Rail travel in the Czech Republic
Photo: Khlok235, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The railway system of the Czech Republic is relatively fast, reliable and very dense. In comparison to Western Europe, train travel is inexpensive and Czech trains are therefore very popular across all social classes. The Czech rail network is one of the densest in the world, and according to some sources it has the most kilometres of railway per square kilometre of surface area of any country. There's a distinction between "main" and "branch" lines dating to their time of construction, which with some exceptions reflects their current importance. Trains on the most important rail lines reach . The journey between the two biggest cities (Prague and Brno) takes around 2½ hours.
UnderstandIn the Czech Republic, railways are very important and form the backbone of public transport. The network contains over 9600 km of railway.
Train typesTrain operations consist of regional and long-distance services. Regional trains operate everywhere and with them you can get nearly anywhere. Bigger cities usually have long-distance connections to regional capitals.
TicketsIt is important to keep in mind, that different operators require different tickets. You cannot board an Arriva train with a ticket bought from ČD.
TravelThe station network in the Czech Republic consists of railway stations (nádraží) and railway stops (zastávka).
International connectionsThe Czech Republic is well-connected with the European railway network. It has a total of 31 railway border crossings with passenger services.
Railway attractionsRomantické lokálky are railways reminding of good old times. These railways can be nearly considered as a heritage from the second half of the 20th century.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Rail travel in the Czech Republic" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Khlok235, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons