Czech Republic 

Public Transport 

Public transportation in Czechia caters to metros, trams and buses forming an affordable, efficient network enabling car-free movement within major cities like Prague, Brno and Ostrava. The Czech Republic has one of the most dense railway networks in Europe and a sophisticated system of bus transportation. Both trains and buses are reliable. 

Prague

In Prague you can use trams, buses, metro, ferries and even cable cars. Timetables, connections and other important information on Prague transport can be found here.

A simple solution for travelling around Prague

The easiest way to travel around Prague is with a 24 hour or 72 hour ticket. It’s simple and hassle free! Just buy the ticket, stamp it when you first board a vehicle or enter a metro station and that’s it. What are the advantages of using a 24/72 hour ticket?

  • Costs 120 CZK (or 330 CZK for the 72 hour variant).

  • Valid for 24 (or 72 hours) since stamping: if you stamp it at 19:35, you can use it until 19:35 the next day (or 19:35 three days later).

  • Good for an unlimited number of rides within the period of validity.

  • Can be used on PID trams, subway, buses, ferries, trains in Prague, except for vintage routes K, 41, 42 and Airport express AE.

  • Is valid on the funicular to Petřín which otherwise costs 60 CZK one-way.

  • You can carry one piece of luggage (not on trains though) which would cost 20 CZK.

For visitors to Prague, the convenient option is a 24 or 72 hour ticket. If you wish to travel less frequently, we offer shorter term tickets. Staying longer in Prague? Consider obtaining a season ticket, starting from one month. Also, don’t forget to check if you are are eligible for discounted or free travel. Should you travel beyond borders of Prague, see our regional ticket section.

The funicular in Prague 

It is currently operated by the public transport company and is open every day from 9:00 to 23:30. It runs every 15 minutes in the winter season (October – April) and every 10 minutes in the summer season (April – October).

The funicular starts in Malá Strana (Lesser Town), at the tram stop "Ujezd" (trams no. 12, 22, 23) and ends at Petřín Hill, where, in addition to enjoying a magnificent view of Prague, you can also visit the Astronomical Observatory (opened in 1930) or climb the Lookout Tower. Another worthy option would be a walk through the Petřín Gardens, the youngest of which is the Rose Garden, opened in 1932.

Next to the Lookout Tower is the famous Labyrinth - a mirror hall in the Czech Tourist Pavilion.You can use any type of public transport system ticket to pay for your journey.

Travel to the Prague airport

The largest airport in the Czech Republic is Václav Havel Airport in Prague. The AE (Aeroport Express) bus line will take you to the Main Train Station in the city centre in 30 minutes. This line has its own tariff and tickets can be purchased directly from the driver. There are also several regular buses from the airport to various metro stations, in particular lines 100, 191 and 59.
Line 100 goes to/from the Zličín stop, where you can change to the metro line B (yellow line) to get to the city centre.
Bus line 191 goes to/from the Na Knížecí stop, where there is also the metro line B (Anděl station).
The new trolleybus line 59 goes to/from the Nádraží Veleslavín stop, where you can connect to the metro line A (green line). It replaced bus route 119.

Other international airports in the Czech Republic are located in Brno, (official website), Ostrava (official website), Karlovy Vary (official website) and Pardubice (official website).These official websites include information on public transport and parking.

Brno 

Tickets                                      Public transport fares in Brno

During your journey, place your Travel card or payment bank card on the reader at the transport door every time you board the train. This way you will be absolutely sure that you have a valid ticket. If your journey is less than 15 minutes, then when you exit, be sure to place your card again so that you are only charged for a short quarter-hour ticket.
ATTENTION! You must use the same card or the same device when entering and exiting.
You can pay with Visa and Mastercard cards, which must support contactless payment. (
And of course, you don't have to use cards. You can pay with your mobile phone or smartwatch using GooglePay and ApplePay, as well as other contactless terminals.

You must always use the same device for your ticket.

Each device sends a different virtual ID to the reader, and if, for example, you board with your phone and use your watch to exit, the system will charge you for two separate tickets.

SMS Tickets
A SMS ticket is a ticket purchased via a mobile phone. It's simple - you send us a text message, we send you a reply. SMS tickets must be purchased in advance. The passenger must board the vehicle only after receiving the ticket. Failure to do so may result in a fine. You can choose one of the following ticket types here.

Paper tickets

Paper tickets must be manually validated on public transport.

Ostrava 

Ostrava has public transport called by the abbreviation "MHD" - municipal public transport. Trams, trolleybuses and buses in Ostrava are well connected. The lines operate day and night and run on a schedule, which is usually a little less frequent on weekends, holidays and at night. They are operated by a company supported and subsidized by the city of Ostrava: "DPO" - Ostrava Transport Enterprises.

You can find the schedule at the stops of the respective lines or plan your trip using the online application IDOS - Integrated Transport System. The mobile application IDOS or the alternative application "Moje DPO", will help you search for transfers as well as the nearest stops using GPS.

