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Prague - Passports, Postal Charges, Public Holidays, Public Transport, Recommended Reading

Passports and Visas

Citizens of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Canada who hold a valid passport can visit the Czech Republic without a visa for up to 180 days, while nationals from other EU countries and New Zealand are allowed to stay for up to 90 days (again with a valid passport). For US citizens the period is up to 30 days, with requirements for nationals from other countries varying still further. Visa applications should be made to Czech Embassy or consulate in your own country (note that visas cannot be obtained at border crossings or at the airport on arrival).

If you need to apply for a new passport, renewal, or to amend details on your current one, contact the following passport offices in your own country:

In the US contact one of the regional Passport Agency offices located in:

Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Stamford and Washington. Advice on submitting passport applications, the status of an application itself and emergency passports can be obtained by calling the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) on: 1-900-225-5674 or 1-888-362-8668 (credit card users with Visa, MasterCard, Amex). If you need a US passport quickly, it's also worth noting that firms such as www.passportexpress.com offer a guaranteed expediting service; 

In Canada contact one of the regional Passport offices located in:

Brampton, Calgary, Edmonton, Fredericton, Halifax, Hamilton, Hull, Jonquière, Kitchener, Laval, London, Montréal, North York, Ottowa, Regina, Richmond, Saskatoon, Scarborough, St. Catherines, Sainte-Foy, St. John's, Saint-Laurent, Surrey, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Windsor and Winnipeg. Alternatively, passport applications can be made at major post offices. For further details visit the Canadian Passport Office;

In Australia contact one of the regional Passport offices located in:

Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and  Sydney. For telephone enquiries, contact the Australian Passports Information Service (APIS), Tel: 131 232. Alternatively, passport applications can be made at most Australian Post Offices. For further details visit Passports Australia;

If you lose your passport during your stay, then immediately contact your country's embassy or consulate in Prague and the police (if you can't speak any Czech do this at the embassy too).

Postal Charges

The charge to send a standard postcard or letter weighing up to 20g to another European country (automatically by airmail) is 10 CZK. For all other countries (including the US, Canada and Australia) charges are 12 CZK for priority post, or 10 CZK (surface mail). Rates then rise according to the weight of the letter or parcel, with a 1kg package, for example, costing 240 CZK to Europe or 320 CZK (for priority items) to all other countries. An up-to-date list of Česka Pošta's charges can be found on their website at: www.cpost.cz.

Orange post boxes can be found without difficulty in the downtown area, although for larger/bulky items, it's best to visit Prague's main post office at Jindřišská 14, Nové Město (close to Můstek metro station). Here, you'll first need to obtain a ticket for the Q-matic queue system (from machines in the entrance corridor). Then, watch the display for your number to appear, and, when it does, go to the desk indicated.

When packing items, wrap them in brown or white paper, making sure that the recipient's address is clearly legible (in blue or black ink).

To receive packages, you'll need to visit the Customs Post Office (Plzeňská 139, Smíchov, Praha 5), making sure you have your passport, residency permit and any other suitable I.D. The same procedure applies to poste restante mail, although this must be picked up from Jindřišská 14 (such mail should be addressed to Hlavní pošta Jindřišská 14, 110 00, Praha 1, Czech Republic).

Postage stamps are also widely available at tobacconists and newsstands.

Public Holidays (and Annual Events) in Prague

The main Public Holidays and Annual Events in Prague are as follows:

Public Toilets

All metro stations in Prague have public toilets, although often a cleaner option is to use restrooms in cafés, restaurants, fast-food outlets or department stores. Usually a small fee of 3-5 CZK is paid to an attendant after using the facilities.

Toilets in bars and beer cellars are often free, although they tend not to be as clean as those with an attendant. Look for signs 'WC' or 'záchod', with the words Dámy or Zeny (women) and Páni or Muži (men).

Public Transport in Prague

Prague has an excellent integrated transport system which, as well as providing an extensive network of bus and tram routes, also has a fast, modern metro.

