Prague to Krakow - 15 Best Ways to Travel in 2024

The most convenient way of traveling from Prague to Krakow is by train. Three companies serve this route: the national one (the collaboration of the Czech - Ceske Drahy - and Polish - PKP Intercity) and two private ones, Leo Express and RegioJet. Most travelers choose the national Czech/Polish carrier, so that we will talk about it first. 

You can take one of three direct Prague to Krakow trains, departing from the Czech capital at 06:15, 10:15, and 19:54. Besides those, there are also connections with a convenient change in Hranice na Morave (in the Czech Republic) or Katowice (in Poland). 

The daytime trains from Prague to Krakow take around seven hours (both direct ones and those with the change). Prague to Krakow train ticket price starts at €15 and can be around €60 for last-minute purchases. 

Unfortunately, at the moment, there is no direct Prague to Krakow high-speed train. Still, you can take the Czech Pendolino train from Prague to Ostrava (although it goes only up to 160 km/h). 

Prague to Krakow night train
Since the Prague to Krakow train time is at least seven hours, it’s worth considering taking the night train to save time and money on accommodation. There is one direct connection operated by Ceske Drahy/PKP Intercity, departing from Prague at 19:54 and arriving in Krakow at 05:53, giving you enough time to relax during your journey. Since both the Czech Republic and Poland are members of the Schengen Zone, your night rest will not be interrupted by passport control at the border in the middle of the night. 

There are three types of carriages you can choose from in the Prague to Krakow sleeper train: second class with six or eight seats in the compartment (it depends on the type of the car), couchettes with six beds per compartment, and sleeping cars with 1, 2, or 3 beds in the compartment. 

Prague to Krakow night train price starts at €25 for the second class seat if you buy the ticket in advance; it gets more expensive once it gets closer to the departure date. Couchettes and sleeping cars require an extra fee with the prices depending on your chosen option; for example, the bed in the three-person compartment is around €15 if you share the space with other travelers but is around €50 for a single use. 

While money is always an issue when traveling, we recommend considering a couchette or a sleeping car for the Prague to Krakow night train. This route is known for pickpockets, but in those cars, you will find the designated person looking after the passengers, so you don’t need to worry about your safety and can enjoy a good rest. Each compartment also has a lock on the door to make you feel even more comfortable during your trip. The car’s guardian collects the tickets at the beginning of the journey, so you are not bothered with any controls on the way from Prague to Krakow. 

Where to buy Prague to Krakow train ticket
The best place to get the ticket from your Prague to Krakow train trip is online, either at the Ceske Drahy (Czech Railways) website or the PKP Intercity (Polish Railways) website. Prices are similar on both, but we recommend using the first one as it’s more user-friendly, and you don’t need to create an account to buy the ticket. The Polish website also doesn’t sell tickets for all the connections, while you can easily purchase them on the Czech one. 

If you decide to get the ticket the traditional way, you can do it at the central train station in Prague. You will find the customer center on the ground floor. However, don’t leave the purchase for the last moment, as trains are a popular way of getting around in the Czech Republic. There might be long lines in the customer center, or tickets might even be sold out. 

Prague to Krakow RegioJet train
Besides the national carrier, you can also use the Prague to Krakow night train operated by the private company RegioJet. It runs daily, departing from the Czech capital at 20:27 and arriving in Krakow at 05:07. The Prague to Krakow RegioJet train offers second-class cars with seats and sleeping cars with three or four beds in a compartment. 

Since this train goes further to Przemysl, a Polish town next to the border with Ukraine, it is a popular connection, and it is better to secure a place in it in advance. Tickets start at €18,90 for seats in the second class and €32,90 for the bed in the sleeping car. You can also purchase the whole sleeping compartment for yourself - this option costs around €100. 

To buy the ticket for the RegioJet train from Prague to Krakow, visit the company’s website; the only place to purchase the ticket for this connection. 

Prague to Krakow Leo Express train
Another private company operating on the Prague to Krakow route is Leo Express. However, there are direct trains between the two cities only twice per week, on Fridays and Sundays, departing from Prague at 15:00 and arriving in Krakow at 21:50. On other days, you can still use Leo Express from your trip from Prague to Krakow, but you would need to change from a train to a bus in Ostrava (the whole journey will be on one ticket so you wouldn’t need to worry about missing the connection). 

Prague to Krakow Leo Express train tickets start at €25 if you buy in advance; last-minute purchases can cost up to €60. You can get the ticket directly at the LeoExpress website. 

Train stations in Prague and Krakow
The main train station in Prague is located in the central part of the city. It is well-connected with the rest of the capital by public transport, including red metro line C (stop “Hlavní nádraží”).

