How to Get to Prague from Vienna

You'll need about 4 days to see all that Vienna and the surrounding area has to offer. If your trip is going to last longer, you can consider taking a longer trip and take the opportunity to visit another city that you find interesting. My advice is to choose Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

Prague is only about 300 kilometres from Vienna, so it's even possible to get there and back in the same day if you organise your travel arrangements well. The Czech capital has a number of attractions that are quite different from those of the Austrian city, so you'll find it doubly interesting to visit. To help you plan your trip, here are the transport options available to you.

One of the things to consider when deciding how to get from Vienna to Prague is comfort, as well as how many hours you will spend in the Czech capital if you plan to return to the Austrian city. With both aspects in mind, there is no doubt that the most advantageous option is the organised excursion from Vienna to Prague.

To visit Prague from Vienna, you can book a day trip on a modern bus. By leaving early in the morning, you'll have plenty of time to explore many of the attractions of the Czech Republic's beautiful capital, including its beautiful historic centre, St. Vitus Cathedral, the famous Charles Bridge and the castle quarter.

The whole tour is usually done on foot and accompanied by a guide who will explain the history of each of the monuments you pass. This way, you can make sure you get the most out of the day before heading back to Vienna.

All in all, there is no doubt that this is one of the best excursions from Vienna that can be done from Vienna and, in this way, make your trip an even more unforgettable experience.

Practical information on excursions

• Price: from 131 €.
• Total duration: about 14 hours.
• Why I like this option: because it is the most comfortable option as you don't have to worry about transport, timetables or having to look for each monument in Prague, with the consequent loss of time that this entails. In addition, the presence of a guide who explains what you are seeing is a very important factor to take into account.
• Recommended if: you have several days in the Austrian capital and you want to take advantage of them to visit other nearby cities that are just as interesting.

If you prefer to travel on your own from Vienna to Prague, you won't find a better option than the train (although it will cost you more than the bus). The train connections between the two cities are very good and you'll have no problem getting there and back in the same day if that's what you want.

There are two types of train that make the journey: Regiojet (cheaper but less frequent) and ÖBB Railjet (more expensive but with more departures).

The journey usually takes just over 4 hours and the most common price ranges from around €20 if you are lucky and find a good deal on Regiojet to the more frequent ÖBB Railjet's almost €40. Please note that this price is per journey, so you will have to add the cost of the return journey with the corresponding discount for this type of ticket.

Between the two companies you'll find departures almost every hour. If you plan to travel there and back during the day, check the timetable for the first train out of Vienna (around 6.39am) and the last train back from Prague (usually around 6.30pm). Make sure you're booking a direct train, though, as there are also some trains with transfers that take a little longer.

Trains depart from Vienna Central Station (you'll see the German name Wien Hauptbahnhof or Wien hbf or hbf on the signs). The inner workings of the terminal are very simple and you just need to follow the signs on the various information boards.

In Prague, you will arrive at the central station, called Praha hl.n From there you can walk to the city centre in less than 20 minutes, or you can take a tram.

The best way to check timetables and prices is to consult the country's train website or the Regiojet website. There you can also buy your ticket directly. Alternatively, you can buy them at the station itself, but some of the cheapest offers are often not sold at the ticket office.

Practical information on excursions

• Price: from €15 each way, but you will usually pay around €70 return.
• Total time: The journey takes just over 4 hours.
• Why I like this option: The train is one of the most comfortable means of transport and you don't have to worry about traffic slowing you down. In this case, the frequency of departures is also very convenient.
• Recommended if: you enjoy travelling by train and seeing the scenery almost as much as you do at your destination.

Buses have been gaining ground in recent years as a means of travel in Europe. One of the reasons for this is the emergence of companies that offer a great service in international transport. For the journey between Vienna and Prague, the bus is without doubt the most economical option.

Although there are several companies operating this route, I recommend that you try to find tickets with one of the two most important ones: Regiojet or FlixBus.

The journey takes about 4 hours 30 minutes (depending on traffic in and out of the two cities). The frequency is quite high, as you will find buses leaving approximately every 2 hours, from 3:20 in the morning until 23:30.

