How to Get from Prague to Vienna
Vienna is 330 kilometres south-east of Prague — about four hours by road, and almost exactly four by train. Unusually for this part of Europe, the railway is genuinely competitive here, so the choice is less about speed than about how much of the day you want to spend on platforms.
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Route from Prague to Vienna
The four options compared
| Option | Time | Roughly | What it is really like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | ~4 h | €15–35 | The strongest option on this route. RegioJet and railjet run direct from Praha hlavní nádraží to Wien Hauptbahnhof several times a day, both comfortable, both with a seat reservation. Book ahead and it is cheap; book on the day and it is not. |
| Coach | ~4 h 15 | €10–20 | Marginally slower than the train and usually a little cheaper. Departs from Florenc, arrives at Vienna’s bus terminal rather than the centre, and luggage is limited to what fits in the hold. |
| Driving yourself | ~4 h | fuel + two vignettes | Straightforward on the D1 through Brno, then the Austrian A5. You need a Czech motorway vignette and an Austrian one — the second catches people out, and the fine at the border is not small. |
| Private transfer | ~4 h | 350 € per car | Door to door at a time you choose, with stops if you want them. Priced per car, so it makes sense for three or four people, for anyone with heavy luggage, and for early departures before the trains start. |
Which one should you take
Travelling alone or as a couple? Take the train. This is the one route out of Prague where the railway does its job properly: four hours, city centre to city centre, with a power socket and a coffee.
On a tight budget? The coach, booked a few days ahead. The saving over the train is small, but it is a saving.
Three or four people, or luggage, children, an early start? A transfer. Divide 350 € by four and it lands close to four flexible train tickets, without the two annoying ends of the journey — getting to the station in Prague and getting from Wien Hauptbahnhof to wherever you are actually staying.
Want to stop on the way? Only the car lets you. The road passes within a short detour of Telč, a UNESCO town square that looks painted rather than built, and of Lednice and Mikulov in South Moravia — the château park at Lednice is one of the largest designed landscapes in Europe, and Mikulov is wine country. On the train they are simply not options.
Our transfer: we collect you at your hotel in Prague at the time you choose and take you to the door of your address in Vienna — 350 € for the whole car, one way, with a stop on the way at no extra charge.
Is Vienna a day trip from Prague?
Honestly, it is a stretch. Four hours each way means eight hours in the car or on the train for perhaps six in the city, and you will spend the last of them watching the clock. Dresden at two hours each way is a comfortable day out; Vienna deserves an overnight stay.
If you only have the one day, leave Prague before seven and plan a single district rather than a list — the Innere Stadt around Stephansdom, the Hofburg and the Ringstrasse are walkable together and will fill the time on their own.
Practical notes
No border control. The Czech Republic and Austria are both in the Schengen area, so the crossing at Mikulov–Drasenhofen is a formality. Carry your passport or ID card anyway — spot checks are legal and do happen.
Two vignettes, not one. If you drive yourself, Austria has its own motorway sticker and enforcement is thorough. A transfer or a rental from a Czech company will already have both.
The currency changes. Prague uses Czech crowns, Vienna uses euros. Do not change money at the border or at the airport; rates in the city are better, and cards work almost everywhere on both sides.
Trains are cheapest booked early. RegioJet and ČD both price by demand. Two weeks ahead you will pay the bottom of the range; on the morning of travel, the top of it.
Going the other way: Vienna to Prague
Northbound the balance is the same as southbound, and so is the honest answer: for one or two people with time and no heavy luggage, the Railjet is still the better buy. Four hours, a proper seat, and you arrive in the middle of Prague.
The car wins on the same three things it wins on going south — an early start, more than two people, or luggage. Vienna to Prague also catches a specific case: people ending an Austrian trip and starting a Czech one, who would otherwise drag suitcases across two city centres to save an hour.
Vienna to Prague transfer — from 350 € per car → Comfort 380 €, microbus 460 €.
Starting or finishing at an airport
Vienna is the one destination here where the airport leg is often the whole point: Vienna International is a far bigger hub than Prague, and plenty of people fly into VIE and drive on.
Vienna International Airport (VIE) to Prague — from 350 €. Book this direction →
Prague to Vienna International Airport (VIE) — 350 €. Book this direction →
Prague Airport to Vienna — 370 €. Book this direction →
Vienna to Prague Airport — 370 €. Book this direction →
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Prague to Vienna?
About four hours either way — by train, by coach or by road. The distance is 330 kilometres.
Is there a direct train from Prague to Vienna?
Yes, several a day. RegioJet and railjet both run direct from Praha hlavní nádraží to Wien Hauptbahnhof without a change.
How much is a taxi or transfer from Prague to Vienna?
350 € for the whole car, one way, at a fixed price agreed when you book. That is per car rather than per person.
Do I need a vignette to drive from Prague to Vienna?
Two of them — a Czech motorway vignette and an Austrian one. Both are sold online and at border-area filling stations.
Can I stop somewhere on the way?
By car, yes: Telč, Lednice and Mikulov are all a short detour from the route. A short stop costs nothing extra on a transfer; longer waiting is quoted when you book.
Is Vienna worth a day trip from Prague?
It works, but it is a long day — four hours each way. If you can, stay a night.
How much is a transfer from Vienna back to Prague?
From 350 € for the whole car, 380 € for the Comfort class and 460 € for a microbus. It is the same four hours and the same 330 kilometres.
Can I fly into Vienna and be driven to Prague?
Yes, and it is a common booking — Vienna International is the larger hub. VIE to Prague starts at 350 €, and the reverse, Prague to VIE, is 350 €. If you are using Prague Airport instead, that direction is 370 € either way.
Book a transfer
Send us the date, the pick-up time and address, the number of passengers and suitcases, and where you are going. If you are flying in, send the flight number and the driver will meet you in arrivals with a name board.
+420 773 477 799 — WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram
cz@cztransfer.com
