Prague Metro Guide: Lines, Map, Hours and Tickets (2026)

The Prague metro consists of three lines (A, B and C) that run daily from roughly 5:00 to midnight, and tickets are shared with trams and buses. To ride, you need to buy a ticket in advance, validate it when you enter, and transfer between lines at one of three hub stations — Muzeum, Můstek and Florenc. Below is a clear guide for anyone riding the Prague metro for the first time.

Around Prague checked fares on pid.cz and fines on dpp.cz on 28 October 2026, and operating hours on pid.cz on 30 October 2026.

Quick facts: the Prague metro at a glance

• Three lines — A (green), B (yellow) and C (red), with around 60 stations in total.
• Operating hours — daily from roughly 5:00 to 24:00; there's no metro service at night, when night trams and buses take over.
• One shared ticket — the same ticket works on the metro, trams and buses within Prague (zone P).
• Validation is mandatory — paper tickets must be validated in the yellow validator at the entrance, before the escalator.
• No turnstiles — entry is open, but ticket inspectors (revizoři) do check, and fines for riding without a valid ticket are steep.
• For regular travel, a travel pass is more cost-effective than single tickets. For details, see our guide Lítačka: Prague's travel pass.

Metro map: lines A, B and C

The Prague metro is easy to memorize: there are only three lines, each with its own color and letter. On maps, signage and the trains themselves, the line color always matches — so you can navigate easily even without knowing Czech.

• Line A (green): Nemocnice Motol — Depo Hostivař. Runs through the historic center — stations Staroměstská (Old Town Square, exit toward Charles Bridge), Malostranská (Malá Strana and the climb up to Prague Castle), Můstek and Muzeum (Wenceslas Square). The most "touristy" line.
• Line B (yellow): Zličín — Černý Most. Runs through Anděl, Národní třída, Můstek, Náměstí Republiky (Palladium shopping center) and Florenc (central bus station). The longest line.
• Line C (red): Letňany — Háje. Connects key transport hubs: Hlavní nádraží (main railway station), Nádraží Holešovice (station and buses), Florenc, Muzeum and Vyšehrad.

Direction on the signage isn't shown as "to/from" but by the terminal station. For example, to travel south on the red line, look for the sign "směr Háje"; to go north, "směr Letňany". So before heading down to the platform, it helps to check the map for which terminal station lies in the direction you need.

Transferring between lines

All three lines intersect in the center, and you can transfer between any two of them at one of three stations:

• Muzeum — transfer between lines A and C (near Wenceslas Square).
• Můstek — transfer between lines A and B (lower part of Wenceslas Square).
• Florenc — transfer between lines B and C (near the bus station).

At the station, look for signs marked "Přestup" (transfer) with the letter and color of the line you need, and follow them. Transfers are free and don't require a new ticket — as long as your ticket's validity period hasn't expired. Exits to the street are marked "Výstup".

Operating hours and intervals

The Prague metro runs daily from about 5:00 to 24:00, according to the public transport authority PID (pid.cz). Trains run every 2–4 minutes at peak times and every 5–10 minutes at other times. For the exact first and last train from your station, use the journey planner on pid.cz or the PID Lítačka app.

You don't need to memorise a timetable: intervals are short, so you won't wait long. After midnight the metro is closed, and night trams and buses run until morning (see below).

Tickets: prices and types

Prague uses a unified transport system called PID (Pražská integrovaná doprava): one ticket works for the metro, trams and buses alike. A zone P ticket is enough for the city and the entire metro network. Tickets are time-based: the longer the validity, the higher the price.

Under the PID tariff in effect from January 1, 2026, single tickets in zone P cost (price depends on the purchase method):

• 30 minutes — about 39 Kč (paper), 36 Kč (via the PID Lítačka app), 42 Kč (by SMS).
• 90 minutes — about 50 Kč (paper), 46 Kč (via the app), 55 Kč (by SMS).
• 24 hours (one day) — about 150 Kč (paper), 140 Kč (via the app).
• 72 hours (3 days) — about 350 Kč (paper), 340 Kč (via the app).

Discounted fares are available for children and seniors. Ticket prices change periodically (the last increase took effect January 1, 2026), so before your trip, check the current pricing at dpp.cz and pid.cz.

If you live in Prague or are staying long-term, single tickets quickly become impractical — it's cheaper to get a travel pass: CZK 550 a month, CZK 1,480 a quarter or CZK 3,650 a year (half-price passes for ages 15–18, students up to 26 and people aged 60–65: CZK 130, 360 and 1,280), on a card or in the Lítačka app. We cover how to choose and buy a travel pass in a separate guide: Lítačka: Prague's travel pass.

Where to buy a ticket

• Ticket machines at stations — yellow-and-red terminals near the entrance; they accept coins, cards and contactless payment, and have an English-language menu.
• The PID Lítačka app — buy tickets from your smartphone, usually cheaper than paper ones; convenient for tourists and regular commuters.
• Contactless card in trams and buses — a touchscreen terminal (by the middle door in trams, the second door in buses) sells 30-minute, 90-minute and 24-hour tickets for contactless payment only. These tickets are valid from the moment of purchase. There is no "tap your bank card on the validator" system in Prague.
• Kiosks and newsstands (trafika), as well as purchase by SMS (usually slightly more expensive).

