From the airport to the city centre Czech Republic
The quickest, but also most expensive, solution is to take a cab (with meter), for which you'll need to allow 700 to 750 Kč to reach the city center (www.aaataxi.cz). Public transport is obviously the cheapest option (32 Kč). The journey is quick and easy. At the exit of the arrivals terminal (1 and 2), bus 119 will take you from the airport to the new Nádraží Veleslavín metro station (approx. 15 minutes), where you can catch the metro (line A), which will take you quickly into the center (via the castle and Old Town Square). Total journey time airport-center: approx. 45 minutes. The bus runs from 4.20 a.m. to 12.10 a.m., departing every 10 to 15 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at a ticket counter in the arrivals hall or at a vending machine near the bus stop (please note! Vending machines only accept coins, so make sure you have enough change). If you arrive at night, the 510 bus will take you to the Divoká Šárka streetcar station (departures every 30 minutes). From there, again at night, streetcar 51 will take you to the center of Prague.
There's also an intermediate solution with the CEDAZ agency minibuses, which leave every 30 minutes between 7.30 a.m. and 7 p.m. and stop on rue V Celnici in the city center. The cost is 120 Kč per person (https://cedaz.czech-trade.fr).
Arrival by train Czech Republic
Prague Central Station (hlavní nádraží) is a major national and European rail hub. You'll find fairly inexpensive tickets here for the whole of Europe, and very cheap ones for the various towns in the Czech Republic. Train travel is well worth it if you're not in a hurry and want to enjoy the beautiful Czech countryside. If you really enjoy taking the train, don't miss the unique rail: the narrow-gauge line from Jindřichův Hradecà Nova Bystrice (in the south of the country). Rail fares are roughly comparable to bus fares. Trains are comfortable and cheap, and tickets can be bought in advance and stored on your smartphone.
www.cd.cz. The national agency, equivalent to our SNCF.
www.studentagency.eu. A private agency with yellow buses and a few trains. Low fares but less convenient timetables.
You can get to Prague by train from Gare de l'Est in Paris. The journey takes between 12 and 15 hours (sometimes more, but never less) and includes two changes, in Frankfurt and in Berlin or Dresden. Arrival is at Prague Holešovice station, from where it's easy to reach any part of the city by metro. There are daily departures from Paris, as the first stop is Frankfurt. But be sure to check the waiting time at subsequent connections, as departures may be less frequent.
Arrival by boat Czech Republic
Cruises on the Danube allow you to dock in Prague by river. It's even possible to take this tour from France: departure from Strasbourg, then on to Prague, Vienna and Budapest. It takes around ten days to complete the tour, and there's usually plenty of time to explore the stopover towns. For more information, visit www.croisieurope.com.
Public transport Czech Republic
The Czech capital has a dense, efficient, clear, modern and inexpensive (at least for tourists) public transport system (Dopravní Podnik). There are 3 modern metro lines, 27 streetcar lines and countless bus routes. All modes of transport arrive on time, and streetcars and subway trains run at 2-minute, 5-minute or 10-minute intervals. The Prague Transport Company operates the metro, bus, streetcar, trolley and funicular networks. The same ticket applies to all these services. The only drawback is that these services are not really accessible to the disabled. At night, streetcar service is reduced, but continues on the main lines at a slightly lower frequency.
Tickets(jízdenky) are the same for all public transport. They can be purchased at tobacconists(tabák), newspaper stands or ticket offices and machines located inside metro stations. They cannot be purchased on buses or streetcars. Tickets must be punched (once only, at the start of the journey) at the orange kiosks at metro station entrances, or inside the bus, trolley or streetcar. They must be kept until the end of the journey, as there are numerous checks. You can take your bike into the metro during off-peak hours only.
Fares. Single tickets. There are two ticket variations. Those at 30 Kč are valid for a maximum of 30 minutes. Those at 40 Kč are valid for 90 minutes. If you hesitate, buy the 40 Kč tickets to avoid being checked at the 31st minute of travel. Children under 6 travel free.
Package deals. These are advantageous only for longer stays and only if you plan to visit sites far from the center. If you're only going to visit the old town, you might as well do it on foot. A day pass costs 170 Kč and 390 Kč for 72h. Passes must be redeemed on the first trip after purchase, and only then.
