Prague to Vienna - 12 Best Ways to Travel in 2026

The train is the most comfortable way to travel from Prague to Vienna, with around ten daily connections and a journey time of four and a half hours. Services run throughout the day on a rolling timetable, giving you good flexibility on departure time. Trains are modern, with free Wi-Fi and power sockets at every seat.

In addition to national rail services, RegioJet operates four daily direct trains on this route. Each train is equipped with entertainment screens and a free drinks service, with an attendant present from start to finish, making them a strong alternative to national rail for the same journey time.

Train Stations in Prague and Vienna

In Prague, all trains depart from Prague Main Station (Praha hlavní nádraží), connected to the city center via Metro Line C (red) at the Hlavní nádraží stop.

In Vienna, trains arrive at Vienna Central Station (Wien Hauptbahnhof), located in the south of the city and connected to the city center via Metro Line U1 (red) at the Hauptbahnhof stop.

Tickets and Booking

Train tickets start at €12 through RegioJet and €15 via Czech or Austrian Railways when you book in advance. Leave it to the last minute and prices rise to around €34. Trainline is the easiest starting point for international travelers. It searches across operators, shows fares in your preferred currency, and accepts cards from anywhere without any extra steps. Rail Europe is a strong alternative if you are linking this journey with other European train routes and want everything managed in one place.

Czech Railways (ČD) and Austrian Railways (ÖBB) are both worth checking directly, as prices for the same connection can occasionally differ between the two. That said, both sites price in euros or Czech crowns only, which adds a small but unnecessary layer of friction if you are budgeting across multiple currencies. Trainline handles all of that for you. With ten daily trains to choose from, you have plenty of options, but the cheapest advance fares sell out quickly during summer and over weekends. Book a few days ahead to avoid paying the full walk-up price.

Insider Tip

The most scenic stretch of the journey comes in the first hour out of Prague, as the train passes through the rolling hills and villages of central Bohemia before the landscape flattens out toward the Moravian border. Sit on the right side of the train facing the direction of travel for the best views.

Book your Prague to Vienna train on Czech Railways | Book with RegioJet

The journey from Prague to Vienna takes around four and a half hours by train or bus. By the time you arrive, you will have seen nothing of the South Moravian countryside, the medieval silver towns, or the wine villages of the Czech-Austrian border region you passed straight through.

The Prague to Vienna Transfer Tour takes the same journey and fills it with three stops across two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of the finest wine regions in Central Europe. You depart Prague in the morning and arrive in Vienna just in time for dinner.

What's Included

The open group tour departs Prague at 9:00 AM and arrives in Vienna at approximately 7:00 PM. You travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned minivan with a maximum of eight passengers.

Your guide travels with you the full day and knows South Moravia well. You get real context at each stop, covering the history and character of places that most travelers to this part of Europe pass straight through without ever stopping. They are there to answer questions throughout the drive, not just at the destinations.

A lunch break is scheduled in Mikulov, where you can try Moravian cuisine and sample local wines at one of the town's restaurants or wine cellars. Your guide will point you toward the best options. Lunch is not included in the tour price.

Hotel pickup and dropoff are available for private bookings. Open group tours depart from a central meeting point in Prague and include dropoff in central Vienna.

The price is €99 per person for the open group tour. Private bookings are available for couples, families, and groups who prefer a door-to-door experience. Check the Prague to Vienna Transfer Tour booking page to see the exact price for your group.

For those heading south through Bohemia, Sidetrip also offers a Private Prague to Vienna Transfer Tour with a stop at Český Krumlov, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in the Czech Republic.

What Travelers are Saying

The bus is a well-priced and practical option on this route, with around fifteen or more daily departures and journey times matching the train at around four and a half hours. Two operators serve the route: Flixbus and RegioJet.

Flixbus vs RegioJet

Flixbus has the most departure times throughout the day, from early morning through to late night, and offers the widest choice. Fares start at €15 when booked in advance, rising closer to the departure date.

RegioJet runs fewer daily departures but their coaches offer a noticeably more comfortable experience, with onboard entertainment screens, free hot and cold drinks, and an attendant. Fares start at around €15, with prices generally more stable than Flixbus closer to the travel date.

If you want maximum flexibility on departure times, go with Flixbus. If comfort matters more than flexibility, RegioJet is worth the extra planning.

Bus Stations in Prague and Vienna

In Prague, all buses depart from Florenc Bus Station in the city center, connected to the rest of the city via Metro Line C (red) at the Florenc stop.

In Vienna, most Flixbus services arrive at Erdbergstrasse Bus Station, close to the city center and connected via Metro Line U3 (orange) at the Erdberg stop. Some services also stop closer to Vienna Central Station. RegioJet buses arrive at Südtirolerplatz Bus Station, directly adjacent to Vienna Central Station and the U1 metro line. Flixbus also operates two direct morning departures from Prague to Vienna Airport, with fares starting at €20.

Tickets and Booking

Second class tickets start at €15 when booked in advance. Book directly through the Flixbus or RegioJet websites.English is available on both platforms, and international card payments are accepted without any complications. High season and weekend departures are in demand, book your ticket before the cheapest fares disappear.

Luggage

Both Flixbus and RegioJet include one carry-on and one hold bag in the ticket price. Size and weight limits differ between the two, so check each operator's website before you pack.

Book your Prague to Vienna bus on Flixbus | Book with RegioJet

Want to see more than just Prague and Vienna?