In Krakow you will arrive at the center too - the main train station is at the edge of the Old Town so if your accommodation is in the historical part of the city you can easily walk there. Otherwise, you can use public transport too; numerous trams stop at and near the train station in Krakow (the closest stops are Dworzec Główny Tunel, Dworzec Główny Zachód, or Teatr Słowackiego). You can also use popular riding apps in both cities, Uber and Bolt.

Since you'll spend most of your day traveling from Prague to Krakow, why not use the transit to see some interesting places along the way. Prague to Krakow Transfer Tour offers an excellent opportunity to visit two UNESCO-listed destinations in the Czech Republic that normally would be difficult to put into a Prague to Krakow one-day itinerary.

Not only will your trip be smooth and hassle-free, but you will also be accompanied by a knowledgeable guide who will tell you more about Central Europe and its gems and can answer all your questions about both the Czech Republic and Poland. You will travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle and will not need to worry about all the logistics. 

Stop 1: Kutna Hora & The Famous Bone Church
One hour after departing Prague, you will arrive at your first stop of the day - Kutna Hora. Back in medieval times, this was a silver mining town, one of the most important places in the region. Still today, there are many remnants of those times in the town. The most important one is the stunning Cathedral of St Barbara, an impressive mix of Gothic and Baroque styles, with the tall tower dominating the area. The center of Kutna Hora is a pleasant place to wander around and get a feel of the town. 

What attracts most visitors, though, is Sedlec Ossuary, also known as the Bone Chapel. This morbid place contains bones of about forty thousand people, exhumated from the local cemetery in the 16th century. In 1870, a Czech woodcarver and carpenter created unique sculptures from the bones, such as a chandelier or the Schwarzenberg family coat of arms. Sedlec Ossuary might seem like a dreadful place to visit, but it is unique and, despite its unusual interior, worth visiting.

Stop 2: Olomouc Old Town
From Kutna Hora, you will continue your trip to Olomouc, one of the most beautiful cities in the Czech Republic, with the second-largest and second-oldest historic area in the country (after Prague). You will explore the Old Town with its stunning buildings in different styles (mainly Renaissance and Baroque), two main squares (Upper and Lower), and impressive town hall. When you look closer, you will find the unique astronomical clock on one of its walls. What makes it special is the style it was designed in - Socialist Realism. The original clock from the 15th century was destroyed during World War 2, and it was rebuilt in the 1950s, hence the look. 

But the real highlight of Olomouc is the UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column from the early 18th century, the largest structure of that kind. After exploring Olomouc and its attractions, it’s time for lunch before heading to your final destination of the day - Krakow.

Prague to Krakow Transfer Tour is available as a private and group tour. Both take around ten hours to get you from one city to another. In the group tour, you will be picked up and dropped off in the central locations in Prague and Krakow, while the private transfer has hotel pickup and drop-off.

Another popular option to travel from Prague to Krakow is by bus. There are around ten daily connections between the cities, operated by a few companies, including the popular ones such as Flixbus. You can find the overview of the Prague to Krakow bus schedule here.

The travel time from Prague to Krakow by bus depends on the company and stops along the way and can vary between 7 and 12 hours (on average, you can expect to spend around nine hours traveling between the cities). Some of the connections are overnight, which is a good solution for those who want to save time and money on accommodation.

Prague to Krakow Flixbus
Flixbus offers at least five daily direct Prague to Krakow buses (the number of connections depends on the day). The price of a Prague to Krakow bus ticket starts at €22 but can be around €40 if you purchase it shortly before the departure. You can buy the tickets directly at the Flixbus website. 

While the buses are not as comfortable as trains, they are still decent. They have plenty of leg space, power sockets next to each seat, and complimentary wifi to keep you entertained during the long journey.

Bus stations in Prague and Krakow
The central bus station in Prague - Florenc is located not far from the train station; you can reach it by metro red line C, stop “Florenc.”

In Krakow, you will arrive at the MDA bus station, located next to the main train station in the central part of the city, from where you can easily continue your journey to your final destination by public transport.

An interesting option to travel from Prague to Krakow is a combination of bus and train, with a walk across the Czech-Polish border in the middle of the trip. Not many travelers know about this trick, but it’s definitely worth considering. Not only will you make a long travel day more bearable, but you will also visit one of the most fascinating yet underrated towns in Central Europe - Cieszyn - along the way.

Located directly at the border, Cieszyn was one town until 1920, when, in the aftermath of World War 1, it was divided between two countries and remained as such until this day. Fortunately, with both the Czech Republic and Poland being part of the Schengen Zone, you can easily walk across the Olza River (which marks the border) and move freely from Tesky Cesin (the Czech town) to Cieszyn (the Polish side). 

