Prague Travel Guide

Getting There By Air

Praha Ruzyne International Airport (PRG)
Tel: 2201 13314.
Website: www.csl.cz/en

Ruzyne airport is situated about 20km (12.5 miles) northwest of Prague. The two modern terminals at Praha Ruzyne International provide an ever-increasing amount of direct links with airports all over Europe and further afield.

Approximate flight times to Prague: From London is 1 hour 50 minutes; from New York is 11 hours; from Los Angeles is 18 hours; from Toronto is 10 hours 20 minutes and from Sydney is between 21-28 hours.

Airport facilities: Facilities include a post office, banks, bureau de change, accommodation agencies, restaurant and shops. Car hire is available from Alamo, Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz.

Business facilities: The airport VIP Service (tel: 2201 14490; website: www.csl.cz/en) hires out lounges and meeting rooms. They also offer a business lounge with telephone, fax and Internet access (for members and guests only) and a press room. Note the main VIP lounge is closed until the end of 2008 for renovation. A Representative Lounge is available, equipped with fax, photocopying, a data-projector and free Internet. Fixed and mobile congress counters can be hired through the VIP Service. The Bohemia Lounge is situated on Pier B of the North Terminal, with Internet, fax and photocopying services. Lounges and two conference rooms (accommodating 14 and 25 delegates respectively) are available for hire in the South Terminal.

Transport to the city: Shuttle minibus services to the city center (Námìstí Republiky) are provided every half-hour 0530-2130, by Cedaz (tel: 2211 11111; website: www.cedaz.cz) (journey time - 30 minutes). Bus 119 (see Public Transport in Getting Around) goes to metro Dejvická (Line A) and operates every 10 minutes 0430-2330. Tickets are available for purchase from the newspaper stand or the machine in front of the terminal. At long last Prague's taxis are being sorted out and there are less dodgy operators at the airport. AAA (tel: 2223 33222; website: www.aaa-radiotaxi.cz) have a good reputation, with their metered fare around Kč600, and they are dependable and have air-conditioned cars. Other taxis are sometimes unlicensed and unscrupulous and visitors should avoid these. Prague's better hotels can often arrange comfortable and reasonably priced pick-ups.

Getting There By Road

Traffic in Prague drives on the right and the legal driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas, 90kph (56mph) on main roads and 130kph (81mph) on motorways. There is zero tolerance for drink and drugs. An annual toll must be paid to use Czech roads - toll stickers must be displayed and can be bought at border crossings, post offices and petrol stations. EU license holders must have an International Driving Permit (IDP) if their normal license does not have a photograph. An IDP is required for drivers from all other countries. A car registration document and country sticker are also necessary, as well as a first-aid kit and a warning triangle. Note that headlights must be used at all times. Third-party liability insurance is compulsory. For drivers based in the Czech Republic for longer than six months, the car must be registered with the Czech authorities - duty and taxes will cost about half the value of the car and minimum third-party coverage with a Czech insurer is also required.

Emergency breakdown services
ÚAMK (tel: 1230); ABA (tel: 1240).

Routes to the city
The main routes to Prague are the D1/D2 to Brno. From Belgium, the best route is the E40 to Cologne, then the E31 to Heidelberg and the E50 crossing the German/Czech border at Waidhaus/Rozvadov. From Vienna, the E59 leads to the D1 motorway, the E55 from Dresden and Berlin, the E67 from Wroclaw and Warsaw, and the E50 from Paris.

Driving times to the city
From Vienna - 4 hours 15 minutes; Warsaw- 10 hours 15 minutes; Bruges - 12 hours 30 minutes.

Coach services
International buses depart either from the Florenc coach station, Křižíkova 8, Prague 8, or from the coach park at Želivského Station, on the corner of Vinohradská and Jana-Želivského, Prague 3. The main international operator is Eurolines (tel: 2450 05245; www.eurolines.cz). Regional services are provided by Dopravni Podnik (tel: 2516 82363; www.dpuk.cz).

