Driving to the airport yourself? Book a space at one of the car parks near the terminals before you even leave home. With our comparison tool it takes barely a minute, and that is one less thing to worry about.
How do you get to Václav Havel Airport?
Václav Havel Airport sits roughly 12 km from the centre of Prague and can be reached in several different ways. It is made up of Terminal 1, which handles flights outside the Schengen area (the UK, Turkey, Egypt, the USA), and Terminal 2, which serves flights within Schengen. The two terminals are connected, and walking from one to the other takes only a few minutes.
The main options are public transport (metro plus a bus or trolleybus), the direct Airport Express from the main railway station, taxis and ride-hailing apps, your own car with parking, and long-distance coaches – or even a minibus from Brno.
Getting to Prague Airport by car
Your own car gives you the most freedom, especially for early-morning departures, late-night arrivals or trips with plenty of luggage and children in tow. You reach the airport on the R7 road off the D7 motorway or along Evropská Street, and it is well signposted from both directions.
When it comes to parking, you have two routes to choose from. The official car parks inside the airport complex (PC Comfort, PD Holiday, PA Smart) are the priciest option: short-stay parking works out at around CZK 80 an hour, while long-stay – a week in PC Comfort, for example – comes to CZK 3,400. The open-air parking in front of Terminal 3 is a little cheaper.
The P1 Express and P2 Express bays right outside the terminals give you 15 minutes free of charge (once every 24 hours), and every extra minute is charged. They are there purely for quick drop-offs and pick-ups, not for leaving your car while you fly.
Rather than the official airport car parks, a lot of travellers go for one of the private guarded car parks nearby. These come out considerably cheaper for a comparable level of security, and most of them run a shuttle from the car park straight to the terminal.
You will find an overview of the available car parks, prices and ratings on our Prague airport parking page. To save even more, check whether any of them is currently offering a promo code for Prague airport parking. These seasonal discounts are worth keeping an eye on in advance.
The fastest way to Prague Airport by public transport
Metro A + trolleybus 59
This is the quickest and cheapest way out of the city centre. Take the green metro line A to Nádraží Veleslavín and change there onto trolleybus 59, which runs straight to the airport and stops at both terminals. The trolleybuses are modern, air-conditioned and take luggage without any fuss. The whole trip from the centre takes roughly 35–40 minutes.
If you are only coming from the Veleslavín area, or you plan to leave your car at the metro station there, have a look at our tips on parking at Veleslavín – the P+R car park by the station is a cheap combination for commuters from the surrounding area.
Metro B + bus 100
The alternative is the yellow metro line B. Change at Zličín onto bus 100, which terminates at the airport. Handy if you are coming from the southern or south-western parts of Prague.
- Fares: a 90-minute ticket costs CZK 50 from a machine, CZK 55 by SMS or CZK 46 in the PID Lítačka app.
- Service hours: both lines run from roughly 5:00 to 0:30.
For advice on the latest you can set off without putting your flight at risk, see our guide to how long before departure you should be at the airport.
Driving in but still no parking sorted? Use our comparison tool to pick a guarded car park with a transfer straight to the terminal, and reserve your space before you leave home. No more stress, no more circling around for a spot when you arrive!
Getting to Prague Airport from the main railway station
The most comfortable direct option from the main railway station is the Airport Express (AE), a bus that takes you there with no changes, running from 5:30 to 22:00 roughly every 30 minutes. The fare is CZK 200 for an adult and CZK 100 for children aged 6–15, while under-sixes travel free. You pay the driver or buy online. Standard public transport tickets and the Lítačka card are not valid on this service.
If you are coming in by train from another city and arriving at the main railway station, Czech Railways also offers a combined Train + Airport fare. Take a look at the ČD website before you buy your ticket.
A cheaper alternative is to take metro line C to Muzeum, change there onto line A towards Veleslavín and finish the trip on trolleybus 59. It costs no more than a standard ticket, but takes a little longer.
Taxis and ride-hailing apps to Václav Havel Airport
Since 2023 the contracted taxi service at Prague Airport has been Uber, with a rank right outside both terminals. Bolt and Liftago are other dependable choices.
A ride from the centre of Prague to the airport comes to somewhere between CZK 500 and CZK 900, depending on where you start, the time of day and the traffic. At peak times, or when a road is closed, it can be a good deal more.
The upsides of a taxi are door-to-terminal service, a hand with the bags and no changes along the way. The downsides are the price and how unpredictable it gets once you hit a traffic jam. If you are taking a taxi and have a direct flight to catch, allow up to 60 minutes for the trip in the morning rush hour.
Getting to Prague Airport at night
After midnight, both trolleybus 59 and bus 100 stop running. The alternative is the night bus network, lines 907 and 910, which link the airport with the city centre. They run through the small hours at longer intervals.
For departures before 6:00 or arrivals after midnight, a taxi or a ride-hailing app is the most dependable choice – Uber and Bolt operate around the clock. Your own car with parking booked is the most practical of all, because you are not tied to anyone else's timetable.
Night departures are one of the clearest cases for taking your own car and using a guarded car park. A taxi for two people with suitcases can easily cost CZK 800 there and back at night, which is more than you would pay at some of the guarded car parks near the airport, where a whole week works out the same or cheaper.
Long-distance coaches and regional connections
RegioJet runs services from Florenc to Prague Airport – the coach pulls up right in front of Terminal 1, which makes it a sensible option if you have arrived at Florenc from another city by bus or train.
On 1 June 2024 Gepard Express launched direct minibuses from Brno to Prague Airport. The eight-seaters run five times a day in each direction, one-way fares start at CZK 390 and the journey takes about two and a half hours. For anyone travelling from Brno or the South Moravian Region it is a comfortable alternative to the train and the change that follows it.
How to get to Prague Airport, wherever you are starting from
- From the centre of Prague (Wenceslas Square, Muzeum): metro A to Veleslavín, then trolleybus 59 to the airport. Around 35–40 minutes in total.
- From the main railway station: the Airport Express straight to the airport for CZK 200, every 30 minutes. Or metro C to Muzeum and a change onto line A.
- From Zličín or south-western Prague: metro B to Zličín, then bus 100 to the airport.
- From around Veleslavín or Prague 6: trolleybus 59, or your own car with a P+R or private guarded car park.
- From Brno and the surrounding area: the direct Gepard Express minibus, or a train to Prague plus the Airport Express.
- At night or very early in the morning: night buses 907 or 910, a taxi or ride-hailing app, or your own car.
What is waiting for you once you get to the terminal, from check-in through to the security queue, is set out in our guide to airport security screening. And if this is your first time flying, our guide to your first flight and what to expect is worth a read too.
The right way to the airport takes half the stress out of flying
Once you arrive, there is check-in, security and the walk to your gate ahead of you. We go through the whole sequence, from pulling up outside the terminal to boarding, in our article on what to do at the airport.
Every way of getting to Prague Airport has its pros and cons. Public transport is the cheapest, a taxi is the most comfortable if you are travelling light, and your own car is the most flexible of all – particularly for night departures, or when you are setting off with children and a lot of gear.
A guarded car park with CCTV, fencing and a transfer straight to the terminal is the kind of standard you appreciate more on the day you fly than at any other time. Compare the guarded spaces available through our comparison tool and have your place guaranteed, whatever the season.
