Getting to Prague airport - need help!
 

Hi:

On our upcoming trip to Europe I'm thinking of booking a 7:15 am flight from Prague to Paris. We've never been to Prague and I'd like to know:

- what time to get to the airport for 7:15 am flight
- how long it takes to get to airport from city center - (we'll be flying out on a Sunday so there may not be as much traffic???)

Thanks in advance!
Carol

Arriving an hour before the flight is fine for an intra-European flight. The airport is 30-40 minutes from the city center, at that hour of the morning and on a Sunday you should make it in 30 minutes or possibly a bit less.

I have done Prague center to the airport in 15-20 minutes on a Sunday AM. The airport is small, so no problem getting to your gate fast.

Thank you both for your replies - this has helped to (almost) finalize our plans!
Carol

Getting to airport is easy. Took me <30 min using public transport (subway to end station, then bus to airport). Price was really cheap too.

Once in airport, you can spend a few minutes to get VAT tax refund (not sure if you need to wait till you leave the last EU destination for this).

I am new to this site and am finding it most informative. I too am flying out of Prague to Paris at 6am. Is it easy to get to the airport at that time? We have booked a car to come and pick us up at 3am and we are worried that it will not turn up at that time. Is it easy to get to the airport by train at that time. We are staying at the Felicia apartments at Vinohrady. Is there a railway station nearby. How safe is it walking the streets at this time? We are also flying with Smartwings. We have not heard of this airline here in Australia. I am a little anxious about this leg if our trip. It's putting me off going at all. Can anybody put my mind at ease please, Thanking you Sienna

I can about some things, not others. First, Smartwings is a budget European carrier (I think it is German maybe) and they've been around a while so are a legitimate airline.

The airport is not that far from Prague (around 20 km perhaps), so at that time of day, I would think you could get there in 20-30 minutes or so. If there is something unusual with Prague traffic at that time, I do not know it.

There is no train that goes to the airport. YOu can get there by some combination of metro and bus, but I wouldn't know how from your point and would not think that easier. I don't think the metro opens until perhaps 5 am , anyway.

Sienna,
Some quick math & my experience at other small European airports says that a 4:30 cab will get you to the airport about the time they probably open (5am?). At that time you'll still be early for your flight. At about 5:20 you'll see one or 2 Americans frantically running up to the check in queue insisting they get to the front of the line because they're on the "6am flight", while everyone in line looks at the oddly wondering what all the huff's about. (they're all on the same flight too, btw). You'll all get on the plane fine, so relax.

If you leave your apt. at 3am you're likely to be standing outside the airport, alone, in the dark for 1-1.5hrs waiting for it to open.

Indeed, those small airports., sadly there are only 17 flights a day into Prague (basically because the runway doubles as the lone highway in czeckoslovakia)thus the airport is only open 9 hours a day.

While indeed smartwings is legit (owned by travel Servis a Czech concern) they are expanding too fast and thus probably have the worst on time record of any of the low cost carriers.

25 minutes max to the airport from felicity on manesova by the way.

you must come to Prague you will love it and all will go well, no worries!