Travel Guide: Austria To Prague

There are several ways to travel from Austria to Prague, including by train, bus, rideshare, car, plane or subway. The fastest way to travel between the two places is by train and then plane and subway, which takes around 3 hours. The cheapest option is by bus, which costs between $13 and $19. The train is a popular option as it is a fast, reliable and comfortable connection between the two cities.

Travel by train

There are several ways to travel from Austria to Prague by train. The most common route is from Vienna to Prague, which takes around 4 hours. This route is served by up to 11 trains every day, including direct trains. The earliest train leaves Vienna at 5:39 am, and the latest departure is at 9:55 pm. The average ticket price is around $59, but prices vary depending on the time of day and class, and cheap tickets can be found for as low as $15.

Train Companies

The main train companies operating on this route are RegioJet and ÖBB. RegioJet offers five trains per day, while ÖBB offers six trains per day.

Train Types

The ÖBB trains are called Railjet, and they are high-speed trains with three types of classes: Railjet Comfort, Railjet Business, and Railjet First Class. The Comfort class offers standard seating, while the Business class offers more spacious seating and complimentary drinks and snacks. The First Class is the most luxurious option, with extra-wide seats, complimentary meals, and access to a private lounge.

The RegioJet trains have four classes: Low Cost, Standard, Relax, and Business. The Low Cost class has basic amenities, while the Standard class offers comfortable seating and complimentary coffee and water. The Relax class provides more spacious seating and additional amenities such as newspapers and magazines. The Business class has leather seats in private compartments and complimentary drinks and snacks.

Stations

The main train stations in Vienna are the Vienna Hauptbahnhof and the Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof. In Prague, the main stations are the Prague hlavní nádraží and the Prague-Holešovice.

Travel by bus

Taking the bus is the cheapest way to travel from Austria to Prague. Buses travelling from Austria to Prague depart from Vienna's Hlavní Nádraží bus station and take approximately 4 hours to arrive at either Prague's Stadion Center or Stadion Erdberg bus station. Over 30 buses travel from Austria to Prague every day, with the earliest departing at 3:15 a.m. Bus companies that travel from Austria to Prague include Infobus, Flixbus, Eurolines and Regiojet.

The bus from Vienna, International Busterminal (VIB) to Praha, Hlavní Nádraží takes 3h 54m including transfers and departs hourly. Tickets start at $20.

In Prague, buses depart from Florenc bus station, located on the red C metro line (station “Florenc”), some 10 minutes walking from the main train station. In Vienna, the main bus station is located at Erdbergstrasse, a bit far from the centre but next to the U3 orange metro line (station “Erdberg”).

FlixBus offers frequent departures (around 15 per day) with tickets starting at €15/one way if purchased well in advance, and up to €40 when purchased on the day of departure. You can buy the tickets directly at their website. Another company that operates Prague to Vienna bus connections is Student Agency, a popular local company that offers four daily departures with prices starting at €15.

Tickets

You can buy bus tickets online at either Regio Jet or Flixbus as these are two main companies serving the route. Tickets start at €13 if you buy in advance (around €20 one day before the departure).

Alternatives

There are several other ways to travel from Austria to Prague, including by train, plane, rideshare, car, subway or shuttle.

Travel by plane

Flying from Austria to Prague is a good option for those who enjoy the airport experience and the thrill of soaring through the skies. Here is what you need to know about travelling by plane from Austria to Prague.

Step 1: Get to the Airport

Firstly, you need to get to your chosen airport in Austria. The two main options are Vienna International Airport (VIE) or Salzburg Airport. If you are already in Vienna, you can take the subway to the airport, or you can drive if you prefer.

Step 2: Book your Flight

There are several direct flight options from Austria to Prague.

If you are flying from Vienna, you can choose from flights departing around 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m. These flights are operated by Austrian Airlines, and you can book directly on their website. The sooner you book, the better the deal you are likely to get, with tickets starting at €80 one way.

