Prague public transport tickets: types, prices and how to buy them

Prague's metro, trams, buses and trolleybuses all run on one shared ticketing system called PID (Prague Integrated Transport), so the same ticket works across all of them. You only need to pick the length of validity that matches your day. Since 1 January 2026 a new PID tariff is in force: a 30-minute ticket costs 36 CZK through the PID Lítačka app or 39 CZK on paper, a 90-minute ticket 46 or 50 CZK, a 24-hour ticket 140 or 150 CZK and a 72-hour ticket 340 or 350 CZK. Children up to 15 travel free within Prague, and you can buy a ticket in the app, at a machine or by tapping a contactless bank card on board.

Which ticket suits your trip

• One or two rides today. A 30-minute ticket covers a short hop, for example one tram or metro ride without changing direction. A 90-minute ticket allows transfers between the metro, trams and buses in any direction within its time.
• A full day of sightseeing. The 24-hour ticket is usually the simplest choice if you expect to use public transport more than two or three times in a day, including a trip out and back.
• Two or three days in the city. The 72-hour ticket covers three full days of unlimited rides and is validated only once, at your first journey.
• Groups. Every traveller, including children who are not covered by a free fare, needs their own ticket or their own activation in the app. A family or group transfer that drops you at the door avoids this altogether; our private driver and coach hire is one option for a day built around a fixed itinerary rather than public transport.

Ticket types, zones and 2026 prices

The table below gives the full adult fare (ages 15 to 60) in both purchase methods.

Ticket	PID Lítačka app	Paper ticket
30 minutes	36 CZK	39 CZK
90 minutes	46 CZK	50 CZK
24 hours	140 CZK	150 CZK
72 hours	340 CZK	350 CZK

These are the prices that took effect with the new PID tariff on 1 January 2026, so expect the figures you see quoted elsewhere online to vary if they predate that date. Prices can be revised again, so check the current tariff on pid.cz before you travel.

Central Prague is tariff zone P. From the same January 2026 change, the wider Prague Integrated Transport region counts Prague as 3 tariff zones instead of the previous 4, which mainly affects fares for trips that cross into the Central Bohemian Region rather than journeys within the city. If you are staying inside Prague itself, including trips to the airport, you do not need to think about zones at all: the tickets above cover the whole city.

How to buy and validate a ticket

• The PID Lítačka app. Buy any ticket type, pay by bank card, and activate it before you board. Both buying and activating a ticket need an internet connection, so do it with a little time to spare rather than at the last second on the platform.
• Ticket machines. Every metro station has ticket machines, and so do many tram and bus stops. The simple button machines take coins only; the touchscreen machines also accept contactless bank cards.
• Contactless bank card on board. Most trams and buses, and the metro, accept a tap of a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Maestro card for a basic 30-minute, 90-minute or 24-hour ticket. The system prints or displays the ticket's own validity, so there is nothing further to stamp.
• Validate a paper ticket once. A ticket bought from a machine, a counter or a train conductor must be stamped in one of the small yellow validator boxes on board or at a metro station entrance, on your first journey only. An unstamped paper ticket is not valid if an inspector checks it.

If you would rather not deal with tickets at all during a short stay, our travel concierge service can also brief you on getting around, alongside restaurant tables and last-minute requests.

Free and discounted travel

• Children up to 15 travel free on Prague's own public transport network. A child under 6 must be accompanied by someone aged 10 or older.
• Children aged 6 to 15 pay half the adult fare once they travel beyond Prague itself, in the wider PID region.
• Seniors aged 60 to 65 are entitled to the discounted, half-price fare with proof of age.
• Discounted fares are 18 CZK (app) or 19 CZK (paper) for 30 minutes, 23 or 25 CZK for 90 minutes, and 70 or 75 CZK for 24 hours. There is no discounted version of the 72-hour ticket.

Getting between the airport and the centre

A standard 90-minute PID ticket is all you need for the regular public route into town: trolleybus 59 to the Nádraží Veleslavín metro station, then metro line A. Our guide to getting from the airport to the city centre sets out that route step by step, together with the other options.

The Airport Express (AE) bus to Prague's main railway station runs on its own separate fare, bought from the driver or at the visitor centre in the arrival halls. Standard PID tickets, including the 24-hour and 72-hour passes, are not valid on this particular line.

If you are arriving with a group, a lot of luggage, or on a flight that lands late at night, a pre-booked transfer removes the guesswork. Our airport transfer with meet and greet tracks your flight and waits for you in the arrivals hall, which is often simpler than working out tickets after a long journey. Our guide on avoiding taxi scams in Prague is worth reading too if you plan to take a taxi instead.

How PraguePrivate can help

Public transport tickets are simple once you know the system, and for most independent travel around Prague they are the fastest and cheapest way to get between the sights. PraguePrivate offers guidance and coordination for the parts of a trip that benefit from a bit more planning: airport transfers, a private driver for a day that covers several places at your own pace, or a licensed guide who can build a route around the metro and trams for you. We arrange each of these as an itemised, written quote, with experienced local teams carrying out the service on the day. See our private driver and coach hire if a fixed itinerary with a vehicle waiting for you suits your plans better than working out tickets stop by stop.