How to get from the Prague Airport to City Center

If flying into Prague, you’ll land 11 miles from city center at the Vaclav Havel Prague Airport. The airport is the only airport serving Prague and is daily small and easy to navigate.

The airport has two terminals serving both Schengen-zone (Terminal 2) and non-Schengen (Terminal 1) flights into Prague. With the airport being a ways from Prague city center and no direct trains running to the airport, you’ll have to navigate one of five ways to get from the Prague airport to city center.

Here is how to get from the Prague airport to city center.

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Mini-Guide to Prague

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Prague Airport Shuttle: Airport Express (AE) Bus

By far the most easiest and cheapest way to get from the Prague airport to city center is taking the AE bus. The AE bus runs every 30 minutes from 6:30a – 10:00p, departing outside Terminal 1.

Tickets can be purchased with card at one of the red freestanding information kiosks after leaving security in Terminal 1 or 2. If you happen to have cash (Czech koruna only), you can pay the bus driver directly. The bus will cost you about $2.50 usd no mater payment method. With your ticket, you’ll place it into the yellow reader upon entering the bus.

The bus station is hard to miss, as a lot of locals and tourists will be standing near the freestanding covered area outside of Terminal 1 waiting for its arrival. The signage will read “AE Airport Express” making it very hard to miss.

Once on the bus, your ride will take about 25-40 minutes, largely dependent on traffic, and will end at the Prague central station. There, you can catch the subway/metro, tram or another train to take you to your final destination.

If your final destination is the Prague Old Town, from central station it’s actually only a 20 minute walk to the Old Town’s square. But if you want to take the light rail trains (26, 15 or 25) to Dlouhá třída and walk from there.

Travel Tip! It's always a smart idea to download Google Maps to the area you're visiting offline before arriving to your destination. That way at Prague's central station you can take out your phone and easily see your best transfer option in real-time, even with limited data.

Since the AE bus is made for those arriving at the airport, there are areas to store your luggage on the bus. The bus does not have that many seats, so depending on the amount of incoming flights you might have to stand.

Other ways to get from Prague airport to city center

Uber

Unfortunately, Prague is known to have far too many taxis ripping off tourists upon arrival to the airport. Instead of getting into a taxi, Prague does have service with Uber. With Uber, you can get your flat rate upfront. Depending on where you’re going in Prague, an Uber will cost you anywhere from $25-40 usd.

If you must take a taxi, be sure to negotiate the fee upfront and use one of the two taxi services recommended by the Prague airport: Taxi Praha and Fix Taxi.

Private Transfer

Private transfers will cost slightly more than Uber at around $30-$40 usd. However, they can be booked in advance with a driver waiting for you upon arrival. Private transfers are a great option to book if you want to ensure a door-to-door service at a fair price. So if you’re traveling with a lot of luggage or as a family this is probably a better option than the AE bus.

Public bus

Far less reliable, more complicated but much cheaper option is the public bus. There are four busses that ride to Prague airport: 100, 119, 191 and (only at night) 910. You can use the Prague public transportation website to map which bus route would work best for you here.

If you have the option between the express bus and the public bus into the city, always take the express bus. It’s going to be an easier experience for less than $1 more than the public bus.

Find out more information on the daytime operation at the airport here.

Rental Car

Unless you’re planning to spend the majority of your time outside of Prague, do not rent a car. Prague has one of the best public transit systems that is reliable and easy to navigate. And finding parking for your vehicle will be challenging and expensive.

If you plan to do a day trip outside of the city, instead of renting a car for the duration of the trip rent a car for that specific day or book a guided day trip.

Want more tips on renting cars? Check out my complete guide to saving money on car rentals.

Arriving after 10:00pm? Here’s what you need to know.

Unfortunately, the AE bus and most public transportation options to the airport will end their service at 10:00p. You can still take the night bus #910 from the airport, which will depart the airport about every half hour or so until 3:55a. However, after 10:00p it’s best to have an Uber or pre-arranged transfer to take you into the city.

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