What is the best area to stay in Prague? The answer to this question is rather subjective and depends on the reason why you are coming to Prague. This page’s objective is to provide an overview of the most typical places to stay in Prague and their strengths and weaknesses given a particular interest, e.g. sightseeing, nightlife, or shopping.

Summary & quick links:

• Search hotels in Prague Old Town (sightseeing, history, atmosphere, shopping, dining)
• Search hotels in Lesser Quarter (government district, history, atmosphere, dining)
• Search hotels near Wenceslas Square (modern Prague, nightlife, shopping)
• Search hotels near Andel Station (local nightlife, cheap beer, shopping, cheap hotels)
• Search hotels near Florenc Station (cheap hotels, cheap beer, 10 minutes walk from Old Town, public transport hub)

Where to stay in Prague for sightseeing & atmosphere

Most people come to Prague to enjoy its unique historical sceneries and atmosphere. There are two main historical districts in Prague which are perfect for these things: the Old Town and Lesser Quarter, the oldest parts of Prague. They are very close to one another – in fact, they are separated only by the river (the Vltava), which you can cross on the 600-year-old Charles Bridge.

Prague Old Town

The Old Town is a bit bigger and more lively than Lesser Quarter. The centre of Prague Old Town is Old Town Square (the square with the Astronomical Clock and Tyn Church). Old Town also includes the Jewish Quarter. Some of the finest restaurants and shopping streets are situated either directly in the Old Town (e.g. Parizska, Celetna) or along its borders (Na Prikope Street). Old Town is considered the primary tourist district in Prague and has the highest concentration of hotels.

• Search hotels in Prague Old Town now

Lesser Quarter

Lesser Quarter (Mala Strana in Czech) is the area among Prague Castle, Petrin Hill (a huge park with a small copy of Eiffel Tower at the top), and the river. It is as old as the Old Town and also has beautiful old houses (many of them are more like palaces). Lesser Quarter is the government and embassy district of Prague. It is usually quieter than the Old Town (except the main tourist trail between Charles Bridge and Prague Castle), but has many very typical Czech restaurants. Lesser Quarter is a fine place to stay, with a bit of a romantic or upscale feel.

• Search hotels in Prague Lesser Quarter now

Where to stay in Prague for nightlife

Many people come to Prague to enjoy its nightlife (because the beer is cheap and the girls are beautiful, thought not necessarily easy). Prague has several good areas for nightlife, with high concentration of pubs, bars, and clubs. Both the above mentioned districts (Old Town and Lesser Quarter) offer plenty of nightlife venues, but they are targeted at tourists, which means that prices are higher (the beer is not really cheap in the Old Town) and foreigners outnumber locals in most places (one such place is Karlovy Lazne, the largest club in Central Europe with 5 floors, located next to Charles Bridge).

Wenceslas Square

Good areas for nightlife, where you can meet a good mix of tourists and local people, are especially Narodni Street and Wenceslas Square. Wenceslas Square (the square with the horse statue at the top end) is the unofficial centre of modern Prague). Bigger venues at and near Wenceslas Square include Duplex or Lucerna Music Bar (Lucerna is a very traditional club in Prague). There are many hotels at and around Wenceslas Square: 4 or 5 star hotels are directly at the square, while cheap hotels are in the side streets, especially between Wenceslas Square and Main Train Station.

• Search hotels near Wenceslas Square now

Andel and Smichov

If you are looking for places where locals prevail (and the beer price reflects that), you can try the surroundings of Andel Metro Station (the district of Smichov, about 15 minutes walk south of Lesser Quarter). There is a good concentration of hotels near Andel and room rates are often lower compared to the main centre of Prague.

• Search hotels near Andel Station now

Where to stay in Prague for shopping

Almost all the places listed so far are good for shopping, except probably Lesser Quarter which is only good for buying souvenirs. If you want expensive boutiques, go to Old Town (Parizska, Na Prikope). If you want big shopping centres, there are two of them at Namesti Republiky (eastern border of Old Town; a 5 star hotel district) and a big shopping centre at Andel. Wenceslas Square has shops of various kinds all around.

