Prague’s trams give you a street-level route up to Prague Castle and a way home after the daytime network finishes. The useful distinction is between ordinary city services, including nostalgic line 23, and the separately ticketed sightseeing ride on tram 42.
For the castle hill, match the line number with the direction towards Pražský hrad or Pohořelec. For boarding, the important difference is whether your ticket needs stamping, is issued onboard or is activated in the app.
When to take a tram
- Daytime service
- Daily, 05:00–00:00
- Typical intervals
- 8 minutes at peak times; 10–20 minutes otherwise
- Trunk lines 9, 17 and 22
- Half the typical network intervals
- Tickets
- Ordinary Prague PID tickets, within their time validity
Walking is the default between nearby central sights, but take a tram for the castle climb, longer journeys or to spare your legs. Prague Integrated Transport, abbreviated PID, covers regular tram travel alongside the city’s other public transport.
From Malostranské náměstí in Lesser Town, the uphill walk to Prague Castle is about 750 metres and about 13 minutes. Walking lets you explore the streets on the slope, while riding brings you to a different castle approach, so choose the entrance as well as the mode.
Modern trams include articulated Škoda 15T vehicles, with connected passenger sections. Leave room for people to get off before stepping aboard.
IngolfBLN · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Edited
Trams 22 and 23 for the castle hill
| Stop | Lines | Direction or action | Place served | Next leg on 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malostranské náměstí | 22, 23 | Uphill towards Pražský hrad | Lesser Town | Pražský hrad: about 2.3 km; about 8 minutes |
| Pražský hrad | 22, 23 | Alight; or continue towards Pohořelec | Castle’s northern entrance | Pohořelec: about 1.2 km; about 3 minutes |
| Pohořelec | 22, 23 | Alight for upper Hradčany | Strahov Monastery area | — |
From Malostranské náměstí, board on the castle-bound side, not towards the river and city centre. Read the stop’s list of forthcoming stops as well as the tram’s destination display: Pražský hrad should be ahead of you. Both lines climb through the castle district.
- Name
- Malostranské náměstí tram stop
- Location
- Malá Strana 118 00 Prague 1 Maps
- Essential fact
- A tram stop on Lesser Town Square in Prague.
Pražský hrad means Prague Castle, but the tram stop is not an entrance gate. Head towards Prašný most, the Powder Bridge, for the northern castle entrance. This approach avoids starting your visit with the climb from Lesser Town. Continue to Pohořelec instead if you want to begin around Strahov Monastery and explore upper Hradčany before the castle.
- Name
- Pražský hrad tram stop
- Location
- 169 00 Prague-Prague 6 Maps
- Essential fact
- A tram stop beside the northern approach to Prague Castle.
ŠJů · CC BY 4.0 · Edited
- Line 22 operating days
- Daily
- Regular service window
- 05:00–00:00
- Accessible departures
- Wheelchair pictogram in the timetable
| Day or period | Peak interval | Other interval |
|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 4 minutes | 8 minutes |
| Saturdays | 5 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Sundays and public holidays | 4 minutes | 8 minutes |
| Daily, 07:00–12:00 | — | 7.5 minutes |
| Daily, 12:00–20:00 | — | 10 minutes |
| Early and late services | — | 10–20 minutes |
If step-free boarding matters, use the PID journey planner’s “Only barrier-free connections” filter to choose an accessible departure rather than assuming every arriving tram will suit you.
Line 23 adds a nostalgic ride to the same castle-hill journey, using historic cars from the 1920s and 1930s. Ordinary PID tickets are accepted on it, so you do not need the sightseeing ticket sold for tram 42. Its appeal is the vehicle itself, but it is still a regular public-transport journey, with stops shared by other passengers.
Boarding and paying
On ordinary trams, you can use a pre-purchased paper ticket, buy onboard by card or travel with an activated PID Lítačka app ticket. The yellow validator stamps a paper ticket. It is not the same as the onboard purchase terminal. Choose the action that matches the ticket you hold.
