Prague Airport to Old Town: how the options compare
Prague has no railway to its airport yet, so every trip from Prague Airport to Old Town hotels starts on the road. The public route is a bus to a metro station and then the metro into the centre, about 35 to 45 minutes in all, with one change and a walk over cobbles to your hotel at the end. For a light traveller it works well.
A private car covers the 16 km in about 25 minutes. Your driver meets you in arrivals at Prague Airport, loads the luggage once and drives to the door of your hotel, or to the nearest street the car can reach in the Old Town's lanes. The price is fixed for the whole vehicle, so it stays the same whether two or six of you travel.
The car makes most sense for families, groups, late arrivals after the metro has closed for the night, and anyone staying in Malá Strana, where many hotels are an uphill walk from the nearest metro station. Exploring more of the country? See our Czechia transfers.
| Pickup | Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) |
|---|---|
| Drop-off | Any hotel, villa or address in Prague Old Town |
| Distance | About 16 km by road |
| Journey time | 25–45 min, depending on traffic |
| Best for | City |
| Busiest season | Year-round |
| Availability | 24/7, including late-night and early-morning flights |
The drive from PRG to Prague Old Town
From either terminal, your driver takes the airport road, Aviatická, to Route 7 and then Evropská, the long, straight avenue that runs east through Vokovice to Dejvice and Vítězné náměstí. From there the usual line skirts the north side of Prague Castle along Mariánské hradby, past the Royal Garden, drops down the Chotkova hairpins to Klárov and crosses the Vltava on Mánes Bridge, with the Rudolfinum concert hall ahead and the Old Town just behind it. It is about 16 km and 25 minutes in normal traffic.
Evropská and the riverside roads are busiest on weekday mornings and late afternoons, when the drive can take 40 to 45 minutes. Late in the evening it is often under 25. Any tolls on the way are included in your fixed price.
The Old Town itself was built for walking. Old Town Square, Charles Bridge and many of the lanes between them are pedestrian, so cars reach the streets around the edge and only some of those inside. Since July 2024 the Prague 1 district has also closed a group of streets around Dlouhá, Pařížská, Revoluční and the riverside Dvořákovo nábřeží to most vehicles between 22:00 and 06:00, to cut night noise. If you land late and your hotel is in that pocket, your driver stops at the nearest open street, usually a few minutes' walk away.
Malá Strana, below the Castle, has steep, cobbled streets and narrow one-way lanes. Hotels there are mostly door to door, but some on the stepped lanes are reached on foot from the nearest street.
Schematic, not to scale. Route line © OpenStreetMap contributors
Pickup · 0 min
Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)
Your driver meets you in arrivals and loads the luggage.
About 15 min · 11 km
Dejvice
Evropská ends at Vítězné náměstí in Dejvice, the university district north-west of the centre, about 15 minutes from the airport.
About 20 min · 13 km
Prague Castle
The road runs along the castle’s north side, past the Royal Garden, before dropping down the Chotkova hairpins towards the river.
About 20 min · 15 km
Mánes Bridge
Crossing the Vltava, with Charles Bridge upstream on your right and the Rudolfinum concert hall ahead on the Old Town bank.
Arrival · 25–45 min · 16 km
Prague Old Town
Drop-off at your hotel door, or at the nearest street open to cars when the hotel sits on a pedestrian lane near Old Town Square.
PRG to Prague Old Town: one fixed price for the whole car
Free quote, nothing to pay now. Cancel free up to 48 hours before pickup.
Meeting your driver at Prague Airport
Prague Airport has two passenger terminals a short walk apart: Terminal 1 for flights from outside the Schengen area, including the UK, Ireland and North America, and Terminal 2 for flights within Schengen. Your driver waits in the arrivals hall of your terminal holding a sign with your name, then walks you to the car parked in front of the terminal.
Prague Airport has two passenger terminals a short walk apart: Terminal 1 for flights from outside the Schengen area, including the UK, Ireland and North America, and Terminal 2 for flights within Schengen. Your driver waits in the arrivals hall of your terminal with a sign showing your name, then walks you to the car parked in front of the terminal.
We track your flight, so the pickup moves with any delay at no extra cost, and your 60 minutes of free waiting start when you actually land. Arrivals at Terminal 1 pass passport control first, which the waiting time covers.
For your departure, the driver collects you from your hotel, or the nearest street the car can reach, and waits up to 15 minutes from the agreed time.
Arriving here for somewhere else? See every Prague Airport transfer we run.
Where we drop off in Prague
Prague’s historic centre is compact, cobbled and partly pedestrian. Tell us your hotel or apartment address when you book and the driver plans the closest legal stop. Many central hotels have a stretch of street where the car can pull in; for those on pedestrian lanes, the walk from the car is usually short.
