Using the metro in Prague

I went to Prague on a guided tour this spring and used a 24 hour ticket and then a Prague Card that also included attractions. My hotel was on the outskirts so it was essential for me, but your central city experience may be different. Prague is a very hilly city and having the option of using public transport may help you enjoy the trip more. Keep in mind that the cards are also useful on surface trams and on the Petrin Funicular which goes to the top of the city park. The Streetwise Prague map was quite useful because it showed all the tram lines, although there were some detours for construction.

Dee

As you may know a single ticket is 32 Kr and a 3 day pass 310 kr, so it basically boils down to whether you are thinking of making more than 10 trips. I always get one, but then I like to get out of the centre and to have the freedom to hop on and off trams as the mood takes me.

If you are going to mainly be around the old town / jewish quarter / Charles Bridge area then you don't need one. There aren't metro stations or trams in that area.

Your main trip out of this area is likely to be the castle. You can walk up but I usually catch the 22 tram up and save my energy for walking around up there and walking back down.

Prague is great. Have a good time.

Alan

You're on the right track with that advice. You're most likely to use tram uphill to the castle and you can also use it to go see the Slav Epic. I use subway to/from the train stations, but you might have a different plan.

Similar to Rome, the Prague metro skirts the central area but does not go into it. So, you won't use the metro much; the main transport in Prague is the trams. I used them a fair amount, so the transit pass was highly worthwhile, but not everyone does. Central Prague is definitely "walkable," but I didn't always feel like walking, and it was a great convenience just to hop on trams whenever I wanted. Of course, I was there 10 days (with two overnights away) and bought a 2 week pass, so my per-day cost was much lower and the pass was a "no brainer" for me.

By all means, get the 3 day pass.

It's very important that you learn to navigate any city's metro system--both above ground and below. Otherwise, you may just about walk yourself to death even though Prague is not as spread out as much as other major European cities.
My best move was to take one of the "free" walking tours of Prague--first thing upon hitting town. We took a pub crawl tour later that afternoon/night. We quickly figured out where the "happening" places were, which made for a very enjoyable visit.

Hi Dee,

For a Metro station relatively close to Old Town Square and the Jewish Quarter, there's the Staroměstská Metro station. Though I agree with the other posts that the trams are more extensive. When I was in Prague last month I used both the trams and the Metro on a frequent basis. I did my fair share of walking, though at the same time it was nice to hop on a tram from time to time.

Depending on how long you plan to stay in Prague, I would recommend a 3-day ticket. All tickets are good on trams, the Metro and public buses, and the Petrin Funicular. Just make sure to remember to validate your ticket. When you board a tram you'll see the yellow validation machines, they're easy to spot inside the trams. And right at the entrance to the Metro (the turnstiles before the escalators) you'll see the yellow validation machines.

My sister and I are leaving Prague today and have the rest of our transferable 30 day metro/bus/tram that is good until 8/1/14 if anyone is interested in buying it. A lot of the sights are clustered, but there are many sights that would take a long time to walk to if you are visiting for more than 2-3 days (not to mention all the roads are cobblestone roads which are not the most easy to walk on). So, we found ourselves using the tram and buses quite a bit even though we are both fit and willing to walk. The trams and buses are super convenient and run every few minutes. There are only 3 metro lines so not as helpful, but the buses and trams go everywhere you need to go. You can contact me via gmail at username minichao if interested. Thanks!

We used a 3-day pass, but we were staying near the castle and didn't want to walk uphill home when we went to Old Town or Mala Strana. We were in Prague for 5-nights, and we did not use a pass the first day and a half, when we were touring the castle.

Can you buy the 3 day pass at the airport and use it for the bus from the airport to the tram?
One website says you need coins for the machines, can you get these at the airport?

There's a transport booth pretty much opposite where you emerge from passport control which sells passes. You can then use it on the bus. Remember to validate it in the machine when you get on.

Alan