Prague: Free public transportation for seniors

If you're over 65, you can ride Prague's trams, buses, Metro trains, and ferries without a ticket or pass.

Tram and passengers in Prague, Czech Republic

ABOVE: A senior citizen and her younger companion board a tram in central Prague.

By Durant Imboden

Many cities offer transit discounts for seniors, but the Czech Republic's capital of Prague has the best deal of all: Most public transportation is absolutely free to anyone 65 and over. And when we say "anyone," we mean tourists and other visitors, not just Prague residents.

Even better, you don't need a special card or pass to take advantage of free rides. If you're 65+, any form of identification that shows your date of birth will entitle you to jump on the nearest public bus, tram, Metro train, or river ferry without payment. Just present your national ID card, driver's license, or passport if you're spot-checked by a ticket inspector.

Exceptions:

The Airport Express (AE) bus between the airport and Prague's central railroad station is not free. However, you can ride free to and from the airport via normal public buses, trams, and Metro trains.
To ride PID commuter trains for free, you'll need a special card (such as a Senior 65+ card) or the transit network's Lítačka app. This requirement isn't likely to affect you unless you're staying in the suburbs and using commuter rail.
Historic tram lines 41 and 42 (the latter a "hop on, hop off" route) have their own fare schemes.

Passengers between ages 60 and 65 get a 50% discount on transit fares.

If you're over 60 but under 65, you can buy half-price senior tickets at vending machines, newsstands, etc. Be sure to carry an ID that shows your date of birth, and remember to validate your ticket.

Need more information? See:

PID.CZ, the official Web site of Prague's integrated transportation network, has everything you need to plan travel in and around the capital.
DPP.CZ, the official Web site of the Prague Public Transit Company, is another great resource. It's loaded with practical information in English on such topics as fares, DPP sales points, the historic tram lines that we mentioned earlier, and the Museum of Public Transport.

More about public transportation in Prague:

Petřín Funicular

Prague Tramway Maintenance

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo. Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.

| Europe for Visitors - Home |

| About us |

| Contact information |

| Press clippings |

| Testimonials |

| Privacy and cookies |