Václav Havel Airport Prague sits 17 kilometers west of Prague city center in the Ruzyně district. The airport operates from a main terminal divided into Terminal 1 for non-Schengen flights and Terminal 2 for Schengen destinations, connected by a short walkway. Brno-Tuřany Airport serves Moravia with limited scheduled service primarily to London Stansted, Munich, and seasonal Mediterranean routes. Ostrava Leoš Janáček Airport maintains connections to several European cities but most international visitors arrive through Prague. Karlovy Vary Airport and Pardubice Airport handle charter and cargo traffic with minimal scheduled passenger service.
Prague Airport processed 13.7 million passengers in 2019 before pandemic disruption reduced volume substantially through 2021. The airport reopened to full international service in 2022 without testing requirements for EU arrivals. Non-EU passport holders use Terminal 1 gates where border control queues typically range from 15 to 45 minutes depending on simultaneous wide-body arrivals. EU and Schengen passport holders proceed through Terminal 2 with minimal queuing under normal conditions. Baggage claim areas serve both terminals with carousels grouped by gate arrival zones. The airport provides no porter service. Luggage carts require a 20 CZK refundable coin deposit.
Currency exchange booths in the arrivals hall consistently offer rates 8 to 12 percent below mid-market rates. ATMs from Česká spořitelna and Komerční banka sit near the Terminal 1 exit and dispense Czech koruna without mandatory conversion fees, though home bank foreign transaction fees apply. The koruna trades approximately 22 to 25 CZK per euro and 21 to 24 CZK per US dollar as of 2024, with daily fluctuation. Credit cards function widely in Prague but cash remains necessary for small purchases, public transport ticket machines, and transactions outside the capital. Exchange offices advertising "zero commission" typically embed poor rates in the spread.
Public bus 119 departs from stands directly outside both terminals every 10 to 20 minutes from 04:15 to 23:42 daily, reaching Nádraží Veleslavín metro station on the green Line A in 17 minutes. A standard 90-minute public transport ticket costs 40 CZK when purchased from yellow automated machines at the bus stop or via the PID Lítačka mobile application. Tickets purchased from the driver cost 50 CZK and drivers cannot provide change exceeding 200 CZK. The ticket must be validated in yellow machines aboard the bus immediately upon boarding. Plain-clothes inspectors operate frequently on airport routes and issue 1,500 CZK fines for invalid tickets. Bus 100 serves Zličín station on Line B in 18 minutes with identical ticketing. Night bus 910 runs hourly between midnight and 04:00 to central Prague.
Airport Express buses operate from 05:30 to 22:00 every 30 minutes, traveling directly to Praha hlavní nádraží main railway station in 35 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. The dedicated airport ticket costs 100 CZK and does not integrate with standard public transport passes. The bus stops at Nádraží Veleslavín, Dejvická, Masarykovo nádraží, and Hlavní nádraží. Travelers continuing beyond Prague by train find this route more direct than metro connections. The standard 90-minute ticket permits unlimited transfers within the validity period across metro, tram, bus, and funicular services in Prague zones P and 0.
Taxi ranks outside both terminals serve prepaid booth taxis and metered vehicles. The prepaidFix Taxi booth inside Terminal 1 arrivals charges fixed rates to Prague destinations, approximately 650 CZK to city center addresses. Metered taxis from authorized ranks charge approximately 28 CZK per kilometer plus 40 CZK initial fee, totaling 550 to 750 CZK for central Prague depending on traffic and exact destination. Drivers must provide printed receipts. Ride-hailing services Bolt and Uber operate from designated pickup zones on the departures level, typically costing 350 to 500 CZK to central districts during non-surge periods. Prague maintains strict taxi licensing but unauthorized drivers occasionally approach passengers inside terminals offering inflated flat rates exceeding 1,200 CZK.
Car rental desks from Europcar, Sixt, Budget, Hertz, and local providers operate in the arrivals hall. International driving permits supplement but do not replace foreign licenses for non-EU visitors. Czech roads drive on the right. Highway vignettes cost 310 CZK for 10 days, 440 CZK for one month, or 1,500 CZK annually and must be purchased before entering marked highway sections. Vignettes are available at rental desks, border crossings, post offices, and some fuel stations. The D1 highway connects Prague to Brno in approximately 200 kilometers. Parking in Prague city center costs 40 to 50 CZK per hour in blue mixed zones and 50 CZK in purple visitor zones, payable via parking meters or the designated mobile applications.
Prague hlavní nádraží serves as the primary railway station for domestic and international arrivals. The station sits 1.5 kilometers east of Old Town Square with direct metro access via Line C. Trains from Berlin arrive in approximately 4.5 hours, Vienna in 4 hours, Budapest in 6.5 hours, and Warsaw in 8 hours. RegioJet and Leo Express operate competing private services on major domestic routes alongside state carrier České dráhy. Online booking through Czech Railways or private operators typically offers lower fares than station purchases. Reserved seats cost an additional 35 to 100 CZK depending on service class and route.
International bus services from FlixBus, RegioJet, and Eurolines arrive at Florenc station on metro Lines B and C, located 2 kilometers north of Wenceslas Square. Overnight buses from Western European cities frequently arrive between 05:00 and 07:00 before public transport operates at full frequency. The station contains a 24-hour waiting area, paid toilets for 10 CZK, and luggage lockers requiring 30 to 50 CZK per 24-hour period. Left-luggage offices at both Florenc and hlavní nádraží charge approximately 60 CZK per bag per day with proof of identity required for retrieval. Passengers arriving by international bus should verify exact terminal location as some services use the adjacent UAN Praha Florenc terminal while others stop at Nádraží Holešovice.
Mobile connectivity requires either purchasing a local SIM card or activating international roaming. EU residents benefit from roam-like-at-home regulations eliminating surcharges within the EU. Non-EU visitors find prepaid SIM cards from T-Mobile, O2, and Vodafone at airport kiosks, convenience stores, and network shops. A basic prepaid plan with 5GB data typically costs 300 to 500 CZK. Registration requires passport presentation under Czech telecommunications law. Free WiFi operates throughout Václav Havel Airport with no time limit or registration requirement. Prague metro stations began offering free WiFi in 2021 though coverage remains incomplete across the network.
Accommodation check-in times typically begin at 14:00 or 15:00, creating several hours of gap time for early arrivals. Left-luggage facilities at hlavní nádraží operate from 06:00 to 23:00 daily on the ground floor near platform access. Lockers near the main entrance accept coins or contactless payment. Several private luggage storage services operate near Old Town Square charging approximately 100 to 150 CZK per bag per day with extended hours. Hotels occasionally accommodate early check-in without additional charge depending on availability, but guaranteed early access typically requires booking from the previous night.