How to Get Around Czech Republic

Getting Around

Trains are the sensible way to travel. Ceske drahy covers the country densely and cheaply, with private operators RegioJet and Leo Express running comfortable services on the Prague-Ostrava and Prague-Brno lines. Book ahead for the cheapest fares.

Buses reach what trains do not, and RegioJet’s coaches are good. Both trains and buses connect to Vienna, Berlin, Bratislava and Krakow.

Prague’s transport — metro, tram and bus on one ticket — is excellent, cheap and runs all night on tram lines. Validate your ticket in the yellow machine; inspectors are frequent and fine on the spot.

Driving is easy, with good roads. A dalnicni znamka motorway vignette is required and is now electronic, bought online or at petrol stations.

Taxis in Prague have a long history of overcharging; use Bolt or Uber, or have a restaurant call one.

Verified against Global Affairs Canada, September 2026.

Trams and tickets, where the rules are not the ones you are used to

Two rules catch visitors out and both carry a cost. Trams have priority over all other traffic and over pedestrians, including at pedestrian crossings — a marked crossing does not mean a tram will stop, so be alert whenever you are walking, driving or cycling near rails. And a ticket is not valid until you have validated it in the machine on board or in the station; buying it is only half of the transaction. Prague also fines pedestrians for jaywalking, crossing on a red light or crossing away from a designated place, particularly in the city centre.

Rail, taxis and where thieves work

Czechia has an extensive passenger rail network, though rail accidents do occur, and robberies happen on overnight trains. Flooding in September 2024 did significant damage in the Moravian-Silesian region and some rail lines and roads there remain closed, so check before routing through the east.

In Prague, take taxis from the ranks, which the city government regulates. Do not hail on the street; agree the fare in advance or insist on the meter, and use only officially marked cars, reputable firms or a trusted ride-hailing app. Pickpockets are organised and work with distraction: the busy metro and bus routes between the airport and the centre, the Malostranská, Můstek, Muzeum and Staroměstská metro stations, the trams to Prague Castle including route 22 and the tourist trams 41, 42 and 43, plus hotel lobbies, restaurant terraces and the main railway station. Report a theft in person at a Czech police station within 24 hours and get a crime number for insurance; the station at Jungmannovo náměstí 9 is open around the clock and can provide an English-speaking interpreter.

One scam worth naming: people posing as plainclothes police may ask to inspect your foreign currency and passport. Decline politely and offer to walk to the nearest station instead.

Driving

You must be at least 18 and carry an international driving permit. An electronic vignette is compulsory on all major highways, sold for 10 days, a month or a year online, at motorway filling stations and at border crossings; not displaying one means a fine, and hire cars come with a valid one. The car must carry a first-aid kit, a warning triangle and high-visibility vests — and the vests must be in the passenger compartment, not the boot, because you are required to be wearing one before you get out. There is zero tolerance for drink or drugs at the wheel, with heavy fines or a prison sentence. Road quality varies: rural and mountain roads can be uneven, narrow, under construction or poorly marked.

Entry, money and emergencies

Czechia follows Schengen rules: a passport issued within the last ten years and valid three months beyond your departure from the Schengen area, and 90 days of visa-free travel in any 180, counted across every Schengen country. Overstaying can mean a ban of up to three years. The currency is the Czech koruna, not the euro. Unofficial currency exchange is illegal and carries a real risk of counterfeit notes, so change money in a bank or a proper exchange. Local police may ask for identification at any time, so carry your passport. 112 reaches ambulance, fire and police, and is the number to call if you are the victim of a crime. UK visitors need a GHIC or EHIC for state healthcare.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Global Affairs Canada — Trams have priority over all other transport and over pedestrians, including at pedestrian crossings, A public transport ticket must be validated in a machine on board or in the station before travelling, Prague fines pedestrians for jaywalking, crossing on a red light or crossing away from a designated place, An electronic vignette is required on all major highways, sold for 10 days, one month or one year, and a missing one means a fine, Drivers must be 18 and carry an international driving permit, with a first-aid kit, warning triangle and high-visibility vests carried in the passenger compartment rather than the boot, Prague taxis should be taken from the regulated stands rather than hailed, with the fare agreed in advance or the meter used, The passenger rail network is extensive, rail accidents occur, and the September 2024 floods left some Moravian-Silesian lines and roads closed, Trams have priority over all other transport and over pedestrians, including at pedestrian crossings, A public transport ticket must be validated in a machine on board or in the station before travelling, Prague fines pedestrians for jaywalking, crossing on a red light or crossing away from a designated place, An electronic vignette is required on all major highways, sold for 10 days, one month or one year, and a missing one means a fine, Drivers must be 18 and carry an international driving permit, with a first-aid kit, warning triangle and high-visibility vests carried in the passenger compartment rather than the boot, Prague taxis should be taken from the regulated stands rather than hailed, with the fare agreed in advance or the meter used, The passenger rail network is extensive, rail accidents occur, and the September 2024 floods left some Moravian-Silesian lines and roads closed (September 2026).