Route guide
Prague and Vienna are the two anchors of almost every Central European itinerary, about 330 kilometres apart. The good news for travellers is that the rail link between them is genuinely excellent — frequent, fast and cheap if you book ahead. The case for anything else comes down to luggage, group size, and whether you want the journey to be part of the trip rather than dead time between two cities.
For one or two people, take the train. ÖBB Railjet and RegioJet both run city centre to city centre in about four hours, advance fares start around €15, and there are services through the day. Flying makes no sense over this distance once you count airports. A private car is worth the considerable extra cost in three cases: you are three or four people with real luggage, you want to break the journey in Mikulov or Český Krumlov and turn a transfer into a day out, or you need door-to-door at a time the timetable doesn't offer.
Prices and journey times checked 25 July 2026. Operators change fares — check before you travel.
| Option | Price | Journey time | How often | Door to door | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train (ÖBB Railjet / RegioJet) | from ~€15 advance, ~€30–50 standard | ~4 h – 4 h 15 | Roughly every hour or two through the day | No | Almost everyone travelling as one or two people |
| Bus (RegioJet, FlixBus) | ~€10–25 one way | ~4 h – 4 h 30 | Several departures daily | No | Travellers on the tightest budget |
| Flying | ~€60–150 plus airport transport | ~1 h in the air, 4–5 h in practice | Limited direct services | No | Almost nobody on this particular route |
| Private transferOur service | €479 sedan, €619 SUV | ~4 h 30 door to door | Any time you choose | Yes | Groups of three or four, families, and travellers who want to stop en route |
Two operators share the route. ÖBB's Railjet is the Austrian state service and the fastest, running from Prague's main station to Wien Hauptbahnhof in about four hours. RegioJet is the Czech private operator, a little slower at around four and a quarter hours, and known for including a steward, drinks and newspapers in the fare.
Book early and this is a remarkably cheap journey — fares start around €15 on both operators. Walk up on the day and you will pay something closer to €30–50. Since services run through the day, there is little reason to leave it late.
Both terminate centrally. Wien Hauptbahnhof connects straight into the U-Bahn, and Prague's Hlavní nádraží is a few minutes from Wenceslas Square. Factor in getting to and from each station, though: that is typically another 20–30 minutes and a taxi fare at each end, which is the hidden cost people forget when comparing against a door-to-door car.
The coach is the budget answer. RegioJet and FlixBus both run it for as little as €10 booked ahead, taking four to four and a half hours depending on traffic around Brno and the Vienna approach.
The coaches themselves are perfectly comfortable — wifi, reclining seats, hold luggage. The compromise is time and flexibility rather than comfort: fewer departures than the train, terminals further from the centre, and no scope to stretch your legs for four hours.
If the fare difference between bus and advance train ticket is only a few euros, which it often is, take the train.
It looks quick on paper — barely an hour in the air. In practice you need to be at Prague Airport well ahead of departure, and Prague Airport has no rail connection, so getting there is itself a bus or a car ride.
Add security, boarding, the flight, disembarking and the run into Vienna from its airport, and you have spent four to five hours and more money than the train, with none of the comfort. On a 330-kilometre city-pair with excellent rail, flying is the wrong tool.
The one exception is if you are connecting onward from Vienna's airport to a long-haul flight — in which case a direct transfer to the airport terminal, by train or car, is the thing to compare.
We sell this transfer, so here is the straight version: on price alone, the train beats us decisively and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Two people going city centre to city centre with a suitcase each should take the Railjet.
What the car buys is a different journey. Four adults with four large cases is where a private vehicle stops being a luxury — €619 in an SUV is under €200 a head, with no station transfers, no luggage racks and no changes. Families with small children and fitted seats are in the same territory. So is anyone on a schedule the timetable doesn't serve, or arriving at a Vienna address that is nowhere near the Hauptbahnhof.
The strongest case, though, is turning the journey into part of the holiday. The route crosses into Austria near Mikulov, a wine town in South Moravia that makes a genuinely lovely two-hour stop, and a longer detour via Český Krumlov turns the transfer into a full sightseeing day between the two capitals. Neither is realistically possible by train or coach. If that is how you would rather spend the day, the comparison is not really against a €15 rail fare — it is against a day tour plus a separate journey.
The Czech Republic and Austria are both in the Schengen Area, so there are no routine border checks by any mode of transport — usually just a sign and a change in road markings near Mikulov. Carry your passport or national ID card regardless, as spot checks do happen.
Both countries use different currencies: Czech koruna in Prague, euro in Vienna. Cards are accepted almost everywhere on both sides, but if you are stopping en route it is worth having a little of each.
By car the drive is straightforward motorway nearly the whole way — the D1 south-east past Brno, then across the border. Tolls and vignettes for both countries are included in a private transfer fare, which is worth checking if you are instead considering a rental car, where they are not.
Our private transfer from Prague to Vienna is €479 for the whole car, fixed when you book.
The train, for most travellers. ÖBB Railjet and RegioJet run city centre to city centre in about four hours with advance fares from around €15. A private car is worth the extra only for groups of three or four, for families, or if you want to stop en route.
About four hours by the fastest train, four to four and a half hours by coach, and roughly four and a half hours door to door by private car. Flying takes an hour in the air but four to five hours in total once airports are counted.
Advance fares start at around €15 with both ÖBB and RegioJet. Booking close to departure or buying on the day typically costs €30–50. Services run through the day, so there is rarely a reason not to book ahead.
No. The flight is about an hour, but two airport transfers plus check-in and security push the real journey to four or five hours — no faster than the train, usually more expensive, and considerably less comfortable.
By car, yes. Mikulov, a wine town in South Moravia right on the route near the Austrian border, is the natural stop, and a longer detour via Český Krumlov turns the trip into a full sightseeing day. Neither works well by train or coach without losing hours to connections.
There are no routine border checks — both countries are in the Schengen Area. You should still carry a valid passport or national ID card, since occasional spot checks do take place.
Fares and timetables come from the operators themselves. We check them on the date shown above.
Route guide
For most independent travellers the bus is the answer: RegioJet, FlixBus and Leo Express all run it in around 2 hours 40 minutes for roughly €13–22, several times a day, and they drop you a short walk from the old town. The train is slower and only has one useful direct service a day. Go by car — private transfer or a day trip with a driver — if you are three or four people, if you want to stop at Hluboká Castle or a South Bohemian village on the way, or if you are returning to Prague the same evening and don't want the last bus dictating your day.
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Getting around
Travelling light, on a budget, and landing during the day? Take bus 119 to Nádraží Veleslavín and change to metro line A — about 40 minutes and 50 CZK (roughly €2). Two or three of you with suitcases? An Uber or Bolt runs about €20–25 door to door and is usually the best value in Prague. A pre-booked private transfer makes sense mainly for families, groups of four or more, late-night arrivals, or anyone who wants a named driver waiting in arrivals at a price fixed before they fly.
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