Transfer from Prague to the Vienna River Cruise Terminal
Many Danube river cruises begin or end in Vienna — and many of the passengers spend a few days in Prague first. A private transfer from your Prague hotel or from Prague Airport straight to the river cruise terminal in Vienna covers about 330 kilometres in roughly four hours and costs from €350 per car, fixed in advance, with your luggage delivered to the gangway rather than a coach park.
River cruise ships moored at the Handelskai in Vienna, below the St Francis of Assisi church. Photo: ImagePerson / CC BY 4.0
Vienna: one of the world’s most liveable cities
Vienna came first in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index three years running, from 2022 to 2024, and shared second place with Zurich in 2025; for a decade before that it also topped Mercer’s Quality of Living ranking. Visitors see why within a day: the Ringstrasse and the Hofburg, Schönbrunn, the coffee houses, the opera, and a public transport system that simply works. For a cruise passenger it is the ideal place to start or finish — the city alone is worth two or three days.
The Danube: through ten countries to the Black Sea
The Danube is the second-longest river in Europe after the Volga, about 2,850 kilometres, and the longest in the European Union. It rises in the Black Forest in south-west Germany and flows east through or along ten countries — Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine — more than any other river in the world. It passes through four capitals: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade. At its end it spreads into the Danube Delta on the Black Sea, one of Europe’s great wetlands and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
That is why the river is made for cruising: medieval abbeys, vineyards, castles and capital cities follow each other a few hours apart, and the ship is your hotel all the way.
Where the cruise ships dock in Vienna
In the nineteenth century the Danube was straightened and moved east of the old city to protect Vienna from floods, so the big river does not flow through the centre — the narrow Danube Canal does. The large river cruise ships therefore moor not at Schwedenplatz but on the main river:
Reichsbrücke / Handelskai — the main passenger terminal, the Schifffahrtszentrum by the Reichsbrücke bridge in the 2nd district. Most river cruise ships tie up along the Handelskai here; the nearest U-Bahn station, Vorgartenstrasse on line U1, is a 5–10 minute walk away.
Nussdorf — in the north of the city, by the wine villages; some ships moor here instead.
Schwedenplatz (Schiffstation City) — on the Danube Canal in the centre, used only by smaller day boats, including the fast catamaran to Bratislava.
Tell us the name of your ship and the pier from your cruise documents; the driver goes straight to it.
Which cruises leave from Vienna
Multi-day river cruises. The international river cruise lines run the Danube from spring to the Christmas markets in December. The classic is a week between Passau, Vienna and Budapest, often with Bratislava and the Wachau valley. Longer itineraries combine the Rhine, Main and Danube between Amsterdam or Nuremberg and Budapest, or head down the Lower Danube through the Iron Gates gorge towards Romania, Bulgaria and the Black Sea. Some cruises embark in Vienna; on many others Vienna is a full day’s call with the ship moored overnight.
Day cruises from Vienna.
- To Bratislava — the Twin City Liner catamaran from Schwedenplatz reaches the Slovak capital in about 75 minutes.
- Sightseeing cruises on the Danube and the Danube Canal around Vienna, from an hour to an evening with dinner.
- The Wachau valley — between Melk Abbey and Krems, a UNESCO-listed stretch of vineyards, ruined castles and apricot orchards, an hour from Vienna; day boats run in season.
The Danube from the Reichsbrücke, with a river cruise ship at the terminal. Photo: Leonhard Lenz, CC0
What the transfer costs
- Prague → Vienna cruise terminal — from €350 for the whole car (Comfort €370, Premium or minivan for up to 8 €460)
- Prague Airport → Vienna cruise terminal — from €370
- Reichsbrücke, Handelskai or Nussdorf — the same price
- The price is per car, not per person; both vignettes and all road charges are included
Book online on the Prague — Vienna route and add the pier in the comments, or write to us with the ship’s name.
Planning the day of embarkation
Embarkation on river cruises usually starts in the afternoon. Leaving Prague around nine in the morning gets you to the ship comfortably, with time for a lunch stop in Mikulov or Telč on the way. Ships do not wait for late passengers, so we plan with a margin and the driver checks the D1 roadworks before setting off. Both countries are in Schengen, but Austria runs temporary checks at its Czech border — keep the passports at hand, they are needed for the cruise anyway.
After the cruise it works the other way round: the driver meets you at the gangway on disembarkation morning and takes you back to Prague, or to Prague Airport for your flight home, at the same price.
Starting your cruise in Passau instead? See our Prague to Passau transfer. For everything else about the road to Vienna: Prague to Vienna taxi and transfer.
Your taxi from Prague Airport — and back
Most visitors arrive at Václav Havel Airport. A pre-booked taxi from Prague Airport to any hotel in the centre costs €30 for the whole car, fixed in advance — the driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Terminal 1 or 2 with a name board and tracks your flight. Book your Prague Airport taxi →
On the way home, the same car and the same €30 take you from your hotel to the terminal: book Prague → Prague Airport.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Danube river cruise ships dock in Vienna?
Most moor at the Handelskai by the Reichsbrücke, at the passenger terminal in the 2nd district; some use Nussdorf in the north of the city. Only small day boats use Schwedenplatz in the centre.
How much is a transfer from Prague to the Vienna cruise terminal?
From €350 for the whole car, fixed in advance; from Prague Airport from €370. A minivan for up to eight is €460.
How long does the drive from Prague to the cruise ship take?
About four hours for 330 kilometres via Brno, including one short stop.
Is the Danube the longest river in Europe?
It is the second-longest, about 2,850 kilometres, after the Volga — and the longest in the European Union. It flows through or along ten countries and four capital cities.
Can you pick us up from the ship after the cruise?
Yes. Give us the ship, the pier and the disembarkation time, and the driver meets you at the gangway.
Can we take a day cruise from Vienna to Bratislava?
Yes. The Twin City Liner catamaran leaves from Schwedenplatz and takes about 75 minutes.
Book your car
Send us the date, the pick-up time and address, the number of passengers and suitcases, and where you are going — we confirm the car and the fixed price in reply.
+420 773 477 799 — WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram
cz@cztransfer.com
How you can pay
- Cash to the driver — euros, Czech crowns, US dollars or pounds sterling
- Card to the driver, contactless — Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, or pay by phone
- Card or PayPal online, before the trip — Visa, Mastercard, American Express; the payment processor adds a 6% fee
- Crypto, before the trip — USDT (TRC-20) or Bitcoin
Payment details · no deposit, pay at the end of the trip if you like
