down the chances of being checked.

(PS, I always ensure that I'm valid!)

 

[70014IronDuke]

I'm in CZ now and have made several visits in the last 18 months but never had my ticket checked on the tram / bus in any city.

Have to admit that most of my journeys in Prague have been between hlavní nádraží and IP Pavlova (two stops) in one direction only so maybe that cuts down the chances of being checked. ...

Well, if you only use the system for two stops once each trip, naturally the chances of encountering a proper inspection is low.
What perhaps Belperpete meant by "very HOT" on checks - at least in part - is how the RPI teams work hard at disgusing themselves prior to boarding trams, trains and buses.

Vienna transport RPIs have been using disguises/subtefuge for at least 35 years - but mass transport was so heavily subsidized and cheap in communist days that across the Iron Curtain checks were very few and far between. (eg the standard tram/metro fare in Budapest c 1983 was forint 1 - or about 2p at the official rate of exchange.) With the supposed turn to the "free market" (or at least the collapse of communism), transport companies all over eastern Europe have been employing more sophisticated RPI measures.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

The passes are such good value compared to one trip tickets that very, very few people buy a "one trip" ticket. .

Think it depends on how much you are going to be travelling around though. A day pass is good value at CZK 110 but four short trip tickets (valid for up to 30 minutes travel) at CZK 24 each can work out cheaper. The is also a charge of CZK 16 for luggage and empty prams - though not for prams with children in them. It appears that the fine for not having a ticket is CZK 1500 reduced to CZK 800 if paid within 15 days.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Think it depends on how much you are going to be travelling around though. A day pass is good value at CZK 110 ...

It may appear so, but most Praguers think it expensive - most pay just CZK 550 for 30 days.
http://www.dpp.cz/en/fares-in-prague/

THis is a personal ticket. You can get a transferable 30-day pass for CZK 670.

 

[dutchflyer]

No, most locals have the yearly pass, which is 10 CzK/day(about 35p or 40 €cts)-imitating a similar Vienna offer of 1€/day-but at Czech adapted prices.
Its FREE for any senior from EU (so hurry up, you Brits-same as for free travel in HU) on DPP only (metro/tram/bus, not the trains, not the countrybuses) from 65 and half fare from 60-64. BUT you must get a customercard for this, showing ID and having 1 passp.foto and go to a DPP info-office (but NOT at airport, yes at main stations). As long as it lasts-its going over to chipcards soon. Its also (nearly) free for locally living juniors.
There is also a 160 CzK 24-hr pass for the whole PiD (=verkehrsverbund German style) which allows train travel pretty far out of Praha and also of course all local buses. In the main ticketing hall of Hlavny=main is a separate DPP info=-desk with all kinds of info-brochures and maps etc.
This remark from Brits about ''noone seeing paying'' is tipical for Brits and keeps on repeating here-the explanation is also always the same.
As an aside; CD has also lowered its fares for students (not all juniors) <26 and anyone from 65 up to just 25% for full fare since 1/9/18-this replaces the former INkart (railcard) and is a kind of imitation of the free for them Slovak system.

 

[D6700]

The passes are such good value compared to one trip tickets that very, very few people buy a "one trip" ticket. So, it will only be the tourists making their first trip on a ticket who need to validate it, which will be a very small minority of those travelling.
And they are VERY hot on ticket inspection. Two "civilians" get on, sometimes even carrying shopping bags, then once the doors have closed, they pull out their arm-bands and start checking tickets. I go to Prague quite often, and every time I have been I have had my ticket checked at least once.

I've had my ticket checked a number times on both trams and the metro. Once, I was on a tram and thought I was being approached by a tramp for money, so I just said "ne" and waved him off - but then he produced a metal badge with the PID logo on it! I realised he was a ticket inspector, so showed him my validated ticket and he was happy and moved along...

 

[Jamesrob637]

I am headed to PRG in a few days and I see that the day pass is still CZK110 and I am only there a shade under 48 hours so two of these will do the trick quite nicely. A CZK160 ticket does cover a wider area, however, so this may be my weapon of choice for Day 1 (arrive Tuesday eve, depart Thursday eve on what is effectively the same flight 2 days later).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's also the ČD airport express bus (AE) from the airport direct to hlavni nadraži.
Every 20-30 minutes and CZK 45 each way.
You can also book through tickets from the airport onto train services on the ČD site.
One day there will be a through main line train service to a new airport station.

As far as I can see, the 25% senior ČD fare (over 65) only applies to domestic travel and to second class.

 

[Cloud Strife]

but mass transport was so heavily subsidized and cheap in communist days that across the Iron Curtain checks were very few and far between. (eg the standard tram/metro fare in Budapest c 1983 was forint 1 - or about 2p at the official rate of exchange.) With the supposed turn to the "free market" (or at least the collapse of communism), transport companies all over eastern Europe have been employing more sophisticated RPI measures.

Yes, prices are still incredibly low in Ukraine for example: a tram ticket is about 10p in L'viv, but even if you get caught without a ticket, the fine is less than 2 pounds.

The problem in much of the former 'east' is how difficult it can be to buy tickets, especially in the evening. Very few cities have comprehensive on-board ticketing facilities, and where they do exist, they often only take coins only.

 

[TrainTube]

There's also the ČD airport express bus (AE) from the airport direct to hlavni nadraži.
Every 20-30 minutes and CZK 45 each way.
You can also book through tickets from the airport onto train services on the ČD site.
One day there will be a through main line train service to a new airport station.

As far as I can see, the 25% senior ČD fare (over 65) only applies to domestic travel and to second class.

Half of my family is from Czech and I regularly go to Prague as they live in a town Northwest of Prague called Kladno. I wouldn't recommend the AE bus, but instead the 119 to Nadrazi Veleslavin, where you can get the Metro or a tram. The AE takes a similar route to the 119 but goes past Nadrazi Veleslavin all the way to Hradcanska, where it continues towards Holesovice. The traffic isn't bad, but going via Nadrazi Veleslavin is much more flexible for the user, the metro only takes about 15 mins to Muzeum, a short walk from Hlavni Nadrazi.
*Edit* There is also the 322 bus, a new bus I did not know about that also goes to Nadrazi Veleslavin.