Ostrava is the first city in the Czech Republic to introduce paperless fares: no more paper tickets. Instead, standard contactless bank cards, prepaid ODISka cards are used.

The only exception to the paperless solution are 24-hour and 3-day paper tickets, aimed mainly at tourists.

There are 24-hour XXL paper tickets for about 4 euros. A 3-day XXL paper ticket costs about 10 euros, as well as a 24-hour "group ticket" XXL for 5 people, which costs about 8 euros. Another way to save is to buy a weekly, monthly or 365-day ticket. You can use a Credit Ticket  -  a simple anonymous chip card that can be bought at vending machines.

Plzen

Interactive transport plan

Interactive transport plan – full information about routes and stops based on the city map, information about closed roads, the ability to search for connections directly from the map.

Public transportation

You may use trams, trolleybuses and bus lines from the transport company PMDP (Plzeňské městské dopravní podniky) to travel around Pilsen.

Purchasing public transportation tickets

You may pay with a contactless card at any yellow payment terminal in all public transportation vehicles. The 30-minute transfer ticket costs CZK 24, the 1-hour transfer ticket costs CZK 28, the 3-hour transfer ticket costs CZK 50 and the 24-hour transfer ticket costs CZK 84. You may purchase non-transfer tickets for CZK 26 at newsstands and the Information Centre located on the main city square (náměstí Republiky).

SMS tickets

You may also use SMS tickets when travelling via Pilsen public transportation. However, this option is only available with Czech mobile carriers. Your SMS ticket must be valid on your mobile upon entering any public transportation vehicle.

  • Text PMDP35M to 90206 (price: CZK 28) for a 35-minute transfer ticket.
  • Text PMDP24H to 90206 (price: CZK 99) for a 24-hour transfer ticket.

Tourist tickets

If you are planning to stay in Pilsen for multiple days, we recommend purchasing a so-called tourist ticket. You may load up to 17 pre-purchased days on your tourist ticket. The Tourist Information Centre on the main city square (náměstí Republiky 41) is one place where you can purchase this ticket (map).

Trains in Czech Republic 

The Czech railway network also connects the country with popular tourist destinations such as Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Germany.
With the Rail Ninja booking service, you can easily check the current train schedule, learn more about available travel classes and book tickets for Czech trains in just a few clicks!

Trains are one of the most popular modes of transport in the Czech Republic. There are 3 main classes of travel on Czech trains: Economy Class, 1st Class, and Business Class. The most popular RegioJet trains are capable of speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph), making travel times very short. Each passenger can choose from six travel classes, offering different levels of comfort during their journey. Deutsche Bahn’s EuroCity trains offer several classes, including First and Second Class, and stop for no more than 15 minutes en route. The Railjet train, operated by Czech Railways, offers three classes, so travelers can choose the one that best suits their budget and comfort requirements. Passengers can expect comfortable amenities such as leather seats, free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and spacious luggage compartments.

You can always follow the good old scheme and buy your Czech train tickets right at the station. More comfortable and faster option: Rail Ninja. Here you can quickly check the train schedule, learn more about the available rail services on the chosen route, and book your tickets online in a few minutes! You can also check Rail Ninja Reviews to find more information.

Drones

Drone Flight Rules in the Czech Republic

When talking about public transport, many official information sites in the Czech Republic pay special attention to drone launches. Although a drone is not public transport, it is associated with movement in public space. A person does not move through space himself, but sends a drone into flight, with the intention that the drone will transmit to him photos that he himself cannot receive. Therefore, he is responsible for the safety of the drone flight. And the law in the Czech Republic regulates these launches for rare videos.

Drones are becoming increasingly popular, and more and more people would like to take a risk and take photos from a bird's eye view. In the Czech Republic, the use of drones is regulated by rules that should be carefully studied before using unmanned aerial vehicles. Regardless of whether you want to use drones for personal or commercial purposes, in the Czech Republic you should definitely avoid no-fly zones.
Their location is indicated on the website: http://aisview.rlp.cz/ . In addition, without the necessary permits, you will not be allowed to fly a drone over motorways, roads or private land without the owner’s permission, and you will also need the consent of people who may be depicted in drone photos. Permits, insurance and possible fines. And that’s not all. Commercial use of drones is subject to additional regulations and requires a special permit issued by the Civil Aviation Authority.
website: Authority - Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic
In short: a potential drone operator must obtain a flight permit and an aerial work permit, or they may need to obtain a private aerial activity permit. Don’t forget to get insurance, as a falling drone can cause harm to people and damage property.
Obtaining all the necessary permits will cost you approximately CZK 26,000.00 (approximately USD 1,000.00, approximately EUR 960.00). The fine for illegal use of a drone in the Czech Republic can be as much as CZK 5,000,000.00 (approximately USD 200,000.00, approximately EUR 185,000.00). In addition, you may face a fine for unauthorized business activity or even additional prosecution.