The joys of Prague public transport

Coming to live in the city of Prague and have no clue about the public transport system? You'd be surprised to find out that Prague offers an excellent public transport system, which you will find very helpful on your daily commute to class/work and on your shenanigans during nights out in the city.

Venturing out onto the public transportation system is one of the best ways to learn about Prague and get to explore this gorgeous city of a hundred spires. Since it is efficient, inexpensive and fast, Prague's public transport system is often preferred to private cars or taxis. Once in Prague you will soon find yourself moving around the city with confidence. The system is made up of an extensive network of metro, tram and bus lines, which cover the majority of the city and the suburbs.

The most popular forms of transport are trams and metro. The metro runs until midnight with 3-4 minute breaks at peak time and 5-10 off peak. The trams are equally freaquent and also run until 12pm with night trams taking their place after. The metro is the quickest method of transport within the city and is made up of only 3 lines, so you'll master taking it in no time. The green line A runs west to east, connecting Prague 10 and 6. The yellow line B also runs west to east and connects Prague 5 and 9. The red line C runs north to south connecting Prague 4 and 11.

 Changing stations are Muzeum (lines A and C), Můstek (lines A and , and Florenc (lines B and C), all situated in the city center. Metro operates from 5am until 12pm. The time interval between train departures is roughly 2-3 minutes during the workday rush hours and 4-10 minutes during off-peak hours. Travelling via tram will get you nearer to points of interests where metro is too far. The perks of taking a tram is being able to explore the caputal and rub elbows with locals (the trams tend to be over crowded during peak hours).

Trams run from 4:30am till midnight. Buses will take you to tertiary locations not served by metro or trams. On the city transport, people don't usually ask if an empty seat is free, they simly take it before anyone else does. However, it is common to stand up and give the place to older people or parents with kids. Some grannies are bold enough to kick you out of your seat! On the metro, trams and buses drinking alcohol is frowned upon. At the zebra crossing, pedestrians have the right of way.

However, it is advisable to wait for the cars to stop, since some drivers don't always respect the rule. Trams, however, have the right of way, so if a tram is coming and you're about to cross, for your own safety, let it pass. Taking full advantage of Prague night life? No need to take a cab! Night buses and trams run from about midnight till 4am. Night trams are numbered 51-59 with buses taking the numbers 501-512. Tram and bus schedules are located at individual stops but is is always wise to research the stops in your area before heading out.

Beware that night trams are usually occupied by happily intoxicated Czech and international youth and you might easily strike up a friendly conversation with a perfect stranger. Perhaps the only downside of travelling by trams in Prague is the great taste of the homeless, who tend to exploit Prague transport system especially in the wee hours of the morning. As to the fares, a wide variety of tickets and passes are available to suit your needs. The Prague public transportation system offers two types of single-trip tickets. You must buy a ticket before boarding the metro, trams or buses.

Tickets are sold through yellow vending machines which work in English and are located at all metro stops, major tram stops, newsstands, kiosks, hotels, and information centers. Make sure to validate your ticket in the yellow validation machine located at the entrances to metro stops and on the trams. A single-trip ticket costs 32 CZK and is valid for the metro, trams, buses and funicular for 90 minutes after marking. A single-trip ticket valid for the metro, trams, buses and funicular for 30 minutes after marking costs 24 CZK. The discounted tickets for children aged 10 to 15 years are 16 CZK and 12 CZK and age of children must be proven. You can also purchase short-term tourist tickets – either 24 hour ticket for 110 CZK (55 CZK for children 10-15 years), or a 3 day ticket for 310 CZK. If you're living and studying in Prague it is advisable to buy a long term pass.

For students (aged 19-26) the monthly pass is 260 CZK, the quarterly pass 720 CZK, and a 5-month pass 1200 CZK. In order for the student disccount to be granted you have to provide a confirmation of study or ISIC. For adults (19 over) the monthly pass is 550 CZK, quarterly 1480 CZK, and 5-month pass 2450 CZK. These passes do not need to be validated and you can purchase them at sales points in the metro, many of which are located in the central stations such as Můstek, Muzeum, Anděl, or Florenc.

Recently an efficient new ticketing method has come into effect. If you have a Czech mobile number, you can purchase a standard 32 or 24 CZK ticket by simply sending an SMS message with letters 'DPT' (make sure to include the number 24, if you're buying the cheaper ticket) to (+420) 902 06. Within a couple of minutes an SMS ticket will be sent to your mobile. Charges will be applied to your monthly phone bill or credit deducted from your prepaid cell. At any time during travel or stay in the metro, trams or buses the validity of your ticket can be checked by the ticket inspection.

The ticket inspector is entitled to ask you to produce your valid ticket, to confiscate invalid tickets, and to fine you with a penalty (1000 CZK, if paid at once 800 CZK), in case you're travelling without a valid ticket. To prove their identity, inspectors present themselves with yellow-and-red badges. They issue receipts for the penalty amounts.

Make sure to always have your ticket/pass and ID with you, most of the inspectors are quite merciless when it comes to paying fines. Other than that, we are confident that after your first few trips, you will become comfortable with the public transport system, which can be a great resource during your stay in Prague. Enjoy the ride! For more information check out the website of The Prague Public Transport Company: http://www.dpp.cz/en/

Vero Arutyunyan