Getting There/Around

Getting There

Air

The Ruzyne Airport (+420 02 2011 3314 / http://www.csl.cz/en/)lies just northwest of downtown. The one terminal is equipped with two restaurant areas that feature both sit down and self serve options, and a wealth of retail outlets. Numerous banks and ATMs are available for currency exchange. It is serviced by:

Air Canada (+1 800 776 3000 / http://www.aircanada.ca/)
Air France (+1 800 871 1366 / http://www.airfrance.com/)
British Airways (+1 800 247 9297 / http://www.british-airways.com/)
Condor (+1 800 524 6975 / http://www7.condor.com/)
Continental (+1 800 525 0280 / http://www.continental.com/)
Delta (+1 800 221 1212 / http://www.delta.com/)
Easy Jet (+871 244 2366 / http://www.easyjet.com/)
FlyBe (+0871 700 0535 / http://www.flybe.com/)
Germanwings (+44 870 252 12 50 / http://www1.germanwings.com/)
Iberia (+1 800 772 4642 / http://www.iberia.com/)
Lufthansa (+1 800 645 3880 / http://www.lufthansa.com/)
Smart Wings (+420 255 700 827 / http://www.smartwings.net/)
United (+1 800 241 6522 / http://www.ual.com/)

From the Airport

Shuttle & Bus:
A minibus shuttle service operated by CEDAZ (+420 220 114 286 / http://www.cedaz.cz/public-shuttle-bus-from-airport-to-prague-centre.php/) operates daily from 5:30a-9:30p. Shuttles exit every 30 minutes and cost around CZK90 for a one-way fare into downtown.

Bus 119 transports passengers to the Dejvicka Station for CZK9. From there passengers can hop on to the metro's green line, or Line A, to the city center. In all this takes about 45 minutes.

Taxi:
Taxis, operated by a transportation company called FIX (+420 2 2011 3892), charge a fixed rate ranging from CZK120-CZK870.

Rental Car Companies:
Alamo (+1 800 327 9633 / http://www.alamo.com/)
Avis (+1 800 831 2847 / http://www.avis.com/)
Budget (+1 800 527 0700 / http://www.budget.com/)
Europacar (+49 069 697 970 / http://www.europcar.com/)
Hertz (+1 800 654 3131 / https://www.hertz.com/)

Train

More than 20 of Europe's major cities connect with Prague via rail. The Ceske Drahy, or the CD (+420 02 2422 4200/ http://www.cd.cz/static/eng/), handles all domestic train service. The "rychlick," or express train, services all of the Czech Republic's major urban areas. The "osobnyvlak" is much slower and seemingly stops in every town. The Hlavni Nadrazi, Prague's main train station, is directly connected to the metro. Walking around the bus terminal after dark, especially in the surrounding park, is not advised.

Bus

Eurolines (+420 224 814 450 / http://www.eurolines.com/) is the most popular European bus line that services Prague from all points of the compass. CSAD (+420 475 684 973 / http://www.csad.cz/) serves as the Czech Republic's regional bus company. Most buses dock at the Florenc Central Bus Station (+420 02 2421 1060) just east of the historic Jewish Quarter.

Car

Prague is accessible from every direction, but unlike most other major European cities, there are few major highways. The E50 travels west from Pizen into Prague before continuing southeast to Brno. The E65 snakes into Prague from the northeast, beginning south of Liberec.


Getting Around

Public Transport

Prague offers a wonderfully efficient public transportation infrastructure. Dopravni Podnik (+420 296 191 111 / http://www.dpp.cz/index.php?q=en/) carries almost 3 million passengers a day on some 2,000 trains, trams and buses. Fares for all systems are based on a zone basis and all start at CZK12.

The trams, featuring 25 lines, zigzag the entire downtown area, servicing stops every 10-20 minutes. Lines 22 and 23 are the most popular and are locally known as "tourist trams" or the "pickpocket express."

The metro, or subway system, also covers the downtown area but with less stops than the trams. There are three lines: Green (A), Yellow (B), and Red (C). The green line is the most popular with tourists for it services all of the main attractions- Old Town, Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square- in the city center. Subways run every 2-6 minutes between 5a-midnight.

Prague's downtown streets are too narrow to accommodate buses. They only serve the outlying suburbs, making them almost inconsequential for tourists.

Taxi

Taxis are not recommended. Allegedly most are operated by organized crime and have an ugly reputation for overcharging. If you dare to chance a ride try ProfiTaxi (+420 02 6131 4151) for it is one of the few companies that provides English-speaking drivers.

Car

Driving is not encouraged. Most of downtown's historic districts ban cars and parking is but a mere rumor. If you do insist on driving, make sure you are legally parked since local authorities are quick to tow.

Bike & On Foot

Prague provides no incentives for bike riding. Bike paths don't exist and drivers view riders as moving targets. If you do ride, be sure to lock your bike as thefts are very common.

Walking is the best mode of transportation for exploring Prague's historic districts. And as an added incentive, Prague's signature Charles Bridge is only open to pedestrians.

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