Vienna to Prague train: railjet vs RegioJet, fares (2026)

By TrainsNews' International Expert · Updated 2 November 2026

Vienna to Prague by train takes about 4 h 15 on a direct service, with no change. Two companies run the route between Wien Hauptbahnhof and Praha hlavní nádraží: the railjets of ÖBB and České dráhy (ČD), and the yellow trains of the private operator RegioJet. For Tuesday 10 November 2026, we counted 7 direct railjets from €16.90 and 4 RegioJet trains from €12.90 in each direction (checked on 2 November 2026).

Vienna to Prague by train at a glance

How long is the train from Vienna to Prague?

On our sample day, every direct train took between 4 h 12 and 4 h 22. The fastest railjets from Prague took 4 h 12; most railjets from Vienna took 4 h 13. RegioJet's four trains from Vienna took 4 h 17 to 4 h 22.

The line leaves Austria north of Vienna and enters the Czech Republic at Břeclav. ÖBB's timetable for the 05:10 railjet from Vienna (RJ 258) shows the stages of the trip: Břeclav after 1 h 03, Brno hlavní nádraží after 1 h 31, Česká Třebová after 2 h 36, Pardubice hlavní nádraží after 3 h 13 and Prague after 4 h 13.

Railjet or RegioJet: the two operators compared

Railjet. These trains are run jointly by the Austrian and Czech national operators. ČD's 2026 timetable release says that all railjet-category services now use ČD and ÖBB Railjet sets or ČD's ComfortJet sets. Since October 2025, ČD has deployed ComfortJets on the Vindobona line from Prague to Vienna and Graz. The same release says three daily pairs of trains now run through Prague, Brno, Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt and Villach, so a train to Prague may start in southern Austria.

RegioJet. The Czech private company runs its own trains on the same line under the RJ code. The 06:39 from Vienna, for example, is RJ 1030. RegioJet sells four comfort classes. On its pages for the Low cost and Standard classes, it says changes and cancellations are free up to 15 minutes before departure.

Fares: what we found for 10 November 2026

Prices change with demand. The table shows the cheapest fare offered for each direct train, for one adult, on the operators' own websites.

Fares checked on 2 November 2026 for Tuesday 10 November 2026, one adult, on ÖBB's ticket shop (tickets.oebb.at) and on regiojet.com. ÖBB names its saver fare "Sparschiene".

Timetable: all direct trains on 10 November 2026

Vienna → Prague

Prague → Vienna

Times and fares checked on 2 November 2026 for Tuesday 10 November 2026: railjets on ÖBB's ticket shop, RegioJet trains on regiojet.com.

On that Tuesday, ÖBB also offered other departures with a change of train, which take longer. ÖBB's shop also sold a Nightjet leaving Vienna at 22:10 and reaching Prague at 03:09, and one leaving Prague at 00:36 and reaching Vienna at 07:00, both from €49.90.

Luggage and life on board

On a railjet. ÖBB describes three comfort classes: Economy, First and Business. Its railjets have an on-board restaurant, free Wi-Fi with the Railnet entertainment portal, and quiet and family zones. ÖBB lists up to 230 km/h as the top speed of the trains and 404 or 432 seats per set. The company says its upgrade programme adds buggy storage and luggage rack space. A ČD ComfortJet or ČD Railjet may run instead of an ÖBB set.

On a RegioJet train. Each class is a different coach. Low cost has non-reclining seats in open coaches for 80 passengers, free Wi-Fi and a bottle of water; snacks and drinks are ordered in the app only. Standard offers reclining seats in six-seat compartments, a children's compartment and 230 V sockets. Relax has reclining leather seats in an open coach, single seats and large tables. RegioJet says its staff help passengers store luggage in the designated areas.

Where to buy tickets

Buy railjet tickets from ÖBB at tickets.oebb.at, in euros. Our fares come from this shop. For RegioJet trains, use regiojet.com or the RegioJet app. Compare both sites before you pay: on our sample day, the cheapest train of the day was a RegioJet at €12.90, but the railjet ran more often. In the Low cost and Standard classes, RegioJet says a ticket can be changed or cancelled free of charge up to 15 minutes before departure.

The two stations

Wien Hauptbahnhof. All direct trains to Prague, railjet and RegioJet, leave from Vienna's main station. Some railjets arrive from Graz or Villach before continuing north. RegioJet's coaches use a stop at Südtiroler Platz, by the station. RegioJet has a lounge right next to the station's main entrance, open to its passengers one hour before departure, with free Wi-Fi and free coffee.

Praha hlavní nádraží. Prague's main station sits at Wilsonova 8, in Prague 2, close to Wenceslas Square. It connects to metro line C at Hlavní nádraží. Prague's official tourism portal describes the historic building and its hall as one of the largest Art Nouveau monuments in the country, rebuilt from 1901 to 1909 to a design by Josef Fanta. The station has luggage lockers and a waiting room open from 06:00 to 22:30, and Airport Express buses to Václav Havel Airport stop at the building. RegioJet's lounge is in the station lobby.

Train, bus or plane?

Train. The fastest option from centre to centre: about 4 h 15, with 11 direct departures each way on our sample day.

Bus. RegioJet also runs coaches between Vienna (Südtiroler Platz, by the Hauptbahnhof) and Prague's Florenc coach station. For 10 November 2026 it sold four direct coaches each way, taking 4 h 25 to 4 h 50, from €11.90 (checked on 2 November 2026). The coach saves a euro on the cheapest train fare and loses some time.

