Tariff zones

Prague integrated transport is divided into individual tariff zones for the purposes of the PID Tariff. In Prague there are tariff zones P, 0 and B, in the Central Bohemia Region (hereinafter also referred to as “Region”) the tariff zones are numbered from 1 upwards and form a concentric imaginary “intermediate ring” around Prague.

If you are only travelling within Prague, you only need to consider Prague as a complete tariff area and you do not need to worry about anything else (both individual and pre-paid travel documents for Prague apply here).

However, the Prague banding is important when travelling between Prague and the Region, i.e. when using suburban bus lines 300 to 415 or train lines going to or from Prague. The suburban bus lines are classified in the so-called commuter zones (zones B and 0), while all public transport lines (metro, trams, city buses and trolleybuses, cable car to Petřín and ferries) belong to the double P zone. Zone P overlaps with zones B and 0 at stops served by urban and suburban lines (e.g. the Zličín metro station is in zone P, but for suburban lines the same stop is in zone B). For trains, stations in Prague are classified in zones P (centre) or 0 (wider centre) or B (periphery).

Each travel document is valid for the number of zones listed on it, the individual zones must always be connected to each other! The PID fare zones follow each other in the following order: P, 0, B, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, B, 0, P. For example, a three-band ticket is valid for zones 2, 3, 4; in no case is it valid for zones 1, 3 and 5 at the same time!

The assignment of stops to PID fare zones on each line is always determined by its schedule.

Tariff bands in Prague (double band P and bands 0 and B)

• Zone P includes all metro, tram, city bus and trolleybus lines, ferries and the cableway to Petřín and selected railway stations and stops in the centre of Prague. Zone P has double tariff value (i.e. it is calculated as two tariff zones).
• Zone 0 includes the commuter sections of suburban bus lines and selected railway stations and stops in the wider area around the centre of Prague.
• Zone B includes sections of suburban bus lines and selected railway stations and stops in the outskirts of Prague.

 

Tariff bands in the Central Bohemian Region (bands 1 to 13)

• The individual outer zones (1 to 13) include individual stations and stops of PID suburban bus lines and PID trains. The affiliation of a station or stop to a fare zone is always determined by the timetable of a particular line.

FAQ:

Why is the P-band treated as a double?

The P zone is the largest within the Prague Integrated Transport, and passengers can take advantage of the best offer of services of the Prague Integrated Transport system. In the outer zones (1 to 13) the passenger can use “only” train connections or buses. In zone P, in addition to the two mentioned modes of transport, there is also the metro, trams and an extensive network of bus lines, supplemented by the cable car to Petřín and ferries.

Can it happen that a stop for one line is in zone B or 0, and for the other in zone P?

Yes, this is the principle of zoning in Prague. It is not done territorially (you can’t mark the boundaries on a map), but it applies to individual lines. For example, for a suburban line, the final stop in Prague is in zone 0 or B, but for a parallel urban line, the same stop is in zone P. The difference in zones can be exceptional for some stops, even for individual lines.

Outside Prague, the zoning is usually territorial. In some cases, a stop may be assigned to more than one fare zone at the same time, in which case the passenger is governed by the more favourable zone. In some stops, the difference in zones may exceptionally be for individual lines.

Individual fares in Prague and the Region

Basic information

Travel documents for individual journeys are tickets valid for one journey including transfers on all PID lines (with the exception of the AE line and the cable car to Petřín), and this journey may be a return journey within the time validity. In the Prague Integrated Transport system, its validity is limited in terms of zones and time, the passenger can travel on it in a defined number of zones and at a defined time. This type of ticket is considered to be a ticket for a maximum of 3 days in the Prague Integrated Transport system. The form of individual (short-term) tickets can be paper or electronic (PID Lítačka application or SMS ticket).

If you want to travel in Prague on individual (short-term) tickets, you can choose from two options, which differ in the period of validity. A 30-minute ticket costs CZK 30, a 90-minute ticket CZK 40. Both tickets are valid on all modes of transport, except for the cable car to Petřín and the AE line, where these tickets are not valid, and except for the SMS ticket, and they can be used for unlimited transfers.

When travelling in the Region or even when travelling from Prague to the Region, the number of zones you cross and how long the journey will take is decisive.

 

 

Where are individual (short-term) tickets valid?

With the exception of short-term tickets for CZK 20, CZK 120 and CZK 330 (and their equivalents at a discounted value), all other tickets are valid in all zones of Prague Integrated Transport. The CZK 20 ticket is valid only in the outer zones (1 to 13). On the other hand, tickets for CZK 120 and CZK 330 are valid only in zones P, 0 and B.

PID travel documents cannot be used on inter-regional lines and PID trains for intra-regional journeys within the territory of the Liberec Region, the Hradec Králové Region, the Pardubice Region and the Vysočina Region.

