To and from the Airport
Prague Airport
Prague International Airport, also variously known as Ruzyně Airport or Václav Havel Airport Prague (or LETIŠTĚ, meaning airport, on bus destination blinds), is located some 17 km to the north-west of Prague. Unfortunately for such a busy airport there is no direct metro or rail service, although a rail link is planned for the future.
The cheapest and most frequent option to travel between the airport and central Prague is by bus and metro. There is also a direct Airport Express bus to the main railway station at higher fares (normal public transport tickets not valid). There are other local buses as well, whilst a further option involves pre-booked minibuses. Further details of all these options are shown below.
Of course, there are regular taxis as well, which is a much more expensive option, but hey I'm a public transport man, so know nothing about such things!
Note there is a railway station called Praha-Ruzyně, but it's a long way from the airport, so don't go there.
By Bus and Metro
There are two principal bus routes from the airport that feed into different metro lines, so it's worth working out in advance which is the most convenient metro station for your destination. In both cases you get off the bus at the last stop on the route, so there is no need to worry about missing the stop. Overall it will take about 50 minutes to reach central Prague.
Bus 119 is the most frequent service, running from the airport to Nádraží Veleslavín metro station on metro line A. The bus starts from Terminal 1 and calls at Terminal 2 (flights from Schengen countries), taking 17 minutes to Nádraží Veleslavín. For most of the day bus 119 runs every 4-5 minutes, but at quieter times (evenings for example) the frequency is every 10 minutes.
Bus 100 runs from the airport (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) to Zlicín metro station, the last station on line B, taking around 18 minutes. It is not as frequent as route 119 and runs every 15 to 20 minutes, so if you have just missed one at the airport it may work out better to change your plans and catch a 119 instead, depending on where you are going.
The normal Prague tariff applies, as described on the Getting Around page. You can buy your ticket from the DPP information office in the arrivals hall or from one of the yellow ticket machines situated by the bus stops outside the terminal. You will need a ticket valid for 90 minutes or more.
Photo: A bus on busy route 119 at Nádraží Veleslavín metro station loading for the airport
Airport Express Bus
The Airport Express or AE is a special direct bus service between the airport and the main railway station Praha hlavní nádraží, running every 20 minutes for most of the day and taking approximately 45 minutes from the airport (Terminal 1), or 33 minutes to the airport, where it also calls at Terminal 2 (in this direction only). Allow for delays as traffic can be heavy.
Although operated by DPP buses, it is run on behalf of Czech Railways, so normal Prague fares do not apply. The single fare is 100 CZK, as opposed to 40 CZK by city bus and metro. Children aged 6 to 15 pay half fare. Some buses are in the blue and white colours of Czech Railways, others are in normal DPP livery.
Departures from the Airport (Terminal 1) are every 20 minutes 0700 to 2100 (also at 0530, 0600, 0630). Departures from Praha hlavní railway station to Terminals 1 and 2 are every 20 minutes 0700 to 2000 (also at 0530, 0630, 2030, 2100, 2130, 2200). You should be able to check the timetable here. At the railway station it leaves from outside the old building on the upper level - look for the ornate dome in stark contrast to the modern concourse underneath. Access to this area from the main concourse is by escalator or stairs, or there is direct level access from Platform One.
Tickets for the Airport Express bus can be purchased at the DPP information desk at the airport or from the bus driver. Through tickets using the train and airport bus (VLAK+letiště) are available, but cannot be purchased online, and the bus portion from the airport needs to be date stamped at the information desk, so it seems rather complicated (I'm sure at one time you could buy a through ticket online). Further details in english are available on the Czech Railways website.
Photo: Airport Express bus at Praha hlavní station
By Local Bus or Bus and Tram
There are several reasons why you might opt for a local bus journey, or a bus and tram journey, instead of bus and metro. Your destination might be on a bus route serving the airport, or on a tram route with a bus connection to the airport. You may want to avoid the metro in order to see something of the Prague suburbs, or to avoid rush-hour crowds, or because climbing steps is necessary at most metro stations. Or you may wish to sample the new tram extension to Dedina which is only 11 minutes by bus from the airport. Finally, you may be travelling at night when other routes have stopped. Here are some alternatives:
Bus route 119 from the airport to Nádraží Veleslavín (as above), then change to tram routes 20 or 26.
Bus route 191 from the airport every 20-30 minutes via Dědina (terminus of tram 20/26 since Oct 2023), Sídliště Petřiny (for trams 1 and 2), Vypich (for trams 22 and 25), eventually terminating at Na Knížecí near Anděl metro some 50 minutes after the airport. Note if you are catching bus 191 back to the airport, a lot of the journeys only go as far as Obchodní centrum Ruzyně, so make sure you catch one showing LETIŠTĚ on the destination blind.
Night bus 910 runs approximately every 30 minutes at night. In the city centre it serves I.P. Pavlova, where there are connections with other night bus routes, before heading for the southern suburbs. The normal tariff applies on night services.
Prague Airport Shuttle
A privately operated minibus service also links the airport with a fixed point in the city centre. It has to be pre-booked - details are here.