Do
- For an onboard purchase, use the door marked with the contactless-payment symbol and buy immediately. The terminal accepts payment cards only; the ticket is valid on issue.
- Stamp a pre-purchased paper ticket once, on first use, immediately after boarding. Insert it face up, following the arrow; validity starts at stamping.
- Activate your PID Lítačka ticket before boarding and wait 1 minute until it becomes valid.
- On inspection, show your valid, correctly stamped paper ticket or the app-generated QR code. Carry entitlement proof for a discounted or special fare.
Don’t
- Stamp an onboard-issued ticket or stamp a paper ticket again when changing trams.
- Treat a purchased but inactive app ticket as permission to board.
- Wait for an inspector before buying or activating your ticket.
ŠJů ( cs:ŠJů ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edited
For choosing a duration and comparing singles with passes, Prague public transport tickets and passes explains the ordinary fare options. Allow for your whole outing rather than only the ride uphill.
Night trams and Lazarská
| Nights | Service window | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday–Monday to Thursday–Friday | Approximately 00:00–04:30 | 30 minutes |
| Friday–Saturday and Saturday–Sunday | Approximately 00:00–04:30 | 20 minutes |
- Night lines
- 91–99
- Transfer hub
- Lazarská
- Tickets
- Ordinary PID tickets valid for Prague
- Validity required
- Entire journey, including transfers and waiting in the transport area
After your evening out, Lazarská is the key place to change between night trams. Match both the line number and its direction, not just the number on the arriving vehicle. Read the onward stops for your accommodation’s neighbourhood before boarding, because the opposite direction takes you away from it.
- Name
- Lazarská tram stop
- Location
- 110 00 Prague-Prague 1 Maps
- Essential fact
- A central Prague tram stop used for night tram transfers.
ŠJů ( cs:ŠJů ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edited
Waiting between services counts when choosing ticket duration. A ticket that covers the first ride may not cover the connection: choose longer validity if necessary, because an expired ticket cannot cover continued travel. Leave room for the change rather than treating the two rides as one uninterrupted trip.
Vintage tram 42
Tram 42 is worth choosing if riding historic vehicles is part of the outing, rather than simply a way to reach a sight. Its circular sightseeing route uses classic trams from different eras of Prague’s network. You can enjoy the vehicle and the city views between stops, then step off to explore.
For an ordinary castle visit, the regular services described earlier keep the journey within your city transport ticket. Tram 42 is a different experience with its own ticket, so decide whether you want to spend part of the day on the ride itself. Line 23 offers nostalgia within the ordinary network, while line 42 makes sightseeing by vintage tram the activity.
ŠJů ( cs:ŠJů ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edited
Riding tram 42
- Operating days
- Daily, year-round
- Service window
- Approximately 09:30–18:00
- Departure interval
- 30 minutes
Plan a late ride around where you will board, not simply the end of the service window. Getting off to explore is easier earlier in the day, when you have more scope to rejoin the circular route.
The tram 42 ticket
| Ticket | Price | Validity from validation | Coverage | Repeated boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic adult | CZK 450 | 24 hours | Trams 42, 41; bus K | Yes, on line 42 |
Ordinary PID tickets are not valid on tram 42. Buy the separate sightseeing ticket from the conductor after boarding, paying by cash or card. Prague visitor information centres and DPP information centres also sell it.
Keep the sightseeing ticket with you throughout the outing, including when you step off to explore. Buying from an information centre lets you have it ready before you board.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: services and fares and charges.
- Prague Public Transit Company (Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, DPP) — service
- Tarifní pásma PID
- PID Tariff (2026)
- Historic Tram Line No. 42
- Tram lines – regular situation valid from 1 September 2025 (approximate tram intervals)
- New nostalgic-tourist tram line 23 in Prague since 25th March 2017
- Bezbariérově s PID
- Tramvaje
- Cashless payment of fare
- How and where to buy tickets
- How do I get from…?
- Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) — fares and charges
