Landing at Vaclav Havel Prague Airport and not sure of the best way to get to the city center called Old Town? We’ve collected all the reasonable options and put them down for you. Prague is notoriously known for its dubious taxi drivers, so getting to the city center could be stressful if you aren’t prepared.
Prague Airport is located approximately 17 kilometers and 25 minutes from the city center (Wenceslas Square or Old Town Square) when there is no traffic. The rush hours are usually during working days in the morning (7 to 10 AM) and in the late afternoon (4 to 7 PM). During the rush hour please add 20 – 30 minutes to your ride. The official address is Aviaticka, 16108 Prague 6.
Out of all options, we also don’t recommend taking a taxi because for the same (or even lower) price you can get a much better service with private pickups. If you are short on a budget, go with the airport shuttle transfer
1. Honest Tip: Private Pickup (€31)
Welcome Pickups are focusing on private airport pickups and all their drivers are hand-picked and well trained. For the same price as a taxi (€31), you will get a private driver with excellent English and knowledge of Prague. The driver will be also waiting for you with the welcome sign at the terminal exit. If the flight delayed or canceled? No worries, your driver will be monitoring the flight schedule and will manage accordingly.
The best thing is you will land and go right away with no waiting as your car is always ready. The service has excellent ratings on TripAdvisor (5 stars out of 5.000+ reviews) and even received the Certificate of Excellence.
Pros | Cons |
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✅ Private driver with excellent English | ❌ Higher price (€31) |
✅ Pickup at the terminal exit with sign | |
✅ Land and go (no waiting time) | |
✅ Driver knows Prague really well |
GO TO BOOKING →
You will be redirected to our partner Welcome Pickups
2. Honest Tip: Airport Shuttle Transfer (€14.95)
A good compromise between a cheap public transport and a private car may be a shuttle transfer (it’s actually an 8-passenger car, not a bus). It costs only €14.95 per person and will get you from the airport directly to your hotel or apartment.
However, if you are traveling with more than 2 people, it is smarter to take private pickup. There is also a cheaper version of the shuttle bus which costs only €5.50 per person, but it only goes to the city center (Narodni street). Both shuttles are very comfy and typically a Mercedes Benz V-Class or Volkswagen Transporter with air-conditioning and guaranteed seats. The ride takes from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the number of stops and traffic.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✅ Reasonable price (€14.95 / person) | ❌ Expensive if you are travelling in a group |
✅ Comfortable minibus with air conditioning | |
✅ Take you directly to your address | |
✅ Operates 24/7 and leaves every 30 minutes |
GO TO BOOKING →
You will be redirected to our partner GetYourGuide
3. Uber (€22+)
The second best option is taking an Uber. Uber has been operating in Prague since 2014 and is now a reliable service which is more popular than a regular taxi. Uber drivers are usually waiting within a 5-minute distance of the airport, so the waiting times are really short. The cost of UberX is around €22. The disadvantage compared to private pickup is you need to wait for your car and sometimes chase it in the parking lot. Also, the drivers’ quality varies and prices may go up during the rush hours.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✅ Reasonable price (16€) | ❌ Higher price during the rush hours |
✅ 8€ discount with promo code "PRAGUEGO" | ❌ Requires Internet connection to book |
✅ Short waiting times | ❌ Quality of drivers varies |
✅ Easy booking via mobile app |
4. Public Transport (from €1.5)
The cheapest option to get to Prague city center is by using regular public transport which is very cost-effective. The bus station is right in front of Terminal 2 (Exit D). A ticket valid for 90 minutes costs €1.5 (40 CZK) and you can use it for the bus, tram or subway. Just take the bus 119 to Nadrazi Veleslavin where you must transfer to subway line A (green) and you can continue to downtown (Mustek) or any other station. The bus goes every 6 minutes and operates from 4:23 AM to 23:42 PM (last bus) on all days including the weekend. Alternatively, you can take bus number 100 which goes to Zlicin (yellow subway line B) or bus number 191 which goes to Andel. Check out the video from Honest Guide guys below where it is very well explained.
A bit more convenient is the Airport Express bus as you don’t need to transfer to the subway to get to the city center, but it’s also slightly more expensive. The bus station is at the parking lot right in front of Terminal 1. Tickets cost €4 (100 CZK) for adults or €2 (50 CZK) for children and you can buy them at the terminal or directly from the bus driver. The bus terminates at Prague Main Station (Praha Hlavni Nadrazi) where you can take a subway (line C), tram or go on foot. Please keep in mind the bus schedule – buses operate every 15 – 30 minutes starting at 5:30 AM to 9 PM. The ride takes around 50 minutes (depending on the traffic) and you can use it also on the way to the airport.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✅ Really cheap price (from 1.25€ / person) | ❌ Often very overcrowded and busy |
✅ No additional charges for luggages | ❌ Requires transfer to Subway |
✅ Leaves every 15 to 30 minutes | ❌ Less comfortable and slower than a private car |
✅ Goes directly to city center with no stopping |
Whatever option you choose we hope you will have a great time in Prague. If you still haven’t booked your accommodation check out our article on the best Hotels, Airbnb and private apartments in Prague.
Our Verdict
Overall there are many ways how to get from Prague airport to the city center (Old Town). If you prefer comfort and don't want to be stressed, go with the private pickup for €27. If you are short on budget, go with the shared shuffle which starts at €9.95 per person and still takes in front of your hotel. Public transport is also a great option, but sometimes the buses can be packed. Unfortunately, there is still no direct subway line or train as in the other metropolites.
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Private Pickup10
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Airport Shuttle9
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Uber or Bolt7
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Public Transport6
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Airport Taxi5
Honest Tips For Your Prague Stay
AIRPORT TRANSFER Get a private transfer from/to Prague Airport for a price of regular taxi (€31).
PRAGUE CITY CARD Save time and money with Prague Card, and see 60+ sights for free.
23 Comments
You should double check your info. Airport Express is nowhere near 1.25 euros. The correct information is on their website.
Is your Prague subway map complete? I don’t see the Namesti Miru station on the green line. Please advise.
For the bus option – where is the drop-off in Old Town? Does the 65+ age gets free transport still apply?
Thankyou so much for the easy transfer info. I really appreciate the cost effective explanation of using public transport. I will be visiting in Dec 2023 for the Christams markets etc and this has helped enormously. Cheers
We are going to be there soon:)
Have a great time.
Hi, I will be staying overnight in Prague, have an afternoon free and would like to do a free tour. After arrival, if I take a bus from the airport to downtown, what can I do with my luggage while I am on a tour?
there are cheap luggage lockers within the main station which require coins (from memory, price depends on how long you want to use the locker, but it might be a flat rate – either way, it’s inexpensive!) enjoy your trip 🙂
What is the name and distance of train station in Prague to go to Vienna from city centre ? Can we book the tickets 2 days before for riojet?