Prague's trams since 1875: why they, not the metro, carry daily life

Prague is a tram city. The metro takes the headlines, but in many districts the tram is how people get to work, the shops and school. It is also one of the oldest tram systems in Europe, and Prague kept and developed it when many other cities pulled up their tracks.

For a newcomer the tram is the most readable part of the public transport system. It runs above ground, it stops every few hundred metres and it shows you the city while it carries you. What follows explains the history, the network's logic and the practical rules of riding, so that a first tram ride is a pleasure rather than an inspection.

A short history

The first public tram line opened in 1875 and was pulled by horses. Electric trams followed in 1891, and the network then grew with the city. Today's system carries on that tradition. It is operated by the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) and forms part of the PID integrated system.

The significance of the date is easy to miss. A tram line that has been running for well over a century is not a transport experiment. It shaped the streets, the junctions and the habits of the districts it serves, and when the metro arrived in 1974 it was added to a tram network rather than replacing it. That is why the two systems complement each other so neatly.

What the network looks like

Trams run on standard-gauge track, the width used on most railways in Europe. Lines serve the inner districts densely, running along main streets and across bridges, and reach into residential districts on both banks of the Vltava. Some routes have reserved tracks, others share the street with cars.

The network is roughly a web with several important nodes, among them Wenceslas Square, Národní třída, Karlovo náměstí, Anděl and Malostranská. Lines cross at these points, and changing from one tram to another is part of the normal journey.

The logic of numbers

Day lines have one- and two-digit numbers. Each identifies a route with a fixed path and a terminus at each end. Routes change with roadworks, and the city occasionally reorganises lines, so check the current list on the PID website (as of 2026; check the official source).

Night lines carry numbers in the 90s and run when the day lines stop. They are covered in the article on night transport. The numbering helps in practice: a number from 91 to 99 is a night tram, and a number you recognise from the day list is not.

How to ride

Buy your ticket before boarding. A PID ticket valid in the zone covers trams. Paper tickets are validated on first use in the machine inside the vehicle and kept until the end of the journey. Mobile tickets are activated in the app. Inspectors work across the network, and travelling without a valid ticket brings a fine.

You can board by any door. Press the button to request a stop. Prams, wheelchairs and bicycles have designated spaces and rules, set out in DPP's conditions of carriage.

Reading the stop

A stop shows the lines serving it, the direction and a timetable. Larger stops have electronic boards with real-time arrivals, and the PID app and journey planner show the same.

Why trams matter in planning

For the city, trams are cheaper to build than metro lines and still carry many people. New lines, extensions and priority at traffic lights recur in Prague's transport planning, and the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Praha) and the city's transport department publish strategy documents.

Works on roads and tracks regularly alter routes. Notices go up at stops and on the PID website, and replacement buses run on closed sections. A stop where you have always boarded may be closed for a month, and the notice is the only warning you will get.

Accessibility

DPP has been renewing its fleet with low-floor vehicles and publishes information on which lines and stops are accessible. If you travel with a wheelchair or a pram, check the line before you plan.

Sharing the street with a tram

Trams run on fixed rails and cannot swerve. If you drive, cycle or walk in Prague, give them room. Cyclists should cross tracks at a right angle, never along the rail, and pedestrians should wait for the tram to stop before crossing at a platform. Parked cars that overhang the track are one of the most common causes of delays, and a driver who ignores the markings holds up everyone behind.

Why it matters to a newcomer

For a newcomer the tram is the friendliest part of the system. It runs above ground, you can see where you are, and a wrong turn costs you a few stops rather than a platform change. Many people learn the city by tram before they trust the metro map. Sit by the window, follow the route on your phone and you will have the geography of the inner districts in a week.

The tram also tells you things the metro hides. You see the shape of the hills, the line of the river and the way one district gives way to another. The metro gets you there. The tram shows you where "there" is.

Trams and the shape of the city

A tram network leaves marks on the map that last longer than any timetable. Main streets that carry tram lines tend to be the busy shopping and residential streets, because tracks bring people past shop windows, and the places where several lines meet tend to become the city's informal centres. Look at the nodes named above and you will find that each is also a district hub with its own shops, cafés and offices. A flat near a tram stop on several lines has usually more options than one near a stop on a single line, and the extra options make a difference when a line is closed for works.

Choosing between tram and metro

For a short journey within the inner city the tram is often the better choice, because there is no descent to a platform and no climb back up. For a longer journey across town, the metro wins on speed. A mixed journey, tram to an interchange and then metro, is perfectly normal, and one ticket within its time limit covers it. If you are unsure, enter the trip in the journey planner and look at the two or three options it offers. The choice rarely matters much, and the planner will not mind.

Leaving the tracks

Tram tracks are shared space at some points and reserved at others. Where a track is reserved, cars may not use it, and the markings show it. Where it is shared, a tram may be held up by traffic and you should expect delays. The city's attempt to give trams priority at junctions is a recurring theme of its transport plans and the city's transport department publishes its strategy documents.

A first step

Look up the nearest tram stop to your home on the PID journey planner and note the lines and directions. Then ride one to its terminus on a quiet Sunday. It is the cheapest tour of the outer districts going.