Prague Train Station - Amenities, Layout and Connections

The Main Prague Train Station

I’ve tried to include the following;

General layout if you were arriving there.
Amenities within the station.
DPP station connectivity
Most used for. National and International destinations.
Closest accommodation to the station.
Station location in relation to the city (1km from Wenceslas Square).
Local warnings.

prague main train station central concourse — The Main Train Station – Hlavni Nadrazi

The Main Railway Station is also called Wilsonovo or just “Hlavni” and note that it is closed 0030 to 0330 for cleaning.

Note about the Platforms:
There are no food/drink kiosks on the platforms of the Prague train station and smoking is not allowed. You exit the platform either via the North (Severni) or South (Jih) part of the station. Exit from the platforms can be via stairs, escalator or lift. If you have heavy luggage then use the North side as it has the lifts. There are two corridors currently open leading from the platforms to the main concourse.

Resources

I put an Arriving at Prague Main Train Station video on the YouTube Channel. The Czech Railway Prague Main Station Website gives details on services at the station and their opening times. You can also see the Prague Main Station Platforms and Amenities Layout (pdf). If you have to store luggage then check the Prague Bag Storage post which details your options at the station and other places. If you want to be met by a private taxi company then here’s my Recommended Train Station Taxi Service.

Arrival floor (first floor – upper concourse)

You arrive on the first floor of the building having just passed the toilet/shower facilities of the station where the toilet is 20kc (1 Euro also accepted) and shower is 50kc. You’ll then pass a small snack bar called “picnic” at the time of writing. On your right on the corner is a cambio money changing centre open 0600-2200. In front of you will be a travelator to the main concourse suitable for disabled people. To your left are shops and amongst them are a newsagent “Relay” open 0600-2100, a chemist open 0700-2000 weekdays and 0800-2000 at weekends. Further along towards what will be the south exit you’ll find a French-style cafe and a Burger King restaurant open 0800-2200. In the south corridor are drink and snack vending machines that accepted Czech currency in coins (see the “Lower Concourse” section for how to get change).

This area contains the better bars and cafes one of which has seating. You can exit this floor on the far left or right where you will find taxis (I don’t recommend them). The upper floor of the Prague train station has the big departure and arrival information boards for National and International arrivals. With your back to the platforms, the sit-down cafe is on your right. You now descend to the ground floor.

Ground Floor (Lower Concourse – park/street exit)

prague main train station arrivals board

If you took the travelator then you have arrived at the far north side of the station. On your right is the Relay newsagent (0530-2200), mini market (0600-2200) and the Potrefena Husa restaurant/bar (0900-2200). Shops on your left include a Schlecker drugstore (like a UK Boots), a Fokus optician, a Costa Coffee and a Subway sandwich shop. At the far end is another exchange place and a chemist. Opposite the Schlecker is the “in-karta” point (mostly only for Czechs, the rear machine has the credit/debit card point). Next to it is an interesting machine where you can enter the details of your train and see the carriage configuration. This connects to the IDOS train timetable system. You must be able to enter the name of both the departure and arrival stations to get a valid result. Next to the IDOS display is a larger display showing the current timetable for the next hour or so. You can scroll down the display to see details if you know the train departure time. In the centre of the main concourse are a few fashion shops and a bookshop. Metro ticket machines and fixed phones are located close to the entry/exits of the metro station. If you are looking for an ATM go to the next section below.

If you are buying a 3-Day travel pass then when you enter the concourse go over to the far left. If you do not have cash then the DPP ticket machines and office both accept credit cards. If you do have cash and there’s a queue, go further over to the left in the direction of the escalators and you’ll see the “Tourist Point” which sells the 3-Day pass but only for cash. More details on the 3-Day Travel Pass page and note that I can also send you passes and tickets in advance.