Trams - the network of tram routes throughout the city provide a fast, frequent and above all fun way to get around. A full service on all tram routes operates between 4.30am and midnight, with eight night routes (no.s 51-58) covering the city's most populated areas from 12am-4.30am (all with a central transfer point at Lazarská).

Buses - operating hours for bus routes mirror those of trams. After midnight, twelve night buses (no.s 501-512) run on routes not covered by Prague's trams (although interchange points between the two are bus stops near Muzeum and I.P. Pavlova).

Metro - Prague has three metro lines which provide a fast, regular service using Russian built trains (running from 5am to midnight). Imaginatively referred to as A, B and C, line information is as follows:

Line A (Green) runs between Dejvická and Skalka.

Line B (Yellow) runs between Černý Most and Zličín.

Line C (Red) runs between Nádraží Holešovice and Háje.

The metro has three interchange stations; Můstek (Wenceslas Square) for a connection between lines A and B; Muzeum, for transfer between lines A and C; and Florenc for transfer between lines B and C.

Trains run at two minute intervals during rush hours, with intervals of between five and ten minutes during off peak periods.

For further details on routes and timetables, visit the city's transport department (Dopravní podnik or DP for short) website at: www.dp-praha.cz. A map of the system can also be found in our sightseeing section.

Metro Tickets and Fares - if you intend to use Prague's public transport system, ensure that you have a properly validated ticket for the duration of your journey. The costly alternative, as some tourists find out, is that inspectors - who frequently carry out ticket checks - will issue an on the spot fine (without exception). As checks are carried out enmasse i.e. large numbers of inspectors wait at the bottom of exit escalators, it's unwise to try your hand at fare evasion. Single/return tickets for trams and bus journeys can be bought at metro stations, Prague Information Service (PIS) offices, hotels and shops. 

Alternatively, and somewhat confusingly, two competing companies offer (what each claim to be) the official Prague city card for tourists. The amount (and type) of reductions applied to museum and gallery entry depends upon the card chosen, as do the other benefits on offer, though each provides a useful three-day option of unlimited travel (with the Prague Matilda Card, you must specify the public transport add-on when purchasing).

As the DP fare structure is fairly complex, it's often easier (providing your stay lasts for 3-4 days+) to buy special tourist tickets, particularly as they're cheap by western standards. The various ticket options at the time of writing are:

N.B. child tickets apply to children between the ages of 6 and 15

Tourist Tickets - these tickets are valid for the appropriate period from the date/time stamped on the ticket after validation.

N.B. If you plan to carry bulky items such as luggage, prams and bicycles on the metro you'll need to purchase an additional 'freight' ticket for 6 CZK (the only exceptions being listed at: www.dp-praha.cz/en/tc-jizd.htm.

Taxis - as long as you order a cab in advance from a reliable firm such as AAA Taxi (Tel: +420 222 333 222) and Halotaxi (Tel: +420 244 114 411) overcharging in Prague shouldn't be a problem. That said, if you need to hail a cab on the street, use only registered taxis that display a company licence number, taxi roof lamp (and usually a black-and-white checkered livery on the vehicle's side). When boarding, ensure that the taxi's meter is switched on (and set to the minimum pick up fee). As the city authority has tried to stamp out dishonest practices by regulating fares, the following rates should apply:-

Pick up fee - 30 CZK

Price per kilometre in Prague city limits - 25 CZK

Waiting fee - 5 CZK per minute (includes waiting in traffic)

As journeys beyond Prague's city limits are not regulated you should agree the fare before setting off.

Funicular - also part of the Prague transport network is the funicular railway. Ascending Petrin Hill from Újezd up to Růžový, the ride operates daily from 9:15am-8:45pm (at fifteen minute intervals).

Recommended Travel Reading for Prague

With a wide range of travel guides on Prague, the Czech Republic and Central Europe, it's difficult to know which ones are best for getting the low-down on sightseeing, restaurants, nightlife and lodging. With this in mind, we've compiled a shortlist of the current crème de la crème of published guides which can be bought online from our travel bookshop

See also our choice of pages about Prague on the Internet.
 

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