On the funicular to Petřín, only tickets for CZK 120 and CZK 330 are valid from individual (short-term) tickets, otherwise the funicular to Petřín has a separate non-transferable ticket for CZK 60. Special fares are valid on the AE line.

Note: SMS tickets are valid only in the P zone and on PID trains they are not valid in the P zone either.

Ticket marking

Short-term tickets are marked when first entering the vehicle/vessel (tram, bus, ferry) or the station/stop (metro, cable car) or before boarding the train at the station/stop or, exceptionally, on the train by inserting them into the marker hole so that the marking is made at the designated place on the ticket or, under the given conditions, at the train crew. When changing trains, the ticket is not re-marked, the next marking invalidates the ticket! When purchasing tickets from the driver of a suburban bus, these tickets are no longer marked.

Ticket transferability

All tickets in the Prague Integrated Transport system are transferable (within their time and zone validity). Not valid for tickets for the cable car to Petřín and for tickets for the AE line.

Temporal validity

The time validity is always indicated on the ticket and is calculated from the marking of the ticket (see below for an exception). The exact time validity (from – to) of the SMS ticket is indicated in the SMS message. After the expiry of the time validity, the ticket is invalid!

Possibility of postponing the time and zone validity of an individual ticket (combination with a pre-paid ticket for Prague)

If you are travelling to the Region (outer zones) and you have a pre-paid ticket for Prague, you can combine it advantageously with an individual (short-term) ticket for the outer zones (1 to 13). When you buy a ticket from the driver of a suburban bus or when you mark a pre-purchased ticket at the boarding station in Prague, the time and zone shift of validity of this ticket is applied. The time and zone is calculated only from the last station/stop in Prague and therefore you do not pay for the Prague area twice.

Example: I want to go on a trip to Kostelec nad Černými lesy, which is in zone 3. Since I am boarding in Prague in zone 0, I would normally need a five-zone ticket for CZK 50 (for zones 0, B, 1, 2, 3) valid for 90 minutes. However, since I have a prepaid (long term) ticket for Prague, I can only buy a three-band ticket for 30 CZK (for bands 1, 2, 3) valid for 30 minutes, since I already have a prepaid ticket for the Prague bands (0, B). However, I have to present the Prague prepaid ticket to the bus driver for checking! Time validity must also be observed, the length of the journey from the Prague border must not exceed the time validity of the ticket!

I can choose another option – to buy a three-zone ticket in advance and mark it only when I change the fare zone from 0 or B to 1.

Subscription fares in Prague and the Region

Basic information

In the Prague Integrated Transport (PID) system, the shortest long-term tickets are for one month (or 30 days), the longest for one year (or 365 days). The passenger chooses the beginning of the ticket validity. It is no longer the case that a monthly ticket was valid only from the first calendar day of the month (or period) to the last. Currently, you can buy a ticket from 21 July to 20 August, for example. In the vast majority of cases, they are recorded electronically on a card or exist in paper form. They can be issued in the user’s name or as portable tickets that can be used by multiple passengers during their validity (but not simultaneously).

For the territory of Prague it is possible to buy tickets for 1 month, 3 months or 1 year. For travel in the outer tariff zones (in the Region), tickets valid for 1 or 3 months or 1 year are available; alternatively, paper tickets for 30 or 90 or 365 days or 10 months can also be purchased. Coupons for the outer tariff zones can be combined with a coupon for the territory of Prague. Coupons for the outer zones can also be obtained in paper form. The beginning of the time validity of the coupons may vary according to the needs of the passenger. For regular travel from the Region to the outskirts of Prague, it is not necessary to purchase a coupon for the whole of Prague and it is possible to subscribe only to tariff zone 0 (includes both zones 0 and B), which covers the commuter sections of suburban bus lines and trains in Prague.

PID travel documents cannot be used on inter-regional lines and PID trains for intra-regional journeys within the territory of the Liberec Region, the Hradec Králové Region, the Pardubice Region and the Vysočina Region.

Note: Not all types of long-term tickets are available for all age categories!

Transferable tickets

For long-term tickets, you can also opt for the portable ticket option, which is slightly more expensive, but its use is not tied to a specific person. For example, your husband uses it one day, your wife the next, and one of your children the third. However, only one passenger can use it at any one time. The portable tickets are also advantageous for companies, when employees travel on business.

Subscription is convenient

Do you use public transport in Prague at least 10 days a month to get to work, school or entertainment?

Example: 10 days = 20 journeys, i.e. 20 × 40 = CZK 800, while the price of a monthly ticket is only CZK 550.

If you buy at least 14 tickets for CZK 40 each month, it is already worth buying a monthly subscription ticket for Prague, which costs CZK 550. Longer-term subscriptions are even better value. The price of an annual ticket for Prague is CZK 3,650, which works out at less than CZK 310 per month. If you buy 8 tickets for an average of CZK 40 each month, it’s worth subscribing to an annual pass.