Natural Wonders
Moravian Karst
A spectacular karst landscape featuring over 1,100 caves including the famous Macocha Abyss, a 138-meter deep sinkhole.
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Road trip route · Austria · Czech Republic
Vienna to Prague drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 3 hr 45 min
- Distance
- 335 km
- Fuel (est.)
- €37
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Vienna to Prague drive
The drive from Vienna to Prague covers 208 miles (335 km) and takes about 3 hr 45 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
About 56% of it is on the D1, and most of the rest on the A5 and the 52. You pass Brno, Jihlava and Říčany on the way. The border from Austria into Czech Republic comes between Vienna and Brno, about 67 km in.
There's real climbing in this one: the road gets up to roughly 635 m near Jihlava, with something like 1,028 m of ascent over the whole drive.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around €37 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Austria requires a motorway vignette (~€12.4 sticker (10-day/weekly)). Czech Republic requires a motorway vignette (~€11 sticker (10-day/weekly)). Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 208 miles this is longer than 57% of the 144 routes covered here. Even in a single day it crosses 2 countries, so keep documents where you can reach them.
The road, kilometre by kilometre
Towns within a few kilometres of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping, plus where you cross the border.
- StartVienna
- 67 kmInto Czech Republic
- 133 kmBrno1 h 30 min in
- 211 kmJihlava2 h 22 min ingood place to stop
- 316 kmŘíčany3 h 32 min in
- 335 kmPrague
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- D1187 km · 56%
- A555 km · 17%
- 5247 km · 14%
Best stops between Vienna and Prague
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Racetracks
Automotodrom Brno
A sweeping circuit in the Moravian hills of Czechia, beloved for its flowing high-speed corners and decades of MotoGP history.
Castles & Palaces
Lednice Chateau
A romantic neo-Gothic palace at the heart of Europe's largest landscaped cultural park, with a 60m minaret.
Natural Wonders
Macocha Abyss
A 138m-deep karst sinkhole in the Moravian Karst with viewing platforms and an underground river boat ride.
Castles & Palaces
Konopiste Castle
The lavish country residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose 1914 assassination sparked WWI; the chateau preserves his vast hunting trophies and armoury amid an English-style park south of Prague.
Museums
Villa Tugendhat
Mies van der Rohe's 1930 functionalist villa in Brno, the only modernist building in Czechia on the UNESCO list, with its famous onyx wall and retractable glass windows overlooking the city. Interior tours must be booked months ahead.
Racetracks
Masaryk Circuit
Grand prix circuit northwest of Brno that hosted the Czech motorcycle Grand Prix, built into rolling hills with steep elevation changes.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
Austria
- Motorway
- 130 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Vignette (ASFINAG)
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest, first-aid kit
- Winter tyres
- 1 November - 15 April
Czechia
- Motorway
- 130 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Dalnicni znamka (e-vignette)
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest, first-aid kit
- Winter tyres
- 1 November - 31 March
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in Austria and Czech Republic
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Vienna to Prague FAQs
How long is the drive from Vienna to Prague?
Driving from Vienna to Prague takes about 3 hr 45 min nonstop, covering 208 miles (335 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Vienna to Prague?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly €37 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Austria requires a motorway vignette (~€12.4 sticker (10-day/weekly)). Czech Republic requires a motorway vignette (~€11 sticker (10-day/weekly)). Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Vienna to Prague in one day?
Yes, at about 3 hr 45 min of driving, Vienna to Prague is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Vienna to Prague?
The fastest route uses the D1 (about 187 km), the A5 (about 55 km), the 52 (about 47 km). It passes Brno, Jihlava, Říčany.
Where should I stop on the way from Vienna to Prague?
If you stop every couple of hours, Jihlava comes up about 2 h in. All are just off the main road.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 5 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Vienna and Prague?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Moravian Karst, Automotodrom Brno, Lednice Chateau: see the full list of 7 stops on this page.
More drives from Vienna & Prague
Berlin → PragueMunich → PragueMunich → ViennaPrague → BudapestPrague → KrakówVienna → BudapestVienna → Salzburg
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free Austria road trip planner, browse every destination we cover or the Czech Republic planner, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in Czech Republic guide.