City Transport
Prague is reasonably small, but to cross the city quickly, or reach some of the more widely dispersed attractions, you'll need to use the public transport system. There are two main types of ticket : the 12kc prestupni jizdenka , which is valid for an hour (ninety minutes off-peak), during which time you may change metro lines, trams and buses as often as you like, and the 8kc neprestupni jizdenka , which allows you to travel for up to fifteen minutes on a single tram or bus, or up to four stops on the metro (not including the one you start at). Tickets must be bought in advance from a tobacconist, kiosk or from one of the extraordinarily complicated ticket machines inside all metro stations and at some tram stops; basically, you want to hit the "8" or "12" button, followed by the vydej/enter button. You must validate your ticket on board or at the metro entrance. Alternatively, if you're going to be using the public transport system a lot, it's worth getting hold of a travel pass ( denni jizdenka ), available for 24 hours (70kc), three days (200kc), seven days (250kc) or fifteen days (280kc); write your name and date of birth on the reverse of the ticket, and validate it when you first use it. Plain-clothes inspectors, who will show you a red and yellow star-shaped badge plus ID, check tickets - it's a fine of 400kc on the spot if it's not valid. The fast Soviet-built metro (daily 5am-midnight) is the most useful form of city transport. The trams navigate Prague's hills and cobbles with remarkable dexterity, and run every ten or twenty minutes throughout the day. Tram #22, which runs from Vinohrady to Hradcany, is a good way to sightsee. Night trams #51-58 run every forty minutes between midnight and 4.30 am, and all pass by Lazarska in Nove Mesto. The horror stories about Prague taxi drivers ripping off tourists are too numerous to mention, so your best bet is to flag a taxi down or call the English-speaking AAA (tel 02/14014), rather than go to the mafia-controlled ranks on Vaclavske namesti, Narodni and outside Obecni dum.
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