For long-term travel, you don't need to buy tickets at all — just get a travel pass through the same Lítačka system (see our guide).

Plan your Prague trip
1. From the airport to the centre
2. Public transport and tickets
3. Money and currency exchange
4. Where to stay
5. What to see in 1, 2 and 3 days
6. What to book in advance
7. Beer halls and pubs
8. Day trips from Prague
9. What is on this week

How to validate your ticket

This is a key point for newcomers. The Prague metro has no turnstiles: you need to activate your ticket yourself.

• Paper tickets should be tapped on the yellow validator at the metro entrance — before the escalator leading down to the platform. The validator prints the date and time on the ticket: this is when the validity period (30 or 90 minutes) starts counting down.
• You only need to validate once — the first time you enter the transport system. When transferring within the metro, you don't need to validate again as long as your ticket is still valid.
• Tickets bought through the app are activated at the moment of purchase — no need to tap anything separately, but you must buy it before entering the platform.
• Tickets from the touchscreen terminals in trams and buses, and from České dráhy ticket counters, have their validity printed on them and need no stamping.

Keep your ticket until the end of your trip. Plainclothes inspectors (revizoři) operate on the metro and surface transport — they'll show a badge and are entitled to check your ticket. Riding without a valid ticket costs CZK 2,000, reduced to CZK 1,200 if you pay the inspector on the spot, or CZK 1,500 if you pay within 15 days (DPP rates as of 28 October 2026).

How to use the metro: step by step for beginners

1. Buy a ticket — from a machine, the app, or with a contactless card. Estimate roughly how long your journey will take, and choose a 30- or 90-minute ticket accordingly.
2. Validate your paper ticket at the yellow validator at the entrance (app tickets activate automatically).
3. Find the right line by its letter and color (A — green, B — yellow, C — red).
4. Choose the right direction by the terminal station ("směr …") toward where you're headed.
5. Take the escalator down, stand on the right, and let people pass on the left.
6. Board the train; transfer if needed following the "Přestup" signs.
7. Exit following the "Výstup" signs; larger stations may have several exits, labeled with street names and landmarks.

Night transport: when the metro is closed

The Prague metro doesn't run at night — roughly from midnight to 5 a.m. During this time, the city is served by night trams and buses, which accept the same PID ticket.

• Night trams — lines 91–99, running roughly every 30 minutes. They all meet in the center at the Lazarská stop, guaranteeing transfers between routes.
• Night buses — routes in the 901–917 series, running every 30 or 60 minutes; they mainly serve outlying districts without tram service.

If you're stuck in the center after the metro closes, the easiest option is to head to Lazarská and catch a night tram from there to almost any part of the city. For exact routes and departure times, check the current timetable at pid.cz.

Useful tips for tourists and newcomers

• The airport isn't connected to the metro. To reach the metro, take trolleybus No. 59 (it replaced bus 119 in March 2024) to Nádraží Veleslavín station (line A), or No. 100 to Zličín station (line B); the Airport Express (AE) bus runs to Hlavní nádraží (line C). A regular zone P ticket works on trolleybus 59 and bus 100, but not on the Airport Express: it has its own fare of CZK 200.
• Stand on the right on escalators — the left side is for people walking. Prague's escalators are long and fast.
• Let passengers exit the train before boarding — it's standard etiquette.
• Many stations are barrier-free — elevators are available for strollers and luggage; elevator availability is marked on maps.
• Watch your belongings in crowds and at tourist-heavy stations (Muzeum, Můstek, Staroměstská) — pickpockets do operate there.
• Learn a few key words on signage: "Výstup" — exit, "Přestup" — transfer, "Vstup" — entrance, "směr" — direction.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What time does the Prague metro close?

Around midnight: according to PID, the metro runs daily from about 5:00 to 24:00. The journey planner on pid.cz shows the last train from a specific station. At night, night trams 91–99 and night buses take over, with the main transfer point at the Lazarská stop in the centre.

Do I need to validate a Lítačka travel pass?

A regular long-term pass linked to a card or the app doesn't need to be validated on the metro — you just need an active fare coupon. See details in our Lítačka guide.

Is one ticket valid for metro, tram and bus?

Yes, within zone P, a single ticket is valid on all modes of transport for its full duration, including transfers.

What if my ticket expires mid-journey?

For the metro, what matters is the moment of entry and validation; for a long trip with transfers, get a 90-minute ticket instead of a 30-minute one.

Where can I find a map?

The metro map is above, in the section “Metro map: lines A, B and C”; tap it to open it full size. Maps are also posted at every station and inside train cars, and the official PID schemes are on pid.cz; the PID Lítačka app is handy for planning routes.

For more practical guides on living in and getting around the city, see our Prague section and our guides.

Official sources

• dpp.cz — Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, the city transport operator (metro, trams, buses): lines, timetables, fares.
• pid.cz — Pražská integrovaná doprava: tickets, zones, night transport, current pricing.

This article is for informational purposes only. Prices, fares, intervals and operating hours change periodically — before your trip, check the current information on the official DPP and PID websites.

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