Prague Airport Drop-Off: Where to Stop and What It Costs
Dropping someone at Prague Airport is straightforward, and the part people ask about is the money: the car parks beside both terminals give you one free entry of up to 10 minutes in any 24 hours. Stay eleven to thirty minutes and it costs 150 CZK. Longer than that and you are on the hourly rate.
So a drop-off works if you pull in, unload, say goodbye and drive out. It does not work if you plan to walk someone to check-in.
Where you actually stop
The short-stay car parks are P1 Express and P2 Express, directly in front of Terminals 1 and 2, plus PB Economy a short walk further out. These are the ones used for setting someone down and for collecting them. Follow the signs for the terminal you need, not for the airport in general: the two terminals are a few hundred metres apart and the car parks are numbered to match.
Which terminal
Get this wrong and you add fifteen minutes and a walk with luggage.
| Terminal | Flights | Border control |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | Outside the Schengen area — the UK, Turkey, the USA, Israel and others | Passport control, and the EES checks apply |
| Terminal 2 | Within the Schengen area | No passport control |
The flight number on the boarding pass decides it. If you are not sure, the airline’s own page will say, and the departure boards at the airport list the terminal against every flight.
What it costs in 2026
| Car park | Use | Price |
|---|---|---|
| P1 Express, P2 Express, PB Economy | Setting down and collecting | One free entry of up to 10 minutes per 24 hours. 11 to 30 minutes: 150 CZK |
| Short-term parking | Waiting, a coffee, a longer goodbye | 80 CZK per hour |
| PA Smart, PC Comfort, PD Holiday | Leaving the car while you travel | From 790 CZK for 8 days, booked online |
| The same, without a booking | Turning up on the day | 300 CZK for the first 24 hours, then 500 CZK for each further 24 hours |
Rates change, and the long-stay price depends on your dates and how full the car parks are. The airport’s own booking system quotes the real figure for the days you need, so check there before you drive.
How early to arrive
For a Schengen flight from Terminal 2, two hours before departure is comfortable. For anything outside Schengen from Terminal 1, make it three: passport control now includes the EES checks, which take fingerprints and a photograph the first time you cross, and that queue is slower than it used to be. Early morning, between six and eight, is the busiest stretch of the day at both terminals.
Or let someone else drive
If the drop-off is the only reason you are taking a car out, a transfer costs €30 for the whole car from anywhere in Prague to either terminal. Fixed when you book, whatever the traffic does.
No parking, no circling, no coming back for the car. The driver helps with the luggage and sets you down at the door of your terminal.
That figure is per car, not per person, and it is the same in the other direction. A sedan takes three passengers with luggage, a minibus up to eight.
If you are being dropped off by a friend
Have the terminal number ready before you set off, keep the boarding pass on your phone rather than in a bag in the boot, and agree where you will stand if you get separated. The set-down lanes are busy and nobody can wait there.
Frequently asked questions
How long can you stop at Prague Airport for free?
Ten minutes. The Express car parks in front of both terminals give one free entry of up to 10 minutes in any 24-hour period. Between 11 and 30 minutes the charge is 150 CZK.
Where do you drop someone off at Prague Airport?
At P1 Express in front of Terminal 1, or P2 Express in front of Terminal 2. PB Economy is a little further out and works for the same purpose if the Express parks are full.
Which terminal do I need at Prague Airport?
Terminal 2 for flights within the Schengen area, Terminal 1 for everywhere else, including the UK, Turkey, the USA and Israel. The boarding pass and the departure boards both state it.
How much is parking at Prague Airport?
Short-term parking is 80 CZK per hour. Long-stay starts at 790 CZK for eight days if you book online, and costs 300 CZK for the first day plus 500 CZK a day after that if you simply drive up.
Is a transfer cheaper than parking at the airport?
For a trip of a week or more, usually yes. Eight days of long-stay parking starts at 790 CZK, and that is before the fuel and the drive both ways. A transfer is €30 each way for the whole car.
How early should I get to Prague Airport?
Two hours for a Schengen flight from Terminal 2, three hours for anything outside Schengen from Terminal 1, where passport control now includes the EES fingerprint and photograph checks.
Book a car to the airport
Write to cz@cztransfer.com or message +420 773 477 799 (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram) with your address in Prague, the date, the flight number and how many of you there are. We confirm the car and the price the same day.
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