Prague: Airport Buses, the Metro and a First-Day Plan

Entry and exit rules, laws that differ from Canada's and the current safety assessment for Czechia are published by the Government of Canada in its travel advice for Czechia, linked in the sources below. Czechia is a Schengen area country, and the European Union publishes the shared Schengen and Entry/Exit System arrangements that apply at its borders.

The Government of Canada states that Canadian citizens do not need a visa for Schengen stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, that stays are cumulative across Schengen countries, and that a regular Canadian passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the date the traveller expects to leave the Schengen area. Canada's page adds two Prague specifics: customs officials may ask for a return or onward ticket and proof of sufficient funds, and a traveller staying in private accommodation for more than 3 days must register at a Department of Foreign Police office within 3 working days of arrival, while commercial accommodation generally completes the registration for its guests. Canada's page also states that the ETIAS authorisation system is not yet open for applications. Detailed visa rules for other nationalities and purposes are not repeated here.

Václav Havel Airport Prague has no train or metro station. Prague Airport's own site lists the public bus links that connect the terminals to the metro: line 59 runs to Nádraží Veleslavín, on metro line A, in approximately 15 minutes; line 100 runs to Zličín, on metro line B, in approximately 18 minutes; and line 191 runs to Anděl in approximately 50 minutes. The airport states that these rides use regular Prague public transport fares, including prepaid passes, and that a ticket must be bought before boarding, from machines, the Prague Public Transit Company information centres, by SMS or in the PID Lítačka app.

The direct option is the Airport Express bus. Prague Airport states that Airport Express buses link the airport with Prague Main Railway Station, Praha hlavní nádraží, in approximately 40 minutes depending on traffic, stopping directly in front of Terminal 1 and outside the main station building, with extra space for large baggage. Regular public transport tickets are not valid on the Airport Express: the airport lists its tickets at the Visitor Centre in the arrivals hall, from the driver, at the transit company information centre or at the Czech Railways counter, and the VLAK+ Prague Airport train ticket includes the bus, with the return journey included and a return ticket valid for 30 days.

Inside Prague, one integrated system, PID, covers the metro, trams, buses and trolleybuses, and the Prague Public Transit Company, DPP, operates the metro, tram and bus networks. PID publishes the fares: a 30-minute ticket costs 36 CZK in the PID Lítačka app or 39 CZK on paper, a 90-minute ticket costs 46 CZK in the app or 50 CZK on paper, a 24-hour ticket costs 140 CZK in the app or 150 CZK on paper, and a 72-hour ticket costs 340 CZK in the app or 350 CZK on paper. The 90-minute ticket is the one that covers the airport bus plus the metro ride into the centre on a single fare. Paper tickets are validated once at the start of the first ride, and app tickets are activated before boarding.

At night, Prague Airport lists night bus lines 910 and 907 serving the terminals when the metro is closed. Taxis are the point to handle with care: Canada's advice for Czechia says to use the taxi stands, to avoid hailing taxis on the street, to negotiate the fare in advance or insist the driver uses the meter, and to use only officially marked taxis, reputable companies or a trusted ride app, because overcharging is the known pattern. Prague Airport lists its official taxi service at the stand in front of the terminals. Step-free access varies by metro station, so travellers who need it should check the station with DPP before choosing a base.

The currency is the Czech koruna, shortened to CZK or Kč. Cards are accepted in hotels, larger shops and most central restaurants, and cash in koruna remains useful for small cafés, market stalls and smaller towns. Visitors paying in euros where a shop allows it set themselves up for a poor rate chosen by the shop, so koruna is the currency to pay in, and the exchange rate and the card's foreign transaction fee are the figures to check before flying. Exchange offices vary, so the rate on the board, net of commission, is the document to read before handing money over.

Czech is the working language, and station signage is in Czech first: letiště is the airport, nádraží is a station, východ is an exit, and jízdenka is a ticket. English is widely understood in hotels and at main sights in the centre, less so outside it. Mobile data works across the centre, and the eSIM checklist linked below covers setting data up before landing so the PID Lítačka app can sell the first ticket from the arrivals hall.

Two scams are named in Canada's advice for Czechia, and both have a set response. Individuals posing as plainclothes police officers may ask to see foreign currency and passports: Canada's advice is to decline politely and offer to go to the nearest police station. Some bars, restaurants and nightclubs may charge exorbitant prices or overcharge: Canada's advice is to confirm prices before consuming, check the bill, and avoid running a tab or leaving a card with staff. Confirming the price before anything is poured or served is the habit that prevents both problems.

A Dobrý den, good day, on entering a small shop, café or ticket office, and a Děkuji, thank you, on leaving, are the ordinary courtesies, and a greeting is expected before a request rather than after it. Prosím serves as please and as the reply to thanks. None of this is tested, and nobody expects fluency; the greeting itself does the work.

In restaurants, the bill is usually brought when it is asked for, and saying that payment is by card before the bill is printed avoids a second trip. Rounding up or naming the total to hand over is a common way to handle a tip, but no official source publishes a fixed percentage, so visitors who want a figure should ask their accommodation what is usual. Letting passengers leave a tram before boarding, and standing clear of the doors, are the small courtesies the tram system runs on.

