Whether you’re arriving there in or leaving on a day trip from Prague, here’s all you need to know to navigate Prague main train station quickly and easily.
Prague main train station – Praha hlavní nádraží – is one of the main points of arrival in and departure from Prague. As well as being the busiest station in the Czech Republic, it is also one of the most important rail hubs in Central Europe, and many visitors to Prague pass through there at some point on their trip.
Our guide to Prague main station – Praha hl n on timetables – is designed to make it as easy as possible to find your way through the station, and get to your onward destination quickly and safely.
We show you how to buy your tickets, find your train and where to get the best coffee, as well as how to find your way out of the station and on to your Prague accommodation. We also show you the other station facilities you may need, and point you in the direction of some places of in terest within the station, including its stunning hidden Art Nouveau entrance hall.
Prague Main Train Station – An Introduction
It is located in New Town Prague, a 5-minute walk from Wenceslas Square
It is the main hub of the Czech railway network, and many international trains – mostly from Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland – also call or terminate there
Prague main train station is within walking distance of some of the most popular places in Prague, with the Old town only 10 minutes away
The tram stops for Prague hlavní nádraží are a few minutes’ walk from the station
There are also three smaller mainline train stations in Prague – Praha-Smichov, Praha-Holesovice and Praha-Masarykovo nádraží
Many visitors miss one of the wonders of Prague architecture in the station – a gorgeous domed Art Nouveau hall, which is at platform level
There are also two moving memorials to the Kindertransports which carried Jewish children to the safety of the UK – one of these is a statue of Sir Nicholas Winton, who organised them
Prague Main Train Station – Layout Guide
The main Prague train station is spread across three levels, with two entry points.
The platforms (nástupiště) and historic part of the station are on Level 0 (zero).
Level Zero is also road level – a busy road, Wilsonova, runs above the lower part of the station, and some bus services leave from outside the exit in the historic part of the station
The main concourse with departure boards, cafes and shops is on Level -1.
The entry hall is reached from Vrchlickeho sady, a small park on Opletalova. It is where you will find the four entries to and exits from the Prague Metro, has an information desk selling Prague transport tickets, more shops, and, down a short ramp, the large ticket office (jizdenky). This is Level -2.
All the main signs are in English and German as well as Czech.
Tickets At Prague Main Train Station
The ticket offices are at the foot of a ramp running down from level -2. Most of the desks are operated by České drahy (Czech Railways), with the large room split between domestic and international tickets. Payment can be made in Czech koruna (CZK) or euros.
Two other operators also run trains from Prague – RegioJet, and Leo Express, both of whom have offices around Level -2 of Praha
Prague Main Train Station – Departures
The departures (Odjezd) board is fairly easy to understand, as it’s also marked in English and German (‘Abfahrt’). the platform comes up on the board around 10-15 minutes before departure time.
When the platform is announced, the number is usually accompanied by either a letter J or S. J stands for ‘jih’, the Czech for south, while S stands for ‘sever’, the Czech for north. There are separate tunnels for each, leading to opposite ends of the platforms.
The Art Nouveau Prague Main Train Station
It’s very easy to miss the historic early 20th century part of the main station in Prague, especially if you arrive or are departing from the south section of a platform. However, next to the main concourse and departure board, there are two escalators leading to the original station entrance hall, and both of these are signposted (pictured above).
The original Prague main train station entrance was designed and built by Josef Fanta. It’s an Art Nouveau Prague masterpiece, a half-dome adorned with the coats of arms of cities around the country, with the ‘Praga Mater Urbium’ inscription and accompanying sculptures the focal point.
This area is nearly always quiet, a world away from the hubbub below. As you pass through the north tunnel, you can glance up and see the superb roof above you. If you’re early for your train, it’s well worth spending a few minutes there. It’s on level 0, and you can walk directly from there to platform 1.
Cafes At Prague Main Station
There are numerous places to grab a coffee around the main concourse on level -1, including chains such as Paul and Costa.
However, far and away the best of them is Fantova Kavarna, which opened after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. It‘s a gorgeous atmospheric Art Nouveau café named after architect Josef Fanta, and in our view one of the best cafes in Prague.
The coffee and cake are both excellent, and there are tables inside, where you can admire the Art Nouveau murals, or you can sit and gaze at the dome, one of the best examples of early 20th century Prague architecture.
Something For The Kids – The Lego Model Of Prague Main Train Station
If you have a wait for your train and have kids in tow, there’s an enormous scale Lego model of Prague main station in the main concourse on Level -1 to occupy them for a while. It is made up of an astonishing 342,303 pieces, and includes everything from the busy Wilsonova street outside to passengers on the platforms, with all the shops inside.
