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Prague public transport tickets
What the 2026 fares actually are, which ticket to buy for a weekend, and why the app is now clearly cheaper than the machine.
Prague runs one integrated system, PID, covering metro, trams, buses, the funicular and the airport buses. One ticket works on all of them, and transfers are included within the ticket’s validity — you are buying time, not a journey.
The 2026 fares
Valid from 1 January 2026. Buying in the PID Litacka app costs about 10 per cent less than paper and 20 per cent less than SMS.
Which one to buy on a weekend
| Your trip | Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Two nights, mostly walking | Single 90-minute tickets | Four or five journeys is cheaper than any pass |
| Two nights, staying outside the centre | 24-hour ticket on the busy day | Two returns plus the airport tips the balance |
| Three nights, using trams daily | 72-hour ticket | 330 CZK covers unlimited travel |
| Airport only | One 90-minute ticket each way | The airport buses have no special fare |
Ninety minutes is long enough for any single journey in Prague including a transfer, and the 30-minute ticket is a false economy the moment anything is delayed. Buy the 46 CZK ticket unless you are certain the trip is short.
How to buy
- PID Litacka app — the cheapest, works with a foreign card, and the ticket activates when you buy it. Download before you fly.
- Machines at metro stations and major stops. They take cards and coins. Paper tickets bought this way took the biggest increase in 2026.
- Contactless directly on board in some vehicles — convenient, but check the fare charged.
- SMS — requires a Czech number and is now the most expensive option. Ignore it.
Zones, and why you can ignore them
PID is a zoned system covering Prague and a large area of Central Bohemia, which sounds more complicated than it is for a weekend visitor. Everything inside the city, including the airport, sits in the central zones covered by the standard tickets above. You only meet the zone question on day trips out into the region, and by then you are usually buying a train ticket instead.
Validation and inspections
A paper ticket is not valid until you validate it in the small yellow machine as you enter the metro or board a tram. App tickets are already active. Ticket inspectors work in plain clothes and are common on the central tram lines and at metro exits; they will show identification when they approach you.
Fines rose in 2026 alongside the fares, and ‘I did not know’ is not a defence anyone entertains. It is a 46 CZK problem to avoid a fine several hundred times that.
The most common visitor mistake is treating the ticket as a journey rather than a block of time. A 90-minute ticket lets you ride a tram, get off, change your mind, and ride back — all on the same fare, as long as the clock has not run out.
Day trips out of Prague usually include the coach, which removes the ticketing question altogether for the longer journeys.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Prague transport ticket in 2026?
36 CZK for 30 minutes and 46 CZK for 90 minutes in the PID Litacka app; 39 and 50 CZK respectively on paper. A 24-hour ticket is 120 CZK and 72 hours is 330 CZK.
Is the Prague travel pass worth it?
Only if you use transport several times a day. For a walking-based weekend, individual 90-minute tickets usually work out cheaper than the 24-hour or 72-hour passes.
Can I buy Prague transport tickets with a card?
Yes — in the PID Litacka app, at station machines, and contactlessly on board some vehicles. The app is the cheapest of the three.
Do I need to validate my ticket in Prague?
Paper tickets, yes, in the yellow machines when you board or enter the metro. App tickets activate on purchase and need nothing further.
Does one ticket cover the airport bus?
Yes. The airport buses are part of the ordinary PID network, so a 90-minute ticket covers the bus and the onward metro on one fare.