Planes, trains and automobiles
Airports
Ruzyne International Airport
Information (02) 334 1111
Prague's small international airport is situated some 20km to the west of the city centre. The terminal isn't on a metro line, but for 6Kc, buses 119 and 254 will take you to the Dejvická stop where you can transfer. You can also catch the shuttle operated by CSA which runs to and from the main train station in town, via the CSA offices and Dejvická.
Plenty of taxi drivers loiter around the airport, and although this should cost you about 250Kc, consider yourself lucky if you get away with anything under 400kc.
Airlines
CSA 24 21 01 32/
24 81 51 10
Air France 24 22 71 64
KLM 24 22 86 78
BA 232 90 40/
23 29 020
Lufthansa 24 81 10 07
Swissair 24 81 21 11
Flying Times
Prague-London 3 hours
Prague-NYC 9 hours 30 mins
Prague-LA 16 hours
Car Rental
Avis 22 23 24/
284 2043
Budget 316 5214/
231 9595
Hertz 312 0717/
297 836
Taxis
Unruly taxi drivers are the shame of the nation. Typical scams include doctoring the meter, but hidden electric wire to shock you into payment after you've been shocked by the price is not unheard of. Never, ever take a cab that is waiting in a heavily touristed area.
AAA Taxi (02) 34 24 10/
32 24 44
Mikrolux (02) 35 03 20/
35 51 92
ProfiTaxi (02) 61 04 55 55
Public Transport
It is tempting to walk, but Prague's cobbles have a life of their own and have the disorientating habit of taking you on a half-hour meander only to bring you back to your point of departure. If your aim is to get from A to B, the metro is by far the easiest way to get around, and each stop on its three lines has its own very retro, very Soviet, design. Otherwise tramtracks criss-cross the city and trams are useful if your destination or departure point is not on the metro (or if you want a good view of the city). Night trams can also be called upon if you miss the last metro train (around midnight). The outer edges of the city are served by buses. All three services are efficient and use a standard ticket costing 6Kc (25 cents). Regulation is based on an honour system, meaning that you only need to show your stamped ticket if a shady looking character shoves a small metal badge in front of you and barks 'Kontrol'. The fine for not having a stamped ticket is only 200Kc, but the embarrassment is huge, and you will not get away with it by being a foreigner. You can also buy a three- or five-day pass for 65Kc ($2.50) or 100Kc ($3.80) respectively.