Plane. Both cities have airports outside the centre: Vienna-Schwechat and Václav Havel Airport Prague. Add the transfers at each end before comparing with a 4 h 15 train. We did not compare flight fares for this guide.

Our analysis: a corridor run under ETCS only

Most of the Czech part of this trip runs under ETCS, the European train control system, in exclusive mode: only trains fitted with ETCS may run there. In a press release of 19 December 2024, the Czech infrastructure manager Správa železnic set out the switch to ETCS-only operation on 622 km of main lines. Two of its sections are on the Vienna–Prague route: Modřice–Břeclav and Česká Třebová–Adamov from 15 January 2025, and Praha-Běchovice–Pardubice–Česká Třebová from 22 January 2025. The list stops at Adamov and resumes at Modřice, so the Brno area itself was not part of it.

The Czech Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ) reviewed the results in a report published on 15 June 2026. It says exclusive ETCS operation has applied on 622 km since February 2025, and that no train passed a stop signal on those lines from February to the end of August 2025. The same audit found that ETCS had not yet brought faster journeys or more capacity. For passengers on the railjet, that means more safety, but not yet a shorter trip.

On the Austrian side, the ministry for infrastructure lists the modernisation of the Nordbahn, ÖBB line 11401, from Wien Süßenbrunn to the border near Bernhardsthal (km 11.9 to km 78.0). The project is going through an environmental impact assessment and approval procedure; the ministry's page gives no completion date.

Further ahead, Správa železnic is preparing a high-speed line between Brno and Břeclav, called VRT Jižní Morava. It will carry passengers only, with a design speed of 320 km/h, and will join the existing line near Rakvice through a link built for 230 km/h. Správa železnic says this link will save 10 minutes compared with the current line. We found no opening date confirmed by an official source, so we do not give one.

What is changing: the 13 December 2026 timetable

ÖBB says the new European timetable starts on 13 December 2026, and its tickets for it went on sale on 14 October 2026. We checked Tuesday 15 December 2026 on both operators' websites. ÖBB still sold 7 direct railjets each way. Departures from Prague move one minute earlier, to 06:36, 08:36, 12:36, 14:36, 16:36 and 18:36, while the 04:35 stays. From Vienna, the times do not change, but the 19:10 arrives at 23:31.

RegioJet's trains from Prague will leave at 06:05, 09:05, 13:05 and 16:05, four minutes later than in November. Its trains from Vienna keep their departure times and arrive 3 to 8 minutes earlier, at 10:52, 14:53, 18:52 and 21:52.

Vienna to Prague by train: FAQ

Is there a direct train from Vienna to Prague?

Yes. On 10 November 2026, there were 7 direct railjets and 4 direct RegioJet trains in each direction, with no change.

How long does the train take from Vienna to Prague?

Between 4 h 12 and 4 h 22 on our sample day. Most railjets from Vienna took 4 h 13.

How much is the train from Vienna to Prague?

For 10 November 2026, RegioJet started at €12.90 in Low cost and the railjet at €16.90 with ÖBB's Sparschiene fare, for one adult (checked on 2 November 2026).

Which is better, railjet or RegioJet?

The railjet runs more often, 7 times a day each way against 4, and has a restaurant car. RegioJet was cheaper on our sample day, and in Low cost and Standard it lets you change or cancel for free up to 15 minutes before departure.

Which station does the train use in Prague?

Praha hlavní nádraží, the main station, on metro line C. All the direct trains in this guide start or end there.

Is there a night train from Vienna to Prague?

ÖBB sold a Nightjet leaving Vienna at 22:10 and reaching Prague at 03:09 on 10 November 2026, from €49.90. For most travellers, a day train is the easier option.

Will the timetable change in December 2026?

Yes, from 13 December 2026, with small shifts of one to eight minutes. Railjets from Prague leave one minute earlier, and RegioJet's trains from Prague leave at 06:05, 09:05, 13:05 and 16:05.

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Sources: ÖBB ticket shop, Wien Hbf ↔ Praha hl.n. (direct railjets, Nightjet, Sparschiene fares and intermediate times checked on 2 November 2026 for Tuesday 10 November 2026; timetable for 15 December 2026 checked on 2 November 2026); RegioJet, train and coach search Vienna ↔ Prague (times and fares by class checked on 2 November 2026 for 10 November and 15 December 2026); RegioJet, on-board services and classes (read on 2 November 2026); RegioJet, lounges (read on 2 November 2026); ÖBB, railjet page (read on 2 November 2026); ÖBB, 2027 timetable (read on 2 November 2026); České dráhy, 2026 timetable release (7 August 2025); České dráhy, ComfortJets on lines to Austria (20 October 2025); Prague City Tourism, Praha hlavní nádraží (page updated 4 August 2026); Správa železnic, press release on exclusive ETCS operation (19 December 2024); NKÚ, audit 25/05 on ETCS (15 June 2026); Austrian Ministry for Infrastructure (BMIMI), Nordbahn modernisation procedure (read on 2 November 2026); Správa železnic, high-speed line in South Moravia; Správa železnic, South Moravia high-speed line design contract. Information checked on 2 November 2026.

Photo: NÖLB Mh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Written with AI assistance from the official sources cited. Spotted an error? contact@trainsnews.com – Our AI policy