Sub-ground -1 (Tickets, Lockers and Budget Car Hire)

Access to this floor is either by ramp or stairs. Arriving at this level on the far north side of the Prague train station you’ll find the following. On your left is a tourist information point 0800-2000. Opposite and to the right is the Wasteels ticket reservation and accommodation shop mon-fri 0900-1700, sat-sun 0900-1200 and 1300-1600 (this sells public transport tickets as well). Other shops in this area include a Leonidas chocolate shop, a tea/coffee shop and a sports shop. Opposite the sports shop are 4 counters for domestic train travel. Further along on the left is a glassed area for international tickets. Opposite the entry to the glassed area is another ATM. At the end of this concourse you have the “Billa” supermarket. Before that and on your right is the Budget Car Hire Office.

Lockers and small change

The locker area is at the far north side of the basement area. Check the Prague Bag Storage post for all the bag drop options at the station. At the end of the central rows of lockers are two machines for getting small change. They accept 100 and 200kc notes and will eject 10 and 20kc coins. The types of lockers at Prague train station are as follows;

100Kc per day. This gets you a suitcase sized locker suitable for two suitcases no more than 70cm high and 90cm long.
100Kc per day. This gets you more of a regular “sports” locker which is quite tall at 1.7m but not deep which makes them suitable for skis etc.
120Kc per day. These lockers have the largest volume with capacity for 2 suitcases plus other soft bags.

All lockers work in the same way. Put your luggage in. Enter the money or pay by card for the “J” lockers. Turn the key and lock. Remove the key. Maximum time limit is 24 hours. After that time the locker can be opened and cleared and contents stored at their Holesovice depot. After 4 weeks, unclaimed items are “disposed”. There is an office in the same area as the lockers but the staff may not speak English. Locker area is closed from 0030 to 0330.

Metro Station

DPP metro station connections – The ground floor main concourse of the Prague train station has the access to the Metro station on line “C” (RED). There are two specific entries to the metro depending on which direction you want to travel. The direction “Letnany” is closest to you and the direction “Haje” is closest to the front exit. Take the direction “Letnany” for transferring to the Holesovice Train Station or the Florenc Bus station. Take direction “Haje” and go one stop to “Museum” (Wenceslas Square) and the Green line metro which goes towards the airport (change at Nadrazi Veleslavin and get the 119 bus to the airport). Check the How to Use a Touch-Screen Ticket Machine page if you are buying tickets with loose change or contactless card.

Airport Express – Historic Area

art nouveau pre-1977 entry to the prague main train station — The pre-1977 station entry

From the street level next to the park you go up to the upper concourse with the shops on both sides. Stay to the left and go up the escalator marked “Historic area”. Any visitor to the station should spend a few minutes enjoying this area but if you are heading to the Airport Express there is a really nice cafe to have a break before travelling. Then go out onto the street. The Airport Express (AE) stop is 20 metres on your left and runs every 30 minutes (on the hour and half-hour at the time of writing) during the day.
The Main train station generally covers geographically the south and west of the Czech Republic. International services will be going to Vienna, Munich and all Western European cities.

FlixBus

The Airport Express and any DPP service stop right outside the station historic part. All other buses will wait on the other side of the highway. For FlixBus from the lower concourse take the stairs to the car park (also has a sign for Sixt car hire).

Taxis

If you are arriving at the Prague train station and need a taxi then immediately outside the station are the 4* “Hotel Falkensteiner Maria Prague” and 5* “Esplanade”. Three minutes walk to the right and you’ll find the 4* “987 Design Hotel” and 5* “Carlo IV”. Any of these will call you a taxi from a reputable firm. DO NOT USE A TAXI PARKED AT THE STATION. Read my No Stress Guide to Using Prague Taxis. Three minutes walk to the left brings you to all the accommodation on Wenceslas Square.

Local Warnings

To be honest, I don’t like the main train station day or night. It is a real magnet for drug dealers and hence drug takers. Don’t even think about sitting down on the grass and pick-pocketing is a risk. As mentioned earlier, the taxis are not recommended. If being met by a tourist agent you are most likely to leave the station and get the agent transport on the other side of the small park or up on the outer station car park.