Although I really recommend that if you're going by bus you should consider spending a night in Prague, you can also plan a return trip on the same day if you leave very early in the morning and make the most of the last minute.

In terms of fares, the cheapest ticket is around €17 each way, both from Vienna Erdberg station and the main train station. Arrival in Prague is either at ÚAN Florenc or Prague hl. n. depending on which company you are travelling with.

A very important aspect is that these buses are really comfortable and have on-board entertainment and free WiFi.

Practical information on bus travel

• Price: from around €17 each way
• Total journey time: It takes approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.
• Why I like this option: It's definitely the cheapest way to visit Prague from Vienna, not to mention that the buses are really comfortable.
• Recommended if: You're on a tight budget but don't want to miss out on the chance to get close to Prague.

The proximity of the two capitals means that travelling by car is an option to consider if you are touring this part of Europe with your vehicle. It is also possible to hire a car to make the journey. However, in my opinion, the high frequency of buses and trains, as well as organised tours, makes this option not as interesting as in other places.

The main advantage of the car is, of course, the freedom of timetables it offers. The journey time is usually no less than 3 hours and 45 minutes, although you run the risk of being delayed when you enter an unfamiliar city like Prague and have to look for a car park not too far from the centre.

On the other hand, car rental in Austria is not particularly cheap. With a bit of luck you'll be able to find a day's hire from €50, plus the €10 transport vignette, which is compulsory for driving on the roads.

It's quite possible you'll also have to pay extra for crossing the border. Although not all companies charge for this, it's important to inform them of your intention when you hire the car.

Some of the companies you can rent a car from include the following:

• Greenmotion: has interesting offers starting at €50, although only with pick-up and drop-off at the airport.
• Surprice Car Rental: from around €74 per day, also at the airport.
• Sixt: goes up to €135 per day, although you can pick up the car in the centre of Vienna.

Practical information for travelling by car

• Price: from €50 + petrol + road vignette + border crossing fee.

• Total time: about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

• Why I like this option: for the freedom it offers to travel at the time you want and to be able to stop somewhere if it catches your eye.

• Recommended if: you want to take the journey between Vienna and Prague in a more relaxed way and with the possibility of making short stops at interesting places.

The last option to get from Vienna to Prague is by plane, specifically with Austrian Airlines. Although the flight only takes about 50 minutes, I don't think it's really worth it, both in terms of price and because there are much better alternatives.

Despite the short journey time, you have to add the transfer to and from the airport and the time you have to arrive before boarding. In the end, it will be more or less the same as if you go by train or bus.

On the other hand, it will be difficult to find tickets for less than €95 each way, so in the end (counting the cost of getting to and from the airports) you could easily have to pay more than €200 if you want to get there and back.

Practical information for travelling by plane

• Price: from €95 each way.
• Total time: The flight only takes about 50 minutes.
• Why I like this option: It's a really quick way to get to Prague from Vienna, but the disadvantages really outweigh the advantages.
• Recommended if: In my opinion, it can be a valid alternative if you are spending several days in Prague.

Once you've arrived in Prague you'll want to make the most of your time. If you go on a guided tour you'll go straight to the most interesting s ights and if you do it on your own you'll need to find out where they are first.
Whichever option you choose, it's always a good idea to have some idea of what to see in Prague before you arrive. Here's a brief summary of the most interesting sights, although there really are many other places worth visiting:

• Charles Bridge: without a doubt, the formidable CharlesBridge is one of the symbols of the city.
  is one of the symbols of the city. It connects the historic centre with the interesting Malá Strana district.
• Prague Castle
  and St. Vitus Cathedral: one of Prague's must-see sights.
• Golden Alley: within the castle quarter you will find this small street full of charm.
• Astronomical Clock: another of the city's emblems. Without a doubt, this clock is a true work of art.
• Jewish Quarter: inside the Jewish Quarter you can visit 6 synagogues and the very interesting Jewish Cemetery.
• Old Town Square: the whole square is spectacular, starting with the Church of Our Lady of Týnand continuing with the Town Hall.
  and the Town Hall. It is also the best place to discover the streets of the city centre.