Czech Republic: Railway Information

Czech Rail Network

The train is a common means of transportation in the Czech Republic. Most Czech cities, towns and many villages have train stations. They are interconnected well enough to make train travel a convenient way of getting from one place to another. International train services to the Czech Republic run from most points in Europe, with direct connections from Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary.

Categories of Czech trains from slow to fast:

• Osobní (Os) - local train that stops everywhere (short: Os)
• Spěšný (Sp) - local train, usually skips little villages (Sp)
• Rychlík (R) - regional train, stops in major towns, commonly used  for longer distances (R)
• Expres (Ex) - faster regional train (Ex)
• Intercity, Eurocity (IC, EC) - pretty modern longer distance train, stops in major cities only 
• Supercity (Pendolino) - fastest new trains, operates  between biggest cities (compulsory reservation)

Prague is the main railway centre. The most important train stations are:

• Hlavní nádrazí (Main Station). The biggest station. It has ticket offices, a train information centre and a Prague Information Service.
• Nádrazí Holesovice (Holesovice Station).  This is usually the terminus for trains from Berlin and other destinations to the north.

Both are serviced by line C of the city metro system.

Railway Service
International, long-distance domestic, regional and suburban and related services – sleepers and couchette coaches, dining cars, carriage of handicapped passengers, carriage of baggage, bicycles, and boats, trailer train.

Travel times
Average train travel times in hours between some popular domestic destinations:

• Prague - Brno: 3 hours
• Prague - Ostrava: 4 hours
• Prague - Olomouc: 3 hours

Some international connections:

• Prague - Berlin: 5 hours
• Prague - Vienna: 4 hours
• Prague - Warsaw: 8 hours 30 min.
• Prague - Budapest: 7 hours 30 min.

Timetables
On the page Timetables you can download the compact Eurail timetable or use an online international timetable.
A website with specific schedules of trains (and other public transport) in the Czech Republic can be found at jizdnirady.idnes.cz.

Seat reservations

For domestic trains in the Czech Republic seat reservations are required for the Intercity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains, as well as for the SC SuperCity high-speed line. See the reservation fees for domestic trains.  Reservations can be made at a train station or through the Czech railways eShop.

There are some international trains to and from the Czech Republic that require a reservation fee, like the EuroCity to Vienna. See the reservation fees for international trains.

Airport - station link
From Prague airport there are bus connections (Airport Express Bus or City Bus 100) to Prague's main station. Eurail Passes are not valid on the bus. More travel details on the airport website. 

Eurail Aid Office in Czech Republic
For questions about Eurail, visit the international ticket office at Prague Liben station (Praha Liben). It is open daily from 06.00 am to 08.50 pm. See the page Eurail Aid Offices for more aid offices in Europe.