Old Town, Staré Město, is the most central base: Old Town Square, the astronomical clock and the Charles Bridge are on foot, the metro lines A and B meet at Můstek, and the main railway station is one stop or a short walk away. Rooms here are the closest to the sights and often the most expensive, and the streets around the square stay busy and loud into the night. Malá Strana, the Lesser Town across the Charles Bridge under the castle, is a quieter district of baroque streets including Nerudova, served by Malostranská metro station on line A and by tram lines along the river, with the castle steps at its top.

Vinohrady, east of the centre behind the main station, is a residential district of apartment blocks, cafés and parks, served by metro line A at Jiřího z Poděbrad and Náměstí Míru. It suits travellers who want a plainer, cheaper street than the old town and a straight metro ride back to it. The choice is between Old Town for walking to the square and the bridge, Malá Strana for the castle side and a quieter night, and Vinohrady for a residential base with the centre one or two metro stops away.

The Charles Bridge gives the centre its walking spine. The bridge is pedestrian only, lined with statues, and it joins Old Town Square and the Old Town streets on the east bank to Malá Strana and the castle district on the west bank. Early and late in the day the bridge deck is at its emptiest, and in the middle of the day the same deck is the most crowded walk in the city, so timing is the practical decision. The Old Town lanes are level, cobbled and mostly closed to through traffic, and the river embankments continue the flat walking on both banks.

West of the bridge the ground changes: Nerudova and the castle approach climb steadily, and the castle grounds sit above the city, so the Malá Strana walk is a hill walk in a way the Old Town walk is not. Cobbles are the standing condition in both districts, and they are slippery when wet, so flat shoes with grip are the practical choice. Canada's advice for Czechia adds a transport point that walkers need: trams have priority over all other transport and over pedestrians, so a tram track is crossed by looking for the tram, not by expecting it to stop.

Morning: land, buy the 90-minute PID ticket in the app or at the airport stop, and take one route only: line 59 to Nádraží Veleslavín and metro line A suits Old Town and Malá Strana, line 100 to Zličín and metro line B suits the south-west side, and the Airport Express suits a hotel near the main station. Check in or leave bags, then walk the immediate streets to fix the geography of the base before any sightseeing.

Afternoon: take the walk the base offers. From Old Town, cross the square to the astronomical clock and continue to the river. From Malá Strana, walk Nerudova slowly uphill and stop at the castle gates viewpoint rather than touring the whole castle complex on an arrival day. From Vinohrady, ride the metro in and walk one Old Town circuit, square, clock and bridge end, at an easy pace.

Evening: eat near the hotel, walk the Charles Bridge once after dinner when the deck has thinned, and learn the nearest metro station's entrances while the route is still fresh. Prague rewards an early night on arrival and a full second day; the castle, the squares and the river all keep, and jet lag is the only appointment that cannot be moved.

Looking for a metro or train platform at the airport, when Prague Airport lists buses as the only public transport at the terminals. Boarding the Airport Express with a regular PID ticket or a 24-hour pass, which the airport states are not valid on that bus. Boarding a city bus or tram with a paper ticket that has not been validated, or an app ticket that has not been activated. Hailing a taxi on the street near the main station or the square instead of using a stand or an app, the overcharging pattern Canada's advice names.

Showing a wallet full of foreign currency to anyone claiming to be a plainclothes police officer, instead of declining and offering to go to a police station, as Canada's advice sets out. Ordering in a bar or nightclub without confirming prices first. Treating the castle climb as flat: Malá Strana and the castle approach are a steady uphill on cobbles, and the walk belongs in the plan with time and water, not as a gap between other plans.

The Government of Canada's travel advice for Czechia, linked below, is the primary source for the current safety assessment and laws, and it should be read before booking and again before flying. Canada's page states that petty crime such as pickpocketing and purse snatching is common, that organised pickpocket groups use distraction techniques, and that they are active around the main railway station, hotel lobbies, restaurants and tourist attractions, and at the Malostranská, Můstek, Muzeum and Staroměstská metro stations and on tram 22 to Prague Castle.

The practical habits follow from that list: keep belongings secure and in front in crowds and on tram 22, carry a copy of the passport separately from the original, do not leave luggage unattended in lobbies or at ticket counters, and be cautious on public transport and overnight trains, as Canada's page advises. Canada's page also gives a practical address: a 24-hour police station in Prague dedicated to assisting foreign victims of crime is located at Jungmannovo náměstí 9, near the Můstek metro station, and a copy of any police report should be kept for insurance.

Mobility: the airport bus plus metro pattern involves a change at Nádraží Veleslavín or Zličín, and step-free access at Prague metro stations varies by station, with older central stations more likely to have stairs and escalators only, so travellers who need step-free routes should check each station with DPP before booking and consider the Airport Express or a taxi for the arrival leg. In the historic centre, cobbles, the Malá Strana climb and tram tracks shape every route, and accommodation in older Old Town and Malá Strana buildings often has stairs and no lift, so steps and door widths are the details to confirm directly before booking. Airport assistance is arranged through the airline before flying.

Family and medical notes: one PID ticket per traveller covers the airport bus and the metro together, and the 90-minute ticket gives a family a single validation routine to learn at the airport stop. The Charles Bridge and Old Town lanes are cobbled and crowded in the middle of the day, so a carrier is easier than a stroller for the bridge crossing, and early morning is the calm crossing. Travellers with medication or medical equipment should carry it in cabin baggage and check the airline's own rules, which the medical pages below summarise, and travellers staying in private accommodation should confirm who completes the Foreign Police registration Canada describes.