Where to stay in Prague if you are on budget

In general, cheaper hotels can be found away from the historical centre, but not necessarily far in some cases. Stay away from Old Town and Lesser Quarter. Good budget places to stay in Prague include Florenc Station and the surrounding Karlin district, or the already mentioned Andel Station and the district of Smichov. There are also several cheaper hotels in Holesovice (near Prague Expo Centre and Sparta Stadium). All these places are still within easy walking distance from Old Town and if you don’t want to walk, they also have frequent tram or metro connections.

• Search hotels near Florenc Station now
• Search hotels in Holesovice now
• Search budget hotels in the whole Prague

Where is the best place to stay in Prague?

I hope you now have a basic idea about where to stay in Prague for what. Nevertheless, there’s no need to overanalyze it, because Prague is not really a big city. Almost all the attractive places are within walking distance from each other.

What next:

• Search hotels in Prague Old Town (sightseeing, history, atmosphere, shopping, dining)
• Search hotels in Lesser Quarter (government district, history, atmosphere, dining)
• Search hotels near Wenceslas Square (modern Prague, nightlife, shopping)
• Search hotels near Andel Station (local nightlife, cheap beer, shopping, cheap hotels)
• Search hotels near Florenc Station (cheap hotels, cheap beer, 10 minutes walk from Old Town, public transport hub)

Prague has direct bus connections with many European cities.

Travel to Prague by bus – it’s cheap and comfortable.

You can search buses to Prague from your city or country here:

• Find a bus connection now

Popular Bus Routes to Prague

• Berlin to Prague
• Vienna to Prague
• Budapest to Prague
• Munich to Prague
• London to Prague
• Dresden to Prague
• Frankfurt (M) to Prague

Other Cities with Direct Bus to Prague

Bratislava, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Cologne, Mannheim, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris, Copenhagen… and many more.

• Find a bus to Prague from your city

Other Cities in the Czech Republic

Some of the buses also stop in other big Czech cities, especially Brno, Plzen (Pilsen), or Usti nad Labem.

Eurolines Business Class Bus to Prague

Some bus routes to Prague, particularly the more frequent routes from nearby cities (among them Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Budapest, or Bratislava), are served by luxury buses with (even) more legroom and free WiFi internet connection. These buses are labeled Eurolines Business Class or BC. Not least, the higher comfort does not affect the price in any way.

Find a Bus to Prague from Your City

For all destinations:

• Search available connections and see prices

Eurolines Discounts and Promotions

• Early booker promo price: up to 90% discount in some cases when you book early
• Students: up to 20% discount
• Seniors (over 60 years): 10% discount
• Children: up to 80% on some routes depending on age (children must travel with an adult)
• Besides these regular discounts, Eurolines also introduce various temporary promotions and special offers. You can see current offers on the Eurolines website

Baggage Allowance on Buses to Prague

Unless stated otherwise, each passenger can take hand baggage plus 2 pieces of hold luggage for free. However, always check the conditions of carriage for your particular bus when booking.

You can find more information on the official website of Eurolines.

What Next:

• Search available connections and see prices

There is a direct bus from Prague to Frankfurt am Main, operated by Eurolines, the European long-distance bus alliance. In winter there are about 8 connections in each direction (in the summer season there are additional buses). Some buses leave Prague late in the afternoon and arrive to Frankfurt around midnight, while other buses depart from Prague later in the evening and arrive to Frankfurt the next morning. Travel by bus from Prague to Frankfurt takes 7 – 7.5 hours.

• Find a connection and book tickets now.

Prague to Frankfurt Bus Timetable

Prague – Frankfurt

The bus to Frankfurt departs from Prague Florenc Central Bus Station, bus stand no. 5.
Departure times:
17:00 (MON, THU, FRI, SUN; the bus arrives to Frankfurt Hbf/Busbahnhof by midnight)
22:30 (TUE, WED, FRI, SUN; night bus, arrives to Frankfurt around 6:00 the following morning; this bus continues from Frankfurt to Cologne and Aachen)

Frankfurt – Prague

Here you can see the schedule in the opposite direction: Bus from Frankfurt to Prague.

• Find a connection and book tickets online now.

Bus from Prague to Frankfurt Prices

One-way bus ticket from Prague to Frankfurt costs CZK 900 – 1,450. The earlier you book, the higher the probability that you will be able to choose a price at the lower end of the range.

Regular discounts apply to children (up to 80%), students (20%), and seniors (10%).

Besides, there may also be occasional special offers (e.g. return ticket sale 2 for 1 etc.). You can see current offers on the Eurolines website.

Prague to Frankfurt Bus Baggage Allowance

Each passenger can take hand baggage plus 2 pieces of hold luggage (to be put into the cargo area at the bottom of the bus). This baggage is free of charge.

• Find a bus, see current prices, and book tickets now.

The information on this page is based on Eurolines timetable for 1.11.2011 – 31.3.2012. You can see up-to-date schedules and prices on the official website of Eurolines.

Eurolines operate a direct bus from Frankfurt to Prague. There are about 8 buses per week in each direction between Frankfurt am Main and Prague. Travel time from Frankfurt to Prague is a little over 7 hours. There are both day buses and night buses available from Frankfurt to Prague.

• Find a bus, see prices, and book tickets now.

Bus Frankfurt Prague Schedule

Frankfurt to Prague

Departures from Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof/Busbahnhof, st. 10-12:
5:00 (MON, TUE, THU, SAT; bus arrives to Prague Florenc at 12:30)
22:45 (TUE, THU, FRI, SUN; night bus; arrives to Prague Florenc at 6:00 the following morning)
There are two stops on the way: Nürnberg and Plzen (Pilsen).

• See all available connections and book your ticket now.

Prague to Frankfurt

For timetable in the other direction, see Bus from Prague to Frankfurt.

Frankfurt to Prague Bus Prices

One-way ticket from Frankfurt to Prague costs from CZK 900 (EUR 40) to CZK 1,400 (EUR 60). The lower price is available if you book early.

There are regular discounts for students, children (must travel with an adult), and seniors. From time to time, Eurolines also introduce various special offers and promotional discounts.

Frankfurt to Prague Bus Baggage Allowance

Hand baggage plus 2 pieces of hold luggage per passenger are free of charge. Your hold luggage will be put into the cargo area at the bottom of the bus.

• Find a connection now and book tickets.

The schedule and prices stated above are valid from 1.11.2011 to 31.3.2012. For the latest information and detailed conditions of carriage, please visit the official website of Eurolines.

For Prague weather today and weather forecast for the next 5 days, please see Prague Weather.

Prague Climate and Temperatures

The climate in Prague and the whole Czech Republic is temperate and quite continental (though not as continental as that of the countries further to the east). There are relatively significant differences in temperatures throughout the year.

Winters in Prague are relatively cold and the average temperature in January is around zero degrees Celsius (32°F). Every winter there are at least a couple of extremely cold days when the temperature drops to as low as -20°C (4 °F).

Summers are warm with the average temperature around 20°C (68°F) – around 25°C (77°F) in the afternoon and 15°C (59°F) in the morning. Extremely hot weather occurs sometimes with temperatures rising to as much as 35°C (95°C).

Sunshine in Prague

Sun is not the main reason why tourists visit Prague. On average Prague gets about 1,650 hours of sunshine annually, which is only slightly more than London. For comparison, Vienna gets about 2,000 hours on average, New York 2,400, and the sunniest Mediterranean cities (like Seville in Spain or Faro in Portugal) get around 3,000 hours per year.

Prague Precipitation: Rain and Snow

Precipitation is moderate in the Czech Republic and similar to other countries in Central Europe. There is generally much more rain and snow in the mountains than in the lowlands and Prague is among the driest places in the Czech Republic. Annually Prague gets about 400-800 mm of rainfall (the long-term average is around 500 mm).

Rain is relatively evenly distributed over the year, but winter is generally slightly drier and summer rainier. The months with the most rain are May, June, July, and August, though the seasonal differences are not that big. In winter it snows sometimes even in Prague, but in most cases the snow melts quite fast, especially in the city centre.

Wind and Storms in Prague

Wind is a common part of everyday life in Prague – not that much in the hidden streets of the Old Town, but in more elevated places like Prague Castle or some city parts outside the centre. In summer thunderstorms are common. Extreme storms and winds are rare, though they do happen from time to time.

Floods in Prague and the Czech Republic

In some parts of the Czech Republic floods are relatively frequent and some regions have experienced severe flooding with casualties in the last years. Prague is among the places less prone to floods, but there was a big flood in 2002 with casualties and a lot of damage. Flooding is the single most significant natural risk in the Czech Republic.

Best time to visit Prague

Considering weather as a factor, the best time to visit Prague and the Czech Republic is spring for most people, as it offers the best conditions for city sightseeing. Days are getting longer and temperatures are mild, though the weather may change frequently. In July and August it sometimes gets too hot in the city centre. On the other hand, in late autumn or winter temperatures tend to drop to very low levels.

That being said, note that every season offers something unique and paints a different picture in Prague streets and parks, therefore visiting multiple times in different seasons would be the best option. For example, a view of Charles Bridge or Old Town Square covered with snow is definitely worth the freezing in December.

Weather in Prague and the Central Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic today:
 

Prague Weather Forecast

Please see Prague weather forecast for the next 5 days below:
 
 

 
 
If you can’t see the weather forecast, please make sure that Javascript is enabled in your browser. Prague Weather Forecast requires Javascript to be enabled.

Weather in Prague & Czech Republic Today

Prague Weather and Climate throughout the Year

For more information about Prague weather, seasons, typical temperatures and rainfall in a particular time of year, or hours of sunshine, please see Prague Climate.

The time zone of Prague and the whole Czech Republic is GMT+1, the same as most other European countries including Germany, France, or Italy.

Prague time difference vs. other places

See examples how you should move your watch if you are coming from selected places in the world:

• Japan, Korea: 8 hours backward (7 in summer)
• China: 7 hours backward (6 in summer)
• West of Russia (Moscow): 2 hours backward
• Finland, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey: 1 hour backward
• UK, Ireland, Portugal: 1 hour forward
• US east coast (New York): 6 hours forward
• US west coast (LA): 9 hours forward

Apologies to citizens of countries and regions not on this list. Especially in Asia and in the south hemisphere the time difference varies throughout the year due to different treatment of Daylight Saving Time. Here you can find exact time differences for all regions.

Daylight Saving Time in Prague

The Czech Republic uses Daylight Saving Time (DST) like other European countries. The clock goes one hour forward usually in the end of March and then one hour back usually in the end of October. Therefore in summer it seems that the sun goes down later in the evening in Prague.

Sunrise and sunset time in Prague

The Czech Republic lies around the 50th parallel (Prague is located almost exactly on the 50th). As a result, the difference between daylight in summer and daylight in winter is quite significant (though not as extreme as in Scandinavia).

The day is longest in June, when the sun goes up before 5 o’clock in the morning and it goes down at about quarter past nine in the evening (Daylight Saving Time). On the opposite end in December the sun goes up few minutes after 8 in the morning and it goes down around 4 in the afternoon (there is no DST in winter).

Eurolines operate a direct bus from Prague to Dresden. There are at least 2 buses per day in each direction. Travel time from Prague to Dresden is 2 hours; the distance is 160 km. All the connections listed on this page are served by modern buses with free wireless internet and more legroom.

• Find a bus, see prices, and book tickets now.

Prague to Dresden Bus Timetable

Prague to Dresden

Departure from Prague (Praha-Florenc Bus Station, metro B and C) at 9:00 and 18:00 daily.
The bus stops in Usti nad Labem (Mala Hradebni) at 10:15 and 19:15.
Arrival to Dresden (Hauptbahnhof, Bayerische Strasse) is at 11:00 and 20:00.
From Dresden the buses continue to Berlin.
There are additional connections on some days (other lines, e.g. Prague-Hamburg).