Old Town (Staré Město)
Hotels around Old Town Square, Pařížská and the Jewish Quarter. Cars reach the streets at the edge of the pedestrian core, a short walk from most doors.
Malá Strana and Hradčany
Lesser Town hotels on the cobbled lanes below Prague Castle, around Malostranské náměstí. About 25 minutes from the airport, slightly closer than the Old Town.
New Town and Wenceslas Square
Larger hotels around Wenceslas Square, Náměstí Republiky and the National Museum. Wider streets and easier drop-offs, about 30 minutes from the airport.
Vinohrady, Karlín and Žižkov
Apartments and boutique hotels in the residential districts east of the centre, with tree-lined streets and simple kerbside drop-offs.
When to book your Prague Old Town transfer
Prague is busy all year, with peaks from Easter to October and again in December. The Christmas markets on Old Town Square run from late November to 6 January, and the square is crowded every evening. The Prague Marathon starts and finishes in the Old Town on Sunday 2 May 2027, closing roads in the centre that morning, and the Prague Spring music festival traditionally opens on 12 May.
Summer weekends fill central hotels, so groups should book minibuses early. Winter is cold, with short days, and fog or snow can delay flights. We track your flight, so your pickup moves with any delay at no extra cost.
The quickest times to arrive are late morning, early afternoon and after about 19:00 on weekdays, when Evropská moves freely. Weekend mornings are quiet too.
Private transfer vs other ways to reach Prague Old Town
| Option | Door to door | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | 25–45 min | Straight to your door, fixed price per vehicle, driver waiting in arrivals. |
| Bus 59 + metro line A | About 35 minutes + walk | Bus 59 leaves every few minutes for Nádraží Veleslavín, where you change to metro line A for Staroměstská or Můstek. Quick and frequent, with one change and a walk with your bags at the end. |
| Bus 100 + metro line B | About 45 minutes + walk | Bus 100 runs to Zličín, then metro line B continues to Můstek and Náměstí Republiky. Longer than line 59, but useful if your hotel is near a B-line station. |
| Airport Express (AE) bus | 35–45 minutes + onward trip | A direct bus from both terminals to Prague main station, Hlavní nádraží. Handy for onward trains; for the Old Town you continue by metro, tram or taxi. Regular city tickets are not valid on it. |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | 25–45 minutes | Official taxi and Uber pickup points are in front of both arrivals halls. You order on arrival and wait for a car, rather than having a driver already waiting for you inside. |
Skip the changes: door to door to Prague Old Town
Free quote, nothing to pay now. Cancel free up to 48 hours before pickup.
Vehicles, prices and what's included
You pay one fixed price for the vehicle, not per seat, quoted for your date and group before you book. Tolls, fuel and parking are in the price, and so is waiting time: 60 minutes from your actual landing, or 15 minutes at a hotel or address pickup.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Luggage | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard sedan | Up to 3 passengers | 2–3 suitcases | Couples and solo travellers |
| Executive sedan | Up to 3 passengers | 2–3 suitcases | Mercedes E-Class or similar |
| Minivan | Up to 7 passengers | 6–7 suitcases | Families and golf or ski bags |
| Minibus | 8–16 passengers | One suitcase each | Groups, weddings, events |
Exact models vary by local partner. Tell us about oversized luggage, golf bags, skis or strollers and we will size the vehicle to fit.
Not included: waiting beyond the free time, and stops or detours added on the day. Planned stops are fine: ask for them with your quote and they are priced in. Tipping is up to you.
Who the Prague Old Town transfer suits
First-time visitors
No working out which bus, which metro line and which exit. Your driver takes you to the hotel, or the nearest street to it, so your first walk in Prague is a short one.
Families
Child seats fitted before pickup, cases in the boot and no metro escalators with a pushchair. One price for the car, however many of you there are.
Groups and celebrations
A minivan for up to seven or a minibus for up to 16, on one booking. Tell us about friends arriving on different flights and we plan the pickups.
Late arrivals
Buses thin out late in the evening and the metro closes around midnight. A booked car waits in arrivals whatever time your flight lands.
Plan the rest of your Prague stay
- See Charles Bridge and Prague Castle early in the morning, before the tour groups. Castle tickets can be bought online in advance.
- Wear shoes with grip. The streets of the Old Town and Malá Strana are cobbled, steep in places and slippery after rain.
- Czechia uses the Czech crown, not the euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, so you need little cash; avoid street exchange booths offering poor rates.
- For day trips, Karlštejn Castle is about 40 minutes from the airport and the old silver town of Kutná Hora about an hour and a half. We quote day trips and hotel-to-hotel transfers.
- Travelling on to another capital? See our Vienna Airport to city centre transfer and the Budapest airport ride into town.
- For your flight home, leave the Old Town about two and a half hours before a European departure and three hours before a long-haul one, adding time on weekday afternoons.
