Better Than Uber: Express Bus From Prague City Center To Airport

By Leila

a group of people standing next to a bus

While I used Uber and Bolt quite often during my time in Prague, I found the express bus was a convenient and cheap way to travel from the city center to the airport.

Prague Airport Express Bus Review

I used to get around exclusively by public transportation when I traveled. Heck, I resisted getting a car until I was in my 20s and even used public transport in Los Angeles (not for the faint-hearted…). These days, I mostly use ridesharing because it’s just easier, but I believe in public transport in the sense that when it is carefully planned, it can make more sense than using a car.

I noticed when preparing to leave the Andaz Prague that Prague Main Railway Station (Praha hlavní nádraží) was just a short walk away and that from there I could travel nonstop by bus to Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG). The journey takes 40 minutes and costs CZK 100 (about 4.75 USD). That’s about 1/4 the cost of Uber or Bolt.

Arriving at the station, I found the signage a bit confusing and wound up on a railway track…but thankfully found the pick-up point just outside the station on the upper level (Wilson Street). As an aside, although the station looked somewhat brutalist on the side I arrived on, the other (older) side is quite ornate, with architecture befitting of Prague.

a building with a clock and people walking in front of it

a plaque on a wall

signs on the ceiling of a building

a sign on the wall

a train station with a glass roof
No, the bus is not here…

a large circular building with a railing and a balcony

a circular building with a green railing

a hallway with a blue sign

a sign on a street

The Airport Express leaves the station every 30 minutes on the hour and on the half between the hours of 5:30 am and 10:00 pm.

Onboard, you can tap to pay by card or pay by cash. Seating is typical for a city bus, but there are luggage racks. There are no power outlets, USB ports, or Wi-Fi on this service.

a bus parked on a street

a bus parked on a street

the inside of a bus

a row of red seats on a bus

a row of red seats in a bus

The journey was smooth and we arrived at the airport within 40 minutes. The bus stops at Terminal 1 first and terminates at Terminal 2.

a building with flags on poles

a sign on the wall

a bus parked under a bridge

a sign on a escalator in a building

While buses are sometimes more trouble than they are worth, that is not the case in Prague: I recommend the Airport Express, especially if traveling solo.