Prague Trams
Prague's tram system has been running smoothly since the first horse-drawn tram in 1875. Aided by electricity since 1891, trams today include everything from historic Tram 91 - the “tourist tram”, to the modern high-speed tram running from Hlubočepy to Barrandov, and every variation in between. Prague's intricate web of tram lines is easily the largest in the Czech Republic, and encompasses not only the downtown areas of Prague, but is the primary public transportation link in many outlying areas as well. Be aware of pickpockets especially in crowded trams, and also beware of panhandlers in central Prague areas who play music while begging on trams, donations to this form of begging are not helpful as they are often controlled by organized crime. In Prague, the tram can be more efficient than even the metro, and getting around is safe and comfortable, with new trams designed by the Porsche Design Group and built by popular manufacturer Skoda. These new trams are low-floor models, easily accessible for all, although not all trams are accessible for those with limited mobility. Further information can be found on the transport company's website or at select tram stops where wheelchair-accessible tram information is posted. Main tram hubs are frequent, with the network being well-interconnected, and changing lines to get around the capital city of Prague is simple. To read the tram schedules, look for the stop you are currently at in bold, then you will see the stops listed below with the amount of time it takes to reach each stop, these are the stops in the direction of travel. Stops listed above the bold stop name are for stops going the other direction, so if your destination is listed above the stop you are at, you know that you need to take the same number tram, but change to the opposite platform to head the opposite direction. Tram times are listed by hour using a 24 hour clock, with the list of minutes next to it, for example a tram listing times such as 17| 5, 10, 15, etc is a tram that runs every 5 minutes during the 5pm hour. Most trams travel every 2- 15 minutes during peak times, and every 10- 30 minutes otherwise. Night trams are less frequent and use different routes, and travel between midnight and 5:00 or 6:00 am. Tickets for the tram are the same as those used on all other forms of public transportation, so they are cheap, easy to come by, and convenient to use. Tickets must be validated upon entering the tram, by means of using the yellow box with the green arrow to stamp the ticket. Fines for improperly validated tickets, or no ticket at all, are steep and ticket control officers are merciless and often undercover, recognisable only by the badge that they flash at you discretely while asking to see your ticket. For further information, see www.dpp.cz
www.dpp.cz, www.jizdnirady.idnes.cz/pid/spojeni/