Getting There By Rail

Rail Services
Not long ago, Prague's main rail station, a wonderful piece of domed art nouveau architecture, had been reduced to decrepitude and used mainly as refuge by the city's homeless. However, Praha Hlavní Nádraží is currently in the throes of a multimillion-pound facelift, due for completion in 2012 and designed to provide 21st-century European standards of comfort and efficiency. Prague's other international train station, Nádraží HoleÅ¡ovice, is also its second largest. This is the point of departure for trains heading to Berlin, Vienna and Budapest. Although located on the north side of the city, it is well connected to the city center by the metro, just a few minutes from Wencelas Square on the C-Line. The Czech Republic itself is well served internationally by high-speed and overnight sleeper trains, with direct links connecting Prague to 20 major European cities. The comfortable City Night Line sleeper trains run from Prague to Germany and The Netherlands. Destinations in France, Poland, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary can also be reached by rail from Prague. For local trains, you can catch the tilting Czech Pendolino, the country's own high-speed trains, which travel between Prague and the Czech Republic's other big cities, Brno and Ostrava, as well as making a four-hour journey across the Austrian border to Vienna.

Rail Operators
Ceské dráhy (CD) (tel: 8401 12113; www.cd.cz) manages Prague's railways and stations.

Connections
From Vienna – 4 hours; Munich – 5 hours; Berlin – 5 hours 30 minutes; Paris – 10 hours.

Getting Around in Prague, Czech Republic

Public Transport

Prague's inexpensive and efficient transport system is the best way to move around the city. It is run by Dopravní podnik Prahy (DP) (tel: 2961 91817; www.dpp.cz), and the network includes the metro, trams, buses and the funicular railway (lanovka), which carries passengers from Újezd in the Lesser Town to the top of Petrín Hill. Public transport is an integrated 24-hour system. Tickets (jízdenky) must be purchased in advance and stamped on entering trams and buses and the transport area of the metro. These are valid for all forms of public transport and can be purchased at station ticket machines, most tobacconists, information centers and any shops displaying the red and yellow DP sticker. Travel passes valid for 24 hours, three days, one week and 15 days are also available.

Taxis

Dishonest taxi drivers are the blight of Prague, and the authorities wage a constant crusade against the droves of dodgy cabbies. With a current estimation that one in two journeys is overcharged, here are some tips on how to avoid being ripped-off: use a reputable company such as AAA (tel: 2223 33222); avoid cabs waiting outside stations and major tourist attractions; make sure your taxi is legally registered; a permanent yellow roof lamp should be fixed and the company name, license number and rates should be printed on both front doors; try to ascertain the fare price before getting into the cab; make sure that the rate on the taximeter corresponds to the price list posted in the car; and remember that if a driver refuses to give you a printed receipt, you can refuse to pay the fare.

Driving in the City

Motorists in Prague must always give way to buses and trams, and it's worth remembering that at night the traffic lights controlling some junctions turn to "flashing orange", meaning nobody has right of way. Much of the historic center has been pedestrianized to discourage driving, and parking availability is a problem here and throughout the city. There are three parking zones - orange for stays of up to two hours, green for stays up to six hours and blue for residents only. Park and Ride lots (signed P+R) have been set up near metro stations around the city; they are secure and charge a flat rate.

Car Hire

Car hire is expensive in Prague and not really practical for anything other than for trips out of town. Clients must be over 21 years and must have held a full driving license for at least a year. A valid national driving license, an International Driving Permit, a passport and a credit card for the deposit are required. Car hire prices generally include collision-damage waiver, theft protection and third-party coverage. Car hire is available at Ruzyne airport, American Express offices and many large hotels. Major companies include Avis (tel: 2218 51225; www.avis.cz) and Hertz (tel: 2253 45031; www.hertz.cz).

Bicycle Hire

Bicycle hire and group tours of Prague are available in the summer from City Bike, Králodvorská 5 (tel: 07761 80284; www.pragueonline.cz/citybike), located not far from the Old Town Square. Passport or ID is used as a deposit. Booking is possible through the website.