If you are flying from Salzburg, you will first need to fly to Munich and then take a connecting flight to Prague. You can search for these flights on your preferred travel booking website.

Step 3: Arrive in Prague

Once you land at Prague Václav Havel Airport (PRG), you have several options to get into the city centre. The airport is located about 17km from the centre of Prague.

You can take a taxi or rideshare service, which will take around 25 minutes, depending on traffic.

Alternatively, you can take the bus. The Airport Express bus (AE) runs every 30 minutes and takes about 35 minutes to reach the city centre. You can buy tickets on the bus or use contactless payment methods.

Finally, you can take a train to the main train station, Praha Hlavní Nádraží. This journey will take about 40 minutes.

Total Travel Time and Cost

The total time for this journey, including getting to and from the airport and clearing security, will be at least 4 hours. The cost will depend on your choice of transportation to and from the airport, as well as your flight costs.

Travel by car

The distance between Prague and Vienna is around 200 miles, and the road distance is around 207 miles. The drive from Prague to Vienna takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.

If you are renting a car, make sure to specify that you need a car with an automatic transmission if you don't drive a car with manual transmission. Also, dropping the car off in another country may mean a huge additional fee, so be sure to check this with the rental company. In addition, ensure that the car is allowed to be taken outside of the Czech Republic.

You will need highway stickers for both the Czech Republic and Austria. The Czech rental company may provide you with a Czech sticker, but you will need to purchase an Austrian one separately.

There are two main routes from Prague to Vienna. The fastest route is via the D1 highway, which goes through Brno and Mikulov. The other option is to take the D1 highway to Jihlava and then continue on a country road to Znojmo and then Vienna. The highway is the busiest in the Czech Republic, while the country road usually has some detours.

If you want to make a road trip out of it and stop at some interesting places along the way, there are plenty of great options! Here are some suggestions:

• Hluboka Castle: This castle is often deemed the most beautiful castle in the Czech Republic. Its current appearance was constructed in the 19th century in the romantic style of England's Windsor Castle.
• Holasovice: A small historic village with a photogenic row of Baroque houses. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its well-preserved traditional European folk village architecture.
• Cesky Krumlov: A picturesque town worth at least a night's stay. It is like stepping into a medieval castle town, with polished cobblestones and a twisty section of the Vltava River running through it.
• Trebon: A small Renaissance town from the 12th century, known for its lakes and ponds, and for being the largest producer of freshwater fish in Europe.
• Telc: A town with a beautiful square and an Italian Renaissance castle at its centre, surrounded by Renaissance and Baroque burgher houses. It has been recognised by UNESCO for escaping the "mania for over-restoration in the 19th century".
• Mikulov: A convenient base for road trips around the South Moravian countryside, with beautiful hiking and biking trails through vineyards, castle towns, ruins, and scenic peaks.
• Lednice Palace: A Baroque palace that is part of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Remember to set your GPS to avoid tolls if you don't want to use the tolled motorways.

Travel by subway

To travel from Austria to Prague by subway, you can take the subway from Nádraží Veleslavín to Staroměstská. This route requires a combination of subway and plane travel. Here is a step-by-step guide:

First, make your way to the Nádraží Veleslavín subway station in Prague. This station is located near the Prague Václav Havel Airport (PRG). You can reach the airport by flying from Vienna International Airport (VIE) in Austria.

Once you arrive at Nádraží Veleslavín, follow the signage to the subway platform. Purchase a ticket from the ticket machines or counters, if needed. Then, board the subway towards Staroměstská. This journey will take you directly into the heart of Prague.

The entire trip, including the flight from Vienna to Prague, will take approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes. The subway ride itself is a quick journey, and the exact duration can be confirmed closer to your travel date.

Please note that the specific directions may vary depending on your starting point in Austria and your intended destination in Prague. This guide provides a general outline for travelling by subway between the two countries.

Frequently asked questions