Rail Transport in the Czech Republic
From Prague you can get not only to various parts of the Czech Republic and abroad by train, but sometimes it is more convenient to use train connections to get from one stop in Prague to another, especially when your departure or destination stop is on the outskirts of the city. Traveling by train in Prague and Czech Republic is quite easy, although it may take more patience from your side as especially long-distance trains operated by České Dráhy, the main railway operator in the Czech Republic, are often delayed. The largest and most important railway station in the Czech Republic is the Prague Main Station or Hlavní Nádraží, which handles services to Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and other countries, as well as regional services serving most of the larger cities of the Czech Republic, such as Brno, Plzeň, České Budějovice and Olomouc. Hlavní Nádraží was opened in 1871 as Franz Josef Station and in 2011 the much-needed refurbishment of the railway station was completed, which gave it a new modern look and brought many new shops and services. The station is famous for its Art Nouveau station building and hall from the beginning of the 20th century, which is now used as a cafe. If you arrive to the centrally-located Hlavní Nádraží from abroad, you can easily get to any parts of Prague by the red metro line or many tram lines. Masaryk Railway Station or Masarykovo Nádraží, locally also called Masaryčka, is used for regional and suburban trains going to the east and north of the country, so if you want to go in the direction of Český Brod or Lysá nad Labem this is where you would get on. Having started its operation in 1845, Masarykovo Nádraží is the second oldest railway station in Prague. You can get to Masarykovo Nadraží, which is located about a 10-minute walk from Hlavní Nádraží, by metro B line (Náměstí Republiky station) or by trams no. 3, 5, 14, 24 and 26 (as well as by night tram and bus lines). Other significant railway stations in Prague are Nádraží Holešovice and Nádraží Smíchov, which are also served by Prague metro, buses and trams. Train tickets are best to be bought at ticket offices directly at the railway stations from which you are traveling. You can also buy tickets online at www.cd.cz/en. It is good to know that České Dráhy provides various discounts, which are, however, unknown even to many Czech travelers. You should be provided with all necessary information at ČD information centers located at Hlavní Nádraží (opening hours: Mon-Fri 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.). The most popular discount is a group discount that you can use even when there are just two of you traveling. Tickets can also be purchased online with some discounted fare being offered three days prior to your date of departure at the latest. When traveling by train in Prague (when your departure and destination stops are in the territory of Prague) you can also use the Prague public transport tickets sold in the yellow ticket machines located in metro and some tram or bus stops. However, you are not allowed to use SMS tickets on trains. Information about traveling by train in the Czech Republic is provided for free at +420 840 112 113. More information about Prague transport can be found at www.praha.eu.
www.cd.cz
