Prague Accessibility Guide

Accessibility in Prague continues to improve. Step-free access and ramps are increasingly common in the city, including on public transport. Read our guide to accessible Prague.

Accessibility: Wheelchairs, Walking Difficulties, PRAMS & BUGGIES

Prague has a compact centre, so is easier to travel around than most capital cities. Wheelchair users, visitors with walking difficulties, and families with prams/buggies will be delighted to learn that most sights and tourist attractions lie within walking or pushing distance of each other.

Furthermore, recent years have seen a continuous cycle of improving access to both private and public buildings in the city, including to the Public Transport Network.

Adapting ancient buildings can be challenging, but accessibility nonetheless forms a core element of all major development and renovation projects. And as a result, barrier-free access is now common at the places and services visitors use in Prague.

Prague Accessibility

One challenge for wheelchair and pushchair users is the significant number of cobbled streets, most notable in parts of the Old Town, Lesser Town and at Prague Castle. These can be a bit hard going, but if you allow a little more time, visitors should not find them too onerous.

ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT & PRAGUE AIRPORT

Accessibility for wheelchairs, prams and baby buggies is very good on public transport. The majority of trams and metro trains in Prague are barrier free:

-newer trams offer step-free access from the street, while the metro has step-free access to trains from the platforms;

-some metro stations offer direct access to platforms from street level via a lift, such as Muzeum and Můstek (top and bottom of Wenceslas Square);

Note: If you are flying into Prague, there is no metro station at Prague Airport. We strongly advise booking an airport transfer to travel to your hotel. Let us know your requirements and we can arrange a suitable vehicle for you.

ACCESSIBLE HOTELS

Book a hotel in the city centre (Prague 1), and if you can walk short distances or be pushed, disabled visitors can access much of the sightseeing and entertainment on offer without the need for transport.

The New Town is the most suitable area of Prague to stay in, particularly around Wenceslas Square. The road surfaces are more even here, and there are more modern hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment venues; the buildings are more likely to have lifts, be more spacious, and have barrier-free rooms and disabled toilets.

Accessible Public Transport

ACCESSIBLE SIGHTSEEING, RIVER CRUISES, Restaurants & ENTERTAINMENT

For sightseeing and entertainment, in our opinion the best option for wheelchair users and people with walking difficulties is to book a river cruise. Boats sail right through the heart of Prague, and many of the city's famous sights are visible from the river.

River cruises run throughout the day and evening. Some cruises, including the Lunch Cruise and Panoramic Dinner Cruise, have disabled toilets.

The quayside departure point is accessible from the road network via a gently sloping ramp, suitable for use by pedestrians, wheelchair users, taxis and mini-coaches.

Once at the quayside, users of light folding wheelchairs can board most river cruises. And staff are on hand to assist. Heavy electric wheelchairs can only access certain boats.

In terms of general sightseeing, we are not able to recommend any of the scheduled daytime tours of Prague as suitable for wheelchair users or people with severe walking difficulties. The streets and squares around the tourist sights are highly pedestrianised, so all tours involve alighting the coach and some walking. There can also be steps to contend with.

However, if you walk reasonably well albeit at a slow pace, and can handle steps, the Prague City & Castle Tour + Boat Trip and the Jewish Quarter Tour are the most suitable.

Another possibility for sightseeing is to hire a private vehicle and driver for a half or full day, to transport you around the city and show you the sights. Although as a private tour, this would be considerably more expensive.

Another option is to make your own way around the city: many of the sights and tourist attractions in Prague are accessible to wheelchairs. If you wish to go up a tower, we recommend visiting the Old Town Hall Tower; a system of lifts inside transport wheelchair users from street level to the top, from where there are stunning views.

To venture out of Prague, to visit interesting places in Czechia, there are several excursions suitable for wheelchair users and people with walking difficulties. The Karlovy Vary, Kutna Hora and Terezín Concentration Camp tours are all worth considering.

For night-time in Prague, we offer an excellent evening excursion suitable for wheelchair users. And it includes a hotel pick-up and drop-off: the Traditional Czech Night.

For pure entertainment in the Old Town, the Medieval Tavern is a great show, and the upper floor is accessible. Book through Prague Experience and we will ensure you are reserved suitable seating - for this one you will need to make your own way to the venue.

A highlight of Prague for many visitors is the classical concerts, ballet and opera performances. All venues, as well as black light theatres, are accessible to wheelchairs. Book tickets through Prague Experience and we will ensure you are seated in the right area.

With regards to eating and drinking in Prague, there are plenty of options. There are many restaurants and cafés at street level. And of those set in cellars and on rooftops, some are serviced by lifts. Read our guide to restaurants with wheelchair access.

A significant challenge for wheelchair users is the severe lack of disabled toilets in Prague. Accessibility is improving, but it is a slow process, hindered in part by the fact that ancient buildings often have preservation orders on them so cannot be adapted.

BOOKING THROUGH PRAGUE EXPERIENCE

When booking a service through Prague Experience, if you are a wheelchair user or have walking difficulties, it is essential that you state your disability and requirements in Special Requests on the booking form.

Where we state that a trip or tour is suitable for wheelchair users, if transport is included participants should be capable of walking a few steps, and must bring a folding wheelchair and a travel companion to assist with boarding and alighting the vehicle.

Depending on your needs, it may be necessary to forgo some elements of a tour.

More Information