Prague tram tickets, koruna SIM prices and day trips over the border: how to stay online in the Czech Republic in 2026

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In Prague you can buy a tram ticket by text message, but only from a Czech phone number. That one rule sums up the trip: the city is easy to get around online, yet a few local services still expect a local SIM.

Plenty of visitors make the trip. City figures put Prague at about 8.3 million guests in its accommodation in 2025, roughly 507,000 of them from the United States and 501,000 from the UK.

You have three ways to stay connected: roaming on your home plan, a Czech prepaid SIM, or a travel eSIM set up before you leave. Below we compare their prices, explain where each one falls short, and cover the details that matter in Czechia: transport tickets, train Wi-Fi and trips into Germany and Austria.

👉 Already know your dates? See the Czech Republic plans.

Landing at Prague Airport: Wi-Fi first, SIM counter second

Václav Havel Airport Prague handled 17.75 million passengers in 2025, and London was its busiest route. Most visitors therefore start the trip at the same airport.

The free network there is called “Prague Airport WiFi Free”, and the airport does not list a time limit. It is enough to message your host or book a ride.

Local SIMs are on sale at the airport too: Vodafone says its visitor SIMs are sold at the Relay shops there. After a night flight, though, a shop queue is the last thing most people want, which is why many travellers arrive with data already set up.

Roaming in Czechia: free on some plans, a daily fee on others

What roaming costs depends on where your SIM is from, not on where you are going.

EU and EEA plans. Czechia is an EU member, so “roam like at home” applies: you use your normal allowance at no extra charge, within fair-use limits. If that is you, you may not need anything else.

UK plans. After Brexit, British networks can charge for EU roaming again. Which? checked prices on 10 April 2026: Europe add-ons on the big networks run about £2 to £2.60 a day, and a few plans still include Europe. A week in Prague at the top rate comes to roughly £18.

US plans. On the main US networks an international day pass is about $12 a day (carrier pages, checked October 2026). A five-day city break is about $60 for one phone.

Canadian plans. Daily roaming outside the US costs about CA$16–18 on the major carriers (MobileSyrup, 3 March 2026).

Gulf and other plans. Check your operator’s rate for Czechia, and for any neighbour you plan to visit.

Roaming keeps your own number, which helps with bank codes. Our guide to keeping your number abroad explains how to use a data eSIM and still receive those texts.

Czech prepaid SIMs: what the koruna prices really buy

Czechia uses the koruna (CZK), not the euro. We converted prices at the Czech National Bank rate of 22 October 2026: 100 CZK = $4.62.

Vodafone has the clearest offer for visitors, published in English on its own site:

• Tourist SIM card: 349 CZK (about $16) for a week of unlimited data, with 100 CZK of credit;
• Data SIM for Visitors: 499 CZK (about $23) for 20 GB in the first month, then 399 CZK (about $18) a month;
• Add-on bundles: a day of unlimited data for 49 CZK (about $2.30) once you hold a Vodafone prepaid SIM.

O2 and T-Mobile sell prepaid data too. A Czech price comparison from June 2026 lists 10 GB on O2 for 299 CZK (about $14, 30 days) and 10 GB on T-Mobile for 200 CZK (about $9.20, including 100 CZK of credit).

We found no national ID requirement for prepaid SIMs in Czechia, although a shop may still ask to see a passport.

One detail is easy to miss: Vodafone says online top-ups need a payment card issued in the Czech Republic. With a foreign card you top up in a store or at a post office or newsagent terminal.

Pros:

• for a month or more, a Czech SIM is cheaper than most alternatives;
• you get a Czech number, which unlocks SMS tickets and local services;

Cons:

• you buy it after landing, in a shop with opening hours;
• topping up with a foreign card means a trip to a store or ATM;

Torrum plans for the Czech Republic

The Torrum profile for Czechia connects through all three national networks: O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone. If one is weak in a valley or a station, the phone can use another.

A Prague weekend, a two-week Bohemia loop or 20 days with plenty of photos.

Metered credit that also works when the train crosses into Germany or Austria.

For days of video calls, live streams or a laptop on the hotel desk.

How much data? A city break of maps, messages, tickets and photo uploads usually needs only a few gigabytes a week. Daily video calls or streaming need more; our guide on how much data a trip really takes has the numbers.

A package’s days start counting with the first connection in Czechia, so you can buy early. It ends on its final day, even if data is left.

Pay-per-MB costs $0.0011 per MB in the Czech Republic and is paid from prepaid credit, with top-ups from $10. Unused credit can later be moved to a package. Unlimited is a fixed price for a set number of days.

The honest comparison: for up to 20 days, Torrum packages cost less than the Vodafone visitor SIMs. T-Mobile’s 10 GB shop plan is about the same price as ours, but needs a store visit. For a month or longer, a Czech SIM is the cheaper option.

You get data, not a Czech phone number. Your phone must support eSIM and must not be locked to a carrier.

Prague transport: the app, the tap and the SMS ticket you can’t buy

Prague runs one ticket system (PID) for the metro, trams, buses and city trains. There are three ways to pay, and your choice of SIM affects one of them.

The PID Lítačka app. Tickets in the app are a little cheaper than paper: in 2026 a 30-minute ticket costs 36 CZK in the app and 39 CZK on paper, and a 24-hour ticket 140 CZK against 150 CZK. PID says you need an internet connection to buy and activate a ticket, so the app depends on mobile data.

Contactless on board. Trams and city buses have contactless terminals that sell 30-minute, 90-minute and 24-hour tickets.

SMS tickets. The transport company DPP sells tickets by text to 902 06, but says they can be bought “only from a Czech operator’s number”, with premium SMS enabled. A UK or US number will not work, and a data eSIM has no number at all.

