Praha hlavni nadrazi, Prague's main station and the terminus for trains from Vienna.
Photo: Lynx1211 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Vienna to Prague by Train
An international route between Austria and Czechia.
Reviewed by Eurotraintrip on 2026-07-30
- Duration
- 4h 00m – 4h 20m
- Price from
- 15 EUR
- Distance
- 300 km
- Operators
- RegioJetOBB RailjetCeske drahy (CD) EuroCity
- Frequency
- The joint CD/OBB Railjet and EuroCity service runs about 9 departures a day, versus RegioJet's roughly 4 - combined, close to hourly across both operators
Compare and book Vienna–Prague tickets
Check pricesWhat makes Vienna to Prague different
- Wien Hauptbahnhof splits its platforms by level: 1 and 2 sit below ground for S-Bahn and regional trains, while platforms 3 to 12, on a viaduct above street level, handle every OBB mainline domestic and international departure, RegioJet included - RegioJet has its own separate ticket counter next to the main OBB ticket office rather than sharing a desk.
- Praha hlavni nadrazi's famous Art Nouveau dome, added in a 1901-1909 rebuild by architect Josef Fanta, sits above a very different-looking underground concourse built into the hillside in 1972-79 as a split-level, part-shopping-centre extension - two visibly different eras of the same station stacked on top of each other.
- A 2006-2017 reconstruction by the Italian firm Grandi Stazioni restored the historic Fanta building and re-glazed the platform hall roof while modernizing the underground check-in hall below - the station arriving passengers from Vienna walk through today is the product of an 11-year renovation project, not a single build.
Vienna station
Departs from Wien Hauptbahnhof, where platforms 3-12 sit on a viaduct above the below-ground S-Bahn/regional platforms 1-2; RegioJet's own ticket counter is next to, but separate from, the main OBB ticket office in the departures hall.
Prague station
Arrives at Praha hlavni nadrazi, where Josef Fanta's 1901-1909 Art Nouveau dome and hall sit directly above a very different 1972-79 underground concourse built into the hillside - both were restored together in an 11-year, 2006-2017 renovation by the Italian firm Grandi Stazioni.
Train vs. other options
There's minimal scheduled commercial air service left between Vienna and Prague given how short the hop is; driving the roughly 300km via the A5 and D1/D2 motorways takes about 3-3.5 hours without traffic, similar to or slightly faster than the fastest 4-hour train once a Czech motorway sticker, fuel and city-center parking are added in.
Booking tips
- RegioJet's fares barely rise as the departure date approaches, unlike OBB/CD's - if you're booking a day or two before travel, RegioJet is usually the cheaper option even though it runs fewer daily departures.
- Every RegioJet ticket includes a free hot drink and a small snack brought to your seat, part of why its older, mostly ex-OBB secondhand carriages still draw loyal repeat bookers despite being less modern than the Railjet/ComfortJet fleet.
- A new direct Hamburg-Berlin-Prague-Vienna Railjet is being added to the 2026 timetable, departing Prague roughly an hour later in the evening than the previous last Vienna-bound departure - useful if you need a later option than the existing schedule offered.
Good to know: RegioJet and the joint OBB/CD Railjet service use completely separate ticketing and loyalty systems and even separate ticket desks at Wien Hauptbahnhof, so a RegioJet booking confirmation won't be recognized at the OBB counter or vice versa - decide which operator you're using before you queue at the station.
While you're in Prague
Prague Castle rising above the Vltava, seen from the Charles Bridge.
Photo: Janmad / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)Between a 600-year-old astronomical clock, a hilltop castle complex big enough to be a Guinness World Record holder, and a beer culture that starts with the highest per-capita consumption on earth, Prague rarely needs to try hard to impress.
Full Prague travel guide →Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Vienna to Prague?
The fastest OBB Railjet trains take about 4 hours station-to-station. RegioJet's direct trains take closer to 4 hours 20 minutes.
How much does the train from Vienna to Prague cost?
RegioJet's cheapest fares start around EUR 15 and barely rise close to departure; OBB/CD Railjet fares are generally higher, especially booked last-minute.
Does RegioJet include food on board?
Yes - every RegioJet ticket includes a free hot drink and small snack brought to your seat, a perk not offered on the OBB/CD Railjet.