Praha hl.n. (Praha / Prague / Prag)

For first time users, navigating Praha hl.n, train station can be a disconcerting experience; particularly if you arrive at the station by bus or metro.

What contributes to Prague's main railway station being a somewhat bewildering space to use is that the station is housed within a shopping mall.
Not totally unusual, as many large European stations have maximised the retail opportunities, but at the central station in Prague, the distinction between mall and station is particularly blurred.

Six Things Particularly Worth Knowing About Praha hl.n:

(1) Praha / Prague /Prag has multiple main line railway stations, but this station, Praha hl.n, is the only station in the city which all of the long distance trains to/from the Czech capital call at, though many of them also call at other stations in the city.

(2) Therefore, if you're heading TO the city centre and your train calls first at one of the other large stations in the city; Praha-Holešovice or Praha-Smíchov, then the best option is usually to leave the train at those stations.
You'll have an easier and faster journey, rather than remaining on the train until it arrives at this station, Praha hl.n.

(3) The long platforms. most of which are under the stunning arched roof, are divided into North and South sections, but what can be confusing is that in the Czech language North = Sever and South = Jih
And on the departure boards a combination of number and letter is used to indicate the specific nast / platform that each train will be departing from.
So 3S and 7S etc indicates that the train will be leaving from then north end of the station, but 3J and 7J etc indicate that the departure will be from the south end of the station.
Platform 1B is an exception, it is a bay platform at the North (S) end of platform 1.

(4) There are three passage ways under the trains which link the platforms / nastupiste with the main station building.
The passage ways at the south end and in the middle -which most departing passengers tend to use as it leads off from a departure board - have both stairs and escalators which connect them to and from the trains.
However, the passage way at the north (S) end is is linked to the platforms / nastupiste by elevators or slopes - So if you'll want / need to avoid the escalators and stairs when heading to a train departing from the south end (J) end of the station, you'll have to allow time to go the long way round!

(5) The numbering of the nastupiste / tracks follows a pattern typical in eastern Europe, as the islands which form the platforms have numbers, but the tracks on either side of them, which the trains will be on, don't have separate, specific numbers.
These 'islands' are numbered 1 to 7, so the idea that you follow the number to the platform and then when you're up on the island, the departure boards show which side of the island that your train will be leaving from.

But the splitting of the platforms into their S (north) and J (south ends) helps avoid confusion
If you head down the central passage way to the trains you can turn left for S and right for J.
Then when you're up on the nastupiste / platform, the indicators point the way to you train.

(6) The main ticket office at Praha hl.n. is at street level, but the passage that leads from the shopping centre to the platforms/nastupiste is at an upper level.
Slopes/and lifts link the ticket office with the access to the trains.
You can pay with euros when booking tickets at any of the ticket desks in the station.

The other somewhat odd aspect of Praha hl.n, is that back in the 1960s the city built an elevated main road up against the main station building, but because the cars speed along this road, it couldn't be used to access the station.
The compromise solution was to put the majority of the station facilities and the access to the trains, in a building constructed under the elevated roadway.
A small park was then put in front of this building, so when walking to the station from the city centre, or the nearest tram stops, you go through this park up the main entrance to Praha hl.n,

The park meant that cars, taxis and buses couldn't pull up to this entrance, so a drop-off area had to be created on the opposite side of that multi-lane highway,
This drop off area has four lifts / elevators which connect with the station's main hall, as it is beneath the road.

But steps have been taken to correct the wrong and to allow the stunning main entrance rotunda to once again serve it purpose.
So cars and taxis can now also drop travellers at this older entrance and some buses also use the stops by it

When ascending from the metro, or descending in the elevators from the bus stops, you emerge into the mall area.
Initially there is little to indicate that you are in a station at all.
Slopes, steps and lifts link the different levels in the building; There is step free access from the ticket office to the passage way which leads to the platforms/tracks.

What can add to the confusion is that you can’t see the trains from most of the building until the last moment, when you ascend up to the platforms/tracks.
The platforms/nastupiste that the trains depart from are out of sight at an upper level.

One of the main train departure boards is above the entrance to the central passage way which leads from the mall area to the part of the building used by the trains.
So people wait in front of it for the details of the train they will be taking to appear on the board, the time and other departure details are listed first, but the number of the platform / track that the train will be leaving is usually added separately.

Heading to the train

Platforms (nastupiste) are generally not confirmed until around 20 minutes before the departure of a train, so this is when they appear beside the other train info on the departure board.
Announcements are also made in Czech and English.

Though the less obvious route to a train is to wait on the lower level of the main building near to the access from and to the metro.
As the departure screen will show whether a train will be using a platform in the S (north), or J (south) part of the station - So from here you can follow the signs to the S or J passage ways

On reaching the platform the train may not already be waiting, but the platforms are not zoned to show where precisely to wait for easy boarding into a specific coach - the platforms are divided into sektors, because the platforms are so long that each train will occupy a specific sector.

How you make your way to the exit on arriving by train at Praha hl,n depends on which platform your train has arrived at:

At platform 1
You'll have a choice between:

• taking an escalator down into the main station building - the way to go if you will be taking a tram, metro, or heading off on foot
• exiting on to the street on the other side of the older entrance hall - the way to go if you will be taking a regional bus on routes/lines 905, 907, 908 and 911.

At platforms 2 to 4

If your train arrives at the Sever / North end of the platform there will be stairs, escalators and an elevator, which all lead down to a passage way under the tracks.
Though if your train at the Jih / South end you'll come to an escalator, which lead down to a separate passage way under the tracks - So if you'll want or need to use the elevator, you'll need to head down towards the North end.

At platforms 5 to 7

If your train arrives at the Sever / North end of the platform there will be a slope / ramp and stairs which all lead down to a passage way under the tracks.
Though if your train arrives at the Jih / South end you'll come to an escalator, which lead down to a separate passage way under the tracks - So if you'll want or need to avoid the escalator and use slope instead, you'll need to head down towards the North end.

If you'll be happy to use escalators or stairs, use the first that you see to head down into one of the passage ways under the trains.
Though if you'll want to avoid them, there are either elevators or ramps available at the north / Sever end of each platform.
If your onward train will be leaving within around the next 20 or 30 mins, there are screens in each passage which will show which platform it will be departing from.
Though be aware that when you ascend up to the platform, the train you will be taking may be using its opposite end.

If you have more than 30 mins before your connection departs, the best option is to make use of the cafe which you will find on platform 1.

ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about taking trains to and from the main station in Prague, Praha hlavní nádraží, aka Praha hl.n, and answered them below.

If you can't find the information you are seeking, you can ask a question and the AI enabled service will try to write an answer, telling you what you wish to know.

Yes - the primary access to and from the trains is by no less three passage way under the railway tracks, all of which have escalators, but the passage at the North (S) end of the station also has lifts or ramps.
The passage ways all connect to the main building which has moving walkways and more lifts / elevators that link all of is levels.
Praha hl.n is a station where you never need to use stairs to make a transfer between the area around the station and the trains, but to avoid them, you may have to seek out a less obvious route.

The historic heart of Prague is a 20-25min walk from Praha hl.n./Hlavni Nadrazi station; so a simpler option is to take the Metro, as The Old Town Square is a 5min walk from Staroměstská Metro station - though a change of train is required.
See the info in the 'To the city centre and tourist sites' below for further information on how to do this.

To Prague Castle

Tram route / line 15 provides a direct connection from Hlavni station to the area around Prague Castle, take it to the stop named 'Malostranska'.

The public transport network in Praha / Prague is managed by pid, but how to buy a ticket to travel by it depends on both how you will be travelling to and from Praha hl.n; and the type of ticket you wish to purchase.

In addition to single journey tickets there are other tickets which allow for unlimited travel in either 24 hours or 72 hours.

Metro tickets

There are two types of machines which sell metro tickets

1. Machines on which the type of ticket can be selected by pushing buttons, which only take coins.
2. More modern touch-screen machines, which also accept payments from some bank cards.

Any type of ticket purchased from these machines must be stamped, prior to boarding, in a separate ticket validator machine.

If you want to purchase a ticket(s) using bank notes or by other modes of contactless payment, you can do so in the station's main (CD) ticket office - though you will need to specifically ask for a PID ticket.
Purchasing at a ticket counter can be simpler than using the machines, plus tickets purchased from a staffed counter have been pre-validated, so they don't need to be stamped.

Tram and bus tickets

The trams and buses have on-board touch-screen ticket machines, which accept bank cards and other methods of contactless payment.
These tickets are pre-validated, but these machines do not sell 72 hour tickets.
So if you will want to use this type of ticket while in Prague, and will be heading off from the station by bus or tram, you will need to make a purchase at a staffed ticket counter.

In urban buses and trolleybuses, the ticket machine is always located by the second door, while on the trams, is located at the middle door of the vehicle.

Despite it being housed within a shopping centre, the food and drink options adjacent to the main waiting area for the trains, are actually fairly limited.
The best dining option is therefore the gorgeous art-nouveau station cafe and its adjacent restaurant.
Though if you enter Praha hl.n from the metro, or from the park in front of the station, and have luggage, using them can be a tad awkward.
The cafe and restaurant are located on the level above the main waiting area, so use the escalator or elevator up to platform 1, both the cafe and restaurant have entrances on this platform 1
Though if you get dropped off by taxi or car adjacent to the older entrance to the station, you'll be entering the station into it's gorgeous art-nouveau lobby, and the cafe and restaurant both have entrances here.

Yes there is ČD Lounge waiting area, which is open daily from 06:00-22:30
It can be accessed by those travelling:

• with a valid 1st class ticketw an SC or railjet Business reservation, or a sleeper or couchette supplement for a higher-quality train
• with a valid 2nd class ticket + a reservation for a higher-quality train (railjet, SuperCity, EC, IC, EN, Ex, Rx)
• with children under 10 years of age
• while pregnant
• with a valid ZTP or ZTP/P card.

There is both a staffed left luggage office, which is open daily from 06:00 to 23:00, and left luggage lockers.

When planning a trip, finding convenient accommodation can be trickier than working out which train to take.
Hence ShowMeTheJourney has partnered with the innovative accommodation portal, Stay 22, to offer three options for discovering your optimum accommodation:

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The producer of this video guide to arriving at Praha hl.n by train contacted SMTJ and suggested we included it and as it's excellent ,the answer was evidently yes.

Praha hl.n train station is located on the eastern edge of the city centre, so most of the city's most popular areas and attractions are some distance away.
The Old Square is a 15 - 30 min walk, but on a confusing street layout - there isn't an obvious pedestrian route.
So taking the Metro from Praha hl.n can be a good option.

Leaving a train Praha Holešovice station

However, trains from many destinations including Berlin, Budapest, Decin and Dresden also call at Praha Holešovice station in addition to Praha Hlavni Nadrazi (hl.n)

Leaving a train Praha Smíchov station

Trains from many cities to the west of Praha/Prague including Plzeň call at Praha-Smíchov before arriving at Praha Hlavni Nadrazi (hl.n).

Worth knowing is that the connections to many of the most popular areas in the city are actually easier from these alternative stations (see below).

For the National Museum (the Nadroni Muzeum) there’s no need to take Metro one-stop to Muzeum; as it is less than a 10min walk from Hlvani Nadrazi station

Leave the station by its main exit on the lowest level, which is opposite a park.
As soon as you are in the park turn left, walk towards the street that you will see in front of you heading away from the park, this street is Washingtonova.
The museum will be on your left at the end of this street where it intersects with Vaclavskenam.

The Metro station at Praha hl.n, which is named hlavni nadrazi, is located in the main building, but at a lower level to the passage way that leads from the main line train platforms.
In effect it is on the street level of the main mall building, which is adjacent to where the trains arrive.

Something to look out for is that each platform at the metro station has a dedicated entrance; so before descending to access the trains, check the easy-to-miss train direction signs to avoid having to turn back on yourself.
For Florenc station take trains heading to Letnany, while for Muzeum follow the signs for trains heading to Haje.

The English translation on the metro ticket machines isn’t particularly hard to follow, but if it's open the best option can be using the info / ticket office.

To Wenceslas Square:
Take Metro line C one stop south (direction Haje) to Muzeum station.

To The Old Town Square:
The historic heart of Prague is a 20-25min walk from Praha hl.n./Hlavni Nadrazi station; so a simpler option is to take the Metro, though a change of train is required.
(1) First take the Metro line C one stop south (direction Haje) to Muzeum station - the opposite direction you'd take when walking, but it will make sense when you look at the metro map.
(2) Then transfer at Muzeum station to Metro line A (direction Nemocnice Motol) and leave that train at Staroměstská.
(3) The Old Town Square is a 5min walk from Staroměstská station.

Staroměstská station is also the closest station to the King Charles Bridge area on the east bank of the river.

To Prague Castle:

Follow the steps above as per going to The Old Town Square - but remain on the Metro Line A one stop further and alight at Malostranska station.

The transfer between train and tram at Hlavni station is tad awkward, because the trams don't stop right outside the station, instead they're accessed by taking a pathway which leads off to the right through the small park, which is in front of the main exit.
Which can be a tad intimidating after night fall.

So the transfer between stepping off a train and being at the tram stop will take around 7 minutes.
Though Prague's tram routes circle the historic heart of the city centre, so the nearest stops, which can be accessed on any of the trams from Hlavni, are a 10 - 15 min walk from the Old Town Square.

Though tram route/line 15 provides a direct connection from Hlavni station to the area around Prague Castle, take it to the stop named 'Malostranska'.

The EC trains from Dresden, Berlin and Hamburg and trains from Děčín call at Praha-Holešovice station - before going on to Praha hl.n, which is the main railway station in Prague.
Holesovice station is located to the north of the city centre, but the main station, which is also known as Hlvani Nadrazi also isn't located in the heart of the city.

So depending on your final destination in the city it can be a good idea to leave a train at Holešovice train station - for three reasons:

(1) Holesovice station in Prague is on the same metro line as Praha hl.n (Line C), but making the transfer to the metro is easier at Holešovice.

(2) It also takes around 10mins for the express trains to make the journey between Holešovice and Praha hl.n stations - so taking the Metro from Holešovice is often a faster overall journey.

(3) From Holesivice railway station there is also direct access to the Kings Charles Bridge area by public transport, and this isn't available at hl.n station.
Take tram line 17 from the stop to the right of the main exit from the station (the tram will be heading to Levskeho) and leave the tram at the Karlovy Lazme stop.

To Wenceslas Square:

Take Metro line C (direction Haje) to Muzeum station.

To The Old Town Square:

Take tram line 17 from the stop to the right of the main exit from the station (the tram will be heading to Levskeho).
Leave the tram at the 'Karlovy Lazme' stop, which is located by the King Charles Bridge - the Old Town Square is a 5 - 10 min walk from this tram stop.

To Prague Castle:

Tram line 12 links Holešovice with Prague Castle (which is a comparatively much more awkward journey from Praha hl.n.).
You'll find this tram stop behind the Metro station, take a tram heading towards Sldiliste and leave the tram at the Malostranke nemesti stop.

Trains between Praha and Plzeň/Cheb/Munchen call at Praha-Smíchov train station, which is located to the west of the city centre.

However, as Plzeň is also to the west of Praha/Prague, the quickest journey by train between Plzeň and the capital is to travel to/from Praha-Smíchov.
It takes trains around 10-12 mins to make the journey across the city between Praha-Smíchov and Praha hl.n. stations.

So if you're heading to Praha/Prague on the trains from the west, including the trains from Munchen/Munich, it's likely that you'll have a quicker and easier journey if you leave the train at Praha-Smíchov.

To The Old Town Square:
Praha-Smíchov is on Line B of the Prague Metro (the Metro station is named Smíchovské nádraží) - so in contrast to Praha hl.n, there is a direct link between Praha-Smíchov and Mustek station – the closest Metro station to the old town area.

To Prague Castle:
Praha-Smíchov is on the same (west) bank of the River Vitave as Prague Castle - and tram lines 12 and 20 operate between the station and the nearest tram stop to the castle - Malostranke nemesti.

Here's some suggestions as to why it's worth making the effort to travel to Prague/Praha by train:

The best opportunities to take great photos is Prague (Wit & Folly)

25 Things To Do (The Crazy Tourist)

More Than 50 Suggestions* (The Lonely Planet)
*we lost count

What To Do on a First Time Visit (Just A Pack)

Crazy and Fun Things To Do (Getting Stamped)

Tips From Locals (Like A Local)

Insider Suggestions (Living Prague)

Top Attractions And Hidden Gems (Love & Road)

The Creepier Side of Prague/Praha (Intrepid Travel)

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