Transfer from Prague to Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland is 130 kilometres from Prague on the D8 — about an hour and a half to Bad Schandau, and an hour and twenty to Hřensko on the Czech side. A private transfer costs from €105 for the whole car: the driver drops you at the trailhead and picks you up wherever you come off it.
The Pravcicka brana arch
What it costs
- €105 per car, one way, Prague to Saxon Switzerland
- The price is per car, not per person
- Fixed when we confirm the booking
- A day trip with the driver waiting and bringing you back is quoted separately — for a walking day that is usually what you want
What is included
- Pick-up at your hotel, apartment or Prague Airport at the time you choose
- Delivery to the trailhead — Hřensko, Bad Schandau, Rathen or the Bastei car park
- An English-speaking driver
- The Czech vignette and German road charges
- Child seats and boosters — free
The drive
An hour and a half north on the D8, across the border near Petrovice, then the German A17 or the road along the Elbe. There is no passport control; both countries are in Schengen.
The practical reason people book a car here: walking routes usually start and finish in different places. You go up at Hřensko, follow the gorges, and come down in another village entirely. By public transport that becomes a puzzle of buses and ferries; with a driver you simply say where you came out. Give us an approximate time and place and we settle the rest by phone on the day.
What to see
The sandstone massif runs along both banks of the Elbe: the Czech part is called Bohemian Switzerland, the German part Saxon Switzerland. It is one landscape of rock towers and ravines with a border through the middle.
The German side:
- The Bastei — an 1851 rock bridge 194 metres above the Elbe. The picture everyone knows, and busy at weekends
- Königstein Fortress — an enormous fortress on a table mountain, never taken in its history
- Bad Schandau — the spa town, with its historic lift up the cliff
- The Kirnitzschtal tram — running since 1898 up the valley to the Lichtenhain waterfall
The Czech side:
- The Pravčická brána — the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe. You cannot walk on the arch itself, but the viewpoints are beside it
- The Edmund Gorge at Hřensko — a boat trip along the Kamenice between sheer walls
- The Tisá rocks — a labyrinth of stone corridors that few visitors reach
Worth knowing: a large wildfire burned through Bohemian Switzerland in the summer of 2022, and trails were reopened in stages afterwards. Check the national park’s site before you travel to see whether your route is open, and we will set the drop-off point accordingly.
Book a transfer
Send us the date, the pick-up time and address, the number of passengers, the drop-off point and roughly when you want collecting. Walking shoes and water are on you; the rest is on us.
+420 773 477 799 — WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram
cz@cztransfer.com
Order
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Prague to Saxon Switzerland?
An hour and twenty to Hřensko on the Czech side, about an hour and a half to Bad Schandau and the Bastei on the German side.
How much is the transfer?
From €105 for the whole car one way. A day trip with waiting is quoted separately.
Can you collect us somewhere other than the drop-off point?
Yes, and that is what most people do — the routes run one way through. Tell us the rough place and time when you book.
Do we need a visa or passport to cross into Germany?
There is no passport control; both countries are in the Schengen area. Carry your document with you all the same.
Does it work with children?
Yes, if you pick the short routes: the Edmund Gorge with the boat and the Bastei platform are easy. The long trails with staircases are for people who walk.