There are a few surprises as well, including a few ghosts and ghouls lurking in the tunnels below the station. There is a series of buttons to press which make some of the figures perform tasks.
Memorials In Prague Main Train Station
Prague hlavní nádraží was one of the departure points of the Kindertransports, in which unaccompanied Jewish children were taken to the relative safety of the UK (with some also travelling to Sweden) in the wake of the stepping-up of Nazi persecutions.
Parents were willing to let their children leave so that they had more chance of survival. Around 10,000 Jewish children from across Europe were evacuated in this way, and though they survived, most of their parents and families were murdered by the Nazis. Around 10,000 children from across Europe were evacuated between December 1938 and September 1939.
The separation from their parents and departure were particularly harrowing. British broker Nicholas Winton organised the guaranteed passage of 669 children from Prague, and one of the most poignant Prague statues depicts him holding a small boy, while a girl next to them looks despondent. The statues are the work of Flor Kent, and were installed in 2009. They are at the southern end of platform 1.
There is another Kindertransport memorial in the north tunnel to the platforms. It commemorates the parents of the children Winton saved – it’s a train door full of hand prints in the glass pane – and was funded by the survivors to recognise the terrible sacrifice their parents made, and the suffering and fate they endured afterwards.
See Also: 15 Prague World War 2 Sites to Explore
Supermarkets In Prague Main Train Station
There are two supermarkets in Praha main station, both on level -2.
The busy Billa branch at the southern end of the station is much the larger of the two, and has a small in-store bakery, plenty of fresh fruit and chilled foods and the usual groceries – ideal whether you’re heading off on a journey or stopping off for a snack on your way back to your hotel.
There is also a small Pont supermarket on the opposite side of Level -2, with a range of snacks and essentials. There are also several branches of Relay, who sell snacks, drinks, magazines and more.
Luggage Storage Prague Train Station
The left luggage office is located on Level -1 near the South tunnel to the platforms.
It’s open from 0600 to 2300 daily.
The charge per bag per day varies between 60 CK and 100 CZK, depending on size.
Getting to Prague Main Train Station
Prague main train station is in a good central location, on the edge of the city centre, just five minutes’ walk from Wenceslas Square and 15 minutes’ walk from Old Town Square.
Surprisingly few tram and bus services take you directly to Prague main train station, but many trams do pass close by. We usually use the Jindříšská stop on the street of the same name, then walk the five minutes along Jeruzalemska and around the corner to the station. The 3, 5, 6, 9, 14 and 24 stop there.
Tram 9 also stops at Hlavní nádraží, but the stop isn’t in the most obvious place – it’s at the north end of Vrchlickeho sady, around 200 metres around the corner from the main station entrance.
Prague main station is also on the red Metro line C, which runs north-south down the eastern side of Prague. Hlavní nádraží Metro stop is between twoof the three interchange stations on the network, and if you plan to travel there by Metro, the likelihood is that you’ll have to change at one of these to reach Prague main train station.
Onward From Prague Main Train Station
The Metro seems the most obvious way to leave Prague main train station and reach your destination. It ‘s very well signposted, with four entries to the station on Level -2, Hlavní nádraží Metro stop is one stop south along the line from Muzeum, where it connects with green line A. This in turn continues to Old Town Prague (Staroměstská stop) and Mala Strana (Malostranská stop), two of the most popular Prague areas for tourists.
In the other direction, it’s one stop to Florenc, where you change for yellow Line B or Prague Florenc bus station. this line runs through the New Town area of Prague, stopping at Můstek, Národni třida and Karlovo náměstí before crossing beneath the river to Anděl in the Smichov (Prague 5) district.
Walking is often the easiest option, especially if you’re staying close by, for example at one of the Wenceslas Square hotels. It’s often quicker than using the Metro, especially if you’re using one of the transfer stations.
As I’ve mentioned in the previous section, if you need to catch a tram, you’ll have a short walk from the station to the nearest stops. Check the Prague public transport website for more information.
Prague Train Station to Airport
The AE bus departs from outside the historic entrance to the station on Wilsonova. This is at Level 0, the upper (street) level of the station. Turn left out of the main door, it’s less than 50 metres away. The journey takes 40 minutes, and costs 100 CZK for adults, and 50 CZK for kids over the age of 6.
Hotels Near Prague Main Railway Station
there are many Prague hotels, especially within the 3- to 5-star range within walking distance of Prague main train station. Our top recommendation is the Art Nouveau Palace Hotel, one of the best Prague 5-star hotels, which is a 5-minute walk from the station on Jindříšská, two blocks beyond the tram stop of the same name.
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