Christmas in Czechia: Shop closures, transport changes, and fun things to do

A law that passed in 2016 requires stores over 200 square meters size to close on some public holidays but not on others. Several of those days fall over the Christmas holidays. On Dec. 24 shops of this size can remain open until 12:00 but actual opening hours vary between specific shops.

For last-minute Christmas shoppers, some stores will have extended hours (to 11 p.m.) on Dec. 22-23. On Dec. 24, however, some shops close as early as 11:30 a.m., while others won't open at all on Dec. 24 including Penny Market and Billa.

You can see a list of opening hours and specific retail chain closures here.

Shops remain closed by law on Dec. 25 and 26. Closures don't apply to all stores. Pharmacies, gas stations, shops at airports, railway stations (including Prague’s Hlavní nádraží), and hospitals are exempt.

As previously reported, a holiday timetable for Prague's public transport will go into effect over the holiday season. This year the "half-holiday" timetable will run throughout the holidays, but the limited timetables will be in force until Feb. 12.

On Christmas Day, the daily operation of city bus lines and trams will follow a Saturday timetable until 6 p.m., after which they will switch to night service. The metro will run until midnight, though after 6 p.m. it will operate at 20-minute intervals. 

On the first and second days of Christmas and on New Year's Day, Prague Integrated Transport services will operate according to Sunday timetables. From Dec. 27 to 30 and Jan. 2, public transport in Prague will run on a workday holiday schedule. 

On New Year's Eve, after a two-year hiatus, the metro will run again until approximately 2:30 a.m., and 45 selected daily bus lines will run until approx. 2:30 a.m. Trams will run a reinforced night service from 10:00 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. with an interval of 15 minutes, then at 20-minute intervals until 7:00 a.m.

A complete overview of holiday timetables can be found here.

If a walk around Prague has become part of your Christmas tradition you'll be pleased to know that a number of Prague monuments and other public spaces will remain open on Dec. 24.