UBC July 2026 - Airport Transportation in Prague

Photo Credit: YL Lew on Pexels

Let me start by saying that in my home country, Switzerland, we are absolutely spoiled when it comes to public transportation in general and airport connections in particular. Our two international airports, Zurich and Geneva, not only offer frequent direct trains into the city, but also a tram in Zurich and several bus lines in Geneva.

From previous trips to European cities like Madrid, Stockholm, and London, I had (wrongly, as it turns out) assumed that every European airport has its own train or underground station.

So I was surprised to learn that Prague doesn’t have either. If you don’t want to pay for a taxi or an Uber, you’ll have to take a bus, which is exactly what every YouTuber who's vlogging about getting around Prague will tell you. Apparently, not every taxi is legit, and some will happily overcharge unsuspecting tourists.

After a 17-minute bus ride, you’re dropped off at a metro station in what feels like the middle of nowhere; one without escalators or elevators.

There I was, standing with my suitcase, quietly cursing under my breath.

Then I noticed a local guy from the bus hobbling past me on crutches. His right leg was amputated at the thigh. He made his way down the steep staircase, at least two levels, with impressive ease.

If he could do it, I could do it.

I was so glad I had taken a screenshot of my route beforehand, because on the metro platform I had no phone reception. The station names were hard to memorize, I didn’t even know how to pronounce them. It was my first time traveling to a country where I didn’t speak a single word of the local language.

After changing lines once, I had arrived. Well, almost. Our hotel was in the Old Town, where all the streets are paved with cobblestones, making it quite the challenge to haul a roll-on suitcase.

More on cobblestones in a later post.

The good news: the trip from Václav Havel Airport to the city center cost only CZK 46, about USD 2.20. Later, I found out I should have bought a second ticket for my suitcase, bringing the total to CZK 92 (USD 4.40).

Still a great price. But as someone who values comfort, I knew I wouldn’t be repeating this journey on my way back. 

How much of a price difference in dollars would you be willing to pay for a 30 minutes' taxi ride to or from the airport?