Bike, scooters & co Czech Republic
New urban mobility is not really well developed in Prague. Segways, bicycle tours, electric scooters and other electric scooters have developed around tourism. But putting all this on cobblestones in a small area obviously exposes you to repeated accidents. Most of them have therefore been banned in the city center, and the same applies to bicycles, which are prohibited in many tourist areas between 10am and 5pm. Cycle paths are developing, but slowly; Prague still only has 120 km of them. By contrast, cycling is a popular mode of transport in the rest of the country, where there are many signposted cycle routes.
With a driver Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, you'll find the same apps for booking VTCs. The services work very well in Prague, but it's more random in the rest of the country, where Uber was even banned, as in Brno, at the end of the 2010s. Connecting to the various UberX or UberPop services works just like in other countries, and you know before you board what price you'll be charged. Another VTC platform, Estonia's Txify, also operates in a number of provincial Czech cities such as Ostrava, Olomouc and Plzeň.
Finally, you should know that Blablacar has partnered with a local car-sharing platform to offer its services in the Czech Republic and Slovakia since 2016. But remember that in the provinces there is a language barrier with drivers!
By car Czech Republic
The 58,000 km of roads are not always in good condition, but the situation has greatly improved, and the main roads are smooth. Be careful, though: Czechs drive very fast, and it's not uncommon for the driver to make headlight calls to let you overtake, even on narrow roads! In town, a Škoda has a definite aptitude for slipping. On the slippery side, wet or icy streetcar tracks can be dangerous. On mountain roads, the utmost caution is called for. Road conditions are part of the Czech folklore, and Czechs love to challenge hairpin bends: it's not uncommon to find yourself face to face with a truck or a car. Drive slowly and remember that the biggest car always has the right of way.
Parking. In every tourist town and village, and in front of every castle, there are parking lots. Most charge a fee (from 20 to 40 Kč per hour in the provinces), much more in the center of Prague. They are always well signposted.
Freeways. The country has two major motorway routes: Prague-Plzeň-Germany and Prague-Brno-Bratislava or Olomouc. These are complemented by the Prague-Dresden freeway (currently being completed), Prague-Turnov-Liberec and Prague-Poděbrady (which will continue to Hradec Králové). When entering the Czech Republic, to use the freeway, you need to buy a vignette at the border: 310 Kč for 10 days, 440 Kč for 1 month and 1,500 Kč for 1 year (half price for environmentally-friendly vehicles).
Driving. You need to have your license with you, of course, and be 21 years old (25 for some agencies). In principle, you have two options: local or international agency. The advantage of Czech agencies is that they're cheap, but you have to book in advance and you'll only get a second-to-last model. But this is not a rule. Never rent a car if, for linguistic or other reasons, you don't clearly understand all the terms, insurance issues, etc., involved.
Accessibility Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, there is still a lot of work to be done to accommodate people with disabilities. Very few sites are equipped to receive people with disabilities. However, the efforts of some cities that are beginning to implement real policies in this area are to be commended. This is the case in the most touristy cities such as Prague, Český Krumlov and Karlovy Vary. In the Czech capital, all new subway stations are equipped with elevators, but in the older ones (those in the city center, which serve the tourist spots), there are often only Escalators, or even a single staircase. Many stores have a few steps and it is best to ask about hotels in advance. Some establishments offer a few adapted rooms (the Bellagio Hotel, for example). Many restaurants and cafés are located in basements. Most art galleries and museums have been renovated recently and most are now easily accessible (they indicate this on their websites).
Tourist traps Czech Republic
Tourists were a big part of the Prague cab trade for many years. Even today, although the situation has greatly improved, it's better to use reputable agencies, even if it means paying a little more for the journey, but at least you can be sure of arriving safely and not having to empty your wallet.
Every cab must be equipped with a yellow "lantern" fixed to the roof and marked "cab" in black. On the front door, the company's contact details and fares should be indicated (price per kilometer, etc.).
Cabs often don't use meters, so it's best to negotiate the fare at the door. If the driver refuses, don't hesitate to ignore him - another will follow shortly afterwards. A downtown fare should not exceed 300 to 350 Kč. For the airport, count 600 to 700 Kč. Otherwise, at the meter, the fare should start at 40 or 60 Kč depending on the company for pick-up, to which 27.90 to 35.90 Kč per kilometer is theoretically added.
The safest thing to do is to phone a radio cab company (see number below), either from a payphone in the city center or from your place of residence. If you stop a cab on the street, do so preferably outside tourist areas. As everywhere else, make sure you agree on the approximate fare beforehand, and check that the taximeter is working properly.