The train covers the distance in four and a half hours, but the road between Bohemia and Austria passes through some of the most overlooked and rewarding country in Central Europe. The Prague to Vienna Sightseeing Transfer Tour takes you through the UNESCO-listed medieval streets of Kutná Hora, once one of the wealthiest silver-mining cities in Europe, into the wine country of South Moravia for a walk around Mikulov's castle and baroque Old Town with a chance to taste local wines, and on to the sweeping Neo-Gothic gardens and parklands of Lednice Palace before dropping you in Vienna. It departs at 9:00 AM, arrives around 7:00 PM, and costs €99 per person. Two UNESCO sites, a wine region, and a far more interesting way to arrive in Vienna than stepping off a train.

There are better options than Prague to Vienna flight for getting between the two capitals. Still, it's doable, and flying fans would appreciate it.

Plane tickets from Prague to Vienna
Currently, there are three daily flights departing from Prague in the morning, around noon, and early afternoon. Prices start at €130 for a one-way ticket and you can book them at the Austrian Airlines website, the only airline that operates this route. With the short distance between the capitals, Prague to Vienna flight time is only 50 minutes. However, if you add the time to get to and from the airport, as well as clearing security, the total travel time is most likely similar to that of a  train or bus journey.

Prague to Vienna private transfer might be a good option if you value comfort and flexibility. It's not the cheapest way of traveling between the two capitals, but you can plan the journey according to your needs without worrying about schedules and navigating busy train or bus stations. If you travel with a company, the price gets more acceptable too. There are various options for Prague to Vienna private transfers, with prices starting at €300 per car. Sidetrip Tours offers you even private transfer with a short sightseeing stops along the way.

Another flexible and comfortable option is renting a vehicle and going from Prague to Vienna by car. The shortest way is under 300 km, with an estimated travel time of around 4 hours. But you can, of course, make a fun Prague to Vienna road trip out of it and stop in some of the best places to visit in the Czech Republic along the way such as UNESCO sites, picturesque towns, beautiful nature or historical sites. There are plenty of great spots to choose from!

Keep in mind that since you would be returning the car to a different location, the price can go up a bit, making it one of the most expensive options for traveling from Prague to Vienna.

Fans of cycling can easily travel from Prague to Vienna by bike. The total length of the journey is 400 km, with a total ascent of 4590 meters, so you would need at least five days and good physical condition to complete this trip. However, you would be rewarded with stunning views along the way.

The Prague to Vienna cycle route is part of the Greenways trail, one of the oldest and most popular cycle trails in the Czech Republic, so you can expect good infrastructure along the way. You can also customize your Prague to Vienna bike trip and add interesting places to stop at, as the southern Czech Republic is full of them.

One of the alternatives for affordable travel between Prague and Vienna is car sharing. This is a popular option for getting around in Central Europe. There are a few websites that connect drivers and passengers, with the most popular one being BlaBlaCar.

You need to sign up, search for rides, and then arrange the time and pick-up place with the driver. The driver sets the price so different offers might vary. Usually, you can expect to pay €15-€20 for a Prague to Vienna car-sharing trip.

Using BlaBlaCar usually works best for last-minute trips. You might find no offers when looking for rides well in advance, but a day before the departure or even on the same day, you will most likely have a few options. Be sure to consider the departure and arrival points, as sometimes they are not in the center, and getting to/from the meeting place can take some time too. 

If you are short on money or looking for some thrill and adventure, hitchhiking from Prague to Vienna is an excellent option for you.

The best spot to catch the ride from Prague heading south is at the service station at Újezd u Průhonic (road no. 1) in the southeast part of Prague. To get there, you need to take the red C metro line to Opatov (the second-to-last stop in the direction to Haje) where you have to change for the bus X122 to its final stop K Sukovu. From there, it is a short walk to the service station where you can hitchhike for a ride south, and if you are lucky, even all the way to Vienna.

This might sound like an extreme way to get from Prague to Vienna, but it is definitely doable. If you have extra time and want to fully experience the Czech Republic, why not walk from Prague to Vienna?

The journey should take at least two weeks, but you can see some spectacular off-the-beaten-path places along the way. Some parts of this trip can get a bit hilly, so being in decent shape and having good walking shoes are necessary.

If you are staying in Prague but would also like to visit the capital of Austria during your holiday, you can do so. Be prepared for a long and exciting day, as the day trip from Prague to Vienna takes around 12 hours, during which you will see some of the biggest highlights of the Austrian capital. You can either go for an organized Prague to Vienna tour or do it yourself, using trains and/or buses. Either way, you are in for a treat, as Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

Alternatively, if Vienna is your next destination after visiting Prague, you can use the travel between the two cities to see some great places along the way. The easiest way to make this exciting day trip is the Prague to Vienna Sightseeing Transfer we've covered in detail above. This way, you don't need to worry about following the public transport schedule and can simply focus on discovering some of the most beautiful places in the Czech Republic: Kutna Hora, Brno, and Lednice Palace.

If you want to indulge during your European trip, consider chartering a private jet from Prague to Vienna. It will be more expensive, but you can expect a comfortable and luxurious journey.

The flying time from Prague to Vienna by private jet is around 1 hour and 15 minutes. Including travel time to and from the airport, the overall journey time will be similar to other transportation options, not to mention the environmental impact of charter flights. Nevertheless, if you are interested, it is possible to fly by charter from Prague to Vienna.