This is the section that stops a few days going wrong: the ticket, the money, the crowd calendar, and the small conventions that mark you out as new.
Transport is priced in minutes
Metro, tram and bus are one network on one ticket, and it is sold by time — 30 or 90 minutes — not by distance or zone. Validate on first boarding; an unvalidated ticket is treated as no ticket. Longer passes exist and are worth the arithmetic if you are staying more than a couple of days. Fares, validation and the airport.
The airport has no train
Unusually for the region, Prague airport is reached by road only. Bus plus metro is cheapest, a dedicated coach is simplest, and the difference matters most when you are arriving late with luggage.
Money
Czechia is not in the euro. Pay in koruna, always decline a card terminal’s offer to convert, and avoid old-town exchange booths, whose posted rate is frequently not the rate you get. This single page of advice is worth more than any discount card.
The crowd calendar
Prague’s centre has a rhythm rather than a season: Charles Bridge and the astronomical clock are close to empty early and dense from late morning to early evening. Shifting your day an hour earlier changes the experience more than choosing different sights.
Where to go next
- Planning & Practicalities — hours, holidays, money
- Food & Drink — how the bill and the tab work
- Parks & Outdoors — the hills and the views
- Itineraries & Day Plans
Checked 4 September 2026. Fares change; confirm with the operator before you travel.