Dresden to Prague

Here you can see the schedule from Dresden to Prague.

• Find a connection and book tickets online now.

Bus from Prague to Dresden Ticket Prices

One-way ticket from Prague to Dresden costs CZK 450. If you book early, you may get a huge discount (so called “promo-price” which start at about 50% the regular price).

All usual Eurolines discounts for students, children, and seniors are valid on buses from Prague to Dresden.

Baggage Allowance

Hand baggage and two pieces of hold luggage (to be put into the cargo area at the bottom of the bus) per passenger are free of charge.

• Find a bus, see prices, and book tickets now.

The information on this page is based on Eurolines timetable valid from 1.11.2011 to 31.3.2012. For up-to-date information and detailed conditions of carriage, please visit the official website of Eurolines.

There are at least 2 direct buses from Dresden to Prague every day (more on some days). The buses are operated by Eurolines, the European long-distance bus alliance. Travel by bus from Dresden to Prague takes 2 hours and there is only one stop on the way (Usti nad Labem). The distance is 160 km. The connections listed on this page are served by modern buses with more legroom and free WiFi internet.

• Find a connection and book tickets now.

Bus from Dresden to Prague Schedule

Dresden to Prague

The bus departs from Dresden Hauptbahnhof, Bayerische Strasse, at 10:00 and 17:30 daily.
It stops in Usti nad Labem – Mala Hradebni at 10:45 and 18:15.
The bus arrives at Prague Florenc Central Bus Station at 12:00 and 19:45, respectively.
Some buses continue from Prague to Brno.
On some days there are additional connections (as part of other Eurolines bus lines, e.g. Hamburg to Prague).

• See all available connections and prices. Book your ticket now.

Prague to Dresden

For timetable in the other direction, please see Bus from Prague to Dresden.

Dresden to Prague Bus Prices and Discounts

Regular one-way ticket from Dresden to Prague costs CZK 450, but you can get a significantly lower price (from about 50% regular price) if you book longer in advance.

Permanent discounts apply to students, seniors, and children. Children must travel with an adult.

Dresden Prague Bus Baggage Allowance

Hand baggage plus 2 pieces of hold luggage per passenger are for free.

• Find a bus and book tickets now.

The schedule and prices stated here are valid from 1.11.2011 to 31.3.2012. For up-to-date information and more details, please visit the official website of Eurolines.

There is a direct bus from Prague to London, operated by Eurolines, the European long-distance bus alliance. In winter, there are at least 2 buses per week in each direction; in the spring and summer season the bus from Prague to London goes almost daily.

• Find a connection and book tickets online now.

Prague to London Bus Timetable

Prague – London

17:00 the bus departs from Prague (Praha Florenc Bus Station, metro B and C).
18:20 the bus stops in Plzen (Pilsen), central bus station.
21:15 the bus stops in Nuremberg (Nürnberg).
23:59 the bus stops in Heidelberg.
10:45 (some buses at 11:30) the bus arrives at London Victoria Coach Station.
All times are local.

London – Prague

Here you can see the schedule in the other direction: Bus from London to Prague.

• Find a connection, see prices, and book tickets now.

Prague to London Bus Ticket Prices

One-way ticket price from Prague to London starts at CZK 890 (if you book longer in advance). In most cases (if you book 1-2 weeks ahead) it will be CZK 1,500 – 1,800.

There are discounts for students, children, and seniors. From time to time, Eurolines also introduce various special offers and promotions (e.g. weekend return ticket for 2 persons for the price of 1).

Bagage Allowance on Prague-London Bus

Each passenger can take hand luggage plus 2 pieces of hold luggage for free.

• Find a connection and book your ticket now

The information on this page is based on Eurolines timetable for 1.11.2011 – 31.3.2012. For up-to-date schedules, prices, and detailed conditions of carriage, please see the official website of Eurolines.