Train from Prague to Cesky Tesin
The first part of this combined journey is by train. There are a few direct connections from Prague to Cesky Tesin, operated by Ceske Drahy (the national carrier) and RegioJet; you can also change trains in Ostrava along the way. Depending on the connection, the travel time from Prague to Cesky Tesin takes around 4-5 hours. 

The first train departs from Prague at 6 in the morning; we recommend choosing the earlier connections to use your day to the fullest. Train tickets from Prague to Cesky Tesin cost around €20; you can buy them online at the Ceske Drahy / RegioJet websites (which is a more convenient option) or at the train station in Prague.

Visiting Cieszyn
Once you arrive in Cesky Tesin, you can go directly across the border to the Polish side to catch the bus to Krakow; it’s around half an hour’s walk. But you can also spend a few hours in this fascinating divided town and see what it offers. The central part of Cesky Tesin is pleasant, but most attractions remain on the Polish side of the border. 

There is a Romanesque rotunda from the 11th century (you can find it on the 20 Polish złoty bill), beautiful townhouses, one of the first museums in Poland, or the charming main square - and these are only a few of the attractions in Cieszyn. The town also has a great selection of cafes where you can sit down and relax after all the sightseeing and before continuing your trip to Krakow. 

Cieszyn to Krakow by bus
The bus station in Cieszyn is located a 10-minute walk from the main square. There are seven direct buses from Cieszyn to Krakow (plus two more on Fridays and Sundays); the last one departs at 18:20. 

The travel time from Cieszyn to Krakow is 2,5 hours; the tickets for this connection cost around €7. The company operating this route is called Lajkonik; you can buy the tickets and check the schedule here. In Krakow, you will arrive at the MDA bus station, next to the main train station.

Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no direct flights from Prague to Krakow. Until recently, the low-cost airline Ryanair offered those, but they are suspended for the winter season. Hopefully, they will be back soon, as this was the fastest way of getting from Prague to Krakow. The flight itself was only around 1 hour, so with getting to and from the airport and the security check, it was possible to make it in approximately four hours between the centers of both cities. Ryanair’s Prague to Krakow airfare was also very affordable; finding tickets for around €30 was not a problem (however, those excluded fees for priority boarding, checked bag, etc.)

Without direct Prague to Krakow flights, you can still get smoothly from one city to another by plane. This journey, however, would require a change in the capital of Poland. LOT Polish Airlines operates a few daily flights from Prague to Warsaw and from Warsaw to Krakow so that you can plan a journey with a flight time of 3-4 hours. You can even choose a longer layover in Warsaw to see some highlights of the Polish capital. 

The price for a one-way ticket from Prague to Krakow via Warsaw starts at €120; you can purchase it directly at LOT Polish Airlines website. Since the whole journey will be on one ticket, in case of delays, you will be rebooked for the next available flight.

You can also choose to fly from Prague to Krakow using low-cost airlines, with a layover in one of the European airports. Three major companies - Ryanair, Wizzair, and EasyJet, serve both Prague and Krakow airports, so you can find a combination of flights that could work for you, with prices starting at around €50. Remember, though, that if you miss your connecting flight, you will have to buy a new ticket for your onward journey to Krakow. 

Airports in Prague and Krakow
You can use public transport to get to Prague airport; there are direct buses from the main train station (you can buy the ticket onboard), or you can get by metro (green line A) to Nadrazi Veleslavin. There, you need to change for the local bus to the airport (a regular ticket applies here). 

In Krakow, the easiest way to get from the airport to the city is by train - they depart twice per hour, and the travel time to the main train station is only 17 minutes. The ticket for this connection costs €4; you can buy it online or from the ticket machine at the airport.

If you prefer driving from Prague to Krakow and enjoying the freedom of the road trip, you should count on at least six hours to get from one city to another. However, the fastest way from Prague to Krakow includes paid roads, so you must remember to purchase the Czech vignette allowing you to use motorways during your trip (in Poland, you pay the toll when leaving the highway). 

Where to stop between Prague and Krakow
While the fastest way takes around six hours, you can make this trip a fun Prague to Krakow road trip and visit some interesting places along the way. Some of our recommendations of where to stop between Prague and Krakow are Kutna Hora (also a UNESCO place, known for its historical center and the bone chapel), Olomouc (a stunning city with the UNESCO-listed Holy Trinity Column), Cieszyn (a charming town divided by the Polish-Czech border), Bielsko-Biała (a beautiful city known as “little Vienna”), or the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Prague to Krakow by rental car
If you want to travel from Prague to Krakow by car but don’t have a vehicle to move around, you can use a rental car. Remember, however, about the high fee for returning the vehicle to another location; usually, you need to pay a few hundred Euros extra for this privilege. When looking for a Prague to Krakow car rental, be sure to include airports in your search, as that’s usually where you can find the best offers, availability, and selection.