In practice, a travel eSIM plus the app or a contactless card covers everything. Activate an app ticket before you board, or tap your card on the terminal as soon as you get on: inspectors check.

Signal underground and on the rails

The metro. All 61 Prague metro stations and the tunnels between them have 4G or 5G for every operator; the last station was connected in November 2023. You can keep checking a route between stops.

The train network. The Czech regulator, ČTÚ, measured at least 99.7% coverage along the main rail corridors in 2025, but warns that signal inside carriages and in tunnels is weaker. ČTÚ says about 670 carriages are getting signal repeaters.

Train Wi-Fi. České dráhy, the national rail company, runs almost 5,300 domestic trains with free Wi-Fi in its 2026 timetable. RegioJet also lists free Wi-Fi in all classes. Onboard Wi-Fi rides on the same mobile masts, so it fades where they do; it is better for messages than for video.

Day trips over the border: Dresden, Vienna and Bohemian Switzerland

Czechia is small, and its neighbours are close. Dresden, Vienna and Bratislava are all a few hours from Prague by train. That matters, because a country package only works in its own country.

A Torrum Czech package stays in Czechia. Once you cross into Germany, Austria, Slovakia or Poland, it stops working until you return. You have three options:

• One day across the border: keep some Pay-per-MB credit; the per-MB rate in Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland is the same as in Czechia;
• A rail loop through several countries: choose the Europe regional plan, which covers Czechia and its neighbours in one package;
• Several days in one neighbour: add that country’s package, for example Germany.

Near the border, the phone may switch on its own. Bohemian Switzerland National Park, home of the Pravčická brána arch, runs along the German border, and the Šumava forest borders both Germany and Austria. On hiking trails there, a phone can pick up a foreign network before you cross. If your data stops, choose O2, T-Mobile or Vodafone manually in the network settings; our eSIM troubleshooting guide shows where that setting is.

Signal in sandstone gorges and forest valleys can be patchy, so save offline maps of the trails before you set out. In an emergency, call 112: it is free and works from any phone.

December in Prague: market crowds and New Year’s Eve

The Christmas markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square usually open in late November and run into early January. Official dates for 2026 had not been announced when we checked in October.

On a busy evening, the squares are packed, and your phone does most of the work: finding friends, checking tram times and paying.

Busy evenings use a lot of battery. A few habits help:

• agree on a fixed meeting point, such as the Astronomical Clock, before you split up;
• buy a 24-hour or 72-hour transport ticket in the app in advance, so you are not buying one in the crowd;
• carry a power bank, because the cold drains batteries faster.

Setting up at home: five steps

1. Check the list of compatible devices and make sure your phone is not locked to one carrier;
2. Sign in with Google, Apple or Telegram and choose a Czech package, Unlimited days or Pay-per-MB credit; pay by card;
3. Install the profile from the QR code while you are on Wi-Fi at home; our installation guide has screens for iPhone and Android;
4. Enable data roaming on the Torrum eSIM; leave your own SIM active so calls and bank SMS still reach you;
5. After landing in Prague, choose Torrum as your mobile data line, and the package starts counting.

Questions at any step? Write to Torrum support on Telegram.

Roaming, a Czech SIM or Torrum compared

City break, rail loop or a month in Prague: which plan

A long weekend in Prague. The 7 GB Czech package is more than enough for maps, tickets and photos.

Prague plus Český Krumlov, Kutná Hora or Karlovy Vary. Take 10 GB for up to two weeks. Download offline maps before you head into the countryside.

Prague, Vienna and Budapest by train. Use the Europe regional package rather than three separate ones.

A business trip or a heavy streaming day. One or five days of Unlimited let you take calls without counting gigabytes.

A month or more in Prague. Buy a Czech prepaid SIM; for long stays it is cheaper. A little Pay-per-MB credit covers you until you reach a shop.

FAQ

Can I buy a Prague SMS ticket with a travel eSIM?

No. DPP sells SMS tickets only to Czech numbers. Use the PID Lítačka app or tap a contactless card on board.

Does my phone work in the Prague metro?

Yes. All 61 stations and the tunnels have 4G or 5G on every Czech network.

Which Czech networks does Torrum use?

O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone. If coverage dips, pick another one in the network settings.

Can I top up a Czech prepaid SIM online with a foreign card?

Not on Vodafone: it says online top-ups need a Czech-issued card. Use a store or a post office or newsagent terminal.

Do I need a passport to buy a SIM in Czechia?

We found no national ID requirement for prepaid SIMs, but a shop may still ask for one.

Does a Torrum Czech package work in Dresden or Vienna?

No, only in Czechia. For a day trip use Pay-per-MB; for a multi-country route, the Europe regional plan.

Is there free Wi-Fi at Prague Airport?

Yes, on the “Prague Airport WiFi Free” network, and the airport lists no time limit.

Will an old 3G phone work?

Only slowly: the operators switched off 3G in 2021, and only 2G remains as a fallback. An eSIM phone uses 4G or 5G anyway.

Which emergency number should I call?

Call 112, which is free from any phone. The direct numbers are 155 for an ambulance and 158 for the police.

I live in the Czech Republic. Can I use Torrum at home?

No. Torrum is built for travel outside your home country; people living in Czechia need a local contract.

Final thoughts: Prague is easy, the small print is local

The Czech networks are strong in Prague, in the metro and along the main rail lines. Most of the decision comes down to two things: how long you stay and whether you cross a border.

For stays under three weeks, an eSIM installed at home is the simplest choice and costs less than the visitor SIMs. For a month or more, a Czech prepaid SIM is cheaper. For a rail loop through Central Europe, choose the regional plan.

👉 Flying into Prague soon? Choose your Czech Republic eSIM.