If you hope to enjoy a comfortable trip by car from Prague to Krakow but don’t want to drive yourself, a private transfer between the cities might be a good solution for you. You can plan all the journey details according to your needs, including the pick-up time and location of the start and finish of the trip. You would travel with an English-speaking driver; the journey should take around six hours. 

The price for the Prague to Krakow private transfer starts at about €500 for a direct trip, but for an extra fee, you can include some sightseeing stops along the way. The most popular and interesting places you can visit between Prague and Krakow are Kutna Hora, Olomouc, Zbrasov Castle, Stramberk, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

An interesting alternative to popular modes of transportation is car-sharing. It can also work for your trip from Prague to Krakow, so carpooling is worth considering, especially for last-minute trips when other options are unavailable. The most popular website to look for rides is BlaBlaCar. You can browse through available offers, and once you find the one that could work for you, contact the driver to arrange details. 

When planning the Prague to Krakow carpool trip, don’t look for rides well in advance as most of the offers are posted usually a few days before the departure. Be sure to read all the details before deciding, as sometimes the pick-up or drop-off location is away from the center, and you need to consider the extra hassle of getting to or from the designated point.

Prague to Krakow car-sharing trip usually costs around €20-30, but the driver sets the final price, hence the differences. 

If you are a fan of adventure and would like to enjoy unpredictable travel adventures during your trip, you must be warned - hitchhiking from Prague to Krakow might be difficult. With the distance of over 500 km between the cities, finding a direct ride might be a challenge (but it’s not impossible). Another issue is the road itself - you will need to use the network of roads and cross (or avoid) larger metropolitan areas, such as near Ostrava or Katowice.

Considering those obstacles, if you still want to try Prague to Krakow hitchhiking, the best way is to start first towards Brno and then head north to Poland. The best starting hitchhiking spot for this journey is the motorway service station on the E65 highway. To get there, you can take the red metro line C to Chodov station. Once you arrive there, it’s around a 30-minute walk to the Shell petrol station, where you can try to find the ride for your journey towards Krakow.

If you enjoy cycling and would like to get from Prague to Krakow on two wheels, you are in for an epic adventure. You will need around two weeks to cover the distance of about 650 km, part of it through the hilly area (hence you need a decent condition). 

Still, despite the effort, there is no better way to get to know Central Europe properly. The Prague to Krakow journey will take you through numerous charming towns, historical places, and even a few UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can stop at well-known attractions and discover destinations only a few know about. It surely will be an unforgettable trip!

If you don’t want to deal with the practical side of such a journey, you can join the Prague to Krakow bike tour and have all the boring details taken care of for you. There are a few options with similar itineraries, so no matter what you choose, we bet you will have a wonderful time exploring Central Europe.

A slightly crazier idea (some might even call it insane) is walking from Prague to Krakow. The shortest distance between those two cities is around 450 km, so prepare to spend about a month on your journey. 

There are so many places you can stop along the way, though, so it surely won’t be a boring adventure. You can see some picturesque corners of Central Europe and learn more about its history, culture, and habits - you will truly get to know this region!

Fans of independent and thrilling adventures can travel from Prague to Krakow by motorcycle. While you can get quickly from one city to another using motorways, you can also go on the backroads through the picturesque landscape and charming towns. Getting from Prague to Krakow may take you longer, but it will surely be a more pleasant trip. And you never know what kind of gems and exciting situations you might get yourself into when traveling off the path.

If the price is not an issue, the fastest way of getting from Prague to Krakow is by private jet. The overall travel time between the centers of both cities should be around 3-4 hours, and you will no doubt travel in luxury and style. If you decide on this option, you can expect to pay at least €7.500 for chartering the plane from Prague to Krakow.

Another not very popular but still doable way of traveling from Prague to Krakow is on horseback. It will not be the most comfortable journey, and it’s recommended only for warm months, but it would undoubtedly be a one-of-a-kind trip. 

You would need at least a week to get from Prague to Krakow on horseback, but it’s better to plan for a few more days to visit interesting places and enjoy this part of Central Europe to the fullest.

Those who travel by RV can go for a fantastic road trip from Prague to Krakow by motorhome. While you can spend only around six hours traveling between the cities, it’s worth planning a longer journey to stop in numerous amazing places along the way (we’ve already discussed many of them in this article). 

Remember, though, that camping in the wild is prohibited in the Czech Republic; in Poland, you can do it only in designated spots. Fortunately, there are numerous campsites along the way where you can spend the night without getting into trouble.